Post office · Madras Presidency
PalaveramPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Palaveram postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 4 Palaveram handstamps recorded between 1826 and 1854, Madras Presidency, with 10 Palaveram covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 4
- Recorded
- 1826–1854
Palaveram town and cantonment is in the Saidapet taluk of the Chingleput District, Madras Presidency, situated 12°59' N and 80°10' E, 3 miles from St Thomas's Mount. It was called the Presidency Cantonment, troops being kept there for garrisoning and protecting Madras City.
Palaveram has 4 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1826–1854 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Palaveram handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Palaveram— postal history & markings
Palaveram's four handstamps, from 1826 to 1854, are worked mainly in red and are all in common use. A town and cantonment near St Thomas's Mount in the Chingleput District, close to the presidency capital, the office served a garrison in the country just south-west of Madras. There is no rarity here to single out; the record is the ordinary output of a cantonment post. For the collector, Palaveram is a clean, complete run — its value in rounding out the cluster of military stations around Madras rather than in scarce strikes.
Frequently asked — Palaveram postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Palaveram?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Palaveram are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Palaveram post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Palaveram was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 4 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1826 and 1854.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Palaveram?
- 4 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Palaveram 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 Palaveram called today?
- Palaveram is the colonial-era name of present-day Pallavaram, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Palaveram 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 Palaveram 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 Palaveram were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Palaveram, Pallavaram, Palaveram HG 1, Palaveram handstruck stamps, Palaveram pre stamp covers, Palaveram postal history.
How to cite
“Palaveram, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/palaveram (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Palaveram?
If you hold a cover or strike from Palaveram 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.