Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Tanjore HG 3
- Colours & dates
- Red1830–1834Black1834
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 200
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
2 covers recorded2 pre-1854 covers bearing the Tanjore HG 3 handstamp are recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Tanjore HG 3 handstamp
Tanjore, headquarters of Tanjore District, Madras Presidency, 218 miles from Madras and 226 from Tuticorin, is situated 10°47' N and 79°8' E. It was successively the capital of the Chola, Naik, and Maratha powers. It was captured in 1773 by Col. Joseph, but restored to the Maratha Raja in 1776. In 1799, when Sarabhoji, the Raja of Tanjore, ceded his territory to the East India Company by treaty, he retained the city in his own hands. It lapsed to the British in 1855, on the death of his son, Sivaji, without heirs.
Tanjore HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Tanjore — the present-day Thanjavur — in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1830 to 1834. Known strikes occur in red and black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 3".
2 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each 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 tanjore pre stamp covers, tanjore postal history or "Tanjore HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Tanjore marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Tanjore HG 3 handstamp?
- Tanjore HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Tanjore (modern Thanjavur) in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1830 to 1834. The "HG 3" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes occur in red and black.
- How rare is Tanjore HG 3?
- Tanjore HG 3 is graded "Common" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. 2 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each with images and provenance.
- What does a Tanjore pre stamp cover with HG 3 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Tanjore 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 3. 2 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each 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 Tanjore HG 3 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1830–1834). 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 Tanjore
8 marks8 other pre-1854 postal markings of Tanjore are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on 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: Tanjore HG 3, Tanjore HG3, Tanjore Giles 3, Thanjavur postal history, Tanjore handstamp, Tanjore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Tanjore HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/tanjore/hg-3 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026