Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1
- Colour & date
- Red1855
- Rarity
- Rare
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- Private
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1 handstamp
Punnathurkotta is a fort and former palace located in Kottapadi, about 3 km from the Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple, in Thrissur District of Kerala State in South India.[1]Punnathurkotta was once the palace of a local ruler His Highness Anujan Raja, now survived by his son R Unnikrishnan, daughter-in-law Nirmala Menon, grandsons Madhusudana R Menon & Madhava R Menon, but the palace grounds are now used to house the elephants belonging to the Guruvayoor temple, and has been renamed Anakkotta (meaning "Elephant Fort"). There were 86 elephants housed there, but currently there are about 37 elephants. The elephants are ritual offerings made by the devotees of Lord Guruvayurappa.
ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at ALLAHCOTTAH — the present-day Punnathurkotta — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1855. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 1" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
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 "Rare" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for allahcottah pre stamp covers, allahcottah postal history or "ALLAHCOTTAH HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the ALLAHCOTTAH marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1 handstamp?
- ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of ALLAHCOTTAH (modern Punnathurkotta) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1855. 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 ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1?
- ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1 is graded "Rare" 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 an ALLAHCOTTAH pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from ALLAHCOTTAH 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 an ALLAHCOTTAH 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 (1855). 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: ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1, ALLAHCOTTAH HG1, ALLAHCOTTAH Giles 1, Punnathurkotta postal history, ALLAHCOTTAH handstamp, ALLAHCOTTAH pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/allahcottah/hg-1 (accessed 11 August 2026).
Updated: 11 Aug 2026