Aalesund
Monday, April 21st, 2008: Glossary, Local Posts, NorwayAalesund is a Norwegian fishing port where a local post was organised by H. S. Oyen between 1880 and 1884. A 3 øre stamp, printed in brown on various coloured papers in December 1880. The design (below) featured a codfish in ...
Abnormal
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008: Glossary, Great BritainCertain surface printed stamps of Great Britain of the period 1862-80. They come from plates, or in colours, not normally issued for postal use, but which were prepared for registration at Somerset House and have subsequently found their way into ...
Acacia Gum
Monday, March 17th, 2008: GlossaryA water-soluble gum obtained from several species of the Acacia (Acacia Senegal and Acacia arabica, used in the manufacture of adhesives.
Accessories
Thursday, January 17th, 2008: GlossaryProducts used by the stamp collector to aid stamp identification and handling.
Accountable Mail
Thursday, April 17th, 2008: GlossaryMail, which requires the addressee’s signature on receipt to provide proof of delivery.
Acid-free Paper
Monday, March 17th, 2008: GlossaryPaper manufactured under neutral conditions with a pH greater than 7.0, containing no acidic additives.
Acknowledgement of receipt
Sunday, May 4th, 2008: GlossaryA stamp issued against payment of a special fee, so that acknowledgement of receipt of the postal item will be obtained. Mostly countries collect such fees using normal postage stamps and attach a suitable etiquette to the envelope (see recorded ...
Across–the-lines Mails
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008: GlossaryU.S. Civil War term for mail carried by private express between the North and the South.
Advertisement
Friday, April 4th, 2008: Glossary, Great Britain, New Zealand, Queen Victoria, Topicals or Thematics, West AfricaSome stamps have been issued having an advertisement printed on the back. The most well-known are certain Queen Victoria issues of New Zealand, but some British stamps were also printed experimentally. Modern self-adhesives from Sierra Leone have advertisements printed on ...
Advertisement Pane
Friday, January 4th, 2008: Advertisements on Stamps, GlossaryMore common than advertisements on stamps, these are booklet panes, which contain advertisements on labels se-tenant with the postage stamps. Collectors try to assemble complete collections of panes, which have suitable advertisements, although the stamps may be the same.
Advertising Cover
Monday, March 17th, 2008: GlossaryEnvelope, which advertises a commercial product.
Aero-Philately
Friday, December 28th, 2007: Glossarya branch of philately concerned with the study and/or collection of air-stamps.
Aerogramme
Monday, February 4th, 2008: Airmails, GlossaryA special lightweight single sheet of paper printed and gummed and designed when sealed to form an air letter. The official ones carry a printed stamp and they sometimes attract a lower airmail rate.
Airgraph
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007: Airmails, Glossary, Middle East, Military, United States, World War IIUsed by British forces in the Middle East during World War II. A special form was used for the message and the recipient’s address. This, when completed, was autographed and the negative flown to the appropriate post office. Here a ...
Airmail Stamp
Thursday, March 20th, 2008: GlossaryStamp intended to prepay airmail postage; the first recorded is the 25 cent rose, Italian express stamp, 200, 000 of which were overprinted in 1917.
Allied Military Post
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007: GlossaryBritish and American Zones used their stamps; 1946 saw three general issues of these stamps with the same design; America (Bureau of Engraving and Printing); Britain (Harrison and Sons Ltd.) and Germany (G. Westermann).
Andorra
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008: GlossaryIndependent state between France and Spain, which does not charge for internal mail. Before 1928, Spanish and French stamps were used. In 1928, the Spanish postal service established the Correos Andorra overprint. The French postal service established a postage due French stamp ...
Approval Dealers Protection Society (ADPS)
Monday, December 3rd, 2007: Associations, GlossaryThese initials in an advertisement or on a letter heading signify membership of the Society, which provides various services for approval dealers. See www.adps.org.uk
Army Post Office (APO)
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007: Glossary, Military, PostmarksThe organisation responsible for handling soldiers’ mail. Generally such mail can be recognised by the distinctive postmarks, which usually have the letters “APO”, “FPO” or some other inscription.
Arrow, Arrow-Block
Friday, December 28th, 2007: GlossaryArrows, and similar marks, printed in the margins of sheets as register marks for printer and perforator. An arrow-block consists of four or more stamps, with an arrow in the margin.
ASCAT
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007: Associations, Catalogues, GlossaryInternational Association of Publishers of Stamp Catalogues.
ASDA
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007: Associations, GlossaryIndicates membership of either the American or the Australian Stamp Dealers Association (now known as the Australasian Philatelic Traders' Association or APTA).
Automatic Perforation
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007: GlossaryStamps supplied in rolls for use in vending machines were, in early examples, imperforate, or perforate in one direction only, and the machine perforated the stamp automatically on delivery.
Back-Stamped
Thursday, December 27th, 2007: GlossaryThe dated postmark applied to mail by the receiving post office of destination or by a post office handling the piece while in transit. When present, is usually found at the back of a cover although it can be on ...
Badger and Kaye Ltd (B&K)
Thursday, May 8th, 2008: Catalogues, Dealers, GlossaryLondon stamp dealers, who publish the Commonwealth catalogue, normally referred to as the “Commonwealth” or “B&K”.
Ballon Monté
Sunday, March 16th, 2008: GlossaryA French expression meaning "balloon with pilot". It can be found on mail during the siege of Paris (1870-71). For this a higher rate of postage was charged. Balloons were used because there were no other way to leave the ...
Banknote Issues
Friday, June 20th, 2008: GlossaryIn the United States, from 1870 to 1887, the American, Continental and National Bank Note Company printed these stamps.
Barred
Sunday, December 16th, 2007: Glossary, Great BritainStamps cancelled with bars to render stamps (generally remainders or stamps returned to stock) invalid for use.
Belacryl
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008: Glossary, Printing ProcessesA form of multicoloured litho printing used by De La Rue and Co. Ltd.
Bisect, Bisected Provisional
Sunday, December 30th, 2007: GlossaryA stamp cut in half (vertically, horizontally or diagonally) for use at half the face value. The bisection by the public was sanctioned by authorities during a shortage of stamps of a lower denomination. In some case, the bisecting was ...
Bleuté, or Blued Paper
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007: GlossaryStamp paper which has acquired a bluish hue in its manufacture.
Blind Stamp
Saturday, July 5th, 2008: Glossary, Printing ProcessesAn extra unprinted area of paper of stamp size left between two other stamps or between a stamp and the sheet margin. This was necessary in certain combinations of printing format and paper/perforation layouts. A somewhat risky practice, since it ...
Booklets, Booklet Leaf, Booklet Sheet
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007: GlossaryStamps issued in booklet form are printed in large sheets laid out on a different plan or imposition from regular sheets, mainly for the convenience in cutting up and binding. A BOOKLET SHEET is the full sheet that has ...
Both Sides, stamps printed on
Saturday, February 9th, 2008: GlossaryStamps printed on both sides, which are extremely collectable, are created due to economy of paper usage. At some point, the printer has decided that a sheet has been deficiently printed in the first pass and has turned the sheet ...
Boxed
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008: Cachets, Glossary, Handstamps, PostmarksDescription of a postmark, handstamp or cachet to indicate that it has an outer line around it, usually in the shape of a rectangle.
BPA Certificate
Friday, February 8th, 2008: Associations, GlossaryA certificate issued by an expert of the British Philatelic Association, which indicates the genuineness or otherwise of a stamp or cover.
Bradbury Wilkinson and Co. (BW)
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008: Glossary, Great Britain, PrintersOne of the major stamp printers in Great Britain.
Britannias
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008: Barbados, British Commonwealth, Classic Stamps, Glossary, Indian Ocean, Mauritius, Trinidad, West IndiesPopular name for the early issues of Barbados, Mauritius and Trinidad, which show a seated figure of Britannia holding a spear.
British European Airways (BEA)
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008: Airmails, GlossaryAfter 1951 it issued its own airmail stamps to cover fees on letters carried. The letters had to be handed in and collected at airports and town terminals. They were not carried by the Post Office.
British Forces Post Office (BFPO)
Friday, February 8th, 2008: Air Force, Army, Glossary, Naval, Post Offices, ShipsPost Offices for members of the British Army and Royal Air Force. The Royal Navy uses the longer title of BFPO ships.
British North America (BNA)
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008: British West Indies, Canada, GlossaryA popular collecting area, which includes Canada and its constituent states, such as Newfoundland, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Vancouver Island, and which also includes Bermuda, although this is also included in British West Indies ...
Bull’s-eye Cancellation
Sunday, April 20th, 2008: GlossaryA postmark, in which the city, state, and dates have been placed directly on the centre of a stamp, or block of stamps.
Bureau Issues
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008: GlossaryStamps produced by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing at Washington D.C.
Bureau Precancels
Sunday, April 20th, 2008: GlossaryStamps, which are precancelled at the Bureau of Engraving.
Bureau Print
Saturday, February 9th, 2008: GlossaryParticular to America, these stamps were precancelled at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing before delivery to the Post Office.
Burélage, Burelé
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008: GlossaryA pattern that forms part of a stamp design, mainly used as a protective underprint before the stamps are printed.
Cancellation
Saturday, January 19th, 2008: GlossaryAny mark applied to a stamp to prevent its re-use in the post. Found in various forms including a postmark, pen cancellation, an overprint or manuscript addition denoting invalidation, eg. Cancelled, Specimen, Sample, Inutilizado, or mute cancellations (see Barred) or ...
Cancelled by Complaisance
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008: GlossaryStamps postmarked to oblige collectors.
Cancelled to Order
Tuesday, December 25th, 2007: GlossaryStamps postmarked in quantities for sale to the stamp trade, without giving any postal service in return.
Cantonal Stamps
Friday, January 11th, 2008: GlossaryPostage stamps issued by contonal administrations prior to the general adoption of the sytem by the Swiss Confederation (Plate 1).
Carriers’ Stamps
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008: GlossaryEarly stamps of the United States between 1842-1859 denoting the letter-carriers' charges for the delivery of mail to or from a post office where stamps were issued. At the time, in a large part of the country, house-to-house delivery or ...
Chalk Lines
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008: Forgeries, GlossaryTo prevent the cleaning of used stamps and make it difficult to reproduce or counterfeit by photography, an underprint of intersecting lines of a chalky nature was used in Russia (1909). See also Quadrillé and Varnish Lines.
Chalky, or Chalk-Surfaced Paper
Monday, March 10th, 2008: GlossaryThis is a paper which has been coated on the printing side with a solution of chalk and gum; it produces a more brilliant and more fugitive colour impression. See also Fugitive. Stamps with printed on Chalky paper are sometimes indicated ...
Changeling
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008: GlossaryA stamp whose colour or shade of colour, or paper, has been changed by chemical or other reaction. The change may accidental - some inks change colour in water - or at times fraudulent.
Check Letters
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008: GlossaryLetters in the corner of early British stamps arranged in double alphabetical sequence throughout each sheet, so that no two stamps on a sheet bore an identical combination. The letters were at first in the two lower corners, but later ...
Cigarette Paper
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008: GlossaryThin semi-transparent paper, without gum, e.g. Latvia, 1919.
Cinderella
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008: GlossaryA stamplike label produced by a non-governmental body.
Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC)
Monday, February 25th, 2008: GlossaryA group of citizens, appointed by the U.S. Postmaster General, to review approximately 50, 000 suggestions for the stamps, which the USPS receives each year.
Cleaned Stamp
Thursday, April 10th, 2008: GlossaryStamp which has had its first cancellation (generally a pen or rubber-stamp cancellation) removed by chemical or other agency. Stamps, especially of high denominations used chiefly for fiscal purposes, are often "cleaned" and provided with forged postmarks. Collectors must beware ...
Coil Line Pair
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008: GlossaryA pair of U.S. coil stamps, showing a coloured line caused by a gap, where the curved printing plate is used.
Colour Error
Friday, January 25th, 2008: GlossaryAn item printed in the wrong colour, or colour omitted.
Commemorative
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008: GlossaryA commemorative stamp is a postage stamp issued to commemorate a place, event or person. Most postal services world-wide issue several commemoratives each year. Ceremonies are often held on their first day of issue, usually at locations connected with or relevant ...
Compound Perforations
Monday, February 25th, 2008: GlossaryWhen there are two different perforation measurements on different sides. For example, a stamp of the 2938 U.S. Presidential series is perforated 10½ on top and bottom and 11 on both sides. Such stamps are said to be perf. 10½x11.
Cotton Reels
Thursday, March 6th, 2008: British Guiana, Classic Stamps, Glossary, South AmericaA popular name given to the stamps issued in British Guiana in 1850-1, since they resembled the labels stuck on the ends of reels of sewing cotton sold in shops.
Crash Cover
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008: GlossaryA cover saved from a plane, train, or other vehicle with a postal marking explaining the damaged condition.
Dead Country
Saturday, January 26th, 2008: GlossaryA former stamp-issuing entity that no longer issues its own stamps. Also, the old name of an active stamp-issuing entity that has changed its name, hence the old name is no longer used.
Dead Letter
Saturday, June 21st, 2008: GlossaryA term for a mail item, which is undeliverable due to a poor address, or where the addressee is deceased or untraceable.
Demonetised
Friday, January 4th, 2008: Glossary, Great BritainAny issue of stamps no longer valid for their original purpose. For example, Great Britain’s pre-decimal stamps became demonetised after the introduction of decimal currency and stamps.
Dragons
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008: Asia, Classic Stamps, Glossary, JapanA popular name for the first issue of Japanese stamps in 1871, which showed a dragon on either side of the value in the centre panel.
Dry Print
Sunday, March 16th, 2008: Glossary, Printing ProcessesA stamp image or overprint, which shows hardly any ink due to an inking deficiency in the printing.
Duck Stamps
Friday, April 11th, 2008: Glossary, United StatesHunting permit stamps of the USA, so called because most issues feature some species of duck or other water bird in the design.
Eagles
Thursday, April 17th, 2008: Central America, Classic Stamps, Europe, Glossary, Mexico, Switzerland, Topicals or ThematicsA popular name for the 1864 issues of Mexico, which showed an eagle tramping a snake underfoot. Also applied to the 1845 and 1847-9 issues of Geneva. Above: 1864 "Dragon" issue of Mexico Above: 1845, 1846 and 1847-9 issues of Geneva
General Issues
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007: GlossaryA description used in some catalogues for definitive stamps, where such issues are shown separately from special issues such as airmails, charities and express delivery stamps etc.
General Letter Office
Saturday, December 8th, 2007: GlossaryThe former name of the British Post Office, originally established in 1609 by an Act of Parliament.
Gladstone Roulette
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007: Glossary, Printing ProcessesAlso known as the Treasury Roulette, since it was applied unofficially to the imperforate stamps used by the Treasury during Gladstone’s term as Chancellor of the Exchequer 1850-4 (see Roulette).
Gravure
Sunday, April 6th, 2008: Glossary, Printing ProcessesAnother name for photogravure and similar printing processes operated under various trade names.
H
Friday, May 2nd, 2008: Airlines, Central America, Colombia, Dutch West Indies, Glossary, Netherlands & ColoniesOverprint on the 1921-8 series of stamps issued by SCADTA, the Colombian airmail company. The overprint signified Hollandia, the Spanish name for the Netherlands. Stamps with the overprint were sold at the airline offices and the Columbian Consulates in t