Post office · Madras Presidency
SecunderabadPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Secunderabad postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 7 Secunderabad handstamps recorded between 1828 and 1858, Madras Presidency, with 33 Secunderabad covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 7
- Recorded
- 1828–1858
Secunderabad was a British cantonment in the Hyderabad State, 6 miles from Hyderabad City, situated 1r27' N and 78°30' E. British troops formerly stationed here were known as the Subsidiary Force, paid for by revenue from districts ceded by the Nizam under the Treaty of 1800.... "
Secunderabad has 7 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1828–1858 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Secunderabad handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Secunderabad— postal history & markings
Secunderabad's seven handstamps, from 1828 to 1858, open with a striking piece: HG 1 of 1828 is a scarce strike in blue, an uncommon ink. The rest of the record works in red and black, in common use. The town was a British cantonment six miles from Hyderabad City, home to the Subsidiary Force paid for from the Nizam's revenues. Its post served that garrison at the edge of a princely state, and while most of its marks are ordinary, the blue HG 1 gives the office a distinctive opener within the Madras material.
Frequently asked — Secunderabad postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Secunderabad?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Secunderabad are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Secunderabad post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Secunderabad was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 7 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1828 and 1858.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Secunderabad?
- 7 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Secunderabad 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 Secunderabad 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 Secunderabad 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 Secunderabad were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Secunderabad, Sikandarabad, Secunderabad HG 1, Secunderabad handstruck stamps, Secunderabad pre stamp covers, Secunderabad postal history.
How to cite
“Secunderabad, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/secunderabad (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Secunderabad?
If you hold a cover or strike from Secunderabad 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.