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Hand Struck Stamps

Post office · Madras Presidency

Mysore

Handstamps
6
Recorded
1815–1870

Mysore is the dynastic capital of the Indian State and residence of the Maharaja, situated 12°18' N and 76°40' E, at the north-west base of the Chamaraj hill.

Mysore has 6 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1815–1870 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.

Also known as: Mysuru, Mysore CityView on Google MapsWikipedia ↗

Mysore handstamp summary

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

MarkTypeColourDatesRarity
HG 1HandstampBlack1815–1816Scarce
HG 2HandstampRed1829–1833Common
HG 3HandstampBlack1826Common
HG 4HandstampRed1837–1857Common
HG 5HandstampBlack1837–1864Common
HG 6HandstampRed1870Common

Frequently asked — Mysore postal history

What are the pre stamp covers of Mysore?
Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Mysore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Mysore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Mysore was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 6 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1815 and 1870.
How many handstamps are recorded for Mysore?
6 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Mysore 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 Mysore called today?
Mysore is the colonial-era name of present-day Mysuru, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Mysore City. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
How do I identify a Mysore 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 Mysore 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: Mysore, Mysuru, Mysore City, Mysore HG 1, Mysore handstruck stamps, Mysore pre stamp covers, Mysore postal history.

How to cite

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

Updated: 10 Aug 2026

An unrecorded mark from Mysore?

If you hold a cover or strike from Mysore 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.

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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.