- Handstamps
- 9
- Recorded
- 1796–1856
- Rare
- 2
Tanjore, headquarters of Tanjore District, Madras Presidency, 218 miles from Madras and 226 from Tuticorin, is situated 10°47' N and 79°8' E. It was successively the capital of the Chola, Naik, and Maratha powers. It was captured in 1773 by Col. Joseph, but restored to the Maratha Raja in 1776. In 1799, when Sarabhoji, the Raja of Tanjore, ceded his territory to the East India Company by treaty, he retained the city in his own hands. It lapsed to the British in 1855, on the death of his son, Sivaji, without heirs.
Tanjore has 9 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1796–1856 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Tanjore 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 | 1796–1819 | Rare |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1821 | Common |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | RedBlack | 1830–1834 | Common |
| HG 3A | Handstamp | Black | 1831 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1837 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Red | 1847 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Black | 1848–1849 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1853–1856 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1853 | Common |
Frequently asked — Tanjore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Tanjore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Tanjore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Tanjore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Tanjore was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 9 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1796 and 1856.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Tanjore?
- 9 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Tanjore in this census, of which 2 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 Tanjore called today?
- Tanjore is the colonial-era name of present-day Thanjavur, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Tanjore 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 Tanjore 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: Tanjore, Thanjavur, Tanjore HG 1, Tanjore handstruck stamps, Tanjore pre stamp covers, Tanjore postal history.
How to cite
“Tanjore, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/tanjore (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Tanjore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Tanjore 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.