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Hand Struck Stamps

Post office · Madras Presidency

Chittoor

Handstamps
5
Recorded
1816–1853
Rare
1

Chittoor, headquarters of North Arcot District, Madras Presidency, is situated 15°13'N and 79°6'E, in the valley of the Poini River, 100 miles from Madras. It was a military station of importance until 1874.

Chittoor has 5 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1816–1853 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.

Chittoor handstamp summary

All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.

MarkTypeColourDatesRarity
HG 1HandstampBlack1816Rare
HG 2HandstampBlack1816–1820Common
HG 3HandstampRed1830–1835Common
HG 4HandstampPurple1836–1837Scarce
HG 5HandstampRed1838–1853Common

Frequently asked — Chittoor postal history

What are the pre stamp covers of Chittoor?
Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Chittoor are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Chittoor post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Chittoor was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 5 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1816 and 1853.
How many handstamps are recorded for Chittoor?
5 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Chittoor in this census, of which 1 is 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.
How do I identify a Chittoor 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 Chittoor 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.

Also searched as: Chittoor, Chittoor HG 1, Chittoor handstruck stamps, Chittoor pre stamp covers, Chittoor postal history.

How to cite

Chittoor, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/chittoor (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026

An unrecorded mark from Chittoor?

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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.