Post office · Madras Presidency
CombaconumPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Combaconum postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 3 Combaconum handstamps recorded between 1832 and 1858, Madras Presidency, with 10 Combaconum covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 3
- Recorded
- 1832–1858
Combaconum is situated 10°58' N and 79°22' E, in Tanjore District, Madras Presidency, on the banks of the Cauvery River. It is one of the oldest places in South India, and had a District Court as early as 1806, and was the headquarters of the Roman Catholic bishop of the French Mission.
Combaconum has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1832–1858 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Combaconum handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Combaconum— postal history & markings
Combaconum's three handstamps, from 1832 to 1858, are struck entirely in red and are all in common use. One of the oldest and most sacred towns of the south, on the Cauvery in the Tanjore District, the office served a great pilgrimage and temple centre. There is no rarity here to single out; the record is a small, uniform all-red run. For the collector, Combaconum's value lies in the standing of the place rather than in scarce strikes — a clean, consistent office from one of the venerable towns of the Madras Presidency.
Frequently asked — Combaconum postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Combaconum?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Combaconum are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Combaconum post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Combaconum was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1832 and 1858.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Combaconum?
- 3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Combaconum 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 Combaconum called today?
- Combaconum is the colonial-era name of present-day Kumbakonam, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Combaconam. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Combaconum 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 Combaconum 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 Combaconum were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Combaconum, Kumbakonam, Combaconam, Combaconum HG 1, Combaconum handstruck stamps, Combaconum pre stamp covers, Combaconum postal history.
How to cite
“Combaconum, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/combaconum (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Combaconum?
If you hold a cover or strike from Combaconum 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.