Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Tranquebar HG 3
- Colour & date
- Red1831–1837
- Rarity
- Scarce
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 204
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Tranquebar HG 3 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 Tranquebar HG 3 handstamp
Tranquebar is a town and a port in Tanjore District, Madras Presidency, 18 miles north of Negapatam, situated 11°2' N and 79°52' E. It was a Danish settlement with fort built in 1620. It was taken by the East India Company in 1801, but restored to Denmark in 1814. It was finally purchased by the British in 1845.
Tranquebar HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Tranquebar — the present-day Tharangambadi — in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1831 to 1837. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 3".
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 "Scarce" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for tranquebar pre stamp covers, tranquebar postal history or "Tranquebar HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Tranquebar marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Tranquebar HG 3 handstamp?
- Tranquebar HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Tranquebar (modern Tharangambadi) in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1831 to 1837. The "HG 3" 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 Tranquebar HG 3?
- Tranquebar HG 3 is graded "Scarce" 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 Tranquebar pre stamp cover with HG 3 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Tranquebar 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. 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 Tranquebar 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 (1831–1837). 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 Tranquebar
7 marks7 other pre-1854 postal markings of Tranquebar 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: Tranquebar HG 3, Tranquebar HG3, Tranquebar Giles 3, Tharangambadi postal history, Tranquebar handstamp, Tranquebar pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Tranquebar HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/tranquebar/hg-3 (accessed 11 August 2026).
Updated: 11 Aug 2026