Post office · Madras Presidency
RamnadPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Ramnad postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 4 Ramnad handstamps recorded between 1837 and 1852, Madras Presidency, with 3 Ramnad covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 4
- Recorded
- 1837–1852
Ramnad, in Madura District, Madras Presidency, is situated 9°22' N and 78°51' E. The town was taken by General Smith in 1772, and was under military occupation in 1792. The fortifications consisted of a wall 27 feet high and 5 feet thick, surrounded by a fosse .
Ramnad has 4 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1837–1852 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Ramnad handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Ramnad— postal history & markings
Ramnand's four handstamps, from 1837 to 1852, are split between red and black, common but for the scarce HG 1A of 1837. A town in the Madura District taken by General Smith in 1772 and long under military oversight, the office served the deep south of the Madras Presidency. The record is small and mostly ordinary, but the scarce HG 1A gives the collector a target within the run. For the specialist in the southern districts, Ramnand is a compact office whose one scarce strike distinguishes an otherwise common record.
Frequently asked — Ramnad postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Ramnad?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Ramnad are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Ramnad post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Ramnad was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 4 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1837 and 1852.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Ramnad?
- 4 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Ramnad 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 Ramnad called today?
- Ramnad is the colonial-era name of present-day Ramanathapuram, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Ramnad 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 Ramnad 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 Ramnad were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Ramnad, Ramanathapuram, Ramnad HG 1, Ramnad handstruck stamps, Ramnad pre stamp covers, Ramnad postal history.
How to cite
“Ramnad, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/ramnand (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Ramnad?
If you hold a cover or strike from Ramnad 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.