What is the Madura MN 1 marking?

Madura MN 1 is a pre-1854 manuscript postal marking of Madura (modern Madurai) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1794. The "MN 1" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.

How rare is Madura MN 1?

Madura MN 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 Madura pre stamp cover with MN 1 look like?

A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Madura is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by manuscript rate marks like MN 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 Madura MN 1 cover?

Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1794). 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.

Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Manuscript

Madura MN 1

Manuscript

Type: Manuscript
Date Span: 1794
Rarity: 1 example recorded
Note: Madura Cantonment
Figure: MN1
Submitted by: Gowtham BJ

← HG 9 All Madura

Census

Census records

1 cover recorded

1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Madura MN 1 manuscript marking is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.

COV-526

18 May 1794

Entire posted from Madura cantonment to Calcutta addressed to William Dick Esq, Surgeon with manuscript indicating PostPaid 12 Fanams on 18th May 1794 along with HG11a GPO hand stamp indicating bearing postage of 5 Fanams.As this cover was transferred from Madras territory to Bengal territory, maximum postage was paid? Distance traveled 1050 miles.

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About this mark

The Madura MN 1 marking

Madura, headquarters of the same named District in Madras Presidency, on the south bank of the Vaigai River, 345 miles from Madras, is situated 9°55' N. and 78°7' E. Following the defeat of Tippoo Sultan, the District of Madura came into British hands in 1801.

Madura MN 1 is a pre-1854 manuscript postal marking of the post office at Madura — the present-day Madurai — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1794. Its "MN 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 madura pre stamp covers, madura postal history or "Madura MN1" material can compare MN 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Madura marks.

Madura Cantonment

Frequently asked

What is the Madura MN 1 marking?: Madura MN 1 is a pre-1854 manuscript postal marking of Madura (modern Madurai) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1794. The "MN 1" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
How rare is Madura MN 1?: Madura MN 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 Madura pre stamp cover with MN 1 look like?: A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Madura is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by manuscript rate marks like MN 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 Madura MN 1 cover?: Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1794). 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 Madura

9 marks

9 other pre-1854 postal markings of Madura are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.

View all Madura marks and postal history →

Suggest a correction

Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.

Also searched as: Madura MN 1, Madura MN1, Madura Giles MN 1, Madurai postal history, Madura handstamp, Madura pre stamp cover.

How to cite

“Madura MN 1 — manuscript,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/madura/mn-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026