Post office · Madras Presidency
Shencottah
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1836
Shencouah is in Travancore State, Madras Presidency, on the high road from Quilon to Tinnevelly, from which it is 40 miles distant, situated 8°59' N and 77°15' E . Formerly belonged to the Rajas of Ilayatatunad and was annexed to Travancore in 1734.
Shencottah has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1836 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Shencottah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Red | 1836 | Common |
Frequently asked — Shencottah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Shencottah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Shencottah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Shencottah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Shencottah was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1836.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Shencottah?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Shencottah 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 Shencottah 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 Shencottah 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: Shencottah, Sengottai, Shenkottai, Shencottah HG 1, Shencottah handstruck stamps, Shencottah pre stamp covers, Shencottah postal history.
How to cite
“Shencottah, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/shencottah (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Shencottah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Shencottah 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.