Post office · Madras Presidency
SeringapatamPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Seringapatam postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 13 Seringapatam handstamps recorded between 1799 and 1858, Madras Presidency, with 31 Seringapatam covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 13
- Recorded
- 1799–1858
- Rare
- 6
Seringapatam (Srirangapattana) is in Mysore District, on an island in the Cauvery, 10 miles north-east of Mysore, situated 12°25' N and 76°42' E. Haidar Ali took possession of the place in 1761, and withstood sieges of the Marathas in 1771. The British made two sieges in 1792 and 1799. Tipu Sultan submitted to the terms imposed in 1792, but prolonged resistance in 1799, until it was stormed and he lost his life. Seringapatam then became the property of the British, who leased it to Mysore for Rs.50,000 per annum.
Seringapatam has 13 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1799–1858 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Manuscript markings
1 markBefore handstamps were introduced, postmasters wrote postal details by hand — these manuscript markings pre-date the struck marks above.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Seringapatam 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 | 1799 | 2 examples recorded |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1801 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Black | 1801–1815 | Very scarce |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1800–1823 | Rare |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Red | 1837 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Black | 1828–1837 | Very scarce |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1842 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Black | 1842 | Common |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1839–1856 | Common |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | 1848–1853 | Common |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Red | 1839 | Common |
| HG 12 | Handstamp | Black | 1858 | Common |
| MN 1 | Manuscript | — | 1810 | Rare |
Seringapatam— postal history & markings
Seringapatam's postal record begins in 1799 — the year the island fortress was stormed and Tipu Sultan fell — and its earliest marks are its most sought. HG 1, of that first year, is recorded from two examples, while HG 2 of 1801, a double-oval mark, is noted as reported but not actually seen. The two early workhorses are HG 3 and HG 4: both rare, both in use from the opening years of the century, and both unusually well represented, on eleven and nine covers respectively.
A manuscript endorsement, MN 1 of 1810, survives because, as the note explains, the office then had no 'post not paid' handstamp and had to write the rating by hand. From the later 1820s the office worked in both black and red — HG 6 is very scarce, the rest common — carrying its record through to 1858. Few Madras offices tie their earliest marks so directly to a datable event.
Frequently asked — Seringapatam postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Seringapatam?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Seringapatam are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Seringapatam post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Seringapatam was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 13 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1799 and 1858.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Seringapatam?
- 13 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Seringapatam in this census, of which 6 are 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 Seringapatam called today?
- Seringapatam is the colonial-era name of present-day Srirangapatna, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Srirangapatnam. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Seringapatam 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 Seringapatam 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 Seringapatam were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Seringapatam, Srirangapatna, Srirangapatnam, Seringapatam HG 1, Seringapatam handstruck stamps, Seringapatam pre stamp covers, Seringapatam postal history.
How to cite
“Seringapatam, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/seringapatam (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Seringapatam?
If you hold a cover or strike from Seringapatam 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.