Post office · Madras Presidency
MasulipatamPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Masulipatam postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 13 Masulipatam handstamps recorded between 1802 and 1855, Madras Presidency, with 13 Masulipatam covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 13
- Recorded
- 1802–1855
- Rare
- 6
Masulipatam is situated 16°11' N and 81° 8' E, in Kistna District, Madras Presidency, on the Bay of Bengal, 215 miles from Madras. The English traded there as early as 1611, and later established a factory there. In 1686 the Dutch tried to interfere with this trading, but the Moghul emperor granted the Madras GoverI)ment a farman to continue trading there. In 1750, Masulipatam was seized by the French, but recaptured in 1759, and under a treaty signed in May 1759 Masulipatam and the adjacent territory passed to the Company.
Masulipatam has 13 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1802–1855 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Masulipatam handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Black | 1802–1808 | Rare |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1814 | Rare |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Black | 1817–1819 | Rare |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1822 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Red | 1831–1834 | Common |
| HG 5A | Handstamp | — | 1825 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1843 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Black | 1838 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1843 | Common |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1842–1851 | Common |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Red | 1848–1853 | Common |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Red | 1850–1855 | Common |
| HG 12 | Handstamp | Black | 1838–1855 | Very scarce |
Masulipatam— postal history & markings
Masulipatam's thirteen handstamps span 1802 to 1855, and its early marks are decidedly rare. HG 1 and HG 2 are both rare, HG 3 is known from only seven or eight examples, and HG 4 from a single strike — a scarce opening for an office at a Coromandel port where the English had traded since 1611. The record is split evenly between black and red.
The later dies carry a spelling variant worth noting: HG 10 and HG 11 render the ending as 'PATAM'. But it is the rarity of the early strikes that defines the office — for the collector of Madras Presidency postal history, a Masulipatam cover from the first two decades of the century is a genuine prize.
Frequently asked — Masulipatam postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Masulipatam?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Masulipatam are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Masulipatam post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Masulipatam was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 13 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1802 and 1855.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Masulipatam?
- 13 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Masulipatam in this census, of which 6 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 Masulipatam called today?
- Masulipatam is the colonial-era name of present-day Machilipatnam, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Masulipatnam. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Masulipatam 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 Masulipatam 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 Masulipatam were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Masulipatam, Machilipatnam, Masulipatnam, Masulipatam HG 1, Masulipatam handstruck stamps, Masulipatam pre stamp covers, Masulipatam postal history.
How to cite
“Masulipatam, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/masulipatam (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Masulipatam?
If you hold a cover or strike from Masulipatam 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.