Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Sadrass HG 2
- Colour & date
- Red1851
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1996 Supplement · p. 7
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Sadrass HG 2 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Sadrass HG 2 handstamp
Sadras is a village in the Chingleput District, Madras Presidency, about 35 miles south of Madras, situated 12°31' N and 80°10' E. Sadras became a Dutch trading settlement in 1647, and was taken by the English in 1795, but given back in 1818, only to be returned to the Company in 1825 along with the rest of the Dutch settlements.
Sadrass HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Sadrass in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1851. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1996 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 2".
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 "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for sadrass pre stamp covers, sadrass postal history or "Sadrass HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Sadrass marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Sadrass HG 2 handstamp?
- Sadrass HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Sadrass in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1851. The "HG 2" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in red.
- How rare is Sadrass HG 2?
- Sadrass HG 2 is graded "Common" 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 Sadrass pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Sadrass 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 2. 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 Sadrass HG 2 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1851). 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 Sadrass
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Sadrass 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: Sadrass HG 2, Sadrass HG2, Sadrass Giles 2, Sadrass handstamp, Sadrass pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Sadrass HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/sadrass/hg-2 (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026