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Here
are answers to some of the most often asked questions. Browse
through them or select a topic:
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Philatelic
Terms
Where
did the word "philatelist" come from?
The
word "philatelist" means a person who practices philately or stamp
collecting. It comes from the French word philatelie, which was
derived from the Greek words "philos", meaning loving,
and "atelia", meaning exemption from tax (which also came
to mean "postage is prepaid"). Philately has come to
mean, specifically, the collection and study of postage stamps,
postmarks
and stamped envelopes and the study of postal history.
What
are cachets?
A
cachet is a design placed on an envelope, usually commemorating
the event for which the cover, as that envelope is known, is being
prepared. For first day covers, the design is usually closely related
to the subject of the newly issued stamp. The cachet usually appears
on the left side of the envelope.
What
are stamp hinges and where can I buy them?
Stamp
hinges are thin rectangular pieces of paper which are used to hold
stamps in an album. One side of each hinge is coated with a special
adhesive that becomes sticky when it is slightly moistened. Hinges
may be purchased from stamp dealers or hobby stores. Hinges come
in two varieties, flat and pre-folded.
What
are coil stamps?
Coil
stamps are stamps made for use in vending or affixing machines and
are sold in rolls. They have perforations on two parallel sides
only (either the horizontal or vertical side). The other sides of
the stamps are cut straight.
What
is a mint stamp?
Mint
stamps are stamps that remain in their original state of issue,
unused and with full gum (if so issued).
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What
is a joint issue?
A joint issue occurs when two countries each issue
a stamp or stamps on the same date to commemorate the same
subject. This happens frequently when the person or historic
event honored has a special meaning for both countries. For
example, on June 1, 1976, the U.S. Postal Service and the
Canadian Post Office jointly issued stamps honoring Benjamin
Franklin. Franklin had been the first Postmaster General of
both Canada and the United States. Both stamps were designed
by the same person and looked nearly identical.
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What
is an overprint?
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An overprint is any printing added to the face of a stamp
after it has been manufactured. This is usually done to make
stamps suitable for use not originally intended. Precanceled
stamps represent one kind of overprinting. Whenever an overprint
changes the value, it is called a surcharge. |
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Why
and how are stamps watermarked?
A watermark is a special design or pattern pressed
in to the soft paper during the manufacturing process. These
impressions take many forms, such as letters, animals, fruit,
emblems, and combinations of these and others. They are frequently
hard to find under normal inspection. Watermarks help provide
protection against forgery.
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What
is a semipostal?
A
semipostal stamp frequently carries two denominations on its
face
often separated by a "+" and is used to pay for postage and make
a charitable contribution. One denomination is the amount of postage
that stamp pays for and the other, usually smaller in size than
the first, is the amount that will go to support charitable organizations
or help pay for health programs. The United States has issued only
one semipostal stamp to support breast cancer research in 1998.
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What
is meant when a stamp is said to be "off-centered"?
The
term "centering" refers to the stamp in relation
to the perforation surrounding it. Perforations should be
equal distances from the printed area. When they are, the
stamp is well centered. When they are not, the stamp is
off-center.
A very badly centered issue may actually have the perforations
intruding into the printed design. A stamp's condition
and
value is determined, in part, by the quality of the centering.
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How
can you tell if a stamp is a commemorative or a regular issue?
Regular
or definitive issues are the stamps you are most likely to see on
your mail. They are usually one color, relatively small and printed
in large quantities to stay on sale for several years. They most
often depict famous persons from history, the U.S. flag or historical
artifacts. Commemorative stamps are issued in honor of an important
event, person, or special subject. They are generally larger and
more colorful than definitives. Commemoratives are only sold for
limited periods of time. If you are in doubt about the type, consult
a catalog or ask a stamp dealer.
What
does "aerophilately" mean?
Aerophilately
is the hobby of collecting air mail stamps, and envelopes (covers)
that have been sent by air mail -- including by airplane, balloon
or other types of aircraft.
History
How
much did the first United States stamp cost?
The
first United States stamps were issued in 1847. One featured a picture
of Benjamin Franklin and cost five cents. The other featured a picture
of George Washington and cost ten cents. (A U.S.
Postage Rates listing is available for you to see postage rates
and when they have increased.)
Why
does the United States of America put only dead people on stamps
when other countries picture people who are still living?
Each
of the world's stamp-issuing nations has its own set of rules governing
selection of subjects for stamps. The United States does not consider
putting an individual on a stamp sooner than 10 years following
his or her death. The exception is former Presidents of the United
States, each of whom is honored with a memorial stamp on the first
birthday following their death. The United States believes the impact
of a person's life cannot be assessed until it has ended and that
at least 10 years after death are required to make a fair evaluation.
Most historians would agree that this is a sound policy.
How
did stamp collecting start?
Shortly
after adhesive postage stamps were introduced by Great Britain in
1840, people began collecting them. In 1841, a women even placed
an advertisement in the London Times in which she requested help
in collecting stamps so that she could paper a bedroom wall.
In
what state was the first U.S. post office built?
The
first post office was established in 1639 at the home of Richard
Fairbanks in Boston, Massachusetts. The first building created to
serve as a post office was built in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in
1683.
How
and why did the use of stamps get started?
The
use of adhesive postage stamps, as we know them today, began
in
1840 with the British postal system and was largely due to the
efforts of Sir Rowland Hill. The 1840 stamps were created as
a means of
abolishing delivery charges based on distance and the number of
pages. Weight of letters became the basis for delivery charges
and
stamps were used to indicate prepayment at a uniform minimum rate
of one penny for a ½ ounce letter. Sir Rowland Hill believed
lowering the rate would increase postal revenues through increased
mail volume.
History proved him correct.
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In
what year did the U.S. start printing stamps of different
designs on one sheet?
The Christmas issue of 1964 was the first year
different designs were printed on the same pane of stamps.
Four different stamps featuring holly, mistletoe, poinsettia
and a sprig of conifer were issued in panes of 100 stamps,
each pane containing 25 blocks of the four different stamps.
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Where
were the first U.S. airmail stamps used?
The
United States began airmail service on May 15, 1918. Special stamps
were issued to indicate prepayment of mail carried on the first
flights. The first route, flown by Army pilots in Army planes, linked
Washington, DC and New York City via Philadelphia, PA. The rate
was 24 cents an ounce. This rate included special delivery to the
addressee.
What
was used before stamps?
Prior
to the use of stamps, the person receiving a letter paid the delivery
costs. Since rates at the time were very high, many people refused
to accept a letter. Thus, the post office often suffered the cost
of both delivery and return of the letter. Mainly for this reason,
it turned to a means of prepaying postage.
When
was the first time that meter stamps were used on mail?
Meters
to pay postage were first used in New Zealand in 1904. The first
use in the U.S. was on December 10, 1920 at Stamford, Connecticut.
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When
was Zip codes first used?
The Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code -- a five
digit number -- began on July 1, 1963. The first number designates
the state or area; the next two numbers, the area within that
state or area; and the last two digits, the office itself.
Mr. ZIP was created to help people remember to use the ZIP
code to help the Postal Service move the mail. He was printed
on the margins of many U.S. stamps issued between 1964 and
1986.
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Who
appears most on U.S. stamps?
Since
1847, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington have appeared on more
stamps than any other Americans.
In
General
What
makes a stamp valuable and how do you determine that value?
The
value of a stamp is determined by the quantity available, the demand,
and its condition. Approximate values, for both mint and used items,
can be obtained from a stamp catalog.
Is
it better to collect canceled or mint stamps?
This
is a decision that collectors must make for themselves. Canceled
stamps with light markings can make a beautiful and, of course,
educational collection. They also usually are less expensive to
obtain. It must be noted, however, that in general mint stamps will
have a greater value in later years. This is not always true. One
of the most valuable stamps, the 1 cent British Guiana, is a heavily
canceled stamp.
What
are the rarest or most expensive stamps?
There
are more than ten stamps of which only one copy is known. And while
rarity is one factor in determining value, the history behind the
stamp often is more important. Some of the most famous and valuable
stamps include:
- 1 cent
1856 British Guiana (Sold for $935,000 in 1980)
- 1d
and 2d 1847 Post Office Mauritus (1d & 2d valued at $500,000
used; 1d at $1,100,000 unused)
- Sweden
1857 3 skilling Banco Yellow (Approximately $2,000,000)
- Hawaiian
Islands 1851 2 cent Missionary ($660,000 unused; $200,000 used)
- British
Guiana 1851 2 Cent Cottonreel ($70,000 used)
- Western
Australia 1854 4d Inverted Swan ($60,000 used)
- United
States 1868 1 cent Z Grill (Sold for $935,000 in 1988)
- Canada
1851 12 pence Victoria on Laid Paper ($80,000 unused and $50,000
used)
- United
States 1918 Inverted Jenny ($150,000 unused)
The above
values are based on catalog values or last known sales.
Why
isn't there just one stamp with all different prices?
If
all stamps appeared the same, Postal clerks and customers would
be more likely to confuse them. In fact for a period of years the
Universal Postal Union required that stamps had to be a particular
color based on the rate they paid.
Another important
consideration is that stamps give us an opportunity to honor our
great citizens, commemorate important events in our history and
encourage our citizens to do things that help our society to work
well, such as register to vote, and to give blood.
Why
do people collect stamps?
People
collect stamps for many different reasons. Some like to learn about
the designs. Others enjoy them as little art works. Still others
like to try to get all the stamps of one country. But most of all,
stamp collectors have fun with their stamps because no collection
is ever complete, so there is always a challenge. Besides, your
stamps belong to YOU, and that is a nice feeling. And, of course,
stamps are one way of sharing an interest with other people -- your
friends, a parent or perhaps a neighbor. Even strangers can be instant
friends when they discover that they both collect stamps!
How
old must a stamp be before it's worth more than face value?
A
stamp becomes valuable because there are fewer copies of it than
there are collectors who want it. Age of the stamp is only one factor.
Also important are how many were printed and how many collectors
there are. There are some stamps that are 100 years old but a billion
or more were printed. They will never be rare.
How
and where do you get stamp catalogs, tools, and mounts?
Most
often, people get stamp supplies, catalogs and stamps from stamp
dealers. Visit the dealer listing on this website or look in
the
yellow pages of your telephone book under "stamps" or "stamps for
collectors," and call before you visit to make sure that the dealer
carries the things you need.
If there
is no local dealer, you need to find adult collectors who can
tell you where they get what they need -- usually by mail. Sometimes
a member of a local stamp club (see listing on our site) will
order supplies for the club members, and you can submit your order
with the club order.
Why
are stamps canceled?
Stamps
represent money that has been paid to the Postal Service. The money
that is collected from selling stamps is used to pay the expenses
of transporting and delivering the mail. Once stamps have been used,
the cancellation makes them into a receipt for the service that
the Postal Service has given. If more service is asked for in the
form of a new letter, a new stamp must be used.
Where
can I put my stamps if I don't have hinges or mounts?
Without
hinges or mounts it will be difficult to display your stamps in
an album or on home made pages because tape or glue will damage
your stamps. You could use glassine envelopes or stock cards, but
stamp hinges are less expensive. Self-stick pages sold for photographs
should not be used, as the stamps may be hard to remove, and when
the adhesive dries, it may discolor your stamps.
If
you have a design you think would make a good stamp, where
do you
send it for people to look at?
Stamp
design ideas should be sent to:
Citizens'
Stamp Advisory Committee
Stamp Development
US Postal Service
1735 North Lynn St., Rm 5013
Arlington, VA 22209-6432
Information
on how new stamp
designs are chosen and how to submit ideas is available on the
USPS website.
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