Post office · Madras Presidency
PoonamulleePostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Poonamullee postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 5 Poonamullee handstamps recorded between 1824 and 1852, Madras Presidency, with 10 Poonamullee covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 5
- Recorded
- 1824–1852
- Rare
- 1
Poonamullee is a town and cantonment in the Saidapet taluk of the Chingleput District, Madras Presidency, situated 13°3' N and 80°7' E, on the west trunk road 13 miles west of Madras. There is a fort, built by the Muslims and of considerable use in holding the country, towards both Madras and Conjeeveram, during the wars of the Carnatic.
Poonamullee has 5 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1824–1852 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Poonamullee handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Poonamullee— postal history & markings
Poonamullee's five handstamps, from 1824 to 1852, are worked in black and red, mostly common but bookended by interest: HG 2 is scarce and the late HG 6 of 1852 is rare. A cantonment on the west trunk road thirteen miles from Madras, in the Chingleput District, the town's post served a garrison close to the presidency capital. The record is small, but the scarce HG 2 and the rare HG 6 give the collector two targets within a steady run. For the specialist in the country around Madras, Poonamullee is a compact cantonment record with a genuine rarity at its close.
Frequently asked — Poonamullee postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Poonamullee?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Poonamullee are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Poonamullee post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Poonamullee was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 5 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1824 and 1852.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Poonamullee?
- 5 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Poonamullee in this census, of which 1 is 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 Poonamullee called today?
- Poonamullee is the colonial-era name of present-day Poonamallee, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Poonamullee 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 Poonamullee 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 Poonamullee were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Poonamullee, Poonamallee, Poonamullee HG 1, Poonamullee handstruck stamps, Poonamullee pre stamp covers, Poonamullee postal history.
How to cite
“Poonamullee, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/poonamullee (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Poonamullee?
If you hold a cover or strike from Poonamullee 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.