Philately Portal

Close examination of the Penny Red, left, reveals a "148" in the margin, indicating that it was printed with plate #148. Stamps printed from plate #77 are extremely rare.

Philately is the study of revenue or postage stamps. This includes the design, production and uses of stamps after they are issued by postal authorities. Although many equate it with stamp collecting, it is a distinct activity. For instance, philatelists will study extremely rare stamps without expecting to own copies of them, whether because of cost, or because the sole survivors are in museums. Conversely, a stamp collector may choose to acquire and arrange the little pictures without being much troubled about their origin or usage. In practice, a basic knowledge of philately will save the collector from spending a great deal of money on a stamp that is really almost worthless. Image File history File links Portal. ... Image File history File links Stamp_UK_Penny_Red_pl148_closeup. ... Penny Red The Penny Red, issued in 1841, succeeded the Penny Black and continued as the main type of postage stamp in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until 1879, with only minor changes to the design during that time. ... An 1862 US 3-cent stamp used for proprietary articles A revenue stamp, tax stamp or fiscal stamp is a type of adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees on various items. ... A selection of Hong Kong postage stamps A postage stamp is evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services. ... A postal authority organises collection and delivery of mail (US) or post (UK) within its area of control. ... A small thematic collection of stamps featuring birds Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects, such as covers (envelopes or packages with stamps on them). ...

The Penny Red was used in the UK for many years, and comes in hundreds of variations.

The coining of the word "philately" in its French form has been circumstantially attributed to Georges Herpin in the publication Le Collectionneur de timbres-postes, Vol. 1, November 15, 1864. It is formed from the Greek words philos (friend) and ateleia (exempt from charge, or "franked"), which is a stretch to relate to the study of stamps, but the alternatives of "timbrophily" & "timbrology" or "timbrologist" never caught on. Image File history File links Scan of United Kingdom Penny Red, plate 148, made by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages link to this file: Philately User talk:Stan Shebs Penny Red Postage stamps and postal history of the United Kingdom Wikipedia:WikiProject Philately User:Stan Shebs/Gallery... Image File history File links Scan of United Kingdom Penny Red, plate 148, made by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages link to this file: Philately User talk:Stan Shebs Penny Red Postage stamps and postal history of the United Kingdom Wikipedia:WikiProject Philately User:Stan Shebs/Gallery... Penny Red The Penny Red, issued in 1841, succeeded the Penny Black and continued as the main type of postage stamp in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until 1879, with only minor changes to the design during that time. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

The origin of philately is in the observation that in a pile of stamps all appearing to be the same type, closer examination reveals different kinds of paper, different watermarks embedded in the paper, variations in color shades, different perforations, and other kinds of differences. Comparison with records of postal authorities may or may not show that the variations were intentional, which leads to further inquiry as to how the changes could have happened, and why. To make things more interesting, thousands of forgeries have been produced over the years, some of them very good, and only a thorough knowledge of philately gives any hope of detecting the fakes. This Crown & CA (for Crown Agent) watermark was standard for postage stamps of the British colonies from the 1880s to the 1920s. ... A postal authority organises collection and delivery of mail (US) or post (UK) within its area of control. ... Forgery is the process of making or adapting objects or documents (see false document), with the intention to deceive. ...

The Inverted Jenny is a famous error; philatelic study explains exactly how it happened.

One explanation for all the variation is that stamp printing was among the early attempts at large-scale mass production activity by postal authorities. Even in the 19th century, stamps were being issued by the billions, more than any other kind of manufactured object at the time. The Smithsonians Inverted Jenny This image of a postage stamp has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Smithsonians Inverted Jenny This image of a postage stamp has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The inverted Jenny (or Jenny Invert) is a United States postage stamp of 1918 in which the image of the Curtiss JN-4 airplane in the center of the design was accidentally printed upside-down. ... Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardised products on production lines. ... A postal authority organises collection and delivery of mail (US) or post (UK) within its area of control. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Types of philately

Basic or technical philately, then, is the study of the technical aspects of stamp production and stamp identification. It includes the study of

• The initial stamp design process
• Paper (wove, laid, etc, and including watermarks)
• Printing methods (engraving, typography, etc)
• Gum
• Separation (perforation, rouletting)
• Overprints on existing stamps
• Philatelic fakes and forgeries, especially the identification of forgeries

A topical philatelist might be interested in which subspecies of giraffe is represented on this 1925 stamp of Tanganyika.

Topical philately is the study of what is depicted on the stamps. There are hundreds of popular subjects, such as This stamp of the Falkland Islands is a fine example of modern stamp design: minimal text, intense color, striking subject clearly represented. ... This Crown & CA (for Crown Agent) watermark was standard for postage stamps of the British colonies from the 1880s to the 1920s. ... In philately, gum is the substance applied to the back of a postage stamp to enable it to adhere to a letter or other mailed item. ... This pair of coil stamps clearly shows the pattern of perforation holes; also, on the left side of the pair, the stamp was torn, while on the right the perforations were cut with scissors or knife. ... An overprint is the addition of text (and sometimes graphics) to the face of a postage stamp after it has been printed. ... In general philatelic fakes and forgeries refers to labels that look like postage stamps but arent. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Stamp_Tanganyika_1925_10c. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Stamp_Tanganyika_1925_10c. ... Binomial name Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 The Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ... Flag of Tanganyika Tanganyika was an East African republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, named after Lake Tanganyika, which formed its western border. ...

• People on stamps
• Maps on stamps
• Birds on stamps
• Insects on stamps
• Ships on stamps
• Stamps on stamps
• Chess on stamps

Interesting aspects of topical philately include design mistakes (such as use of the wrong picture on a US stamp honoring Bill Pickett), design alterations (for instance, the recent editing out of cigarettes from the pictures used for US stamps), and the stories of how particular images came to be used (one US stamp from the 1920s shows a Viking ship apparently flying an American flag, but this was not a mistake). Since 1840, when the Penny Black featured a profile of Queen Victoria, it has been a tradition worldwide for nations to honor individuals on their postage stamps. ... Every country has produced bird stamps. ... Almost every country has featured insects on stamps. ... Many nations have depicted ships on stamps, since ships have long been a means of transporting the mail over long distances. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Willie M. Bill Pickett (December 5, 1862 - April 2, 1932) was a cowboy and rodeo performer. ... The 1920s was a decade sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... The term Viking commonly denotes the ship-borne explorers, traders, and warriors of the Norsemen who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of the British Isles, France and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century. ...

One of many covers flown on the Hindenburg zeppelin, featuring a variety of postal markings.

Postal history concentrates on the use of stamps on mail. It includes the study of postmarks, post offices, postal authorities and the process by which letters are moved from sender to recipient, including routes and choice of conveyance. A classic example is the Pony Express, which was the fastest way to send letters across the United States during the few months that it operated. Covers that can be proved to have been sent by the Pony Express are highly prized by collectors. 1936 zeppelin cover from Germany to US, scanned by User:Stan Shebs and licensed under GFDL, 800px across File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1936 zeppelin cover from Germany to US, scanned by User:Stan Shebs and licensed under GFDL, 800px across File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Hindenburg may refer to: Paul von Hindenburg (1847 – 1934), German general in World War I and president of Germany (1925 – 1934) Oskar von Hindenburg (1883 – 1960), son of the former Carl Hindenburg, mathematician Named after Paul von Hindenburg: Hindenburg in Oberschlesien, from 1915 to 1945 the name of the city... Painting of the famous Zeppelin Hindenburg. ... For a time after the Anschluss in 1938, letters from Austria to Germany were required to add German stamps, resulting in a mixed franking. ... A British pillar box. ... This article is about the postal marking. ... Small-town post office and town hall in Lockhart, Alabama A post office is a facility (in most countries, a government one) where the public can purchase postage stamps for mailing correspondence or merchandise, and also drop off or pick up packages or other special-delivery items. ... A postal authority organises collection and delivery of mail (US) or post (UK) within its area of control. ... Pony Express statue in St. ...

Cinderella philately is the study of objects that look like stamps but aren't stamps. Examples include Easter & Christmas Seals, propaganda labels, and so forth. A cinderella stamp is a label similar to a postage stamp which may or may not be issued by a post office. ...

The results of philatelic study have been extensively documented by the philatelic literature, which includes many books and nearly 15,000 different periodical titles. Philatelic literature is written material relating to philately, primarily information about postage stamps and postal history. ...

Philately is basically an activity of reading and study, but the human senses typically need augmentation. The stamps themselves are handled with stamp tongs or tweezers so as to preserve them from large, clumsy, and possibly greasy fingers. A strong magnifier reveals details of paper and printing, while the odontometer or perforation gauge helps distinguish a "perf 12" from a "perf 13". A lens. ... This pair of coil stamps clearly shows the pattern of perforation holes; also, on the left side of the pair, the stamp was torn, while on the right the perforations were cut with scissors or knife. ...

Early stamps of India were watermarked with an elephant's head.

While many watermarks can be detected merely by turning the stamp over, or holding it up to the light, others require the services of watermark fluid, such as benzine (not to be confused with benzene, which is toxic), carbon tetrachloride or trichloro-trifluoro-ethane that "wets" the stamp without dissolving gum or ink. Other techniques, such as using coloured light filters have been attempted in an effort to avoid the use of toxic substances. Image File history File links Watermark_elephant_head. ... This Crown & CA (for Crown Agent) watermark was standard for postage stamps of the British colonies from the 1880s to the 1920s. ... Benzine, also known as petroleum ether, is a group of various volatile, highly flammable, liquid hydrocarbon mixtures used chiefly as nonpolar solvents. ... Benzene, also known as benzol, is an organic chemical compound with the formula C6H6. ... R-phrases , , , , S-phrases , , , , , Flash point non flammable RTECS number FG4900000 Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ...

An oddball philatelic cover that mixes the stamps of several places together.

Experts evaluating the authenticity of the rarest stamps use additional equipment such as fluoroscopes. Some stamps are printed with ink which fluoresces when exposed to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light sources are also used to examine stamps and postal history for signs of repairs or various types of faults. A 1925 philatelic cover with an illegitimate mixed franking, scanned by User:Stan Shebs File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A 1925 philatelic cover with an illegitimate mixed franking, scanned by User:Stan Shebs File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A philatelic cover is a cover sent through the mails for the purpose of creating a collectible item. ... The fluoroscope is a medical instrument used by physicians to view the internal organs of the body best described as a motion X-ray. Like an x-ray machine it takes an image of the interior of the body, but unlike the x-ray it uses a powerful radiation source...

Organizations

• Académie Européenne de Philatélie
• American First Day Cover Society
• American Philatelic Society
• American Topical Association
• Australian Philatelic Federation
• Fédération Internationale de Philatélie
• Féderación Argentina de Entidades Filatélicas
• National Philatelic Society UK
• Philatelic Traders Society (London)
• Royal Philatelic Society London
• The Rossica Society of Russian Philately
• Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Inc
• Scouts on Stamps Society International
• Welsh Philatelic Society
• Odessa City Collectors' Society
• GEOPHILA Association of collectors of stamp territories around the world

The American Philatelic Society (APS) is the largest nonprofit stamp collecting society in the world, with over 47,000 members as of 2003. ... The American Topical Association is the largest organization devoted to topical philately. ... Malian Scout postage stamp comemmorating the life of Lord Baden-Powell Since almost the advent of Scouting in 1907, Scouts have been depicted on the postage stamps of almost every nation during different times of their political development. ...

See also

• List of philatelic topics
• List of philatelists

This is a list of philatelic topics. ... This is a list of philatelists, persons notable for their contributions to philately. ...

References

• Leon Norman Williams, Fundamentals of Philately (American Philatelic Society, 1990) ISBN 0-933580-13-4
• Richard McP. Cabeen, Standard Handbook of Stamp Collecting (Harper & Row, 1979)

Leon Norman Williams (1914-03-25 - 1999-04-09), originally a barrister, was a noted British philatelic writer, who collaborated with his brother Maurice as L. N. and M. Williams until Maurices death in 1976. ...

External links

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• Encyclopaedia of Postal History
• Philatelic Web Guide
• UK Philately
• Stamp Exchange and Philately Community
• Joseph Luft's famous link collection (While this is one of the largest philatelic links web sites it has not been updated since January 2003, so many links are broken.)
• Stamp Forgery Guide (Selected web links to forgery descriptions and a comprehensive forgery literature bibliography.)
• StampNews.com Provides updates on new stamp issues and stamp collecting from around the world
• Philatelic Dictionary
• AskPhil (The non-commercial, all-reference site sponsored by the Collector's Club of Chicago.)
• The non-commercial, all-reference site for stamps and postal history of the Cape of Good Hope.
• Russian Mail on Near East
• A starter's guide to Philately as a hobby
• Chess on Stamps (Images of all chess stamps ever issued.)
• [1] (Site in English dedicated to Argentine classic philately)