Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Sirce HG 2 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Sirce HG 2 handstamp
Sirce (Sirs i) is in North Kanara District, Bombay Presidency, situated 14°37' N and 74°50' E, 320 miles south-east of Bombay, 2500 feet above sea level. Col. Wellesley in 1800 sent a battalion to Sirce to drive out banditti.
Sirce HG 2 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Sirce — the present-day Sirsi — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1858. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 2" 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 "Scarce" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for sirce pre stamp covers, sirce postal history or "Sirce HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Sirce marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Sirce HG 2 handstamp?
- Sirce HG 2 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Sirce (modern Sirsi) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1858. The "HG 2" 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 Sirce HG 2?
- Sirce HG 2 is graded "Scarce" 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 Sirce pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Sirce 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 Sirce 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 (1858). 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 Sirce
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Sirce 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: Sirce HG 2, Sirce HG2, Sirce Giles 2, Sirsi postal history, Sirce handstamp, Sirce pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Sirce HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/sirce/hg-2 (accessed 21 July 2026).
Updated: 21 Jul 2026