Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Sheally HG 1
- Colour & date
- Red1829
- Rarity
- 1 example recorded
- Catalogue
- 2000 Supplement · p. 14
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Sheally HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Sheally HG 1 handstamp
Sheally was a small town five miles inland from the south-east coast of the Madras Presidency, situated 11°13' N and 79°40' E in the Tanjore District, 22 miles north of Negapatam and 153 miles south of Madras. (Giles 2000 Supplement)
Sheally HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Sheally in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1829. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 2000 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
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 sheally pre stamp covers, sheally postal history or "Sheally HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Sheally marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Sheally HG 1 handstamp?
- Sheally HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Sheally in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1829. The "HG 1" 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 Sheally HG 1?
- Sheally 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 Sheally pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Sheally 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 Sheally 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 (1829). 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.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Sheally HG 1, Sheally HG1, Sheally Giles 1, Sheally handstamp, Sheally pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Sheally HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/sheally/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026