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Hand Struck Stamps

Post office · Madras Presidency

Kurnal (Mad)

Handstamps
3
Recorded
1837–1855

Kurnaul (Kurnool) is situated 15°50' N and 78°4' E in Kurnaul District, Madras Presidency, at the confluence of the rivers Tungabhadra and Hindri, 900 feet above sea level, 350 miles from Madras. (Giles Vol.1)

Kurnal (Mad) has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1837–1855 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.

Also known as: Kurnool, Kurnal MadrasView on Google MapsWikipedia ↗

Kurnal (Mad) handstamp summary

All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.

MarkTypeColourDatesRarity
HG 1HandstampPurple1837Common
HG 2HandstampRed1840–1855Common
HG 3HandstampRed1840–1854Common

Frequently asked — Kurnal (Mad) postal history

What are the pre stamp covers of Kurnal (Mad)?
Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Kurnal (Mad) are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Kurnal (Mad) post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Kurnal (Mad) was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1837 and 1855.
How many handstamps are recorded for Kurnal (Mad)?
3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Kurnal (Mad) in this census. 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 Kurnal (Mad) called today?
Kurnal (Mad) is the colonial-era name of present-day Kurnool, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Kurnal Madras. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
How do I identify a Kurnal (Mad) 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 Kurnal (Mad) 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: Kurnal (Mad), Kurnool, Kurnal Madras, Kurnal (Mad) HG 1, Kurnal (Mad) handstruck stamps, Kurnal (Mad) pre stamp covers, Kurnal (Mad) postal history.

How to cite

Kurnal (Mad), Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/kurnal-mad (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026

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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.