Post office · Madras Presidency
OngolePostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Ongole postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Ongole handstamp recorded in 1827, Madras Presidency, with 1 Ongole cover traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1827
Ongole is a city in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, of which it is the headquarters.
Ongole has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1827 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Ongole 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 | 1827 | Scarce |
Ongole— postal history & markings
Ongole, a district town of the Andhra coast, leaves a single scarce black handstamp, HG 1 of 1827. The record is minimal — one mark, and a scarce one — a genuine target from a working town of the Circars, its early strike the whole of its distinction.
Frequently asked — Ongole postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Ongole?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Ongole are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Ongole post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Ongole was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1827.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Ongole?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Ongole 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.
- How do I identify an Ongole 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 Ongole 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 Ongole were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Ongole, Ongole HG 1, Ongole handstruck stamps, Ongole pre stamp covers, Ongole postal history.
How to cite
“Ongole, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/ongole (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Ongole?
If you hold a cover or strike from Ongole 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.