Post office · Madras Presidency
RoyacottahPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Royacottah postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Royacottah handstamp recorded in 1837, Madras Presidency, with 1 Royacottah cover traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1837
- Rare
- 1
Royacottah is in Salem District, 206 miles from Madras and 1180 from CalGUtta, and about 20 miles from Salem, in Madras Presidency.
Royacottah has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1837 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Royacottah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Black | 1837 | Rare |
Royacottah— postal history & markings
Royacottah, a town in the Salem District of the Madras Presidency, leaves a single rare black handstamp, HG 1 of 1837. The record is minimal — one mark, and a rare one — which makes even this small southern office a genuine target for the collector.
Frequently asked — Royacottah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Royacottah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Royacottah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Royacottah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Royacottah was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1837.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Royacottah?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Royacottah 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.
- How do I identify a Royacottah 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 Royacottah 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 Royacottah were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Royacottah, Rayakottai, Royacottah HG 1, Royacottah handstruck stamps, Royacottah pre stamp covers, Royacottah postal history.
How to cite
“Royacottah, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/royacottah (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Royacottah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Royacottah 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.