Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Tellicherry HG 2
- Date Span
- 1829
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Note
- 1st Die - Space between "POST"
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 202
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Tellicherry HG 2 handstamp has been recorded yet. If you hold one, submit it below.
No covers bearing this mark have been recorded yet. If you hold one, your submission — once reviewed — will appear here.
About this mark
The Tellicherry HG 2 handstamp
Tellicherry is in Malabar District, Madras Presidency, 42 miles from Calicut and 457 miles from Madras, situated 11°45' N and 75°29' E. The East India Company established a factory at the end of the 17th century, and a fort was built in 1708. It became the base for the operations above the Ghats in the Mysore Wars.
Tellicherry HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Tellicherry — the present-day Thalassery — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1829. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 2".
No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for tellicherry pre stamp covers, tellicherry postal history or "Tellicherry HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Tellicherry marks.
1st Die - Space between "POST"
Frequently asked
- What is the Tellicherry HG 2 handstamp?
- Tellicherry HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Tellicherry (modern Thalassery) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1829. 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 Tellicherry HG 2?
- Tellicherry 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. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example.
- What does a Tellicherry pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Tellicherry 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. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Tellicherry 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 (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.
Same office
Other recorded marks at Tellicherry
5 marks5 other pre-1854 postal markings of Tellicherry 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: Tellicherry HG 2, Tellicherry HG2, Tellicherry Giles 2, Thalassery postal history, Tellicherry handstamp, Tellicherry pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Tellicherry HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/tellicherry/hg-2 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026