Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Manuscript
Cannanore MN 1
- Type
- Manuscript
- Date Span
- 1819
- Rarity
- Rare
- Figure
- MN1
- Submitted by
- Terry Hare-Walker
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Cannanore MN 1 manuscript marking is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Cannanore MN 1 marking
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 MN 1 is a pre-1854 manuscript postal marking of the post office at Cannanore — the present-day Kannur — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1819. Its "MN 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 cannanore pre stamp covers, cannanore postal history or "Cannanore MN1" material can compare MN 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Cannanore marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Cannanore MN 1 marking?
- Cannanore MN 1 is a pre-1854 manuscript postal marking of Cannanore (modern Kannur) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1819. The "MN 1" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
- How rare is Cannanore MN 1?
- Cannanore MN 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 a Cannanore pre stamp cover with MN 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Cannanore 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. 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 a Cannanore 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). 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 Cannanore
8 marks8 other pre-1854 postal markings of Cannanore are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Cannanore MN 1, Cannanore MN1, Cannanore Giles MN 1, Kannur postal history, Cannanore handstamp, Cannanore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Cannanore MN 1 — manuscript,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/cannanore/mn-1 (accessed 20 August 2026).
Updated: 20 Aug 2026