Post office · Madras Presidency
CovilputyPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Covilputy postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 3 Covilputy handstamps recorded between 1845 and 1856, Madras Presidency, with 4 Covilputy covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 3
- Recorded
- 1845–1856
Covilputy (Koilpatti), in the Sattur taluk of Tinnevelly District, Madras Presidency, IS situated 9°10' N and 77°52' E.
Covilputy has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1845–1856 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Covilputy handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Covilputy— postal history & markings
Covilputy's three handstamps, from 1845 to 1856, are worked mainly in red but include a strike in blue — HG 2 of 1849 — an uncommon ink that distinguishes the small run. The marks are otherwise in common use. A town in the Sattur country of the Tinnevelly District, deep in the south of the Madras Presidency, the office served a modest inland settlement. There is little rarity here, but the blue HG 2 lifts the record above a plain run — for the collector, a compact office marked out by its single blue strike.
Frequently asked — Covilputy postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Covilputy?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Covilputy are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Covilputy post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Covilputy was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1845 and 1856.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Covilputy?
- 3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Covilputy 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 Covilputy called today?
- Covilputy is the colonial-era name of present-day Kovilpatti, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Covilputy 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 Covilputy 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 Covilputy were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Covilputy, Kovilpatti, Covilputy HG 1, Covilputy handstruck stamps, Covilputy pre stamp covers, Covilputy postal history.
How to cite
“Covilputy, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/covilputy (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Covilputy?
If you hold a cover or strike from Covilputy 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.