Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Tellicherry HG 4
- Date Span
- 1834-37
- Colour
- Black
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 202
- Figure
- 4
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
2 covers recorded2 pre-1854 covers bearing the Tellicherry HG 4 handstamp are recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Tellicherry HG 4 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 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Tellicherry — the present-day Thalassery — in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1834 to 1837. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 4".
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 tellicherry pre stamp covers, tellicherry postal history or "Tellicherry HG4" material can compare HG 4 across every office or browse the rest of the Tellicherry marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Tellicherry HG 4 handstamp?
- Tellicherry HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Tellicherry (modern Thalassery) in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1834 to 1837. The "HG 4" 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 Tellicherry HG 4?
- Tellicherry HG 4 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 Tellicherry pre stamp cover with HG 4 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 4. 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 Tellicherry HG 4 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1834-37). 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 4, Tellicherry HG4, Tellicherry Giles 4, Thalassery postal history, Tellicherry handstamp, Tellicherry pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Tellicherry HG 4 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/tellicherry/hg-4 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026