Post office · Madras Presidency
PoondyPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Poondy postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 2 Poondy handstamps recorded between 1841 and 1858, Madras Presidency, with 2 Poondy covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1841–1858
Poondy was a Sudder Post Office in the Chitterpore subdivision of Ganjam District, 597 miles north of Madras and 439 south of Calcutta. A Post Office was established in 1833 or earlier, and is still in existence, but efforts to locate it on a map have failed.
Poondy has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1841–1858 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Poondy handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Poondy— postal history & markings
Poondy was a Sudder post office in the Chitterpore subdivision of the Ganjam District, far up the Orissa coast, and its two handstamps — both of 1841 and both common, one red and one black — reflect that district-office status. The record is minimal, with no rarity to single out. For the collector, its interest lies in the remote coastal country it served, a clean pair from the far north of the Madras Presidency.
Frequently asked — Poondy postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Poondy?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Poondy are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Poondy post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Poondy was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1841 and 1858.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Poondy?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Poondy 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.
- How do I identify a Poondy 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 Poondy 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 Poondy were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Poondy, Poondy HG 1, Poondy handstruck stamps, Poondy pre stamp covers, Poondy postal history.
How to cite
“Poondy, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/poondy (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Poondy?
If you hold a cover or strike from Poondy 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.