Post office · Madras Presidency
PalamcotahPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Palamcotah postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 12 Palamcotah handstamps recorded between 1787 and 1857, Madras Presidency, with 15 Palamcotah covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 12
- Recorded
- 1787–1857
- Rare
- 4
Palamcottah, the headquarters of Tinnevelly District, Madras Presidency, is situated 8°44 ' N and 77°45' E, on an open plain a mile from the Tambraparni River and 21/2 miles from Tinnevelly. It was fortified under the native rulers, and its defences were intact when it passed into British hands . It subsequently formed the base of their operations during the Poligar wars.
Palamcotah has 12 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1787–1857 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Palamcotah 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 | 1787–1792 | 3 examples recorded |
| HG 1A | Handstamp | Black | 1792 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | MauveBlack | 1819–1823 | Scarce |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Red | 1832–1836 | Common |
| HG 3A | Handstamp | — | 1829 | Rare |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1831–1836 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Red | 1837–1849 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Black | 1838–1839 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1856–1857 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Black | 1840 | Common |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1843 | Common |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | — | Very scarce |
Palamcotah— postal history & markings
Palamcotah's twelve handstamps reach back further than most, opening with HG 1 of 1787 and HG 1A of 1792 — each known from a single example — from the headquarters of Tinnevelly District in the far south of the Madras Presidency. The office is also notable for its ink: HG 2 of 1819 is a scarce mauve strike, an uncommon colour in the region.
The balance of the record runs in black and red to 1857, but it is those two eighteenth-century openers, each a unique survival, that give the office its standing. Fortified under its native rulers and taken with its defences intact, Palamcotah became a base for British operations in the south, and its early marks are among the oldest recorded from that corner of the presidency.
Frequently asked — Palamcotah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Palamcotah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Palamcotah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Palamcotah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Palamcotah was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 12 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1787 and 1857.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Palamcotah?
- 12 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Palamcotah in this census, of which 4 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 Palamcotah called today?
- Palamcotah is the colonial-era name of present-day Palayamkottai, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Palamcotah 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 Palamcotah 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 Palamcotah were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Palamcotah, Palayamkottai, Palamcotah HG 1, Palamcotah handstruck stamps, Palamcotah pre stamp covers, Palamcotah postal history.
How to cite
“Palamcotah, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/palamcotah (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Palamcotah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Palamcotah 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.