Post office · Madras Presidency
Cuddalore
- Handstamps
- 7
- Recorded
- 1818–1857
- Rare
- 5
Cuddalore is in the District of South Arcot, Madras Presidency, on the trunk road from Trichinopoly to Madras, 118 miles from the latter, situated 11°30' N and 11°52' E. The E.I.C. obtained a formal lease in 1684 and built Fort St. David to protect the place.
Cuddalore has 7 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1818–1857 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Cuddalore handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Frequently asked — Cuddalore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Cuddalore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Cuddalore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Cuddalore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Cuddalore was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 7 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1818 and 1857.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Cuddalore?
- 7 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Cuddalore in this census, of which 5 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.
- How do I identify a Cuddalore 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 Cuddalore 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: Cuddalore, Cuddalore HG 1, Cuddalore handstruck stamps, Cuddalore pre stamp covers, Cuddalore postal history.
How to cite
“Cuddalore, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/cuddalore (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Cuddalore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Cuddalore 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.