Rajamundry pre-stamp handstamp census refreshed with dated cover records

The Hand Struck Stamps research project updated its Rajamundry reference pages on 31 August 2026, adding a current census view of pre-1854 postal markings from the Madras Presidency office now associated with Rajamahendravaram. The pages document the known handstamps by figure number, colour and recorded period of use, together with surviving-cover counts and provenance links where available.

The project lists Rajamundry HG 1 as a red handstamp used from 1837 to 1855, with two surviving covers currently recorded in the census. HG 2 is recorded in black from 1839 to 1854, while HG 3 is recorded in red from 1837 to 1844. The HG 3 reference page provides comparison guidance for collectors checking the shape, colour and date range of suspected examples.

For specialists in Indian postal history, such evidence-based census data is important because many pre-adhesive markings survive in very small numbers. Catalogue listings can identify a handstamp type, but a census showing actual recorded covers, images and provenance gives a clearer picture of rarity and helps distinguish genuinely scarce material from marks that are merely difficult to find in dealer stocks.

Rajamundry is particularly relevant to collectors of the Madras Presidency and early Indian mail routes. Surviving folded letters and covers can provide information not only about the handstamp itself but also rates, routes, forwarding practices and the development of postal administration before the first Indian adhesive postage stamps appeared in 1854.

Collectors holding Rajamundry pre-stamp covers can use the refreshed pages to compare their material against recorded examples. Unlisted covers or examples with unusual dates, colours or routing may justify submission to the census for review, especially where clear front-and-back images and provenance can be supplied.