Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Karical HG Add. 1
- Colour & date
- Black1804
- Rarity
- 1 example recorded
- Note
- "KARICAL/POST PAID"
- Figure
- Add. 1
- Submitted by
- Andrew Titley
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Karical HG Add. 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Karical HG Add. 1 handstamp
Karical was a French settlement on the Coromandal coast in Tanjore District, Madras, situated 10°55' N and 79°50' E.
Karical HG Add. 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Karical — the present-day Karaikal — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1804. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG Add. 1" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "1 example recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for karical pre stamp covers, karical postal history or "Karical HGAdd.1" material can compare HG Add. 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Karical marks.
"KARICAL/POST PAID"
Frequently asked
- What is the Karical HG Add. 1 handstamp?
- Karical HG Add. 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Karical (modern Karaikal) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1804. The "HG Add. 1" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in black.
- How rare is Karical HG Add. 1?
- Karical HG Add. 1 has 1 example recorded in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Karical pre stamp cover with HG Add. 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Karical is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by hand-struck marks like HG Add. 1. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Karical HG Add. 1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1804). If your cover is not already recorded, you can submit front and back photographs through the census form on this page; every submission is editor-reviewed before publication.
Same office
Other recorded marks at Karical
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Karical are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Karical HG Add. 1, Karical HGAdd.1, Karical Giles Add. 1, Karaikal postal history, Karical handstamp, Karical pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Karical HG Add. 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/karical/hg-add-1 (accessed 21 August 2026).
Updated: 21 Aug 2026