Post office · Madras Presidency
EllorePostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Ellore postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 3 Ellore handstamps recorded between 1811 and 1851, Madras Presidency, with 6 Ellore covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 3
- Recorded
- 1811–1851
- Rare
- 1
Eluru, historically known as Ellore, is a city and the district headquarters of Eluru district in Andhra Pradesh.
Ellore has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1811–1851 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Ellore handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Ellore— postal history & markings
Ellore's three handstamps, from 1811 to 1851, open with the rare HG 1 of 1811 before the common later marks in black and red. A district town in the Andhra country of the Madras Presidency, the office served an inland centre between the Godavari and Krishna deltas. The record is small, but that rare 1811 opener anchors the office among the earlier Madras posts and is the mark a collector will seek. For the specialist in the northern Circars, Ellore is a compact office distinguished by its scarce early strike.
Frequently asked — Ellore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Ellore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Ellore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Ellore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Ellore was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1811 and 1851.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Ellore?
- 3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Ellore 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.
- What is Ellore called today?
- Ellore is the colonial-era name of present-day Eluru, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify an Ellore 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 Ellore 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 Ellore were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Ellore, Eluru, Ellore HG 1, Ellore handstruck stamps, Ellore pre stamp covers, Ellore postal history.
How to cite
“Ellore, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/ellore (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Ellore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Ellore 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.