Post office · Madras Presidency
CannanorePostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Cannanore postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 9 Cannanore handstamps recorded between 1819 and 1856, Madras Presidency, with 21 Cannanore covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 9
- Recorded
- 1819–1856
- Rare
- 3
Headquarters of the Chirakkal taluk of Malabar District, Madras, situated 11°52' N and 75°22' E, in the shallow bay of the Arabian Sea, 470 miles from Madras. In 1790, the fort was captured from the Bibi of Cannanore, and became the military headqu arters of the British on the West Coast.
Cannanore has 9 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1819–1856 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Manuscript markings
1 markBefore handstamps were introduced, postmasters wrote postal details by hand — these manuscript markings pre-date the struck marks above.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Cannanore handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Black | 1820–1823 | 3 examples recorded |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1823 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | BlackRed | 1825–1837 | Common |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1827–1830 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1845 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Black | 1838–1842 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1839–1842 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1844–1856 | Common |
| MN 1 | Manuscript | — | 1819 | Rare |
Cannanore— postal history & markings
Cannanore's recorded marks span 1819 to 1849, opening with a manuscript endorsement, MN 1, of 1819 — the earliest survival from this Malabar coast station and known from a single cover. The struck record begins with HG 1, a black handstamp of the early 1820s recorded from three covers, and the rare HG 2 of 1823, known from one example.
From the mid-1820s the office moved into steadier use: HG 3, common and surviving on six covers, ran through the 1830s in black, after which the office adopted red ink for several of its later marks — HG 5, HG 7 and HG 8 — alongside the black HG 4 and HG 6. The sequence is a compact but complete picture of a west-coast military headquarters working from scarce early strikes to a settled run of common handstamps by mid-century.
Frequently asked — Cannanore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Cannanore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Cannanore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Cannanore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Cannanore was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 9 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1819 and 1856.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Cannanore?
- 9 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Cannanore in this census, of which 3 are graded rare or better. 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 Cannanore called today?
- Cannanore is the colonial-era name of present-day Kannur, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Cannanore 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 Cannanore 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 Cannanore were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Cannanore, Kannur, Cannanore HG 1, Cannanore handstruck stamps, Cannanore pre stamp covers, Cannanore postal history.
How to cite
“Cannanore, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/cannanore (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Cannanore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Cannanore 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.