📘 Glossary of Philatelic Terms
A
- Adhesive: A stamp with gum on the back, designed to stick to mail.
- Airmail Stamp: A stamp issued specifically for prepaying postage on mail carried by air.
- Albino: An impression of a stamp design without any ink or color, often resulting from a printing error.
- Aniline: A type of ink that is water-soluble and can cause colors to bleed through the paper.
- Approvals: A selection of stamps sent to collectors by dealers; collectors choose which stamps to buy and return the rest.
- Astrophilately: The collection and study of stamps and covers related to space exploration.
B
- Backstamp: A postmark applied to the back of a cover, indicating transit or receipt information.
- Bisect: A stamp cut into two parts, each used separately to pay a portion of the postage.
- Block: A group of four or more unseparated stamps, often collected in their original format.
- Booklet Pane: A small sheet of stamps from a booklet, typically consisting of multiple stamps.
C
- Cachet: A printed or stamped design on an envelope, often commemorating a special event.
- Cancellation: A mark applied to a stamp to prevent its reuse, often indicating the date and location of mailing.
- Cinderella Stamp: A label that resembles a postage stamp but was not issued for postal purposes, such as charity seals.
- Coil Stamp: A stamp issued in a roll format, designed for use in vending machines or by mass mailers.
- Commemorative Stamp: A stamp issued to honor or commemorate a specific event, person, or subject.
- Cover: An envelope or package bearing postage stamps and postal markings.
D
- Definitive Stamp: A regular-issue stamp intended for everyday postal use over an extended period.
- Denomination: The face value of a stamp, indicating its postal worth.
- Die: The engraved stamp used to print the image on a postage stamp.
E
- Embossing: A printing technique that creates a raised design on the stamp surface.
- Error: A stamp with a significant production mistake, such as missing colors or inverted designs.
- Essay: A trial design for a stamp, submitted for approval before final production.
F
- Face Value: The monetary value printed on a stamp.
- First Day Cover (FDC): An envelope bearing a stamp canceled on its first day of issue, often with a special postmark.
- Forgery: A counterfeit stamp created to deceive collectors or postal authorities.
G
- Gum: The adhesive substance applied to the back of a stamp.
- Gutter: The space between panes of stamps on a sheet, sometimes collected when it includes marginal markings.
H
- Hinge: A small, gummed piece of paper used to mount stamps in an album.
- Hinged: A stamp that has been previously mounted using a hinge, often affecting its value.
I
- Imperforate: A stamp without perforations, requiring cutting to separate from adjacent stamps.
- Invert: A stamp with an element of its design printed upside down, often highly collectible.
L
- Local Post: A private postal service operating within a limited area, issuing its own stamps.
M
- Margin: The blank border surrounding the printed area of a stamp sheet.
- Miniature Sheet: A small sheet of stamps issued as a unit, often with decorative borders.
- Mint: A stamp in its original, unused condition, with full gum and no cancellations.
O
- Obsolete: A stamp no longer valid for postage.
- Overprint: Additional printing on a stamp, such as a change in denomination or commemorative text.
P
- Pane: A portion of a stamp sheet, often sold as a unit.
- Perforation: The series of holes punched between stamps to facilitate separation.
- Philately: The study and collection of postage stamps and related materials.
- Plate Block: A block of stamps with the margin showing the printing plate number.
- Postmark: A postal marking indicating the date and location of mailing, often canceling the stamp.
- Precanceled Stamp: A stamp canceled before use, typically for bulk mailing purposes.
R
- Reissue: A stamp reprinted after its original issue, often with minor changes.
- Revenue Stamp: A stamp used to collect taxes or fees on documents and goods.
S
- Se-tenant: Stamps of different designs or denominations printed together and sold as a unit.
- Selvage: The margin of a stamp sheet, often containing inscriptions or plate numbers.
- Souvenir Sheet: A small sheet of stamps issued to commemorate an event, often with decorative elements.
- Specimen: A stamp overprinted or marked to indicate it is a sample, not valid for postage.
T
- Tête-bêche: A pair of stamps printed upside down in relation to each other.
- Topical Collection: A stamp collection focused on a specific theme or subject, such as animals or sports.
U
- Unused: A stamp that has not been used for postage but may lack original gum or show signs of handling.
V
- Variety: A stamp differing in some detail from the standard issue, such as color or perforation differences.
- Vignette: The central image or design on a stamp.
W
- Watermark: A design embedded in the paper during manufacturing, used to prevent counterfeiting.
- Wilding: A series of British definitive stamps issued from 1952 to 1967, featuring a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Dorothy Wilding.
This glossary provides a foundational understanding of philatelic terms, aiding both novice and seasoned collectors in navigating the rich world of stamp collecting.