Post office · Madras Presidency
Pulicat
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1818–1843
- Rare
- 1
Pulicat (Pazhaverkadu) is a historic seashore town in the Chennai metropolitan area, Tamil Nadu, on the Pulicat Lake about 60 km north of Chennai.
Pulicat has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1818–1843 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Pulicat handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Frequently asked — Pulicat postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Pulicat?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Pulicat are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Pulicat post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Pulicat was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1818 and 1843.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Pulicat?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Pulicat 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 Pulicat called today?
- Pulicat is the colonial-era name of present-day Pazhaverkadu, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Pulicat 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 Pulicat 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.
Also searched as: Pulicat, Pazhaverkadu, Pulicat HG 1, Pulicat handstruck stamps, Pulicat pre stamp covers, Pulicat postal history.
How to cite
“Pulicat, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/pulicat (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Pulicat?
If you hold a cover or strike from Pulicat 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.