Post office · Madras Presidency
TrivandrumPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Trivandrum postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 5 Trivandrum handstamps recorded between 1836 and 1859, Madras Presidency, with 6 Trivandrum covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 5
- Recorded
- 1836–1859
Thiruvananthapuram, also known as Trivandrum, is the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala — the most populous city in the state, on the west coast near the southern tip of mainland India.
Trivandrum has 5 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1836–1859 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Trivandrum handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Trivandrum— postal history & markings
Trivandrum's five handstamps, from 1836 to 1859, are worked mainly in red but include a strike in blue — HG 2a of 1839 — an uncommon ink that distinguishes the small run. The marks are otherwise in common use. Capital of Travancore State on the Malabar coast, the town's post served the seat of one of the larger princely houses of the south. There is no great rarity here, but the blue HG 2a lifts the record above a plain red-and-black run, and for the collector of the Travancore country it is a compact and colourful office to hold.
Frequently asked — Trivandrum postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Trivandrum?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Trivandrum are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Trivandrum post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Trivandrum was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 5 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1836 and 1859.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Trivandrum?
- 5 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Trivandrum 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.
- What is Trivandrum called today?
- Trivandrum is the colonial-era name of present-day Thiruvananthapuram, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Trivandrum 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 Trivandrum 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 Trivandrum were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Trivandrum, Thiruvananthapuram, Trivandrum HG 1, Trivandrum handstruck stamps, Trivandrum pre stamp covers, Trivandrum postal history.
How to cite
“Trivandrum, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/trivandrum (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Trivandrum?
If you hold a cover or strike from Trivandrum 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.