Census
Census records
16 covers recorded16 pre-1854 covers bearing the Merut HG 3A handstamp are recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Merut HG 3A 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 3A 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 1827 to 1832. Known strikes occur in black and red. Its "HG 3A" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
16 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 HG3A" material can compare HG 3A across every office or browse the rest of the Merut marks.
red - scarce
Frequently asked
- What is the Merut HG 3A handstamp?
- Merut HG 3A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Merut (modern Meerut) in the North Western Provinces, British India, in recorded use from 1827 to 1832. The "HG 3A" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes occur in black and red.
- How rare is Merut HG 3A?
- Merut HG 3A is graded "Common" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. 16 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each with images and provenance.
- What does a Merut pre stamp cover with HG 3A 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 3A. 16 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 3A cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1827–1832). 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 2handstampRed1814–1827
- Merut HG 3handstampBlack1831–1837
- Merut HG 4handstampBlack1835–1837
- Merut HG 5handstampRed1837–1845
- Merut HG 6handstampBlack1839-43
- Merut HG 7handstampRed1843-51
- Merut HG 8handstampBlack1840-43
- Merut HG 9handstampBlack1843–1845
- Merut HG 10handstampRed1841–1852
- Merut HG 11handstampRed1845–1848
- Merut HG 11ahandstampBlack1848
- Merut HG 12handstampRed1848–1851
- Merut HG 13handstampRed1851
- Merut HG 14handstampRed1853-54
- Merut HG 15handstampBlack1854
Suggest a correction
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Also searched as: Merut HG 3A, Merut HG3A, Merut Giles 3A, Meerut postal history, Merut handstamp, Merut pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Merut HG 3A — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/merut/hg-3a (accessed 22 July 2026).
Updated: 22 Jul 2026