North Western Provinces · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Goruckpoor HG 3
- Date Span
- 1852-53
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 94
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Goruckpoor 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 Goruckpoor HG 3 handstamp
Goruckpoor, headquarters of the same named District in the United Provinces, is situated 26°45' N and 83°22' E, 506 miles from Calcutta, on the left bank of the Rapti River. After the battle of Buxar in 1764, a British officer was lent to the Oudh Government, who exercised almost supreme power over the south of the District. Extortion and internecine quarrels reduced the District to misery, when in 1801 it was ceded to the E.1. Company. Scene of epic events during the 1857 uprising.
Goruckpoor HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Goruckpoor — the present-day Gorakhpur — in the North Western Provinces, British India, in recorded use from 1852 to 1853. 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 "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for goruckpoor pre stamp covers, goruckpoor postal history or "Goruckpoor HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Goruckpoor marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Goruckpoor HG 3 handstamp?
- Goruckpoor HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Goruckpoor (modern Gorakhpur) in the North Western Provinces, British India, in recorded use from 1852 to 1853. 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 Goruckpoor HG 3?
- Goruckpoor HG 3 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 Goruckpoor pre stamp cover with HG 3 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Goruckpoor 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 Goruckpoor 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 (1852-53). 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 Goruckpoor
4 marks4 other pre-1854 postal markings of Goruckpoor 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: Goruckpoor HG 3, Goruckpoor HG3, Goruckpoor Giles 3, Gorakhpur postal history, Goruckpoor handstamp, Goruckpoor pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Goruckpoor HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/goruckpoor/hg-3 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026