Post office · Madras Presidency
KristnagerryPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Kristnagerry postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 2 Kristnagerry handstamps recorded between 1799 and 1800, Madras Presidency, with 5 Kristnagerry covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1799–1800
- Rare
- 2
Kristnagerry is in the Salem District, Madras Presidency, situated 12°31' N and 78°13' E. It contains a fort on a hill-top, which was never taken by assault, though it was surrendered to the East India Company troops, after blockade in 1768, and later it was returned by treaty to Haidar Ali. After the defeat of Tippoo it again came under the E.!. Company influence.
Kristnagerry has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1799–1800 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Kristnagerry handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Kristnagerry— postal history & markings
Kristnagerry — the fort town of Krishnagiri in the Salem District — reaches back remarkably far: both its handstamps date from 1799, HG 1 known from three examples and HG 2 from a single strike, and both are struck in black. For so small an office to open with a pair of eighteenth-century marks is unusual, and both are scarce. For the collector, this early all-black pair is a genuine prize among the southern offices.
Frequently asked — Kristnagerry postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Kristnagerry?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Kristnagerry are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Kristnagerry post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Kristnagerry was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1799 and 1800.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Kristnagerry?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Kristnagerry in this census, of which 2 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 Kristnagerry called today?
- Kristnagerry is the colonial-era name of present-day Krishnagiri, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Kristnagerry 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 Kristnagerry 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 Kristnagerry were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Kristnagerry, Krishnagiri, Kristnagerry HG 1, Kristnagerry handstruck stamps, Kristnagerry pre stamp covers, Kristnagerry postal history.
How to cite
“Kristnagerry, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/kristnagerry (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Kristnagerry?
If you hold a cover or strike from Kristnagerry 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.