Post office · Madras Presidency
MercaraPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Mercara postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 3 Mercara handstamps recorded between 1837 and 1857, Madras Presidency, with 7 Mercara covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 3
- Recorded
- 1837–1857
- Rare
- 1
Mercara is the chief town of Coorg, South India, situated 12°25' N and 75°44' E. It consists of the native town of Mahadevapet and a fort, built by Tippoo. On the approach of the British against Seringapatam in 1790, the fort was evacuated by Tippoo's troops, and delivered over to the Rajah of Coorg. It surrendered to the British without opposition in 1834.
Mercara has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1837–1857 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Mercara handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Mercara— postal history & markings
Mercara, the chief town of Coorg high in the Western Ghats, leaves three handstamps from 1837 to 1857. Two carry interest: HG 2 of 1837 is a scarce strike in blue — an uncommon ink — and HG 3 is very scarce. A hill capital of a small mountain province, the office served a remote upland seat. The record is small, but the blue HG 2 and the very scarce HG 3 give the collector genuine targets. For the specialist in the southern hill country, Mercara is a compact but distinctive office.
Frequently asked — Mercara postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Mercara?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Mercara are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Mercara post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Mercara was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1837 and 1857.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Mercara?
- 3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Mercara 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 Mercara called today?
- Mercara is the colonial-era name of present-day Madikeri, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Mercara 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 Mercara 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 Mercara were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Mercara, Madikeri, Mercara HG 1, Mercara handstruck stamps, Mercara pre stamp covers, Mercara postal history.
How to cite
“Mercara, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/mercara (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Mercara?
If you hold a cover or strike from Mercara 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.