Post office · Madras Presidency
PalghatPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Palghat postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 3 Palghat handstamps recorded between 1843 and 1860, Madras Presidency, with 3 Palghat covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 3
- Recorded
- 1843–1860
Pal ghat town is in Malabar District, Madras Presidency, 335 miles from Madras, and situated 10°46' N and 76°39° E. It changed hands between Haidar Ali and the British between 1757 and 1790, when it was captured by Colonel Stuart, and used as a base for the operations which ended with the fall of Seringapatam. It was garrisoned by the British until the middle of the 19th century.
Palghat has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1843–1860 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Palghat handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Palghat— postal history & markings
Palghat's three handstamps, from 1843 to 1860, are worked in red and black and are all in common use. The town commanded the great Palghat gap through the Western Ghats — the natural gateway between Malabar and the Coromandel plains — and its post served a strategic Malabar District centre. There is no rarity here to single out; the record is a straightforward run of common marks. For the collector, Palghat's interest lies in its geography, a town at the one great break in the southern hills, rather than in scarce strikes.
Frequently asked — Palghat postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Palghat?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Palghat are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Palghat post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Palghat was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1843 and 1860.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Palghat?
- 3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Palghat 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 Palghat called today?
- Palghat is the colonial-era name of present-day Palakkad, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Palghat 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 Palghat 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 Palghat were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Palghat, Palakkad, Palghat HG 1, Palghat handstruck stamps, Palghat pre stamp covers, Palghat postal history.
How to cite
“Palghat, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/palghat (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Palghat?
If you hold a cover or strike from Palghat 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.