Post office · Madras Presidency
AnuntapoorPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Anuntapoor postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 2 Anuntapoor handstamps recorded between 1834 and 1844, Madras Presidency, with 1 Anuntapoor cover traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1834–1844
Headquarters of Anuntapoor District, Madras Presidency, situated 14°41' N and 77°37' E, 56 miles from Bellary and 216 from Madras. Ceded to the British, after the 1st Mysore War, in 1800, when Major (afterwards Sir Thomas) Munro became the first Collector.
Anuntapoor has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1834–1844 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Anuntapoor handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Anuntapoor— postal history & markings
Anuntapoor's two handstamps, from 1834 to 1844, open with the scarce HG 1 of 1834, struck in purple — an uncommon ink — followed by the common red HG 2. Headquarters of its district in the Ceded Districts of the Madras Presidency, fifty-six miles from Bellary, the office served an inland upland station. The record is very small, just two marks, but the scarce purple opener gives it distinction. For the collector, Anuntapoor is a compact office whose single scarce strike, in an unusual colour, is the entry to seek.
Frequently asked — Anuntapoor postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Anuntapoor?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Anuntapoor are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Anuntapoor post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Anuntapoor was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1834 and 1844.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Anuntapoor?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Anuntapoor in this census. Each mark carries its Hammond Giles catalogue figure number, colour, date range, evidence-based rarity grade, and links to every surviving cover recorded with it.
- What is Anuntapoor called today?
- Anuntapoor is the colonial-era name of present-day Anantapur, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify an Anuntapoor postmark or cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impressions on this page — each figure shows the mark's design, ink colour and recorded date range. If your Anuntapoor cover bears a mark that matches a figure, open that figure's page to see every recorded example with provenance. If it matches none, it may be unrecorded: submit photographs through the form on this page and the editors will review it for inclusion in the census.
For background on the material itself, see the guides to the handstruck stamps of India, the pre covers of India and the pre stamp covers of India, which explain how marks like those recorded at Anuntapoor were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Anuntapoor, Anantapur, Anuntapoor HG 1, Anuntapoor handstruck stamps, Anuntapoor pre stamp covers, Anuntapoor postal history.
How to cite
“Anuntapoor, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/anuntapoor (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Anuntapoor?
If you hold a cover or strike from Anuntapoor that does not match any figure above, submit it below. Approved additions appear here as new entries in the census — every submission is reviewed first.
Same presidency
Other post offices in the Madras Presidency
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Madras Presidency post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.