How rare is Chandernagore MN 1?

Chandernagore MN 1 has 3 examples recorded in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. 3 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each with images and provenance.

What does a Chandernagore pre stamp cover with MN 1 look like?

A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Chandernagore is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by manuscript rate marks like MN 1. 3 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 Chandernagore MN 1 cover?

Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1819–1823). 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.

Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Manuscript

Chandernagore MN 1

Manuscript French territory

Type: Manuscript
Date Span: 1819–1823
Rarity: 3 examples recorded
Figure: MN1
Submitted by: Gowtham BJ

← HG 2 All Chandernagore MN 2 →

Census

Census records

3 covers recorded

3 pre-1854 covers bearing the Chandernagore MN 1 manuscript marking are recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.

COV-515

6 August 1819

Earliest recorded cover from Chandernagore French settlement to Kishenagurah with handwritten manuscript as Chandernagore Post Paid Two Annas. First cancellation of Chandernagore was introduced in late

COV-2072

15 January 1823

Chandernagore: 1823 (15 Jan.) entire letter to Harrat showing, on reverse, manuscript "15th of Jany. 1823 CPO Post Paid 2"; a rare pre-handstamp period cover. CPO – Chandernagore Post Office.

COV-2733

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About this mark

The Chandernagore MN 1 marking

Chandernagore, a French Settlement, situated 22°52' N and 88°22' E, on the bank of the Hooghly River, about 22 miles north of Calcutta. It was first occupied by the French in 1688, and was twice occupied by the East India Company, and returned to France under the Treaty of Amiens in 1802, only to be retaken by the English and held until 1816, when it was returned to the French.

Chandernagore MN 1 is a pre-1854 manuscript postal marking of the post office at Chandernagore — the present-day Chandannagar — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1819 to 1823. Its "MN 1" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.

3 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 "3 examples recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for chandernagore pre stamp covers, chandernagore postal history or "Chandernagore MN1" material can compare MN 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Chandernagore marks.

Frequently asked

What is the Chandernagore MN 1 marking?: Chandernagore MN 1 is a pre-1854 manuscript postal marking of Chandernagore (modern Chandannagar) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1819 to 1823. The "MN 1" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
How rare is Chandernagore MN 1?: Chandernagore MN 1 has 3 examples recorded in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. 3 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each with images and provenance.
What does a Chandernagore pre stamp cover with MN 1 look like?: A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Chandernagore is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by manuscript rate marks like MN 1. 3 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 Chandernagore MN 1 cover?: Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1819–1823). 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 Chandernagore

3 marks

3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Chandernagore are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.

View all Chandernagore marks and postal history →

Suggest a correction

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Also searched as: Chandernagore MN 1, Chandernagore MN1, Chandernagore Giles MN 1, Chandannagar postal history, Chandernagore handstamp, Chandernagore pre stamp cover.

How to cite

“Chandernagore MN 1 — manuscript,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/chandernagore/mn-1 (accessed 11 August 2026).

Updated: 11 Aug 2026