Post office · Madras Presidency
MayaveramPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Mayaveram postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Mayaveram handstamp recorded between 1849 and 1854, Madras Presidency, with 3 Mayaveram covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1849–1854
- Rare
- 1
In medieval times, Mayiladuthurai was ruled by the Chola Dynasty. It was subsequently part of the Pallavas, Pandiyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Thanjavur Nayak kingdom, Thanjavur Maratha kingdom, and eventually the British Empire. Mayiladuthurai was a part of the erstwhile Tanjore district until India's independence in 1947
Mayaveram has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking dated 1849–1854 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Mayaveram handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Red | 1849–1854 | Rare |
Mayaveram— postal history & markings
Mayaveram — Mayiladuthurai, an ancient Chola town of the Tanjore country — leaves a single rare red handstamp, HG 1 of 1850. The record is minimal — one mark, and a rare one — which makes even this small southern office a genuine target, from a town of real antiquity in the Cauvery delta.
Frequently asked — Mayaveram postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Mayaveram?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Mayaveram are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Mayaveram post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Mayaveram was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated between 1849 and 1854.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Mayaveram?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Mayaveram in this census, of which 1 is 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 Mayaveram called today?
- Mayaveram is the colonial-era name of present-day Mayiladuthurai, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Mayavaram. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Mayaveram 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 Mayaveram 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 Mayaveram were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Mayaveram, Mayiladuthurai, Mayavaram, Mayaveram HG 1, Mayaveram handstruck stamps, Mayaveram pre stamp covers, Mayaveram postal history.
How to cite
“Mayaveram, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/mayaveram (accessed 4 October 2026).
Updated: 4 Oct 2026
An unrecorded mark from Mayaveram?
If you hold a cover or strike from Mayaveram 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.