Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Pulicat HG 1
- Colour & date
- Black1818
- Rarity
- 1 example recorded
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- Sigel
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Pulicat HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Pulicat HG 1 handstamp
Pulicat (Pazhaverkadu) is a historic seashore town in the Chennai metropolitan area, Tamil Nadu, on the Pulicat Lake about 60 km north of Chennai.
Pulicat HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Pulicat — the present-day Pazhaverkadu — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1818. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 1" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "1 example recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for pulicat pre stamp covers, pulicat postal history or "Pulicat HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Pulicat marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Pulicat HG 1 handstamp?
- Pulicat HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Pulicat (modern Pazhaverkadu) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1818. The "HG 1" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in black.
- How rare is Pulicat HG 1?
- Pulicat HG 1 has 1 example recorded in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Pulicat pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Pulicat is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by hand-struck marks like HG 1. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Pulicat HG 1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1818). If your cover is not already recorded, you can submit front and back photographs through the census form on this page; every submission is editor-reviewed before publication.
Same office
Other recorded marks at Pulicat
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Pulicat is recorded in the census. Compare it against this mark to place your cover.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Pulicat HG 1, Pulicat HG1, Pulicat Giles 1, Pazhaverkadu postal history, Pulicat handstamp, Pulicat pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Pulicat HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/pulicat/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026