Post office · Madras Presidency
SadrassPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Sadrass postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 2 Sadrass handstamps recorded between 1822 and 1851, Madras Presidency, with 3 Sadrass covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1822–1851
- Rare
- 1
Sadras is a village in the Chingleput District, Madras Presidency, about 35 miles south of Madras, situated 12°31' N and 80°10' E. Sadras became a Dutch trading settlement in 1647, and was taken by the English in 1795, but given back in 1818, only to be returned to the Company in 1825 along with the rest of the Dutch settlements.
Sadrass has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1822–1851 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Sadrass handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Sadrass— postal history & markings
Sadrass — the old Dutch settlement of Sadras, south of Madras — leaves two handstamps. HG 1 of 1822 is known from two examples, an early scarcity, followed by the common red HG 2 of 1851. The record is small, but that two-example opener gives the collector a target, anchoring a historic coastal fort-town in the earlier years of the century.
Frequently asked — Sadrass postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Sadrass?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Sadrass are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Sadrass post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Sadrass was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1822 and 1851.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Sadrass?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Sadrass 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 Sadrass 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 Sadrass 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 Sadrass were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Sadrass, Sadras, Sadrass HG 1, Sadrass handstruck stamps, Sadrass pre stamp covers, Sadrass postal history.
How to cite
“Sadrass, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/sadrass (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Sadrass?
If you hold a cover or strike from Sadrass 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.