Post office · Madras Presidency
Cuddapah
- Handstamps
- 7
- Recorded
- 1816–1853
- Rare
- 4
Cuddapah (written "Kurpah" In the old records), headquarters of the District, Madras Presidency, situated 14°29' N and 78°50' E, 507 feet above sea level, 161 miles from Madras. Taken from the Nawab of Cuddapah by Haidar in 1780, but ceded to the Nizam by treaty in 1792. In 1800, the whole of Cuddapah District was ceded by the Nizam to the E.I.C., in payment for a subsidiary force to be stationed in his territories.
Cuddapah has 7 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1816–1853 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Manuscript markings
1 markBefore handstamps were introduced, postmasters wrote postal details by hand — these manuscript markings pre-date the struck marks above.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Cuddapah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Frequently asked — Cuddapah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Cuddapah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Cuddapah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Cuddapah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Cuddapah was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 7 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1816 and 1853.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Cuddapah?
- 7 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Cuddapah in this census, of which 4 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.
- What is Cuddapah called today?
- Cuddapah is the colonial-era name of present-day Kadapa, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Cuddapah 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 Cuddapah 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: Cuddapah, Kadapa, Cuddapah HG 1, Cuddapah handstruck stamps, Cuddapah pre stamp covers, Cuddapah postal history.
How to cite
“Cuddapah, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/cuddapah (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Cuddapah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Cuddapah 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.