- Handstamps
- 3
- Recorded
- 1836–1855
- Rare
- 1
Sheemooga was the headquarters of Sheemooga District, Mysore on the Tunga River, situated 13°56' N and 75°35' E. Taken by Haidar Ali in 1763, besieged by the Marathas in 1798 when Tipu Sultan's army had to retire from Sheemooga, and was plundered and burnt.
Sheemooga has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1836–1855 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Sheemooga handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Frequently asked — Sheemooga postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Sheemooga?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Sheemooga are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Sheemooga post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Sheemooga was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1836 and 1855.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Sheemooga?
- 3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Sheemooga 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.
- What is Sheemooga called today?
- Sheemooga is the colonial-era name of present-day Shivamogga, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Shimoga. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Sheemooga 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 Sheemooga 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.
Also searched as: Sheemooga, Shivamogga, Shimoga, Sheemooga HG 1, Sheemooga handstruck stamps, Sheemooga pre stamp covers, Sheemooga postal history.
How to cite
“Sheemooga, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/sheemooga (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Sheemooga?
If you hold a cover or strike from Sheemooga 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.