Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Tanjore HG 3A
- Colour & date
- Black1831
- Rarity
- 1 example recorded
- Figure
- 3A
- Submitted by
- collectorbazar
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Tanjore HG 3A handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Tanjore HG 3A 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 3A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Tanjore — the present-day Thanjavur — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1831. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 3A" 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 tanjore pre stamp covers, tanjore postal history or "Tanjore HG3A" material can compare HG 3A across every office or browse the rest of the Tanjore marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Tanjore HG 3A handstamp?
- Tanjore HG 3A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Tanjore (modern Thanjavur) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1831. The "HG 3A" 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 Tanjore HG 3A?
- Tanjore HG 3A 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 Tanjore pre stamp cover with HG 3A 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 3A. 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 Tanjore HG 3A cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1831). 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 3A, Tanjore HG3A, Tanjore Giles 3A, Thanjavur postal history, Tanjore handstamp, Tanjore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Tanjore HG 3A — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/tanjore/hg-3a (accessed 29 July 2026).
Updated: 29 Jul 2026