Post office · Madras Presidency
PonanyPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Ponany postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Ponany handstamp recorded in 1863, Madras Presidency.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1863
Ponany (Ponnani) is a port town on the Malabar Coast, Madras Presidency, at the mouth of the Bharathappuzha River. It was historically an important centre of Islamic learning and maritime trade with Arabia. The town came under British control following the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1799.
Ponany has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1863 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Ponany handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Red | 1863 | Scarce |
Ponany— postal history & markings
Ponany — Ponnani, a port at the mouth of the Bharatapuzha on the Malabar coast — leaves a single scarce red handstamp, HG 1 of 1863. The record is minimal — one mark, and a scarce one — a genuine target from an old sea-port of the western shore.
Frequently asked — Ponany postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Ponany?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Ponany are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Ponany post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Ponany was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1863.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Ponany?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Ponany 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 Ponany called today?
- Ponany is the colonial-era name of present-day Ponnani, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Ponany 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 Ponany 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 Ponany were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Ponany, Ponnani, Ponany HG 1, Ponany handstruck stamps, Ponany pre stamp covers, Ponany postal history.
How to cite
“Ponany, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/ponany (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Ponany?
If you hold a cover or strike from Ponany 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.