Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Vencatagherrycotah HG 1
- Colour & date
- Red1835
- Rarity
- 1 example recorded
- Note
- One example recorded
- Catalogue
- 1993 Supplement · p. 29
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Vencatagherrycotah HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Vencatagherrycotah HG 1 handstamp
Venkatagiri is a town in Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh, the headquarters of Venkatagiri mandal and seat of a former zamindari.
Vencatagherrycotah HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Vencatagherrycotah — the present-day Venkatagiri — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1835. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1993 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
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 vencatagherrycotah pre stamp covers, vencatagherrycotah postal history or "Vencatagherrycotah HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Vencatagherrycotah marks.
One example recorded
Frequently asked
- What is the Vencatagherrycotah HG 1 handstamp?
- Vencatagherrycotah HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Vencatagherrycotah (modern Venkatagiri) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1835. The "HG 1" 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 Vencatagherrycotah HG 1?
- Vencatagherrycotah HG 1 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 Vencatagherrycotah pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Vencatagherrycotah 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 1. 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 Vencatagherrycotah HG 1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1835). 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.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Vencatagherrycotah HG 1, Vencatagherrycotah HG1, Vencatagherrycotah Giles 1, Venkatagiri postal history, Vencatagherrycotah handstamp, Vencatagherrycotah pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Vencatagherrycotah HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/vencatagherrycotah/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026