Census
Census records
11 covers recorded11 pre-1854 covers bearing the Merut HG 2 handstamp are recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Merut HG 2 handstamp
Merut City, a military cantonment and administrative headquarters of Merut District, United Provinces, is situated 29°1' N and 77°43' E, 970 miles from Calcutta, and 931 from Bombay. The cantonments were established in 1806. Merut obtained the unenviable notoriety in 1857 ' as the spot where the Mutiny broke out in Upper India.
Merut HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Merut — the present-day Meerut — in the North Western Provinces, British India, in recorded use from 1814 to 1828. Known strikes occur in red and black. It is listed in 2000 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 2".
11 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 merut pre stamp covers, merut postal history or "Merut HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Merut marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Merut HG 2 handstamp?
- Merut HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Merut (modern Meerut) in the North Western Provinces, British India, in recorded use from 1814 to 1828. The "HG 2" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes occur in red and black.
- How rare is Merut HG 2?
- Merut 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. 11 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each with images and provenance.
- What does a Merut pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Merut 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. 11 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 Merut 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 (1814–1828). 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 Merut
17 marks17 other pre-1854 postal markings of Merut are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Merut HG 1handstampBlack1809–1827
- Merut HG 1AhandstampRed1827
- Merut HG 3handstampBlack1831–1837
- Merut HG 3AhandstampBlack1827–1832
- Merut HG 4handstampBlack1835–1837
- Merut HG 5handstampRed1837–1845
- Merut HG 6handstampBlack1839–1843
- Merut HG 7handstampRed1843–1851
- Merut HG 8handstampBlack1840-43
- Merut HG 9handstampBlack1843–1845
- Merut HG 10handstampRed1841–1852
- Merut HG 11handstampRed1845–1851
- Merut HG 11ahandstampBlack1848–1849
- Merut HG 12handstampRed1848–1851
- Merut HG 13handstampRed1851
- Merut HG 14handstampRed1853-54
- Merut HG 15handstampBlack1852–1854
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Merut HG 2, Merut HG2, Merut Giles 2, Meerut postal history, Merut handstamp, Merut pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Merut HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/merut/hg-2 (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026