Postage Stamp Chat Board & Stamp Bulletin Board Forum
 

OA TO OF

O

O: 1: Scott Catalog Number prefix for Official. 2: postal administration mark for invalid stamps used on mail at country of origin. 3: Ohio, pre-adhesive postmark 4: abbreviation for ordinary paper as opposed to other unusual paper or finish of a printed stamp.Oakway, S.C. 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Ø: (Dan.) island.
O. A.: Official Assignee, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74.
O.A.S.: On Active Service, military personnel on active duty get free ranking privilege.
Oahamapka: Finland
Oakland Parcel Delivery: parcel delivery firm serviced Oakland, Calif. area; used labels; year unknown.
Öarna: (Swed.) islands.
O.A.T: Onward Air Transport, continuance of conveyance by air.Obali: currency in Ionian islands during British administration.
Oaxaca: 1: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883. 2: inscription on stamps of Mexico for State of Oaxaca revenue issue during civil war, 1913-16, printed on back of post office receipt forms.
OB: Orville J. Butler, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
O.B.: Official Business overprint on stamps of the Philippines. _#9: occupation overprint on stamps of Russia for Batum. _#9!E: occupation overprint on stamps of Russia for Batum.
Obalky: (Czech.) envelopes.
O.B.C.: (Ger.) Österreichisch-Bayerische Correspondenz (Austrian-Bavarian Mail) pre-adhesive postmark, 1840, entitled to reduced postage rate.
Obchodní tiskopisy: (Czech.) printed matter.
Obetydlig: (Swed.) insignificant.
Ober: (Ger.) high, above.
Oberbogen: (Ger.) the two upper panes in a sheet of four panes.
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht: (Ger.) German High Command, censored mail.
Oberfläche: (Ger.) surface, the face of a stamp.
OberPostAmt: (Ger.) main post office.
Oberpostdirektion: (Ger.) (OPD) Regional Directorate of Posts.
Oberschlesien: (Ger.) Upper Silesia.
Obetydlig: (Swed.) insignificant.
Obervolta: (Ger.) Upper Volta.
OBHV: Osterreichischer Briefmarken-Händler-Verband, Austrian Stamp Dealers Association.
Objetos envasados: (Sp.) wrapped and bottled article; found on local fiscals of Cadiz which were used as postal tax stamps during the Civil War.
Obligations: bonds, debentures; revenue inscription on stamps of French Colonies.
Oblique roulette: perforation cuts are set with a slant, parallel to one another.
Oblit.: auction abbreviation term for obliterator cancel (grid cancel).
Obliteracion: (Sp.) cancellation.
Obliterare speciala: (Rom.) special cancellation.
Obliterat: (Rom.) used.
Obliterating bar: a mark used to make illegible an unwanted portion of a stamp design.
Obliterating stamp: a mark, with date or time indication, used to deface stamps on mail.
Obliteration: 1: term used to denote a cancellation marking to deface a stamp. 2: abstempelung (Ger.); Oblitération (Fr.); Annullamento (It.); Matasellado (Sp.).
Oblitération de complaisance: (Fr.) canceled to order, stamps canceled by postal authorities without having been used for postage.
Oblitération de faveur: (Fr.) favor cancellation.
Oblitération de premier jour: (Fr.) first day cancel
Oblitération en barres: (Fr.) barred cancel; with stripes.
Oblitération forgé: (Fr.) forged cancel.
Oblitération lourdé: (Fr.) heavy cancellation.
Oblitération rond avec date: (Fr.) circular date stamp.
Obliterator: hand or machine stamp used to cancel an adhesive.
Obliterazione: (It.) obliteration.
Oblitéré: (Fr.) canceled, used, a stamp that has been employed for the postal or revenue service for it was issued.
Oblitéré a plume: (Fr.) pen cancellation.
Oblitéré de complaisance: (Fr.) canceled to order.
Oblitérateur: (Fr.) canceller.
Obock: eastern Africa on Gulf of Aden, seaport of French Somaliland; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1862: acquired by France, 1883: stamps of French Colonial issue, 1888: government moved from Obock to Djibouti, 1892, Feb. 1: No.1, 1 centime lilac-blue, first stamps, Obock overprint on back of French Colonial issue, postage due stamp, 1902: Obock and Somali Coast protectorate combined under name of French Somali Coast; name Somali Coast Protectorate adopted on stamps of Djibouti; see Afars and Issas, Benadir, Djibouti, Oltre Giuba, Italian East Africa, Italian Somaliland.
Obrestez: (Rus.) see : Specimen.
Obsolescent stamp: stamp about to go off sale.
Obsolete stamp: 1: stamps that are no longer sold by the postal service. 2: stamps no longer valid for postage.
Obverse watermark: caused by thick paper instead of the normal thinning of the paper, making the watermark appear opaque instead of semi-transparent.
Obvert: a picture or header on the stamp sheet that is on the opposite side than then usual or normal sheet.
OC: auction abbreviation for off cover.
O/C: off centered design.
OCA: (Sp.) Argentine Clearing Organization, labels of a private delivery firm, Buenas Aires, Argentina, started 1997, for delivery in Argentina and worldwide through other firms.
OC-CO: letters in the four corners of a San Marino essay, 1864, for M. Riester.
Occasion (bonne): (Fr.) bargain (good).
Occident: (Rom.) west.
Occupacion: (Sp.) occupation
Occupacion (timbre d'): (Fr.) occupation (stamp).
Occupation Azirbayedjan: overprint on stamps of Persia, 1945-46 during Russian occupation; made by Entente officers, found to be bogus.
Occupacion de Pascua: inscription on stamps of Chile for semi-postal for Easter Island.
Occupation Fran'aise: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Hungary, French Occupation, 1919, see Arad.
Occupation Fran'aise Cameroun: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Middle Congo, French occupation of Cameroon.
Occupation stamp: 1: stamps issued for use in enemy territories by the conquerors. 2: stamps of the invaded country.
Occupazione Italiana: (It.) private overprint on stamps of Egypt for Italian occupation of Oasis of Siwa, 1942,occupation.
Occussi-Ambeno, Sultanate of: Timor: bogus labels sold as stamps for nonexistent territory, 1968.
Ocean-Ã¥ngare: (Swed.) ocean-going steamboat, steamer, steamship.
Oceanic Settlements: eastern Pacific French islands, including Tahiti, Society Islands, etc.; 1880: French colonial issues, 1882, June: overprint for Tahiti on French Colonial issues, 1892: stamps first issued, 1958: renamed French Polynesia.
Oceanie: inscription for French Oceania, 1892-1958.
Ocean mail: mail carried on ocean routes.
Ocean Letter (OL): letter sent by radio to seafarers by Germany, England and Denmark in the early 1900s.
Ocean postage: Great Britain Penny Postage cutouts from envelopes during the 1850's.
Oceania: 1915: first semi-postal stamp, 1926: first postage due stamp, 1934: first air mail stamp.
Oceletisk z plochych desek kombinovany s knihtiskem: (Czech.) line engraving - flat plates in combination with typography.
Ocelotisk z plochy desk: (Czech.) line engraving, steel engraving, recess printing, intaglio, taile douce - flat plates.
Ockra: (Swed.) ochre (color).
Ockrafârgad: (Swed.) ochre-colored.
Ockragul: (Swed.) ochre-yellow (color).
Ockupationsstyrkor: (Swed.) occupation forces.
O C / P letter bomb inspected: Office of Communications, State Department, Washington, DC marking issued during 2002 letter bomb inspection.
OCR: optical character reader.
Ocru: (Rom.) ochre (color).
Octombrie: (Rom.) October.
Octubre 12, 1942: on stamps of Cuba, Ecuador and Paraguay; labels printed in 1935-36 to commemorate Columbus' first voyage.
Ocupatia Bulgara: (Rom.) Bulgarian occupation.
Ocupatia Franceza: (Rom.) French occupation.
Ocupatia Franceza în Arad: (Rom.) French occupation of Arad, see Arad.
Ocupatia Germana: (Rom.) German occupation.
Ocupatia Greaca: (Rom.) Greek occupation.
Ocupatia Româna: (Rom.) Romanian Occupation.
Ocupatia Turcesc: (Rom.) Turkish Occupation.
OD: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for Official Department (Argentina). 2: auction abbreviation for oddity.
Odborník: (Czech.) expert, specialist.
Odchylka: (Czech.) difference.
Odder: Denmark inscription for local seal.
Oddity: a collectible philatelic item that has unusual variations such as a different design, gum type, different color, odd or unusual cancels, etc. and is not a freak or variety.
O.D.E.C.A.: (Sp.) Organiscion de Testados Centro Americanos; Central American States
Organization.
Odense Bypost: city of Odense, Denmark, local post.
Odense - Odense Local Post : Odense is a city and the capital of Fyn county in N central Fyn Island ca. 83 miles SW of Copenhagen, Denmark. Local post opened 1 February 1884, with " Odense / Bypost" local stamps being issued on the same day, and with several others being issued through 1887. The local post ceased operations on 2 June 1891.
Odense - Odense A. A. Local Post: Local post with first (and only) 5 and 10 øre lithographed perf 11-1/2 "Dampbaadene Paa Odense AA" local stamps issued during July 1882 The stamps were used on mails carried by boats on the Odense and Great Belt Rivers.
Odessa: city in the USSR, on Black Sea; 1878-1881, city in Russia, local post, see Zemstvo,
1919-Jan. 30, 1920: overprint for Polish consular post in Odessa, Russia 1941: Romanian occupation, local post.
Odontomètre: (Fr.) 1866 name for perforation gauge.
OE: auction abbreviation which indicates that a cover has been opened at the end or side.
Oelsnitz/Vogtl.: city in Germany, Express-Packet-beförderung, local post.
Oeneo Island, Dependency of: bogus overprint of Pitcairn island.
Øer(ne): (Dan.) island(s).
Oesterr: Austria, 1883-1907.
Oesterreich: alone or as an overprint on stamps of Germany for Austria.
Oesterreich, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1910.Oesterr Post Liechtenstein: Liechtenstein, Austrian Postal Administration, 1912-20.
OETA: Occupied Enemy Territory Administration; World War II organization to administer occupied territories, used stamps of Great Britain overprinted M.E.F. for British Occupation of Italian Somaliland.
Oeuvres de Guerre: with cross and surtax, overprint on stamps of Cameroon for semi-postal.
Oeuvres de Solidarite Fran'aise: French Colonies general issue.
Oeuvres Sociales: with cross and surtax, overprint on St. Pierre and Miquelon semi-postal.
OF Castellorisco: Occupation Fran'aise, overprint on stamps of France for occupation of Castellorizo, 1915.
Offentlig Sak: (O.S.) (Nor.) inscription on stamps of Norway, official use.
OFC: USPS abbreviation used in address for office.
Oferta: (Inicial) (Sp.): first, or opening bid at an auction.
Oferta: (Iniziale) (It.): first, or opening bid at an auction.
Off center: a stamp design that is not printed in the exact center of the paper, resulting in unequal margins around a stamp.
Offenbach: city in Germany, local post 1: Offenbach-Frankfurter Packet-u. Stückgut-Bef. Ges., 1890. 2: Private-Brief-verkehr, 1893-1900.
Offences Island: cinderella label, not valid for postage.
Offences of Humanity: cinderella label featuring offences of the human body.
Offene Klasse: (Ger.) open class for exhibitors.
Offices abroad: postal agency of one country in another, usually because of the poor local postal network; special stamps were usually overprinted for these offices, mainly from the country maintaining the office.
Offices Abroad, China: The German offices were shut in March 1917 after China entered WW I on the Allied side. The Russian offices ceased operation in Dec.1920. Most of the others, including the American office, were closed at the end of 1922. One exception was a British office in Weihaiwei, which remained open until 1930.
Offices Abroad, Morocco: The British were operating offices there well after the end of WW II. Open Mail: mail sent from one country's exchange office to another country's exchange office, sorted and marked at each office; rate differences ceased when prepaid international rate went into effect July 1, 1875.
Offices Abroad, Turkey: First closure was at the end of Sept. 1914, when the Ottomans entered the First World War. The Allied powers reopened their offices in1919 once they won the war. These were closed in 1923 when the nationalists assumed control of Turkey.
Official: 1: of or related to the government. 2: stamps or stationery issued for use by government departments in the course of official business.
Official: 1: Tanganyika overprint on stamps of Kenya and Uganda; Basutoland overprint, official use, 1959-60. 2: overprint on stamps of British Guiana, 1875-77. 5: bogus overprint on Great Britain 1d red of 1864 Official Service: overprint on stamps of Liberia for official use.
Official cachet: 1: cachet produced by a postal administration. 2: loose term used by organizations closely associate with the issuance of a stamp.
Official cancel: a government sponsored cancel.
Official First Day Cover: usually indicates that it was produced by the nation's postal agency, but can be any FDC with an official government postmark..
Official imitation: stamps printed by authority to provide specimens for an exhibition or for sale after the original dies, proofs, etc. were no longer available.
Official label: printed labels provided and possibly affixed by the postal authorities for services rendered or to be rendered beside those prepaid by use of postage stamps.
Officially flown: covers flown with postal authorization.
Official mail: government business mail, to be sent by government officials without postage prepayment; sometimes called Penalty Mail because the special envelopes had the slogan "Penalty For Private Use $300."
Official notice: post office handstamp warning recipient that envelope may contain "Counterfeit Money" and letter with contents should be returned to the local post office; contents known as "green goods" to postal officials; prevalent in late 1800s.
Official paid stationery: postal stationery used by government departments, or provided for the public to reply to government offices.
Official reprint: stamps reprinted at a later date by the original issuing entity from the original
plates.
Official seal: a label, in stamp form, issued by the Post Office to seal mail and parcel post that has opened in transit or that may have been opened for postal inspection of contents.
Official stamp: valid only on official mail of a government agency, or their agents; may be called "service stamps;" when inscribed or overprinted for specific departments, they are known as department stamps.
Officiel: 1: overprint on stamps of Luxembourg, Switzerland officials. 2: on stamps of Iran, officials denotes genuiness (1885-87). 3. specialized catalogue of Belgium and former colonies.
Officiella årsböcker: (Swed.) official yearbooks.
Officiella maximikort: (Swed.) official maximum cards.
Officiella minneshäften: (Swed.) official souvenir booklets.
Officiella minneskort: (Swed.) official souvenir cards.
Officiella utställningskort: (Swed.) official exhibition cards.
Officiel nytryk: (Dan.) official reprint.
Officina de Tanger: Tangiers local post
Offisieel: (Without Official) (Afrikaaans) overprint South West Africa for official use.
Offisieel-Official: (Afrikaaans) official; South West Africa.
Öffnungszeiten: (Ger.) times of being open (post office).Off paper: stamps that have been soaked off the paper.
Offrant (au plus): (Fr.) to the highest bidder.
Offre: (Fr.) an (auction) bid.
Off. Sak: (Nor.) inscription for official stamp of Norway.
Off sale: stamps still valid for postal use, but no longer on sale by the post office.
Offset: 1: reverse impression from the face of a sheet of stamps onto the back of another sheet. 2: Abklatsch (Ger.)
Offsetdruck: (Ger.) offset printing.
Offset lithography: printing process consists of transferring an image from an aluminum or zinc plate to a rubber blanket; the image is then transferred from the rubber blanket to the paper running through the machine.
Offset printing: the use of an aluminum plate that is photographically treated to retain the positive stamp image, while attracting ink, while the non-design areas repel the ink; the offset plate transfers the image to a rubber blanket roll (a negative image) that transfers the design to paper for the finished product.
Offsettryk: (Dan.) seeTryk - Offset.
Oficial: (Sp.) overprint on stamps of Portugal and Spain for official use.
Oficina correos: (Sp.) post office.
Oficina de cambio: (Sp.) postal exchange office, used at Cuba's military headquarters in Angola, 1985.
Oficina de correos: (Sp.) post office.
Oficina filatelica del estado: (Sp.) State Philatelic Bureau, opened by the Nationalists at Salamanca in 1937.O.G.: auction abbreviation term; see Original gum.
Ofrankerad: (Swed.) unstamped, not stamped.
Ofset: (Czech.) offset printing.
Ofsettpressen: (Swed.) offset press.
Ofszetnyomat: (Hung.) offset printing.

OG TO ON



OG: original gum
Ogden's Express Co.: private baggage delivery firm serviced northern New Jersey cities and New York City; used labels; year unknown.
Ogn: Oregon, pre-adhesive postmark
OH: USPS abbreviation for Ohio
O.H.B.M.S.: On His Brittanic Majesty's Service, Great Britain official overprint on German East Africa revenue stamps, 1915.
O.H.E.M.S.: On His Exalted Majesty's Service, overprint on stamps of Egypt for official use, 1922-23. O.H.H.S.: On His Highness's Service, overprint on stamps of Egypt, official use, 1907-22.
Ohio: U.S. state March 1, 1803; taken from part of Northwest Territory; "Enabling Act" passed Nov. 29, 1802; Congress admitted as state in 1953.
O.H.M.S.: 1: On His/Her Majesty's Service; 1978-91 Aitutaki, Cook Islands, etc. overprint. 2: official use, Canada.
Oh-My-Hair: fantasy by the American Journal of Philately.
Ohne falz: (Ger.) never hinged.
Ohne gummi: (Ger.) without gum.
Ohne wasserseichen, o.Wz: (Ger.) without watermark.
Ohu Post: inscription on stamps of Estonia for air mail.
Oilette: name given to a postcard that was made to resemble an oil painting.
Oil Rivers Protectorate: former British protectorate in West Africa; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling 1852, Jan. 29: British Steam Africa Navigation Company granted contract to carry mails to West Africa, used British stamps, 1879, Jan. 1: British West Africa colonies joined the UPU, 1884, July: British protectorate started, British Royal Niger Company, 1886: charter granted to The Royal Niger Company to administer territory, 1887, Oct. 18: Niger Districts Protectorate established, 1891, Nov.-July 1892: used stamps of Britain, 1892, July 20: "British Protectorate / Oil Rivers,"overprint on British stamps, stationery, 1893, May 12: became "Niger Coast Protectorate," overprint on British postal stationary, 1894, Jan. 1: distinctive stamps and overprinted postal stationery issued for Niger Coast Protectorate, 1895, April: overprinted post cards issued for Niger Coast Protectorate, 1899: company gave charter to the Crown, 1900, Jan. 1: superseded by the two new colonies, Protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria, 1914: amalgamated as Crown Colony of Nigeria; see Nigeria.
Oiseaux: (Fr.) birds (thematic).
Ojen: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War Nationalist,1937.
OK: USPS abbreviation for Oklahoma.
O.K.C.A.: .: Russia Army of the North Issue, 1919; initials of Russian words meaning "Special Corps, Army of the North;" see Russia.
Okergul: (Nor.) ochre-yellow (color).
Okeridge Motor Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Okhansk: city in Russia, local post, 1871-1913, see Zemstvo.
Okker: (Dan.) ochre (color).
Okkergul: (Dan.) ochre-yellow (color).
Okla.: abbreviation for Oklahoma prior to Zip Code usage.
Oklahoma: U.S. territory May 2, 1890, state Nov.16, 1907; taken from Oklahoma and Indian Territories.
Okraj: (Czech.) margin (of stamp[s]).
Oktober: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) October.
Október: (Hung.) October.
Okupace albánsky: (Czech.) Albanian occupation.
Okupace americky: (Czech.) American occupation.
Okupace australsky: (Czech.) Australian occupation.
Okupace belgicky: (Czech.) Belgian occupation.
Okupace britsky: (Czech.) British occupation.
Okupace brazilsky: (Czech.) Brazilian occupation.
Okupace bulharsky: (Czech.) Bulgarian occupation.
Okupace ceskoslovensky: (Czech.) Czechoslovakian occupation.
Okupace cesky: (Czech.) Czech occupation.
Okupace chílsky: (Czech.) Chilean occupation.
Okupace chorvatsky: (Czech.) Croatian occupation.
Okupace cínsky: (Czech.) Chinese occupation.
Okupace dánsky: (Czech.) Danish occupation.
Okupace estonsky: (Czech.) Estonian occupation.
Okupace finsky: (Czech.) Finnish occupation.
Okupace francouzsky: (Czech.) French occupation.
Okupace holandsky: (Czech.) Dutch occupation.
Okupace indicky: (Czech.) Indian occupation.
Okupace italskie: (Czech.) Italian occupation.
Okupace japonsky: (Czech.) Japanese occupation.
Okupace jihoafricky: (Czech.) South African occupation.
Okupace litevsky: (Czech.) Lithuanian occupation.
Okupace lotyssky: (Czech.) Latvian occupation.
Okupace nemecky: (Czech.) German occupation.
Okupace pákistánsky: (Czech.) Pakistani occupation.
Okupace peruánsky: (Czech.) Peruvian occupation.
Okupace polsky: (Czech.) Polish occupation.
Okupace portugalsky: (Czech.) Portuguese occupation.
Okupace rakousky: (Czech.) Austrian occupation.
Okupace rumumsky: (Czech.) Romanian occupation.
Okupace rusky: (Czech.) Russian occupation.
Okupace slovensky: (Czech.) Slovakian occupation.
Okupace sovetsky: (Czech.) Soviet (USSR) occupation.
Okupace spanelsky: (Czech.) Spanish occupation.
Okupace srbsky: (Czech.) Serbian occupation.
Okupace svedsky: (Czech.) Swedish occupation.
Okupace thajsky: (Czech.) Thai occupation.
Okupace turecky: (Czech.) Turkish occupation.
Okupace uhersky: (Czech.) Hungarian occupation.
Okupace ukrajinsky: (Czech. Ukrainian occupation.
OL: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for Local Official (Germany). 2: origine locale: local postmark.
OL: (Fr.) origine locale (local origin), overprint on stamps of Monaco as a control mark when French carriers received them when placed in French mail boxes, up to 1904.
Olajbarna: (Hung.) olive-drab, olive-brown (color).
Olanda, olandez: (Rom) Netherlands (Holland), Dutch (adj.).
Olajzöld: (Hung.) olive-green (color).
Olanda: (It.) Netherlands
Olasz: (Hung.) Italian.
Olaszország, olasz: (Hung.) Italy.
Olasz Cyrenaica: (Hung.) Italian Cyrenaica.
Olasz Szomália: (Hung.) Italian Somaliland.
Olautoland: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
Oldenburg: German State, located on North Sea in northwestern Germany; currency: 30 silbergroschen = 1 thaler, 30 groschen = 1 thaler 1852, Jan. 1: joined the Austria-Prussian Postal Union, 1852, Jan 5: No.1, 1/30 thaler black, issued its first stamps with fractional denominations and multiple currency values, 1868, Jan.1: stamps of the North German Confederation, 1870: became part of the German Empire.
Oldest postal services: China about 4000 B.C., Egypt and Assyria about 3000 B.C.
Oldest known illustration of a postal vehicle: bas-relief dated about 250 B.C. shows a two-wheeled chariot of the Roman postal service.
Oldham, Ashton & Guide Bridge Railway: British railway local post.
Old paper: a tough, semi-transparent paper used during the 1860s.
Old stamps not recognized: handstamp used for issues declared invalid for postage; used during
the U.S. Civil War when the U.S. government devalued all postage stamps issued prior to 1861; which left huge stocks of unusable postage stamps in the southern states.
Olefactory: stamp issues that when rubbed emit an odor, used for chocolate stamps of Switzerland, perfume issue of Norfolk Island.
Oleomargarine: U.S. Internal Revenue stamp for oleo manufacturers, 1886-1935.
Olias: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937-38.
Olika: (Swed.) different.
Oliv: (Rom.) olive (color).
Oliva: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Olivakt brungul: (Swed.) olivish brown-yellow (color).
Olivakt gulbrun: (Swed.) olivish yellow-brown (color).
Olivakt orangebrun: (Swed.) olivish orange-brown (color).
Olivegrönt påtryck: (Swed.) olive-green surcharge.
Oliven: (Dan., Nor.) olive (color).
Olivenbrun: (Dan., Nor.) olive-brown (color).
Olivengrå: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) olive-grey (color).
Olivengrøn: (Dan.) olive-green (color).
Olivengrön: (Swed.) olive-green (color).
Olivengrønn: (Nor.) olive-green (color)
Olivengul: (Dan., Nor.) olive-yellow (color).
Olivensort: (Dan.) olive-black (color).
Olivensvart: (Swed.) olive-black (color).
Oliv-galben: (Rom.) yellow-olive (color).
Olivová: (Czech.) olive (color) (adj.).
Olivovohnedá: (Czech.) olive-brown (color).
Olivovy: (Czech.) olive (color) (adj.).
Olivovzelená: (Czech.) olive-green (color).
Olivoyla: bogus Island Queendom of Popeye's girlfriend Olive Oyl.
Olkusz: city in former Austrian-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Olleria: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Ólomkék: (Hung.) livid blue (color).
Olomouc: city in Czechoslovakia, local post, c1945.
Olonetz: see Aunus.
Ölpapier: (Ger.) gold beater's paper
OLS: auction abbreviation term for Outer Letter Sheet
Olsztyn: (Pol.) Allenstein.
Olsztyn-Allenstein: overprint on stamps of Germany; see Allenstein, Poland.
Olten: city in Switzerland, local airmail, 1913.
Oltre Giuba: strip if land, parallel to the Juba River, aka Italian Jubaland; currency:100 centesimi = 1 lira 1924: ceded to Italy by Great Britain, 1925, July 29: No.1, 1 centesimo brown, Oltre Guiba overprint on stamps of Italy, regular issue and postage due, 1926, June 1: semipostal for Italian Colonial Institute, 1926: incorporated into Italian Somalia, 1936: became part of Italian East Africa, see Jubaland.
Oluja: Croatia overprint, bogus.
Olympiade gioce: (It.) Olympic games (thematic).
Olympic Couriers: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Olympic Games: common design on stamps of Portugal and Colonies, 1972.
Olympische spiele: (Ger.) olympic games (thematic).
Oman: (Muscat and Oman) Sultanate on Arabian Peninsula; official name of postal administration: Ministry Of PT & T currency: 12 pies = 1 anna, 16 annas = 1 rupee, 100 naye paise = 1 rupee (1957), 64 baizas - 1 rupee (1966), 100 baizas = 1 rial saidi (1970) 1864-1947: British post office opened under Indian administration, stamps of India used, 1875, Aug. 17: joined the UPU, 1944, Nov. 20: No.1, 3 pence slate, first stamps and officials issued, stamps of India with Arabic overprint for use in Muscat only, 1947, Dec. 20: stamps of India overprinted "Pakistan" used, 1947, Dec. 20-Dec. 29: stamps of India handstamped "Pakistan" for local use, 1948, April 1: surcharge on British stamps for British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia, used in Abu Dhubi, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat, and, Qatar, 1966, Apr. 30: Oman Sultanate took over postal administration of Muscat and Oman, issued first stamps under its own postal authority, 1970-pre: officially known as Muscat and Oman, 1970: name changed to Oman, 1971, Jan. 16: first stamps inscribed Sultanate of Oman, 1971, Dec. 25: first semipostal issued for UNICEF.
Oman Imamate State: bogus stamps for Arabian sultanate
Oman, State of: bogus stamps for Arabian sultanate; not to be confused with genuine sultanate.
Omfattande: (Swed.) comprehensive.
Omfattende: (Dan., Nor.) comprehensive.
O.M.F. Cilicie: (Fr.) Occupation Militaire Fran'aise overprint on stamps of France, occupation of Cilicia, Syria, Offices in Turkey, 1920-22.
O.M.F. Syrie: (Fr.) Occupation Militaire Fran'aise; overprint on stamps of France, for Syria and Cilicia; 1920-22: French military occupation, Turkey/Ottoman revenue stamps; see Cilicia.
Omgravert: (Nor.) re-engraved.
Omis: (Fr.) omitted, missing.
Omnia juncta in uno: (Latin) "All joined in one" inscription referring to the international character of the Shanghai Municipal Council.
Omnibus issue: a common theme simultaneously used on the stamps of several different countries.
Område: (Dan., Nor.) territory, seeGebet.
OMS: (Fr.) Organisation Mondiale de la Sante; World Health Organization (W.H.O.).
Omslag till småpaket: (Swed.) wrappers for small parcels.
O Murcia: (Sp.) Orihuela Murcia, Spain, pre-adhesive postmark.
Omvänt: (Swed.) inverted.
Omvänt vattenmärke: (Swed.) inverted watermark.
Omvendt: 1. (Dan., Nor.) inverted, 2. (Nor.) reversed.
Omvendt Vandm¦rke: (Dan.) inverted watermark.
O.M.Y.: in cancel; Odessa Local Administration.
OnB: auction abbreviation term for On Board (Zeppelin Mail cachet).
On C.G.S.: On Cochin Government Service; overprint on official stamps of India for Feudatory State of Cochin.
On cover: stamps that are on the original envelope and may also be "tied" (postmark on stamp and cover tying the two together) to cover.
Onda: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Ondara: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Onderkant: (Dut.) bottom.Onderbroken: (Dut.) broken.
Ondulé: (Fr.) wavy.
One Cent Despatch: U. S. local post, Baltimore, Md, Washington, D.C., 1856.
One Cover Collection: consists of a cover from every country in the world.
One Directional Imperforate: term given to pairs or more found without either horizontal or vertical separations.
One Farthing: surcharge on stamps of Bermuda for temporary use to mail newspapers; 1901.
One Frame Exhibits: material is confined to one frame only, may include all classes and themes.
One Hundred Years: inscription on centenary issue, New South Wales 1888.
One Pnny: error surcharge on 1885 Malta issue; found once on each pane.
One way perforator: a perforating machine that applies perforations to the sheet in one dimension at one operation.
O.N.F. Castellorizo: Occupation Navale Fran'aise, French Naval Occupation, overprint on stamps of French Office in Levant for Castellorizo.
Onfiro: (Ice.) Onfiroinga or Onundarfirsi, local post.
On Foreign Service: found in 1918 postmark and censor handstamp permitting the cover to pass through the U.S. mail system without charge.
On H.M.S.: On Her/His Majesty's Service, overprint on stamps of Somaliland Protectorate, Chamba State, India officials.
Onil: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
On K.D.S.: On Kishengarh Durbar Service, overprint on Feudatory State of Kishengarh, India official, 1918.
On L.F.S.: On Local Funds Service, private overprint on stamps of India to prevent theft.
O.N.M.I.: Opera Nazionale Maternità Infanzia, (National Organization for Maternity and Child Welfare), overprint on stamps of Fiume.Onoranze/Al Duca Degli/Abruzzi: honor Duke Luigi Amedeo of Savoy, overprint on stamps of Somali, 1932.
On paper: stamps that still have paper portions of the original envelope or wrapper stuck to them.
On piece: a stamp attached to the original portion of the envelope or wrapper with enough of the cancel showing to ensure authenticity.
Onsdag: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Wednesday.
On Service: 1) signifying for government use, i.e., an official stamp; 2) overprint on stamps of Ceylon officials.
On S.S.: On State Service overprint on Feudatory State of Travancore, India officials.
On S.S.S.: On Sirmoor State Service, overprint for Feudatory State of Sirmoor, India official, 1885.On State Service: overprint on official stamps of Iraq, British Mandate.
Onteniente: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Ontur: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.Onza: currency unit in Spain.

OP TO OZ



O.P.: (Ger.) Orts Post; overprint for local post.
O/P: overprint or overprinted.
O.P.A.: Osterreichische Post Amt (Aust.) Austrian Post Office, 1820.
OPAT: Organiacion Panamenta Antituberculosa, the Panama Tuberculosis Organization.
O.P.Continental: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
O.P.D.: (Ger.) oberpostdirektion, overprint, Upper Postal Directorate, Russian Zone of Germany, Post WW II., see Berlin, Germany.
O.P.D.A.: Ottoman Public Debts Administration, see A.D.P.O.
Open Class exhibits: may include all material centering on a subject, judging for rarity is omitted.
Open'd by Rebells: earliest known example of censor mark, applied to letters detained by the Jacobites Rebellion, Scotland and England, 1745-46.
Opened up: refers to a die that is worn and redone by an engraver to improve the quality of the die.
Open End Auction: Internet auction that keeps going until there are no bids within a 5-minute time span.
Opening price: beginning selling price of the lot; can represent one bid over the second highest book bid, the highest book bid or the reserve price for the lot.
Open transit: mail from one country to another, usually in small quantities, sent to the U.S. for processing and dispatching.
Operation Deepfreeze: cachet applied to covers on board ships to the Antarctic during the
1997-98 season.
Operation Gum Gum: British police operation to eliminate wholesale processing (eliminating the cancel) of used British stamps, 1989.
Operation Highjump: cachet applied to covers on board ships to the Antarctic during the
1996-97 season.
Operation Papua Merdeka: Papua Freedom Movement labels.
Operazione Alba: military postmark used by Italian forces in Albania, 1997.
Opinions: series of books published by the Philatelic Foundation on expertizing.
Opium ship letters: 1820-47; mail carried on ships with an opium cargo sailing to China from various nations throughout the world.
Opium War: mail from British military ships engaged in the China conflict of 1840-42, when Chinese high commissioner Lin Tse-hsu confiscated and destroyed 20,000 chests of opium
Oplata Skarbowa: revenue stamp of Poland.
O.P.M.: overprint on stamps of the Southern Moluccas by rebels in Western Papua, 1976-79.
Opochka: city in Russia, local Zemstvo issue, 1876-94.
Øpost: (Dan.) island post.
OPP: auction abbreviation term for Opposite.
Oppgravere: (Nor.) (printing plate) retouch.
Opposite the Post Office: term used in advertising in cities to emphasize location.
O.P.S.O.: On Public Service Only overprint of New Zealand officials,1892-1901.
Opt.: 1, Overprint. 2. (Rom.) eight (number).
Optesprezece: (Rom) eighteen (number).
Optical Character Reader (OCR): mail-processing machine that "reads" an address and translates it into a sprayed on bar code.
Optiforma Press: six-color webfed Goebel offset press put in service for coils about 1985; officially known as presses 42 and 43.
OR: 1: USPS abbreviation for Oregon. 2: origine rurale (Fr.) postmark applied by a rural carrier on stamps of France.
Oradea: (Nagyvárad) Eastern Hungary, located in Romania; WW 1-pre: Hungarian, 1919: stamps of Hungary overprinted by Romania as second Transylvania issue.1945: surcharged stamps of Hungary, issued by Russia to commemorate its being handed back to Romania.
Orangeakt: (Swed.) orangish (color).
Orangeakt brun: (Swed.) orangish-brown (color).
Orangeakt gul: (Swed.) orangish-yellow (color).
Orangeakt röd: (Swed.) orangish-red [brick-red] (color); seeTegelröd.
Orangebrun: (Dan., Swed.) orange-brown (color).
Orangebrun-gulakt orangebrun: (Swed.) orange-brown - yellowish orange brown (color).
Orangeburg coil: issued January 24, 1911, in Orangeburg, NY, for the Bell Pharmaceutical Co.
Orangefarvet: (Dan.) orange (color).
Orange Free State: former Boer Republic in South Africa; 1854: established as a Boer republic,
1866: De La Rue, U.K., printer; first Postmaster General appointed, 1868, Jan.-74: first stamps issued, but outgoing mail required stamps of Orange Free State and Cape Colony, 1898, Jan.: became member of UPU, 1900, Mar.19: British Amy took over the Posts and Telegraphs Office; produced overprinted provisional, Victoria Regina Imperatrix, VRI, 1900, May 28: became Orange River Colony attached to the British Crown, see Orange River Colony.
Orange Free State: Dullsville, Nightsky Bethlehem and orangeless tree; inscriptions, unissued Great Britain cinderellas by David Horry, 2001.
Orangefristaten: (Dan.) Orange Free State.
Orangegul: (Dan., Swed.) orange-yellow (color).
Orangegul-orange: (Swed.) orange-yellow - orange (color).
Orange-orangegul: (Swed.) orange - orange-yellow (color).
Orange River Colony: former British colony in South Africa; previously known as Orange Free State; 1900, May 28: formerly Orange Free State, 1900, Aug.-1902: overprint on stamps of Cape of Good Hope, 1903, Feb.: definitives issued, 1910, June: combined with other territories to form the Union of South Africa, 1913: only stamps of South Africa used.Orang(j)e Vrij Staat: (Afrikaan) Orange Free State.
Orangerød: (Dan.) orange-red (color).
Orangeröd: (Swed.) orange-red (color).
Orangeröd - tegelröd: (Swed.) orange-red - brick-red (color).
Oransje: (Nor.) orange (color).
Oranjefristaten: (Swed.) Orange Free State.
Oransjegul: (Nor.) orange-yellow (color).
Oransjebrun: (Nor.) orange-brown (color).
Oransjerød: (Nor.) orange-red (color).
Orcades (les): (Fr.) Orkneys (the).
Oranzová: (Czech.) orange (color) (adj.).
Oranzovocervená: (Czech.) orange-red (color).
Oranzovohnedá: (Czech.) orange-brown (color).
Oranzovozlutá: (Czech.) orange-yellow (color).
Oranzovy: (Czech.) orange (color) (adj.).
Orch(h)a: India Feudatory State; 1897: stamps prepared but never issued, 1913: first local stamps, 1950, Apr. 30: stamps discontinued, now uses stamps of Republic of India.
Orchid Issue: nickname for the U.S. 80¢ Hawaii airmail stamp depicting Diamond Head Mt. farmed by palm trees.
Ord: auction abbreviation term for Ordinary (paper).
Order of the Tie: formed in Windsor, Canada to honor good collectors and good sports.
Ordinaries: former U.S. term for definitives or regular issues.
Ordinary: overprint on official stamps of Liberia to make stamps valid for ordinary postage.
Ordinary usage: the correct rate of postage applied for the correct usage.
Ordinateurs: (Fr.) computer (topic).
Ordlista: (Swed.) symbols.
Ordnung: (Ger.) decree.Öre: currency unit in Denmark, Greenland, Norway, Sweden money unit.
Ore.: abbreviation for Oregon prior to Zip Code usage.
Oregon: U.S. territory Aug. 14, 1848, state Feb. 14, 1859; taken from Oregon area.
Orel: (Czech.) eagle.
Orense: province in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War Nationalist and Republican, 1936-38.
Organisation Internacionale pour les Refugies: (Fr.) International Organization of Refugees overprint on Switzerland officials,1948-50.
Organisation Meteorologique Mondiale: (Fr.) World Meteorological Organization overprint on Switzerland officials.
Organisation Mondiale de la Sante: (Fr.) World Health Organization overprint on Switzerland officials.
Organizaciones colectivizadas: (Sp.) government organizations which were "socialized" by the Republican government during the Civil War.
Organizatia Natiunilor Unite: (Rom.) United Nations.
Orgheef: city in Russia, local post, 1871-1893, see Zemstvo.
Orgiva: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Oriental: (Fr.) East, Eastern.
Orientale: (Fr.) generally means "East" when used with a country name.
Orient, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1860s, for lower Danube lines.
Original: a stamp from the first issue and not a reprint or later issue.
Original gum: (OG) gum which is in the original state as applied by the printer and appears untouched by a hinge, another auction definition states: unused with original gum disturbed by previous hinging, which may still be attached..
Originalgummi: (Dan.,Nor.) original gum.
Originel: (Fr.) pristine (condition).
Orihuela: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Orizava: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Orizontal, orizontala: (Rom.) horizontal.
Or K.C. Novita: Serbia.
Orkneys, South: Falkland Island Dependencies, Antarctica; 1944, Feb.21, first stamps issued.
Orleans Territory: U.S. territory Oct. 1, 1804; became State of Louisiana, May 1, 1812.
Orlof: overprint on stamps of Iceland for holiday or vacation savings, considered fiscal stamps.
Ørn: (Dan., Nor.) eagle.
Orono Match Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Oro Pastas: inscription on air mail stamps of Lithuania.
Oropesa: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Oroszország: (Hung.) Russia.
Orosz: (Hung.) Russian.
Orphelins de la Guerre: War Orphans inscription on stamps of French semi-postal.
Orts Post: inscription on Zurich cantonal stamps of 1850, stamps of Switzerland, local post.
Ortspostmarke: (Ger.) local stamp created by Austrians to provide service when Austria recaptured territory occupied by Italy, June 15, 1918..Osa: city in Russia, local post, 1889-1911, see Zemstvo.
O.S.: 1: On service, overprint on Australian States. 2: offentlig sak, Norway official stamps. 3: overprint on various British states. 4: overprint on Liberia officials.
Osakeantiaktieemissin: (Finn.) Stock Share Issuance; Finnish documentary stamps, 1922.
Osch: Schilling; currency used in Austria.
Oschatz: city in Germany, Courier local post, 1893.
O.S.G.R.I. New Britain: overprint on stamps of German New Guinea.
O.S.G.S.: On Sudan Government Service, overprint on Sudan officials, 1902-36.
Oslo: City and capital of Norway, and also seat of Akershus county, in SE Norway at N end of Oslo Fjord (an inlet of the Skagerrak [also Skagerak] arm of the of the E central North Sea), extending inland ca. 80 miles, see Christiania.
Osmanli Postalari 1337: overprint on Turkish revenue stamps; Turkey in Asia.
Osnabruck: city in Germany, local post, Boten-Comtoir H. Witte, c1860-78.
Ossetia: bogus Russian local overprint.
Ossola: city in Italy, local post, C. Nazionaldi Liberazione, c1944.
OSS Forgeries: Office of Strategic Services postal forgeries for use in Japanese-occupied China during World War II.
Øst: (Dan., Nor.) east.
Ostafrikanische Gemeinschaft: (Ger.) Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika.
Östafrica: (Swed.) East Africa.
Østafrika: (Dan., Nor.) East Africa.
Ostämplat utan gummering: (Swed.) unused, no gum.
Ostashkof: city in Russia, local post, 1878-1897, see Zemstvo.
Østasia: (Nor.) East Asia.
Ostasiatische Expeditionskorps: (Ger.) East Asiatic Expeditionary Corps, July 1900.
Østasien: (Dan., Swed.) East Asia.
Østberlin: (Dan., Nor.) East Berlin.
Östberlin: (Swed.) East Berlin.
Osten: city in Poland, overprint on stamps of German for Poland, German occupation, 1939.
Oster: city in Russia, local post, 1885, see Zemstvo.
Öster: (Swed.) East.
Österreich: (Ger.) Austria.
Österreich: (Ger.) diagonal overprint on German stamps for use in Burgenland, Vienna and Lower Austria, 1945.
Osterreichische Post: (Ger.) Austria post.
Osterreichische Staatsdruckerei: (Ger.) Austrian State Printing Works.
Østerrike: (Nor.) Austria.
Österrike: (Swed.) Austria.
Österrike-Ungern: (Swed.) Austria-Hungarian.
Østerrikisk: (Nor.) Austrian.
Österrikisk: (Swed.) Austrian.
Österriske skeppspost: (Swed.) Austrian ship mail (ship post).
Østerriske skipspost: (Nor.) Austrian ship mail (ship post).
Østersjøen: (Nor.) Baltic Sea.
Östersjön: (Swed.) Baltic Sea.
Østeuropa: (Dan., Nor.) Eastern Europe.
Østland: (Dan., Nor.) WWII German occupied territories in northern Russia..
Ostmark: currency in East Germany.
Ostraca: ancient pieces of clay with writing on them, singular form is ostracon.
Östra Skärgården: (Fin.) steamship, carrying mail, serving Finland cities, late 1800s.
Østrig: (Dan.) Austria (adj.).
Østrigsk: (Dan.) Austrian (adj.)
Østrigsk Post i Levanten: (Dan.) Austrian Offices in the Turkish Empire (Levant).
Østrigske skibspost: (Dan.) Austrian ship mail (ship post).
Østrig-Ungarnsk Feltpost: (Dan.) Austro-Hungarian field post.
Ostrof: city in Russia, local post, 1875-1910, see Zemstvo.
Ostrogozhsk: city in Russia, local post, 1871-1885, see Zemstvo.
Ostroleka: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Ostropa-Osteuropäische Briefmarkenausstellung: (Ger.) East European Stamp Exhibition, 1935, held in Konigsberg, East Prussia.
Ostrov: (Czech.) island.
Ostrovy: (Czech.) islands.
Ostrów Mazowiecka: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Ostrumelien: (Dan., Ger.) Eastern Roumelia.
Østtyskland: (Dan., Nor.) East Germany (DDR).
Osuna: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Osvobozeni: city in Czechoslovakia, liberation local post, c1945.
Osztrák: (Hung.) Austrian (adj.), see Ausztria.
Osztrák-magyar katona posta: (Hung.) Austro-Hungarian military post.
Osztrák postaigazgatás magyarországon: (Hung.) the Austrian postal administration of Hungary. Austrian postage stamps were used in Hungary from 1 June 1850 through 1871.
Osztrák posta Kréta: (Hung.) the Austrian post office in Crete.
Osztrák posta Levanta: (Hung.) the Austrian post office in the Levant.
Öt: (Hung.) five (number).
O.T.: Oregon or Orleans Territory, when used in a postmark.
O.T.: Obchodni Tiskovina (Czech.) overprint for commercial printed matter Czechoslovakia, 1934.
Otandat: (Swed.) imperforated.
Ötezer: (Hung.) five-thousand (number).
Other articles: a category of international mail that is made up of various classes of printed matter, matter for the blind and small packets.
Otivar: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1936-38.
Ottawa: formerly Bytown, Canada.
Otte: (Dan.) eight (number).
Ottoman Empire: 1: Constantinopoli, Egypt, see Interpostal seals,1867-71. 2: Turkish Empire.
Otto plates: 1883 reissue of South Africa of Cilliers Printings of PretoriaOu: Ouguiya; currency unit in Mauritania.
Ötven: (Hung.) fifty (number).
Otvorenie Slovenskeno: overprint on stamps of Czechoslovakia for Slovakia, 1939.
Otwock: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Oubangi-Chari: former French territory in western Africa; currency: 100 centimes= 1 franc 1915: stamps of Middle Congo overprinted 'Oubangui-Chari-Tchad', 1916: first semipostal issued, 1922: stamps of Middle Congo overprinted 'Oubangi-Chari', 1924: stamps overprinted "Afrique Equatorial Fran'aise," 1931: first stamps issued, 1936-59: used stamps of French Equatorial Africa, 1948: known as the Central African Republic, see Ubangi-Shari.
Oubangui-Chari A.E.F.: overprint on postage due labels of France, 1931.
Oubangui - Chari - Tchad: overprint on stamps of Middle Congo for Ubangi Shari Chad, 1915.
Oudeypoor Palumpoor: Indian State produced as a German fantasy issue in 1889.
Ouest: (Fr.) West.
Ouganda: (Fr.) Uganda.
Ouguiya: currency unit in Mauritania.
O.U.S.: Oxford Union Society overprint and backprint on the Great Britain 1-penny red picturing Queen Victoria; 1859-1879.
Outer Islands Agents: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Outline type: name for an open type where the strokes are drawn in outline format.
Out of hours: Finnish term for fee paid when mail is posted outside normal post office hours.
Outre-Juba: (Fr.) Jubaland.
Outre-mer (étranger): (Fr.) overseas.
Outside of the mail: addressed envelopes carried on steamship or railroad company business.
Outward portion: the part of a reply postal card that carries the card on its outward trip, distinguishing it from the reply half.
Ouvert d' office pour le contrôle des devises: (Fr.) opened by the office for the control of currency, label used to reseal mail after being opened to check enclosure for currency, 1939.
Ouvert par l'Autorité Militaire: (Fr.) (opened by military authority), censor marking.
Ouzbékistan: (Fr.) Uzbekistan.
Oval grill cancel: used in Buenos Aires, 1858-59, complicated design to prevent washing of stamp for reuse.
Oval meter: meters introduced in Jan. 1922 capable of printing only one fixed denomination.
Oval pattern: 1: used in Ceylon,1855-67, complicated oval design to prevent washing of stamp for reuse. 2: used in New South Wales, 1850, complicated oval pattern to prevent washing of stamp for reuse.
Ovanför: (Swed.) above.
Ovanlig: (Swed.) scarce.
Ovate bar duplex: cancel with eight to ten horizontal bars tapered at ends to form an ellipse.
Overall multiple watermark: a network pattern watermark covering all the stamps in a sheet.
Overall tagged: stamps with phosphor coating applied to their entire surface after printing; taggant is applied to the entire printed paper web.
Over (or Under) inking: stamps that have been received with more or less of one or more of the colors to complete the design.
Overcharge: see surcharge.
Overland Mail: term used for postal services operated over large areas by various means of transportation; such as the trans-continental mail carried by stage coach across the U.S. in the 1860s.
Overlay: overall printing, usually applied to light weight papers to make them opaque so that any writing on the inside is not visible outside.
Overprint (Opt.,Ovpt.): an additional printing on a stamp that was not part of the original design; for example, the Molly Pitcher U.S. stamp of 1928 has the words "Molly Pitcher" overprinted on top of the design; where the additional inscription changes the face value of the stamps, this is then named a surcharge.
Overprint transposed: used on stamps of South West Africa, English inscription of Afrikaans stamps, or vice versa.
Overrun countries: commemorative set of U.S. stamps issued in1943-44 illustrating flags of various nations.
Oversø: (Dan.) Overseas (areas).
Overseas Courier Service: local post, Victoria, Canada postal strike, 1981.Overton & Co.: U. S. local post, New York, N.Y. Boston, Mass., 1844.
Overseas Mail: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Oversjøisk: (Nor.) overseas (areas).
Overstemple: (Dan.) overprint, surcharge, see Overstryk.
Overton & Co.'s City Mail: U.S. local post handstamp, New York, N.Y., 1844-45.
Overton & Co.'s Express: S. Allan Taylor label.
Övertryck: (Swed..) overprint, surcharge.
Overtryk: (Dan.) overprint, surcharge, see Overstemple.
Overtrykk: (Nor.) overprint, surcharge.
Overtrykk - Blått: (Nor.) blue overprint (1905 1.50 Krone surcharge).
Overtrykk - Karmin: (Nor.) carmine overprint (1905 2.00 Krone surcharge).
Overtrykk - Lys grønt: (Nor.) light green overprint (1905 1.00 Krone surcharge).
Overtrykk - Olivengrønt: (Nor.) olive-green overprint (1905 1.00 Krone surcharge).
Overtrykk - Rødt: (Nor.) red overprint (1905 2.00 Krone surcharge).
Overtrykk - Svart: (Nor.) black overprint (1906-1908 15ø and 30ø Krone surcharges).
Overtrykk - Ultramarin: (Nor.) ultramarine overprint (1905 1.50 Krone surcharge).
Overtryksfarve: (Dan.) overprint color, surcharge color.
Overtryksforfalskning: (Dan.) overprint forgery, surcharge forgery.
Ovpt(d): auction abbreviation term for overprint(ed).
Øvre: (Dan., Nor.) upper (side).
Övre Schlesien: (Swed.) Upper Silesia.
Øvre Senegal og Niger: (Dan., Nor.) Upper Senegal and Niger.
Övre Senegal & Niger: (Swed.) Upper Senegal and Niger.
Øvre Slesien: (Dan.) Upper Silesia.
Övre Volta: (Swed.) Upper Volta.
Øvre Volta: (Dan., Nor.) Upper Volta.
Övriga Norden: (Swed.) Nordic countries.
OWASU: Old World Archaeology Study Unit.
Owney: a dog who became the symbol of the Railway Mail Service and traveled on mail trains in the1890s.
O.W. Official: Office of Works/Official overprint on stamps of Great Britain officials, 1896-1902.
Owls: mail carriers in the magical world of Harry Potter.
o.Wz, ohne wasserseichen: (Ger.) without watermark.
OX: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Post Office Seal (Official Seals).
Oxford: United Kingdom college stamp/labels; All Souls 1884; Exeter 1882; Hertford 1875;
Keble 1871-76; Lincoln 1877; Merton 1876-83;Saint John's 1884-85.
Oxia, Arcoudi and Dranonera: Greek island stamps repudiated by the government in 1963.
Oxford Postal & Courier: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Oxidado: (Sp.) foxed.
Oxidation: a chemical process where the color of the stamp is changed due to exposure to elements present in the air or by improper storage; is considered a "damaged stamp."
Oxidized: term applied to a stamp that has been darkened from sulphurization or oxidation with age.
Oxydeé: (Fr.) oxidized.
OY: Scott Catalog number prefix for Life Insurance (New Zealand).
Øy: (Nor.) island.
Oymatikqn T.T.T.: (Resembles these letters) Greece.
Øypost: (Nor.) island post.
OZ: Peru.
O.Z.A.K.: (Ger.) Operation Zone Adriatische Küstenland, (Operation Zone of the Adriatic Coast), consolidation of provinces created by Germany in WW II.
Ozorków: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.

PA TO PE


P: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for Newspaper. 2: proof. 3: auction term for Poor quality. 4: international postal code for Portugal. 5: pre-adhesive postmark; Paris (France), Pennsylvania (USA), Philadelphia, (Penn.) Poland, Prague (Bohemia), 6: (With no country name, with value and Queen's cameo) Great Britain. 7: with eagle and United States of America: Kentucky Custom House revenue, seal. 8: perforation for Canal Zone on U.S. stamps, perforator was formally a Panama Railroad perforator with "rPr" modified to a "P." 9: Plattendruck: (Ger.) flat plate printing 10: papier (Ger.) paper 11: P, Pt, Pta, Ptas, Pts abbreviations for Peseta(s).12: (Ger.) Pfennig, unit of currency. 13: Pula: currency unit in Botswana 14: Punt: currency unit in Ireland 15: Peso, currency unit in Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Dominican republic, Mexico, Philippines, Uruguay. 16: The Philatelist (Great Britain). 17: (With star and crescent in circle) Straits Settlements, Malaya overprint for Perak. 18: with Arabic between; overprint on British stamps for official. 19: with crescent and star in oval, overprint on Straits for Perak. 20: Police, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 21: Colombia-Scadta consular overprint for being sold in Panama, 1921-23. 22. in oval, paid (British, Ger.). 23. Preussen; found on letters from Russia to France, followed by a number which refers to the frontier office, 1830-69. 24. Ashton-Potter prefix used in front of the plate number in its stamp production. 25. in a box, plate block.
(P), PH, Photo: auction term that a lot or portion of a lot is photographed.
P (in a box): auction abbreviation for plate block.
P.A.: Protector of Aborigines, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74.
Pa: 1: Padova (Italy), Pennsylvania (USA) pre-adhesive postmark. 2: para, currency unit in Turkey and Eastern Europe
PÃ¥: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) ion.
PA: 1: USPS abbreviation for Pennsylvania. 2: pencil addressed. 3: Postamt (Ger.) post office
PAA: Pan American Airways (USA).
Pa'anga: currency unit in Tonga.
Paar: (Dut., Ger.) two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated, pair.
PÃ¥ bagsiden: (Dan.) on the reverse.
Pabay: Great Britain local post carriage label, Priest Island, Scotland,1962.
Pabellon Postal: (Sp.) postal sorting room; on postmarks of Alicante used at the Madrid (M.Z.A.) railway station.
Pacchi postali: (It.) inscription; 1: parcel post, postal package; Italy. 2: (With "Sul Bolletti no Sull Ricevuta") Italy. 3: (With "Bolleta Ricevuta") San Marino. 4: (With star and crescent) Somalia.
Pacco: (It.) package.
Pacem in Terris: (Latin) Peace on Earth inscription on 1964 stamp of Canada.
Pachuca: district in Mexico, overprint, 1856-1883.
Pacific '97: international stamp exhibition held in San Francisco, 1997.
Pacific Express Co.: private mail and parcel delivery firm serviced area west of the Mississippi River; used corner card, complimentary franks and passes, labels, and a range of stamps; 1879-1911.
Pacific mailboats: 1864: French line Messageries Maritimes operated in the Indian Ocean, 1867, Jan.1: Pacific Mail Steam Navigation Company (PMSNC) made first voyage from San Francisco to Hong Kong via Hawaii, following ship cancels have been recorded: America, Arizona, China, Great Republic, Henry Chauncey, Japan, Ocean Queen, Rising Star, Constitution, Golden City, Montana, Sacramento, Alaska, Colorado, Costa Rica, and Oregonian. 1868: became Ligne T extended to Australia and New Caledonia, 1868: PMSNC established 10¢ rate between USA and Hong Kong; extended service to Japan and Shanghai, 1877: Oriental and Oceanic Steamship Co. started alternate service competing with PMSNC, 1886: Bremen's Norddeutscher Lloyd added service to Australia, Singapore and China, 1892: Canadian Pacific Railway started service Vancouver to Hong Kong, 1893: Australia link closed due to being unprofitable, 1900: Norddeutsche Lloyd extended to Japan, 1901: Jaluit Company began service to Marshall Islands from Australia, 1914: French and German line service ended with outbreak of war, 1920: French line "Transpacific" service reopened, 1940: French line service stopped due to war.
Pacific Mail Express Co.: Phantom post; bears California city
Pacific Mutual Telegraph Company: U. S. telegraph stamps issued for use on own firm's telegrams, 1883.
Pacific Postal Telegraph-Cable Company: U. S. telegraph stamps issued for use on own firm's telegrams, 1886.
Pacific Steam Navigation Company: stamps, donated to Peru for trial of prepayment of postage, Dec. 1,1857-March 1958; see Pacific mailboats.
Pacific Stage and Express Co.: private firm serviced area between San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif., used a label, 1860-64.
Pacific Union Express Co.: private parcel delivery firm operated by the Central Pacific Railroad in California and Nevada; used labels, 1869-69.
Package box mail: marking applied to letters dropped into a New York street box marked for parcels only.
Package Service: USPS mail service, formerly known as Fourth Class.
Päckchen: (Ger.) small package.
Packenmarke: inscription 4-kopeck for parcel stamp, Wenden-Livonia, Russia 1863.
Packet: 1: an assortment of stamps made up in an envelope or package form. 2: fast mailboat on a stated schedule. 3: term used for booklets circulated by exchange clubs.
Packet boat: a passenger boat carrying mail and cargo on a regular schedule.
Packet-Brief-Verkehr: city of Cologne, Germany, local post, 1886-1900.
Packet cancel: a postmark applied to mail carried in ships maintained by a government.
Packet Forgery: a reproduction of genuine stamp that is intended to fool beginning stamp collectors.
Packet letter: mail carried by a ship under contract by a post office to carry mail, started 1840s.
Packet postage: that portion of the rate used to pay the ship that carried the item.
Packet-ship letter: mail arriving in port without any cancel or mark of origin.
Packhoi, Pakhoi: treaty port in Kwantung province, China; overprint on stamps of Indo-China, French offices in China, 1903-22.
P.a D.: paid to destination, pre-adhesive postmark.
Padding: commercial mailer's term for adding names to a mailing list to compensate for undeliverable mail; see bounce-back.
Padelany: (Czech.) false.
Padelky: (Czech.) forgery.
Padroes de Grande Guerra: "Comrades of the Great War" overprint on stamps of Portugal for postal tax.
Paese: (It.) country.
PAG: auction abbreviation term for Paper Adheres to Gum.
Pagamento alla consegna: (It.) cash on delivery (C.O.D.).
Pagaralam: local overprint for district in Palembang, Sumatra, 1942-45.
Page & Co.s Express: private parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Gloucester, Mass., used labels; 1875.
Page & Keyes City Letter Express: S. Allan Taylor label.
Page & Saville Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Gloucester, Mass., used labels; 1882-88.
Page de carnet: (Fr.) booklet pane; uncut block of stamps especially printed and cut for use in booklets.
Pagina del Libretto: (It.) booklet pane; uncut block of stamps especially printed and cut for use in booklets.
Pagina do Livreto: (Port.) booklet pane; uncut block of stamps especially printed and cut for use in booklets.
Paginacion del cuadernillo: (Sp.) booklet pane; uncut block of stamps especially printed and cut for use in booklets.
Pago contra reemolso: (Sp.) cash on delivery, C.O.D.
Pago deficiente: (Sp.) insufficiently stamped.
Pahang: on east coast of Malay Peninsula; Malaysian state - south east Asia; 1889, Jan.: No.1, 2¢ rose, first stamps "Pahang" overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements, 1890: definitives issued, 1900: stamps of Federated Malay States used, 1935, Dec. 2: name Pahang inscribed on stamps; 1942: issued under Japanese occupation, Japanese characters and "Dai Nippon 2602 Malaya" Japanese Postal Service 1942 Malaya) overprint; 1948, Dec. 1: first stamp issued, 1950, June 1: stamps of Pehang have the word "Malaya" as the English-language inscription, 1957: stamps of Malayan Federation and stamps of Pahang used, 1963, Sep.: became part of the Federation of Malaysia, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Pahang, stamps of Malaysia; see Pulau.
Paid: indicating regular postage has been prepaid by the sender.
Paid all: 1: July 22, 1868; handstamp applied to letters between the North German Postal Union and the U.S. to indicate prepaid mail matter and office of origin. 2: pre-1891, UPU treaty between U.S. and British Australian colonies specified use of straight line marking on front of the cover.
Paid Permits: Oct. 1, 1904; a system for mailing identical pieces in quantity without stamps.
Paid Reply Postal Cards: two postal cards that are attached to each other; one for sending a message, the other is for the recipient to detach for the reply.
Paidstempel: (Ger.) cancel for "paid"
Paid to destination: prior to postal agreements between countries, the total postage on a piece of mail from one country to another was made up of two parts, revenue to the country of origin and the other to the country of destination. If partially unpaid, the balance would be collected as postage due from addressee
Paid to lines: 1840-60; handstamp on letters from Canada to the U.S. indicating correct prepayment.
Paid postmark: a postmark indicating prepayment of postage in cash, and not in postage stamps.
Paiement contre remboursement: (Fr.) cash on delivery (C.O.D.)
Päijänteen Laiva Oy: (Fin.) local post for use on steamships carrying mail, Finland, 1890s.
Paine & Cobb's Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Campbello, Mass.; used a label; year unknown.
Paine's Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Marblehead; used labels; 1891
Paine's Package Delivery: parcel delivery firm serviced an unknown area; used a label; year unknown.
Painted cachet: hand drawn or hand made cachet to which hand painting of any nature has been applied.
Paio: (It.) two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated, pair.
Pair: 1: two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated, two attached stamps. 2: paar: (Ger.); paire (Fr.); coppia, paio (It.); pareja (Sp.) 3: two se-tenant postage stamps; understood to be se-tenant horizontally
Pair of full stamps with interpane gutter between: stamps printed in large formats and then incorrectly cut into panes; considered an error.
Paire: (Fr.) two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated, two attached stamps..
País: (Port., Sp.) country.
Paisa, Paise: currency unit in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan, Ajman, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
Países bajos: (Sp.) lower countries, Netherlands, Holland.
Paisley Penny Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Paita: city and province in Peru; overprint on stamps of Peru for provisional issue of town during occupation by Chile, 1884.
Paket: (Ger., Swed.) parcel
Paketaufgabezettel: (Ger.) a two piece label, with larger part affixed to the parcel, smaller part affixed to accompanying letter, used by the Prussian post office in 1854.
Paketmarken: (Ger., Swed.) parcel post stamps.
Paketpost: (Ger.) parcel post.
Pakhoi: city in province of Kwangtung, China; 1877: became a treaty port, 1902, Feb.1: post office opened, 1903, Apr.-, Indo-Chinese post office, stamps of Indo-China overprinted "Packhoi" or "Pack-Hoi" for use at a French post office, with denomination shown in Chinese characters; now named Pei Hai 1922, Dec. 31: post office closed; see China; Indo-China, French Offices.
Pakistan: southern, central Asia; official name of postal administration: Pakistan Post Office currency: 12 pies = 1 anna, 16 annas = 1 rupee, 100 paisa =1 rupee (1961) 1947-pre: used stamps of India, 1947, Aug. 15: Pakistan formed into Dominions of India and Pakistan, 1947, Oct. 1: No.1, 3 pence slate, stamps of India overprinted "Pakistan," stamps of India without this overprint were not accepted for mail, 1947, Nov. 10: joined the U.P.U., 1947, Dec. 1: Pakistan issued its own stamps. 1947: official stamps of India, overprinted "Pakistan," 1948: first definitives, 1948, Aug. 14: regular issue overprinted "Service" making them Officials, 1956, Mar. 23: became a republic, 1962: first air mail stamp, 1971, Dec.: East Pakistan became Bangladesh.
Pákistán: (Czech.) Pakistan
Pakistansk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Pakistani (adj.).
Pákistánsky: (Czech.) Pakistani.
Pakisztán: (Hung.) Pakistan.
Pakke(r): (Dan., Nor.) package(s).
Pakkeporto: inscription on Parcel post stamps of the Royal Greenland Trading Company, 1905-38.
Pakkepost: (Den., Nor.) parcel post.
Pakkepostm¦rke: (Dan.) parcel post stamp.
PAL: Parcel Air Lift.
Palacio de Communicaciones: inscription on Colombia and Cuba for postal tax.
Palatinate: region of Germany west of the River Rhine, 1947-49: part of the French Zone of Occupation inscribed Rhineland-Pfalz; see Rhineland Pfalz.
Palau: western Pacific Ocean, aka Pelew Islands, former U.S. Trust Territory, 1983 currency: 100 cents = 1 U.S. dollar 1899, Oct. 1: first stamps under Caroline Islands, 1901: regular mail service started by Jaluit Company, (see Pacific Mail Steamboats) 1914-45: Japanese stamps used, see Pacific Mail Steamboats. 1945: American stamps used, U.S. carried mail to and from the island, 1947: part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific, 1983, Mar.10: No.1, 20¢ multicolor, first stamp, 1984, June 12: first air mail issue, 1986, Jan. 10: became a federation as a Sovereign State in Compact of Free Association with the U.S., 1988, Aug. 8: first semipostal stamp.
Palazöld: (Hung.) slate-green (color).
Palembang: local overprint in Sumatra, Japanese Occupation 1942-45.
Palencia: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, Nationalist, 1937.
Palästina: (Ger., Swed.) Palestine
Palestine: southeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea, currency: 10 milliemes = 1 piaster, 1,000 milliemes = 1 Egyptian pound, 1,000 mils = 1 Palestine pound (1928), 100 fils = 1 Jordanian dinar. 1840s: weekly Turkish courier service between Beirut and Jerusalem, 1863-1917: stamps of Turkey used, 1918, Feb.10: No.1, 1 piaster deep blue, first stamps of Palestine with inscription E.E.F. (Egyptian Expeditionary Forces) issue for British military occupation of Palestine, stamps also valid in Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, parts of Cilicia, 1920, Sept. 1: civil British administration overprinted "Palestine" in Hebrew, Arabic and English, 1921: "Palestine" overprinted on E.E.F. British stamps, 1923: mandated to Great Britain, first postage due stamp, 1922, July 22: Great Britain ran mandated area until May 14, 1948, 1927: first definitives, 1948, Dec. 2-Apr. 24, 1950: Jordan occupation, overprint "Palestine" in English and Arabic on stamps of Jordan, 1948, May-June 6, 1967: Egyptian occupation, overprint "Palestine" on stamps of Egypt, 1948, May 14: British terminated the mandate, Jewish National Fund issued local provisional stamps, 1967, June 6: stamps of Israel.
Palestinian Authority: part of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, currency: 1,000 fils = 5 Israeli shekels, 1,000 fils = 1 Jordanian dinar (1998) 1994: No.1, 5 mils multicolor, first stamp, 1994, Aug. 15: first official stamp, could also be used by the general public, 1994, Oct. 7: first semipostal.
Palid: (Rom.) pale (as referencing the color of a postage stamp).
Palimpsest: papers originally printed on for some other purpose before being used for postage stamps, such as the early stamps of Latvia printed on the backs of German military maps; commonly used where part of a design was erased to install a new value or inscription.
Palma de Mallorca: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1936.
Palmenstempel: (Ger.) palm marking on German field post mail during WW II, used by the German Afrika Corps.
Palmer, Frederick N.: 1845-48; postmaster, Brattleboro, Vt., issued Postmaster's Provisional stamp.
Palmerston Garage: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Palm stamps: common design featuring palm trees for colonies in French West Africa, 1906.
Paludismo: (Sp.) malaria on 1947 Mosquito Tax stamp must be affixed to all letters in addition to regular postage.
PÃ¥lydende V¦rdi: (Dan.) nominal value, face value.
PÃ¥lydende verdi: (Nor.) nominal value, face value (of stamps).
Pamiut: now named Frederikshaab, Greenland
Pamplona: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1936-37.
Pamphlets & Newspaper: British revenue stamps for use in America, 1765-66.
Panad: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Panagra: Pan American-Grace Airways, overprint on various stamps of South American countries.
Panalpina Ltd.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Panama: links North and Central America to South America; currency: 100 centavos = 1 peso, 100 centesimos = 1 balboa (1904) 1859-1903: former Department of Republic of Colombia, 1863-84: British stamps used on overseas mail from Panama City, 1870-81: British stamps used on overseas mail from Colon, 1878: No.1, 5 centavos gray green, first issues for Panama along with those of "Estados Unidos de Colombia," 1887: Colombia issues for use in the Department of Panama, 1903, Nov. 3: Panama declared its independence; 1903, Nov. 16: first stamp issue, "Republica de Panama" provisionals issued in Colon, Bocas del Toro and Panama City, 1904, June 11: Canal Zone had its own stamps, joined the U.P.U., 1905, Feb. 4: first inscription "Republica de Panama," 1915: first postage due stamp, 1921, Feb.: U.S. forces intervene in clash with Costa Rica, 1929, Feb. 8: first air mail stamp, special delivery issue overprinted "Correo Aereo," 1941: first semipostal stamp; see A.R. Colon Colombia.
Panama Canal Int-Ocean: inscription on label supposedly sold, 1880s, for mail on ships going through the canal.
Panama Canal Zone: overprint on stamps of Panama.
Panama Köztársaság: (Hung.) Republic of Panama.
Pan-American Exposition: poster stamp advertising areas thought to be part of the Pan-American organization.
Pan-American Postal Union: 1890; agreement made by countries in North and South America, except Canada and the European colonies, to charge domestic rates of postage for mail to other countries in the Union.
Pan-Am inverts: U.S. postage stamps issued for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, on sale from May 1 through Oct. 31, 1901; the 1¢, 2¢ and 4¢ stamps were printed with inverted centers.
Pantone Color System: a standardized system of blended colors, each with their own Pantone Matching System (PMS) number.
Pandemonia: spoof stamps created for 1936 stamp exhibition.
Pane: 1: stamps as sold by the post office; usually a commemorative pane consists of 50 stamps; four panes of 50 stamps make up a "sheet" of stamps as printed; more recently panes consist of 20 stamps. 2:Grupe (Ger.) Panneau (Fr.) Gruppo (It.) Grupo (Sp.) 3: page of booklet postage stamps
Paneless: used to describe a sheet of stamps in a single group without division into panes.
Panneau: (Fr.) pane (of stamps).
Pantograph: a engraving instrument used to reproduce an enlarged, reduced or exact size plane figure.
Panzacola: (Sp.) Pensacola, postal marking used in 1787.
Paositra Malagasy: inscription on illegal issue, reported to the UPU Sept. 24, 2001, by the postal administration of Madascar; not valid for postage.
Pao Tzu Ku: "Bandit Post" local, China, 1923
Papal States: located in central Italy; made up of Rome and surrounding area, provinces of Romagna and the Marches and Umbria; 1870-pre: governed by the see of Rome, 1852, Jan.1: issued their own stamps as Papal States, 1859: Romagna separated and joined Sardinia, to become Kingdom of Italy, 1870: became part of the Kingdom of Italy; see Roman States.
Papel: (Sp.) paper.
Papel avitelado: (Sp.) wove paper.
Papel con filametos: (Sp.) granite paper.
Papel Delmeina: (Sp.) paper, invented by a Belgian engineer, made in Spain and used for Civil War postal tax and charity issues; paper has a clear white color while the stamp back has a chalky appearance caused by the adhesive material.
Papel estucado: (Sp.) chalky paper; stamp paper which has a coating of chalk or clay on the surface.
Papel giz-aplainado: (Port.) chalk paper; stamp paper which has a coating of chalk or clay on the surface.
Papel Sellado: (Sp.) security paper watermark, 1872.
Papel tiza: (Sp.) chalky paper.
Papel verjurado: (Sp.) laid paper.
Paper: see various papers under name or type of paper; 1: since most stamps are printed on paper, faults in the paper are sought by collectors as freaks or oddities, in some cases, the type of paper is important in the identification of some stamps. 2: first used as writing material by the Chinese, 2nd century BC. 3: papier (Dut., Fr., Ger.); carta (It.); papel (Sp.)
Paper crease: aka crease, crease that developed during the printing process.
Paper curl: usually caused by paper being coated on one side which causes the sheet of gummed paper, especially in dry heat and atmosphere, to roll itself in a cylinder form.
Paper Fabrique Company: U.S. private die playing card stamp.
Paper fault: visible paper irregularity prior to stamp printing
Paper fold: aka fold, a corner becomes folded over either the front or the back during the stamp's production, but after the printing process and before being perforated.
Paper-maker's watermark: watermark appearing as initials, design, device or name of the manufacturer of the paper.
Papermark: original term for a watermark.
Papier: (Fr., Ger.) paper.
Papier couché: (Fr.) chalky paper; stamp paper which has a coating of chalk or clay on the surface.
Papier mélangé de fils de soie: (Fr.) granite paper.
Papier uni: (Fr.) wove paper.
Papier vergé: (Fr.) laid paper.
Papillons: (Fr.) 1: slip of paper bearing messages carried by balloon out of Metz during the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71; known as Papillons de Metz. 2: butterfly (topic).
Papouasie Nouvelle Guinee: (Fr.) Papua New Guinea. Papua eastern part of New Guinea
Papir: (Czech., Dan., Hung., Nor.) paper.
Papir, Almindeligt: (Dan., Nor.) ordinary paper.
Papir, Batonne: (Dan., Nor.) batonne paper.
Papir, Bily: (Czech.) white paper.
Papir, Blånet: (Dan.) blued paper.
Papir, Cigaret: (Dan.) cigarette paper.
Papir, Fluoriserende: (Dan.) fluorescent paper.
Papirfold: (Dan., Nor.) paper crease.
Papir, Fosforiserende: (Dan., Nor.) phosphorescent paper.
Papir, Fotografisk: (Dan.) photographic paper.
Papir, Gennemfarvet: (Dan.) paper colored throughout.
Papir, Getontes: (Dan.) tinted paper.
Papir, Glans: (Dan., Nor.) surface-glazed paper.
Papir, Granit: (Dan.) granite paper.
Papir, HÃ¥ndgjort: (Dan.) handmade paper.
Papir, HÃ¥rdt: (Dan.) hard paper.
Papir, Hladky: (Czech.) plain paper, smooth paper.
Papir, Hvit: (Nor.) white paper.
Papir, Karton: (Dan.) carton paper, thick paper.
Papir, Kartong: (Nor.) carton paper.
Papir, Krideret: (Dan.) chalky paper, coated paper.
Papir, Krídovy: (Czech.) chalky paper.
Papir, Kridt: (Dan.) chalky paper, coated paper.
Papir, Leskly: (Czech.) shiny paper, glazed paper.
Papir, Linieret: (Dan., Nor.) paper ruled by vertical, horizontal, or cross-hatched lines.
Papir, Maskin: (Dan., Nor.) machine-made paper.
Papir, Obycejny: (Czech.) ordinary paper.
Papíron: (Hung.) (on) paper.
Papir, Pergamenovy: (Czech.) parchment paper.
Papir, Pøros: (Nor.) porous paper.
Papir, Pruhovany: (Czech.) laid paper, striped paper.
Papir, s Prusvitkou: (Czech.) paper with a watermark.
Papir, Riflet: (Dan.) ribbed paper.
Papir, Sigarett: (Nor.) cigarette paper.
Papir, Silketråd: (Dan., Nor.) paper imbedded with a silk thread..
Papir, Stribet: (Dan.) laid paper.
Papir, Stripet: (Nor.) laid paper.
Papir, Tenky: (Czech.) thin paper.
Papir, Tlusty: (Czech.) thick paper.
Papir, Tykk: (Nor.) thick paper.
Papir, Tykt: (Dan.) thick paper.
Papir, Tyndt: (Dan.) thin paper.
Papir, Tynn: (Nor.) thin paper.
Papir, Vanlig: (Nor.) customary paper.
Papir, Velin: (Dan.) wove paper.
Papir, Weiches: (Dan.) soft paper.
Papir, Weiss: (Dan.) white paper.
Papper, Bestruket: (Swed.) coated paper.
Papper, Blåaktig: (Swed.) bluish paper.
Papper, Efterglättat: (Swed.) re-calendered paper.
Papper, Färgat: (Swed.) colored paper.
Papper, Fluorescerande: (Swed.) fluorescent paper.
Papper, Fosforescerande: (Swed.) phosphorescent paper.
Papper, Gråakt: (Swed.) greyish paper.
Papper, Grönakt: (Swed.) greenish paper.
Papper, Gulakt: (Swed.) yellowish paper.
Papper, Handgjort: (Swed.) handmade paper.
Papper, Kartong: (Swed.) carton paper.
Papper, Krit: (Swed.) chalky paper.
Papper, Luminiscerande: (Swed.) luminescent paper.
Papper, Maskingjort: (Swed.) machine-made paper.
Papper, Medeltjockt: (Swed.) medium-thick paper.
Papper, Mjukt: (Swed.) soft paper.
Papper, Räfflat: (Swed.) ribbed paper.
Papper, Randigt: (Swed.) laid paper.
Papper, Rödakt: (Swed.) reddish paper.
Papperstyper: (Swed.) paper types.
Papper, Tunt: (Swed.) thin paper (up to 0.06 mm thickness).
Papper, Vanligt: (Swed.) ordinary paper.
Papua (New Guinea): divided between a Dutch in the western half and the eastern half divided between German colonies in the north, and British colonies in the south; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1966), 100 toea = 1 kina (1975) 1880s: German New Guinea Company issued prepaid parcel post cards for use between its colonies in the area, 1883: Queensland annexed southwestern part of island, 1884-pre: Dutch area administered as part of Dutch East Indies until Indonesia became independent in 1949, 1884: British Protectorate, named British New Guinea, 1888, Feb.: German New Guinea opened post offices using German stamps, 1897: stamps of Germany overprinted "Deutsch-Neu-Guinea," 1898-1901: stamps of Queensland and British New Guinea used, 1901, Jan.1: German stamps in the Imperial Hohenzollern yacht design issued for area inscribed "Deutsch-Neuguinea," 1901, July 1: No.1, ½ penny yellow green, first stamps as British New Guinea, 1905: administration transferred to Australia, renamed Papua, 1906, Nov. 8: No.1, ½ penny yellow green, Papua as overprint on stamps of British New Guinea 1914, Oct. British troops occupied German area, overprinted stamps "G.R.I." with a surcharge in British currency, 1915: Mar.: overprinted German colonial stamps replaced by Australian stamps overprinted "O.S."(Official Stamps) and "North West Pacific Islands," 1925: Territory of New Guinea created, issued first stamps, 1929: first air mail stamp, 1931: first official stamp, 1942: Japanese invasion of New Guinea, Papua stamps withdrawn, 1945-46: used stamps of Australia, 1949: Indonesia became independent, Dutch New Guinea had separate stamps, 1949: administration of Papua and New Guinea unified, 1952: Oct. 30: first stamps as Australian Trust Territory, 1952: Papua and (&) New Guinea stamps issued 1960: first postage due stamp, overprinted / inscribed "Postal Charges," 1962, Oct.: stamps of Dutch New Guinea overprinted UNTEA; 1963, May 1: stamps of Indonesia overprinted "Irian Barat" or "I.B." as administrator of the area; Irian is the Indonesian name for Papua, 1971, June 1: stamps of Indonesia used in the western half of Papua, 1972: name changed to Papua New Guinea, 1973, Dec. 5: first stamp as self-governing territory, 1975, Sept. 10: No.1, 7 toea red & multi, first stamp as independent country, 1976, June 4: joined the U.P.U.; see New Guinea, British; German New Guinea.
Papua Merdeka: organization for Free Papua Movement
Papua New Guinea: see Papua.
Papyrus: a paper-like substance made from thin sections of a reed that had been pressed together, used by Egyptians 3000 BC.
Paquebot (Paq.): (Fr.) 1: (packet boat) steamer, mail boat. 2: cancellation on a parcel or letter indicating that the article was mailed aboard a ship where there is no official post office aboard; they are delivered to a post office port of call where they enter the mail, first used in 1894. 3: pacchibot (It.); paketboot (Dut.); paquete (Port.); paquetboat (Amer.).
Paquete postal: (Sp.) parcel post.
Paquete: (Port.) paquebot
Paquete Postal: (Sp.) parcel post
Par: 1: (Dan., Nor., Port., Sp., Swed.) pair. 2: Paris (France), Parma (Italy) pre-adhesive postmark. 3.(Dan.) pair.
PAR: international postal code for Paraguay.
Para: 1: numerals spelled out in French for Turkey. 2: currency unit in Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Romania, Russia- all Offices in Turkey, Turkey, Egypt, Montenegro, Turkey.
Para: 1: surcharge of stamps of Great Britain for Turkish Empire, 1885-1921. 2: overprint on Britain, France, Romania, Russia Italy for Offices in Turkey. 3: inscription with an Arabic design or Sphinx and Pyramids for Egypt. 4. numerals spelled out in French for Turkey. 5. currency units in Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Romania, Rusasia-all Offices in Turkey, Turkey, Egypt, Montenegro, Servia and occupied states, commonly known as Yugoslavia, Turkey. 6. when written in Serbian Cyrillic resembles "Napa"; letter "P" is written by two vertical lines and a horizontal stroke on top of them; the letters "ara" are written "apa" in Cyrillic.
Para, Pare: currency in Serbia and occupied states, commonly known as Yugoslavia.
Para Censurar en Destino: (Sp.) to be censored at destination.
Parachute mail: form of air mail whereby mail is delivered by free-fall parachute from an airplane; usually where a plane can not land; zeppelin mails were usually dropped by parachute, either prior to landing to expedite mail transmission, or over an air field to avoid the delay and expense of a landing.
Paraguay: South America, bordered by Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; currency: 10 reales = 100 centavos = 1 peso, 100 centimos = 1 guarani (1944) 1868: bogus stamp by S. Allan Taylor, 1865-70: unofficial reprints used by Argentine forces occupying Hamaita during war, 1870, Aug.1: No.1, 1 real rose, first stamp, 1881, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1886, Aug. 20: first official stamp issued, 1904: first postage due stamp issued, 1922: "campana" overprint sold by Postal Agents for use in rural districts, 1929, Jan. 1: first air mail stamp issued, 1930, July 22: first semipostal issued; see Ayuda al Ecuador.
Paraitre: (Fr.) to be issued.
Parale: currency in Romania to 1868
Paralysis of the Arm: floor bidder whereby the participant never lowers the bidding paddle during the entire calling of the bidding increments; also known Statue of Liberty.
Para os Pobres: For the Poor, Portugal and Azores, postal tax stamps, 1915.
Paraph(e): a complicated flourish that dips back and under the signature; used as an overprint on some of the early issues of Puerto Rico.
Paraphilatelic: post office announcements of a new stamp, first day of issue ceremony programs, souvenir pages, etc.
Parauta: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Par Avion: (Fr.) By Airplane, international term for airmail.
Par Balloon Monté: (Fr.) by piloted balloon, postal marking used on balloon mail from Paris when under siege during the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71.
Parbold Private Mail: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Parcel Post: colis-postaux (Fr.); paketpost (Ger.); pacchi postali (It.); paquet postal (Sp.)
Pardoes da Grand Guerra: (Port.) Comrades of the Great War, Portugal and Azores, postal tax due stamps.
Pareja: (Sp.) pair.
Pareja sin Dentar en Medio: (Sp.) pair imperforate between.
Parcel airlift (PAL): a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis to or from military post offices outside the contiguous 48 states.
Parcel cards: postal patrons filled out the parcel card at the sending post office; one section retained by the post office, other section delivered to the recipient to pick up the parcel at the post office.
Parcel Express: parcel delivery firm serviced New York City; used a label and stamps; 1891-92.
Parcel marking: some post offices have used a different parcel post handstamp than one used for letters.
Parcel post: 1: 1912; mail classification for specific purpose of mailing parcels; USPS renamed to Package Services as of Jan. 7, 2001. 2: Paketpost (Ger.) Colis-Posteaux (Fr.) Servizio Pacchi Postali (It.) Paquete Postal (Sp.)
Parcel Post Corporation: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston, Mass., used a stamp; 1899.
Parcel post postage due stamps: stamp issued to pay unpaid parcel post fees.
Parcel post stamps: stamp issued to prepay parcel post fees; U.S. issued such stamps in 1913.
Parcel post tax: a tax applied in the U.S. in 1917 on all mail sent by parcel post with postage exceeding 25¢ ; the tax was levied at the rate of 1¢ for each 25¢ above the first 25¢, which was paid by affixing a revenue stamp along with the postage.
Parcel Return Services: USPS program that offers merchants a method of retrieving items that their customers want to return.
Parcel stamps, government: Belgium, inscribed Chemins de Fer; Belgian state railways, May 1879.
Parcel stamps, private: Great Britain, postage prepayment on packages used by private freight firms, 1821; railway companies were next to use this type stamp, 1846.
Parcel stamps, US: government package service started 1912.
Parchment paper: hard, tough paper which is also glossy and transparent.
Pardoes da Grand Guerra: inscription on Portugal and Azores for postal tax.
Pareja: (Sp.) two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated.
Par Exprès Dépêches: (Fr.) express mail, expedited delivery.
Parfait: (Fr.) perfect, no flaws.
Paris Postal Conference: forerunner: see General Postal Union, Universal Postal Union.
Paris: 1: local provisional, France, 1944 2: local post, l'Agencie Lorin, 1871 3: local post, Moreau's Post, 1871
Paris 1937: with no colony name, France
Paris International Exposition: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1937.
Paris prints: term for early Greek issues, identifying stamps printed locally and in Paris, 1861.
Park City Match Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Parker Post Worcester: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Parker's Express Company: parcel delivery firm serviced Mid-western states; used labels, 1865?
Par L'Etat: (Fr.) By the State; overprint on Belgium 1912 issues; Railway Parcel validation from a private line (le Compagnie du Nord Belge) to the State-owned rail system.
Parm: Parma, Italian States, 1852-55.
Parma: provinces of Parma, Piacenza. Northern Italy,1545; currency: 100 centesimi = 1 lira 1545: Italian state established, 1852, June 1: No.1, 5 centesimi black on yellow, imperforate stamps issued for Duchy of Parma, 1853: newspaper tax stamps issued, 1859, Aug.: provisional government; stamps of Sardinia used, 1860, March 18: became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, 1862: became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
Parmensi: Parma.
Parník: (Czech.) steamship, steamboat, steamer.
Paro, Paro Obrero: (Sp.) unemployment, used on postal tax stamps of the Spanish Civil War period.
Par Poste Aerienne: inscription for "Via Air Mail" on etiquettes of Switzerland.
Parti: 1. (Fr.) left, moved away. 2. (Dan.) lot (of stamps).
Partially separated perfs: when a number of perforations are detached between two or more multiple stamps.
Partial original gum: unused with some original gum.
Partial perfs: stamps that are perforated in one direction only, vertically or horizontally; collected in multiples.
Particular: overprint on official stamps of Nicaragua to validate for ordinary use.
Partida: (Sp.) parcel, lot, collection.
Partido em Dois: (Port.) bisected; stamp cut in half which is valid for postage at half the face value of the original stamp.
Partido en dos: (Sp.) bisected; stamp cut in half that is valid for postage at half the face value of the original stamp.
Part original gum: a stamp with noticeable gum missing.
Part perforated: a stamp that is not perforated on any one or more of the sides; these stamps usually come from sheets where some of the perforating lines have been omitted.
Part time dealer: a dealer whose primary income is from another job.
Pasadena Electric Express: parcel delivery firm operated via electric trolleys, serviced Pasadena, Calif.; used a label; year unknown.
Pasco: department in Peru, local provisional overprint on stamps of Peru due to stamp shortage, during occupation by Chile, 1884.
Pasillo: (Sp.) gutter
Pasing paper: silk thread paper made at Beck Mills, Pasing, Bavaria between 1849 and 1868.
Pass: auction term meaning that a lot is unsold because the final bid did not reach the Hidden Reserve.
Passeports: (Fr.) passports.
Pasta: Donald Evans issue, Italy; see Evans, Donald
Paste up: the juncture where the ends of rolls of coiled stamps are pasted together to make a continuous roll.
Paste-up pair: a pair of coil stamps where one stamp overlaps the other stamp.
Pastrana: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937.
Pata: (Rom.) blemish, blot, spot.
Pataca: currency unit in Macao and Timor.
Patacconi: (It.) rubbish, nickname given to Second Exhibition of Colonial Art stamps from Somalia, 1934.
Patch insert: design insert placed in the space prepared for it in the indicia corner of U.S. stamped envelopes; first issued in 1989 for the shuttle hologram. Originally used because holograms could not be printed easily on the envelope; last used in 1996 for the Save Our Environment issue.
Pátek: (Czech.) Friday.
Patent cancel: devices that permanently defaced the stamp to prevent fraudulent reuse.
Paterna del Campo: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Patiala: India Convention State, central Punjab; 1884: No.1, 1/2 anna green, first stamps with Patiala (Puttialla) overprint valid throughout Indian Empire, 1884: first official stamps issued, 1950, Apr.1: Republic of India stamps used, 1950, Dec. 31: convention states' stamps no longer valid, 1951, Jan.1: overprint on stamps of British India for use to any point in British India.
Patmo(s): Dodecanese island, Aegean Sea 1912-pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, overprint "Patmos " on stamps of Italy, 1916: first stamps without overprints, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1922: overprint changed to "Patmo," 1943, Sep.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by Allied forces, 1945, June 18: stamps of Britain overprinted "M.E.F." (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1947, Mar. 22: British post offices closed, stamps of Greece overprinted "S.D.D." (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1974-summer: stamps of Greece used.
Patricia Airways & Exploration Co.: local post, Canada 1926-28.
Patriotbrev: (Swed.) patriotic cover.
Patriot Challenge: board game that uses 300 different U.S. stamps.
Patriotic cover: envelope decorated with pictures or slogans of a patriotic nature such as those used during wartime.
Patriotic Fund: inscription on stamps of Queensland for semi-postal.
Patrioti Valle Bormida: (It.) overprint/inscription; see C.L.N.
Patru: (Hung.) four (number).
Patrusprezece: (Hung.) fourteen (number).
Patruzeci: (Hung.) forty (number).
PÃ¥tryck: (Swed.) surcharge.
Patte (d"enveloppe): (Fr.) flap (of an envelope.).
Patterson, D. C.: oval handstamps for Boise and Salt Lake City Express, 1863.
Patzcuaro: city in Mexico, inscription as provisional local issue, bogus.
Paulding's Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and New Bedford, Mass., used labels; year unknown.
Pava: (It.) Pavia, Italy, pre-adhesive postmark.
Pavlovograd: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1869-84.
Paxos: stamps of Greece with Italian overprint for island of Paxos is fraudulent.
Paye: (Fr.) paid.
Pays: (Fr.) country.
Pays-Bas: (Fr.) Holland, the Netherlands.
Pays de Galles: (Fr.) Wales.
Paz y Justicia: Peace and Justice inscription on stamps of Paraguay.
PB: 1: Perkins Bacon, Ltd. (Stamp Printers, Great Britain). 2: Paris balloon posts. 3: see Plate block.
P.B.G.: Postes Bureau du Gourvernement (Fr.), Government Post Office, 1793-98.
PC: 1: auction abbreviation for postal card. 2: Postal Card, Post Card. 3: pioneer airpost covers. 4: Passed Censor
P.C.C.P.: (Cyrillic letters) Russia Socialist Soviet Republic.
PCCR: Pacific Confederation of City Republics; cinderella
PCE: Used Stamp on Piece
PCFT: Pacific Confederation of Federal Territories
P.C.G.B.: Philatelic Congress of Great Britain
PCL: see Precancel.
P.c.p.: progressive color proofs
PC Postage: postage purchased and printed using personal computers and the Internet.
PCS Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
P.D.: 1: and numeral St. Pierre and Miquelon overprint on stamps of French Colonies. 2: (Fr.) Payé à destination see Paid to Destination.
PE: 1: abbreviation of piastre, early Egypt currency. 2: Canadian postal code for Prince Edward Island. 3. Colombia-Scadta consular overprint for Peru.
Peace: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1945.
Peace and Commerce: design of French stamps issued in 1876 that depict theseated figures of "peace" and "Commerce," engraved by E.L.Mouchon, designed by J.A. Sage; aka the "Sage" type.
Peace and Navigation: used for French overseas possessions from1892;engraved by E.L.Mouchon; aka the "Tablet"
Peace issues: British Commonwealth countries issues to commemorate the end of the 1939-45 war.
Peace Paque Mir: inscription on stamps of the U.N. Interim Administration in Kosovo, issued March 14, 2000.
Peacock: royal emblem of Burma used as overprint on stamps of Burma during Japanese occupation of Burma, 1942.
Pearls: motive on stamps showing circles, with or without shading.
Peary Land: North Pole Post issue, cinderella
Peck & Co.: local delivery service, Newark, N.J.,1856.
Peak (P): part of the serpentine die cut that protrudes from the side of a stamp; it alternates with a corresponding "valley" or inward curve, to form a serpentine shape; peak and valley are abbreviated as P and V.
Peal de Becerro: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937.
Pearls: a circle, with or without semi-circular shading inside.
Pear's Soap: first advertisement on stamps by Great Britain in 1881.
Pechino: overprint on stamps of Italy for Peking, Italian post office in China,1918-19; aka Pei-Ching.
Peck: Clarrie Peck Postmark Catalogue.
Pecliv Tarzitkujte: "Philatelic handling label" for careful canceling and handling of mail, supplied by postal authority, Czechoslovakia.
P.E. Co.: Pacific Express Co. handstamp, Mokelumne Hill, Calif., 1851.
Pécule: savings plan for contract workers; French Colonies revenue inscription
Pécule de Guerre: mustering plan (soldiers') pay; French Colonies revenue inscription
Pécule Travailleurs: imported workers savings; French Colonies revenue inscription
Pedone: (It.) foot messenger.
Peelable label: an address label that can be removed from a cover.
Peel-and-stick: self-adhesive stamps.
Pegar: (Sp.) to mount stamps on a sheet.
Pegasus Postal Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Pegau: city in Germany, local post, Courier, 1893
Pego: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937.
PEH: Phillip E. Hardie, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
Pei-Mu-Chen: local post, Southwest China, 1950
Peking: (Beijing) District, now named Beijing; 1917, Sep.-Dec. 31, 1922, Treaty Port, stamps of Italy overprinted
"Pechino"for use at Italian post office, see China, Italian Post Offices.
Peladita: (Sp.) small thin spot.
Példányszám: (Hung.) quantity (of stamps) printed..
Pelita: overprint on Netherlands Indies for semi-postal, 1948.
Pelones: (Sp.) nickname for the "baby head" Alfonso XIII stamps of 1889.
Peltonen: specialized catalogue of Finland, Aland and Estonia.
Pelure paper: a strong thin semi-transparent paper that looks like a slightly dark onion-skin paper.
Pembina Twins: nickname for pair of Canadian 7 1/2d. stamps of 1857 postmarked at Pembina, North Dakota in Nov. 1858; off cover and separated, re-united with consent of owners.
Pembroke & Tennby Railway: Wales railway local post.
Pen: Penni, currency unit in Finland
Pen address: an address on a cover made by using a pen, whether ink, felt tip, etc.
Penalty envelope: 1: term applied to stamps and stationery for use on official correspondence with warning "Penalty for Private Use $300." 2: penalty envelope term originated from government regulation "penalty for unlawful use of such envelopes" (Official).
Penalty For Private Use $300: government business mail, to be sent by government officials without postage prepayment; see Penalty Envelope.
Penang: island off west side of Malay Peninsula; Malaya; 1854-67: stamps of India used, 1867: stamps of Straits Settlements used, 1942: issued under Japanese occupation; "Dai Nippon 2602 Penang" (Japanese Postal Service 1942) and Japanese characters in oval circle, 1945: stamps of B.M.A. Malaysia, 1948, Dec.1: No.1, 10¢ purple, "Malaya Penang" inscription, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Pulau Pinang, on stamps of Malaya; see Pulau Pinang.
Penaranda de Bracamonte: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Penarroya-Puebloneuvo: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1936-38.
Penarrubia: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Pen cancel: usage of a pen or felt tip marker to cancel or deface a stamp
Pen cancellation: cancellation marking on a stamp that has been appliedwith a pen and ink, usually done by a carrier prior to delivery of mail that has not been previously canceled.; 1847 regulations state, "the stamps must be canceled by making a cross (X) with a pen."
Pence: currency unit in many countries.
Pence Issue covers: nickname given to first issues of Canada, issued from 1851 to 1859.
Pencil address: an address made on a cover with a pencil; also known as manuscript address.
Pendiente de Censura: (Sp.) pending censorship on arrival.
Pengebrev: (Dan.) registered letter with banknote enclosures.
Peng-Ki: local post, Southwest China, 1949
Pengo: currency unit in Hungary
Peninsula: (Sp.) refers to the Iberian Peninsula; the mainland of Spain and Portugal.
Penitentiary philately: stamp clubs inside prisons.
Penmark: defacing a stamp by pen for other than postal purposes; such as fiscal use, receipts, documents, etc.
Penni: currency unit in Estonia, Finland and North Ingermanland.
Penn Match Co. Limited: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Penn post: mail route operated by Henry Waldy, July 1763 from Philadelphia to New Castle to the Falls of Delaware.
Pennsylvania: 1: first federal issue revenue of US, July 1, 1798-Feb. 28, 1801. 2: supervisors' seal revenue, March 2, 1799.
Penny: currency unit in Britain and British Commonwealth

PENNY BLACK TO PJ

Penny Black: nickname for the world's first adhesive postage stamp, 1-penny black Queen Victoria stamp, issued in Great Britain on May 6,1840.
Penny Blue: blue trial sheets of Great Britain's 1d stamp, Dec. 1840, so that Rowland Hill could make a shading decision for the 2d forthcoming stamp.
Pennycabs Postal Deliv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Penny Express Co.: U. S. local post, western U. S.; 1866.
Penny-in-the-slot perforation: nickname for automatic vending machine perforation in New Zealand 1905-06.
Penny Lilac: nickname for the 1d Great Britain issue printed in various shades of lilac and purple, 1881-1902.
Penny magenta: unique stamp from British Guiana, the 1856 1 penny.
Penny Post: 1: B. Franklin, as postmaster of Philadelphia started "the penny post;" letters which were not called for on the day the post arrived, were sent the next day by a postman for local delivery, who was paid one penny. 2: William Dockwra initiated this service in London in 1680, spread to Dublin in 1773 and Edinburgh in 1774. 3: 1848-51, Boston, Mass.; see Carriers' Stamps.
Penny Postage Jubilee Card: made by De La Rue Co. to mark the 50th anniversary of the Penny post in 1890.
Penny Post, London: 1801, became Twopenny Post when rates doubled overnight.
Penny Red: term for the one penny red Queen Victoria stamps of 1864, successor of the Penny Black.
Penny Post Paid: 1: postmark by Dockwra; see Dockwra's Post. 2: label, Boston.
Penobscot River Express: private mail and parcel delivery firm serviced Boston, Mass. and towns in Maine; used labels, 1868.
Penrhyn (Island): aka Northern Cook Islands, aka Tongareva; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1973) 1901, June 11: annexed to New Zealand, 1902: No.1, ½ penny green, overprint / surcharge on stamps of New Zealand "Penhyrn Island," 1920: stamps inscribed "Penrhyn," 1932, Mar. 15:stamps of Cook Island used for Aitutaki, Rarotonga and Penrhyn, 1973, Nov. 14: first stamps, "Penhyrn Northern" overprinted on stamps of Cook Islands, includes Manihiki, Nassau, Palmerstown, Pukapuka, Rakahanga and Suwarrow, 1974: inscribed "Penrhyn Northern Cook Islands," 1978, Apr. 17: first semipostal stamps, 1978, Nov.14: official stamps O.H.M.S. overprint on stamps of Penhyrn; see New Zealand. 1983: error inscription, "Northern Cook Islans."
Penoe: error for Pence on 2d Mauritius.
Pensa.F.: Pensacola (florida) pre-adhesive postmark.
Pensacola, Fla. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Péntek: (Hung.) Friday.
Pentru Sinistrati: (Rom.) For Disasters, Romanian charity label.
Penza: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1901-14
People's Art: labels designed to simulate stamps.
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen: Yemen.
People's Democratic Republic of Benin: new name of Dahomey as of Nov. 30, 1975; first stamps issued Dec. 8, 1975.
People's Democratic Republic of Southern Yemen: overprint on stamps of South Arabia, 1968.
People's Dispatch Company: parcel delivery firm serviced Washington, D.C. to Boston, Mass., used a label; year unknown.
People's Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Orange, N.J. and New York City; used a label; year unknown.
People's Express Co.: mail delivery firm serviced central Calif., Orange, N.J., and New York City; used a label; 1903.
People's Express Company: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston, and areas of Mass., used a label; year unknown.
People's League: stamps for the People's League for the Defence of Freedom; an emergency mail service during strike by British Post office employees in Jan.1962, and again in July 1964.
People's Line Steamboat Express: parcel delivery firm serviced New York City in conjunction with steamboats; used a label; year unknown.
People's Republic of Southern Yemen: see Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of.
Pepys' Island: figment of imagination to honor author.
PER: international postal code for Peru.
Perak: west coast of Malay Peninsula; Malaya, Malaysia; 1878-pre: stamps of Straits Settlements used, overseas mail used until 1895, 1878: first stamp, "P" overprint with a circle containing crescent and star on stamps of Straits Settlements, later issues overprinted "Perak" 1878: No.1, 2¢ brown, first stamp, 1889: first official stamp, 1890: first official stamp, "P.G.S." (Perak Government Service) overprint, 1892: Perak inscribed on stamp, 1900-35: stamps of Federated Malay States used, 1935, Dec. 2: name Perak / Malaya used on stamps; 1942-45: Japanese occupation stamps, "Dai Nippon 2062 Malaya" (Japanese Postal Service 1942 Malaya) and "Dai Nippon Yubin" overprints, stamps of Straits Settlements overprinted "P.G.S." Perak Government Service, for official use, 1950: "Malaysia" inscription, 1963, Oct. 26: although part of Malaysia, it issued its own stamps, 1957: stamps of Malayan federation used with those of Perak, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Perak, stamps of Malaysia.
Percé: (Fr.) perforated, rouletted
Percé en Arc: (Fr.) form of perforation characterized by curved cuts; see Arc roulette.
Percé en Lignes: (Fr.) line roulette.
Percé en Lignes de Couleur: (Fr.) rouletted in color.
Percé en Lignes Obliques: (Fr.) oblique roulette.
Percé en Losanges: (Fr.) lozenge, diamond roulette.
Percé en Points: (Fr.) pin perforation.
Percé en Scie: (Fr.) saw tooth roulette.
Percé en Serpentin: (Fr.) serpentine roulette.
Percevoir: (Fr.) inscription on French area postage due labels
Per'ue: (Fr.) tax collected, postage prepaid.
Percussion à Froid: (Fr.) cold pressing used at the Paris Mint for making the printing plates for stamps of France and Greece.
Pereche, perechi: (Rom.) pair.
Pereche orizontala: (Rom.) horizontal pair.
Pereche verticala: (Rom.) vertical pair.
Perechi nedantelate vertical: (Rom.) pair imperforate vertically (horizontal imperforate pair).
Perechi nedantelate orizontal: (Rom.) pair imperforate horizontally (vertical imperforate pair).
Pereslaf: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1874-81
Pereyaslaf: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1871-1915
Perf: see perforated or perforations.
Perfecting: the printing of text or images on the back of a stamp; either above or below the gum; the best known example is the printing on the backs of duck stamps.
Perfecto: (Sp.) perfect, no flaws.
Perfins: perforated initials; private or official perforated initials or designs punched into stamps to prevent misuse of stamps; these are known in Great Britain as "Spifs."
Perforacion: (Sp.) perforation.
Perforacion Combinada: (Sp.) compound perforation.
Perforado, Dentado: (Sp.) perforated.
Perforated: see perforation
Perforated horizontally: stamps with perforations on top and bottom only.
Perforated initials: usually a private nature, but sometimes applied officially; such as "O.S." applied by the Australian Colonies and the Sudan.
Perforated margin copy stamps: a normal blank selvage is attached, but some countries have printed designs or information on the selvage, which are collectible.
Perforated vertically: stamps with perforations on the side only.
Perforation: rows of holes punched into the stamp paper between rows of stamps to permit easy separation of the stamps; perf 11 x 13 means that the top and bottom are perforated 11 and both sides 13.
Perforation combs: printing equipment used in the process of producing stamps that makes the separation holes in stamp paper.
Perforation disc indent: a depression in a stamp caused by a punched paper disc from a perforation hole.
Perforation error: stamps, designed for perforating, that entirely lack perforations in one or more die cuts.
Perforation gauge: an instrument designed to measure the number of perf. holes or teeth within a two centimeter length.
Perforation guide: plate marking printed a sheet to help registrations during the printing process.
Perforations (Perf.): lines of small holes placed around stamps to provide an easier means of separation.
Perforation shift: may remove a portion of the design from a finished stamp, usually on a row of stamps at the edge of the stamp pane.
Perforations intended to separate panes are shifted within a pane: caused by a major paper fold before perforating; considered an error.
Perforations of the wrong gauge: due to improper repair to the imperforating equipment, considered an error.
Perforato a zig-zag: (It.) zig-zag roulette.
Perforazione: (It.) perforation.
Perforera: (Swed.) perforate.
Perforere: (Dan. Nor.) perforate.
Perforering: (Dan., Swed.) perforation.
Perforering - Ark: (Dan.) harrow perforation, see Arktakning.
Perforering - Kam: (Dan.) comb perforation, see Kamtakning.
Perforering - Linie: (Dan.) line perforation, see Linietakning
Perfumed: marking on mail that has been fumigated so that the letter will not be a carrier of disease.
Perfumeria: (Sp.) perfumes, used on revenues.
Pergamentpapier: (Ger.) parchment paper
Pergamynbriefumschlag: (Ger.) glassine envelope.
Pergo et perago: "I undertake and I achieve" on stamps of North Borneo.
Periana: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Periciado: (Sp.) see Expertised.
Perim Island: off coast of Aden; 1854, Oct.1 -: used stamps of Aden, 1937, Mar. 31: Aden made a crown colony, 1965, Mar. 31; all Aden stamps withdrawn, became Yemen Republic Periodicals: consists of magazines, newspapers and other publications, published at least four times a year.
Periodicals: as defined by the USPS, consists of magazines, newspapers and other publications, published at least four times a year, formerly called second-class mail.
Periodico: (Sp.) periodical, newspaper
Peritación: (Sp.) the work and study involved to become an expert for authenticity and conservation of philatelic material.
Periziata: (It.) see Expertized.
Perkins Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston, Bridgewater and Exeter, Mass., used labels; 1875-76.
Perkins paper: an azure safety paper invented by Dr. Perkins and used on the 1855-56 Great Britain issues.
Perl, Dr. M. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Perleberg: city in Germany, local post, 1945-47.
Perlis: west coast of Malay Peninsula; 1909-pre: used stamps of Siam, 1909: Britain took control from Thailand, used stamps of Federated Malay States, 1912: used stamps of Kedah to 1948, 1942: Japan permitted Thailand to control area, 1943, Oct. 19: ceded to Thailand by Japan, area named Syburi by Thais, 1945, Sept.: Britain regained control, used B.M.A. Malaya stamps, 1948, Dec.1: No.1, 10¢ purple, first stamps inscribed "Malaya Perlis," see Malaya, 1951, Mar. 26: first stamps for Perlis, 1957: stamps of Malayan Federation were used along with those of Perlis, 1963: see Malaysia, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Perlis, stamps of Malaysia.
Per Lugpos: (Afrikaans) inscription on air mail etiquettes for South and,South West Africa.
Perm: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1872-1920
Permanent paper: paper manufactured to meet standard requirements; such papers are alkaline and very durable.
Permis de Chasse: (Fr.) hunting licenses; French Colonies revenue inscription
Permis Militaires: military travel permits; French Colonies revenue inscription
Permit: a permit is actually a license number that is printed in the upper right hand corner of the mailing piece; many large firms use this method of mailing in order to eliminate the need for affixing and canceling stamps on large mailings.
Permit mail: U.S. term for third and fourth class bulk printed matter mail with markings indicating prepayment of postage.
Perna: (Fin.) local post via steamship, Finland 1890s.
Pernau: overprint on stamps of Russia for German occupation of Estonia.
Pernay: city in France, local provisional, 1944
Perot Postmaster's Provisional: Hamilton's postmaster William Bennett Perot issued the first provisional stamps in Bermuda, 1848-1861.
Perou: (Fr.) Peru.
Per Pacchi: overprint on stamps of Vatican City for parcel post.
Perper: currency unit in Montenegro.
Perro: (It.) dog (thematic).
Perry's Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Newtonville, Mass., used a stamp; year unknown.
Persan: (Rom) Persian (Iranian) (adj.).
Persane(s): Iran (Persia).
Perse: with "A Percevoir" Iran, unissued postage due.
Persekutuan Tanah Melayu: inscription on Federation of Malaya stamps, 1950s; see Malaya, Federation, of..
Persia: (Empire); 1935: officially named Iran; see Iran, Bushire, British Occupation.
Persian Empire: originated the oldest postal relay service in the world, 539 BC.
Persian Gulf Agencies: group of British postal agencies on the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman; Indian and British stamps used, usually with special overprint, in these locations.
Persian Rug: nickname for the 1871 U.S. $500 Internal Revenue stamp; received its name from its intricately engraved artwork, resembling a Persian rug.
Persien: (Dan., Ger.) Persia
Persiensk: (Dan.) Persian (Iranian).
Persisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Persian (Iranian) (adj.).
Personajes: (Sp.) personalities, refers to sets depicting Spanish celebrities in1931 and after.
Personal delivery stamps: Czechoslovakia, (1937, 1946), and Bohemia and Moravia (1939) prepayment of an additional fee for mail to be personally delivered to the recipient.
Personalized Stamps: stamps with labels attached that are customized by artwork or a personal photograph printed on the label; Australia Post introduced the concept in 1999.
Personnages illustres: (Fr.) celebrities, famous people
Peru: west coast of South America; official name of postal administration: Ministerio de Transportes, Comunicaciones, Vivienda y Construcción currency: 8 reales = 1 peso (1857), 100 centimos = 8 dineros = 4 pesetas = 1 peso (1858), 100 centavos = 1 sol (1874), 100 centimos = 1 inti (1985),100 centimos = 1 sol (1991) 1857, Dec.1: No.1, 1 real blue, first stamps supplied by the Pacific Steam Navigation Co. as an adhesive stamp trial, 1858, Mar.1: first regular stamps, 1871, Apr.: a stamp depicting a railway engine on the 20th anniversary of the first South American Railway is generally considered the world's first commemorative stamp, 1874: first postage due stamp, 1879, April 1: joined the U.P.U. 1879, Apr. 5-Oct. 11, 1883: areas of Ancachs, Chachapoyas, Chala, Chiclayo, Huacho, Paita, Pasco, Piura and Yca, issued postage stamps due to stamp shortage caused by the Chilean occupation of Lima and Callao during a war between Chile and Peru. 1890, Feb. 2: first official stamp, 1927, Dec.10: first air mail stamp with "Servicio Aereo" overprint, 1966, Aug.16: first semipostal stamp, see A Certa , Ancachs, Ayachucho.
Peruana: Peru
Peruánsky: (Czech.) Peruvian.
Perv-Aereo: Peru, air mails.
Per Vliegtuig: Belgium, airmails.
Pesa: currency unit overprint on stamps of Germany for use in German East Africa.
Peseta(s): 1: (coat of arms) Peru; (no coat of arms) Spain. 2: currency unit in several Spanish-language countries.
Pesewa: currency in Ghana
Peso: currency unit in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines, and Uruguay
Petards: fireworks; French Colonies revenue inscription.
Petersburg, Va.: occupied by British May 20, 1781 until Dec. 1781.
Petersburg, Virginia, 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals
Peters' Express: parcel delivery firm serviced cities in Mass., used a label; year unknown.
Petersfield & District: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Peterson's Express: private mail delivery firm serviced California; used a label, 1862
Petersport: Antarctic fantasy issue.
Pete's Post: private post operator in New Zealand who uses own postage stamps.
Peticion de Devolucion: (Sp.) request for return of a postal item that has not reached its destination and can be recalled by the sender subject to certain conditions.
Petite feuille: (Fr.) miniature sheet.
Petite Post: town post; see Villayer, Renuard.
Petit St. Vincent: St. Vincent Grenadines island, stamps first issued 1970s.
Petlura: city in Ukraine Peoples Republic, local post, 1919
Petrel: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Petrofilia: country created in 1977 for "Fun and Fact Calendar" by Erbe Publications.
Petrozavodsk: 1. local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1901-16. 2. local overprint, Karelia, 1993
Peutinger Tables: oldest know postal map, 4th century AD
Pezzo di Lusso: (It.) condition of complete excellence.
PF: 1: Philatelic Foundation (New York) 2: (Fr.) port payé jusqu'à la frontière paid to the frontier. 3: pfenning. 4: Germany overprint, Offices in China. 5: Estonia overprint on stamps of Russia, German Occupation. 6: Philatelic Foundation (certificate).
Pfenning: currency unit in Allenstein, Germany, Hanover, Prussia, Saxony, Wurttemburg.
Pforzheim: city in Germany, local post, Stadt-Briefverkehr, 1896-1900
P.g.: auction abbreviation for part gum
P.G.S.: overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements for Perak Government Service officials.
pH: numbers below 7.0 are acidic, above alkaline and pH 7.0 is neutral. However, pH 4 is ten times more acidic than pH 5 and 100 times more acidic than pH 6. The acid in an acidic album page may migrate to a stamp or cover mounted on it.
PH: 1: USPS abbreviation in address for penthouse. 2: Photo, Photocopy.
Phantasy: a bogus stamp with no postal value.
Phantom philately: the collecting of fake or bogus stamps; the name came from author Fred Melville's work Phantom Philately.
Phantom plate numbers: occurs during the printing process when offset plate numbers re-offsets onto the adjoining plate to offset on the next sheet of stamps.
Phi: Philadelphia, pre-adhesive postmark.
Phil: Philadelphia town mark, used about 1826-27.
Philadelpia: misspelling of Philadelphia on cancellation of first day cover for "Honoring the Teachers of America" issue, July 1, 1957.
Philadelphia Despatch Post: see Blood, D. O. & Co.
Philadelphia, Pa.: occupied by British from Sept. 26, 1777 until June 18, 1778.
Philadephia: local post 1: Auner's Despatch Post, 1851 2: Brigg's Despatch, 1848 3: City Dispatch, 1860 4: City Express Post, 1840s 5: Clinton's Penny post 6: Cressman & Co.'s Penny Post, 1856 7: D.O. Blood & Co., Phila. Despatch Post, 1841-43 8: Eagle City Post, 1848-50 9: G. Carters' Despatch, 1849-51 10: Guy's City Despatch, 1879 11: Hampton's City Despatch Post, 1847 12: Harris's City Despatch Post, 1847 13: J. A. Howell's City Despatch, 1840s 14: Philadelphia Express Post, Spence & Brown, 1848 15: Priest's Despatch, 1851 16: Teese & Co. Penny post, 1852 17: Telegraph Despatch P.O., 1848
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad: parcel delivery firm operated by the railroad; used labels; 1880s.
Philadelphia Local Express Co.: parcel delivery firm serviced the Philadelphia area; used a corner card and label; year unknown.
Philarule: gauge used for measuring postmarks, overprints, etc.
Philatector: watermark detector that utilizes electrically lighted color filters.
Philatelic: (Fil-a-tel-ic) 1: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1963-64. 2: the adjective for philately. 3: Briefmarken (Ger.) Philatélique (Fr.) Filatelico (It.) Filatelico (Sp.)
Philatelic agency: 1: firm maintained by a government which sells stamps to collectors; some may also aid in the design and production of these stamps. 2: established 1921 in Washington, D.C. to sell new issues to dealers and collectors; part of the U.S. Post Office Department.
Philatelic auction: sales event where philatelic material is sold to the highest bidder.
Philatelic bureau: government agency that handles sales of philatelic items.
Philatelic center: a retail outlet in a postal lobby that sells stamp stock of various plate number positions and a complete line of philatelic products for stamp collectors.
Philatelic Congress stamp: commemorative stamp issued on the occasion of a special philatelic meeting.
Philatelic cover: a cover specifically made to be a collectible item.
Philatelic exhibition: stamp show open to the public, sponsored by stamp clubs, dealers or the postal administration.
Philatelic exhibition seal: label produced in connection with a stamp exhibition.
Philatelic exhibition stamp: postage stamp issued to commemorate a stamp exhibition.
Philatelic Foundation: organization that expertises philatelic material.
Philatelic Fulfillment Service Center: Kansas City, Mo. postal unit that supplies all philatelic products by mail or telephone order; applies first-day of issue cancel and additional special cancellations.
Philatelic Handling Labels: postal instructional label requesting careful postmarking and handling in transit; issued by Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, etc.
Philatelic Plate Number Association: predecessor group to the Bureau Issues Association and the United States Stamp Society.
Philatelic president: term used for a well-publicized stamp collector, President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Philatelic salvage: takes place when a philatelic item has condition problems that may require a change to preserve, save or enhance its appearance or value.
Philatelic Sons of America: formed after the election of officers at the August 1893 convention of the Sons of Philatelia.
Philatelic station cancel: slogan cancellation used at philatelic exhibitions.
Philatelic truck: vehicle, sponsored by the U.S.P.O. department, traveled around the U. S. from 1939 to 1941 spreading knowledge about stamp collecting; a souvenir sheet was given away at no charge at each stop.
Philatélie: (Fr.) philately
Philatelist: a student of stamp collecting, one who collects stamps.
Philatelistentag: (Ger.) Philatelist's Day, celebrated in Germany every year.
Philately: 1: taken from the Greek "philos," loving + "ateleia," exemption from (further) tax, understood as equivalent of "postage paid." 2: the collection and study of postage stamps, postmarks, stamped envelopes, etc.
Philexafrique: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1969, 1978-79.
Philippinerna: (also Filippinerna) (Nor., Swed.) the Philippines.
Philippinerne: (Dan.) seeFilipperne.
Philippines: located in the Malay Archipelago; group of app. 7,000 islands, currency: 20 cuartos = 1 real, 100 centavos de peso = 1 peso (1864), 100 centimes de escudo = 1 escudo (1871), 100 centimes de peseta = 1 peseta (1872), 1,000 milesimas de peso = 100 centimos = 1 peso (1878), 100 cents = 1 dollar (1899), 100 centimos = 1 peso (1906), 100 centavos = 1 peso (1946) 1854, Feb.1: No.1, 5 cuartos orange, first stamps under Spanish rule, inscribed "Correos 1854 Y 55" 1854: stamps of India available in Manila and used to pre-pay postage by merrhants, 1855: stamps of Cuba also used in the Philippines, 1863: stamps of India replaced by those of Hong Kong, 1870: stamps inscribed "Filipinas," 1873: stamps of Straits Settlements used except for mail to USA where stamps of Hong Kong used, 1877: Spanish colonies joined the U.P.U. and foreign stamps stopped being used, 1898, May 1: ceded to the U.S. by Spain, American occupation of the Philippines, 1899, Mar.: U.S. stamps used with "Philippines" overprint, Spanish stamps also accepted, 1899, June 23: Filipino Republic revolutionary government established, issued own stamps, 1899, July 30: branch of San Francisco post office established at Cavite, 1899, May 1: Philippine postal service separated from San Francisco, 1899, June 30: diagonal overprint on U.S. stamps for when territory was ceded to the U.S. following Spanish-American war; diagonal overprint "Philippines," first postage due stamp, 1899, Aug. 16: first postage due stamp, 1901, Mar. 23: Filipino Republic ended when their general arrested by U.S. forces, 1906: inscribed "Philippine Islands / United States of America," 1922, Jan. 1: joined the U.P.U., 1926, May 13: first air mail stamps, 1926, Dec. 20: first official stamps, 1935, Nov. 15: independence inscription "Commonwealth of the Philippines" 1942, Mar. 4-Jan. 12, 1945: Japanese occupation, overprint of black bars and surcharge, 1942, May 18: overprint "Congratulations / Fall of Bataan and / Corregidor" 1944: American forces retook island, 1946, July 4: became Republic of the Philippines, 1949, Apr. 1: first semipostal stamp.
Philippinernsk: (also Filippinernsk) (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Phillipine.
Philippine Station/San Francisco: first cancellation of U.S. post office at Cavite, 1898, during occupation of Philippines Islands during the Spanish-American War.
Philmark: a system of codes to designate the design center within a stamp's perforations.
Philography: term for autographed first day covers.
Philometry: the study and collection of metered mail.
PHJ: Postal History Journal (USA).
Phoenix Island: bogus issue using frame of a St. Vincent stamp.
Phonopost: Universal Postal Union mail classification for Gramophone records, approved 1939.
Phosphor (Phos): a chemical printed on stamps in order to help automated machines process the mail by reacting to the phosphor under ultraviolet lights. It started in Great Britain in 1959, and many countries now use a phosphor "tagging" on their stamps.
Phosphor dots: dot design made of phosphor substances as a postcode which can be read by automatic sorting equipment.
Phosphorescence: the property of a luminescent material, after being activated by exposure to ultraviolet light, to continue to glow for a period of time after the UV light has been extinguished.
Phosphor-Graphite: graphite lines on back and phosphor lines on front of stamps of Great Britain, 1959.
Photo: photogravure.
Photobrief: (Ger.) letter form used by British forces during WWII which were then microfilmed.
Photo cachet: a cachet that consists in part, or all, of a photograph.
Photo card: a personal photograph printed on the back of a postcard.
Photo-Engraving: photo-mechanical process of making line and half-tone blocks, used for typographic printing.
Photography: used to print some stamps issued during the Siege of Mafeking; blue-prints made by sunlight through a negative design in contact with blue-print paper.
Photogravure: printing process where the design is photographed on the printing plate through a fine screen which breaks the copy up into very fine dots which are square in shape; the depressions formed around the squares hold the ink, also known as gravure.
Photo Lettre: (Fr.) letter form used by British forces during WWII which were then microfilmed.
Photomail: see V-Mail.
Photomosaics: combination of hundreds or thousands of small photographs or works of art arranged to forma complete image of a subject.
PhotoStamp: stamp size photographs that are perforated and gummed like stamps, considered a cinderella.
PHQ: Postal Headquarters cards reproducing commemorative and special issues, made by the British Post Office since 1973.
Pi: piastre, currency unit in North Africa, Turkey and Europe.
PI: 1:auction abbreviation for perforated initial(s). 2: (With Arabic writing) overprint on stamps of Turkey for Thrace. 3: auction abbreviation for poorly inked
Pia Canza: local post, Allied Occupation, Italian liberation, 1944.
Piacenza: town and province in Northern Italy; local post, Italy, 1944.
Piasgua: overprint on stamps of Chile, Chilean Occupation, Peru.
Piaster: overprint for currency, Austria, Germany-Offices in Turkey.
Piastra: overprint for currency, France, Great Britain, Italy, Romania, Russia-Offices in Turkey
Piastres: currency surcharge on stamps of Great Britain for Turkish Empire, 1885-1921.
Piastro: overprint on stamps of Italy, Offices in Turkey.
Picadura: (Sp.) roulette.
Pice: currency unit in Nepal, and used in conjunction with the anna.
Pichincha: province in Ecuador used a control overprint, 1902.
Pichi Richi Railway: local post, Australia, about 1988.
Pick boxes: dealer boxes with misc. stamps where the customer can "pick" whatever they want.
Pickup airmail: airmail picked up by a passing aircraft without landing.
Pictorial: stamps that bear an illustration of any decorative theme such as a landscape, work of art, flowers, etc. that are different than portraits or symbols.
Pictorial cachet: cachet design which uses images to depict theme.
Pictorial cancel: cancellation with an image in the design elements.
Pictorial permit: business bulk rate permit that features a design.
Pictorial postmarks: postal markings which include a design.
Pictorial slogans: postmarks with a picture, emblem, symbol or other type of design.
Picture postal cards: cards produced for the USPS with a stamped imprint prepaying the postage with a color illustration on the reverse of the card
Pi de Llobregat: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937.
Pidgeon Is.: bogus issue
Pie: currency unit in India and states
Piece: a remaining part of a mailed item showing the stamps and sometimes the address or postmark.
Pièce exposee: (Fr.) exhibit.
Pièce le Haut Plus Degré de Perfection: (Fr.) condition of complete excellence.
Piece moyenne: (Fr.) average condition.
Pie de Imprenta: (Sp.) imprint in the bottom margin of a stamp.
Piegato: (It.) creased.
Pierce Match Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Pierce, R. V.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Piercys Express Company, Limited: parcel delivery firm serviced New York City; used stamps; year unknown.
Pies: currency unit in Aden, Bahrain, Burma, India
Pieters, Bennett & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Pietersburg: town in Transvaal, Republic of South Africa; 1901, Mar.20-April 9, 1901: provisional stamps issued as Boer headquarters during Anglo-Boer War.
Pieza de Perfección: (Sp.) condition of complete excellence.
Pigeon Blood Pink: color variety on US 1861 stamp.
Pigeongram: Auckland to Okupu, labels used on specially constructed light-weight envelopes,1899; see Great Barrier Island.
Pigeon mail: mail carried by pigeon, either on microfilm or a very light-weight letter sheet carried in a pellicule attached to the leg of the bird for flight.
Pigeon Post: 1: first recorded use was during the siege of Leiden in the Netherlands in 1575. 2: stamps issued to pay postage on letters carried by pigeons. 3: Great Barrier Islands, 1897 4: Franco-Prussian war, 1870-71. 4. United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Pigeon voyageur: (Fr.) carrier pigeon
Pigment: coloring matter or dye combined to produce printer ink.
Pigmented ink taggant: phosphorescent tagging mixed with one or more printing ink colors; used only with lightly colored stamps; most postal stationery and postal cards in the 1970s were made with pigmented ink taggant.
Pike's Peak Express Company: 1858; William H. Russell, William B. Waddell and Alexander Majors formed the Leavenworth and Pike's Peak Express Company.
Pilas: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Pilgrim Tercentenary: inscription on U.S. issue with no country name.
Pilipinas: overprint/inscription on stamps of Japan for Japanese Occupation of Philippines; current inscription on Philippines stamps..
Pillar: repetitive design printed in the pane margins of watermarked paper, between the panes, to ensure that it won't be counterfeited.
Pillar box: name used for a standing box used for the collection of mail.
Pilsen: now named Plzen, Czech Republic.
Pinatar: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937.
Pince: (Fr.) tweezers, tongs
Pinckney's Express Post: U. S. local post, New York, N.Y., 1851.
Pinedes de Llobregat: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Ping-Siang: local post, Kiangsi, Central Chinese, 1949
Pin-hole: 1: a tiny hole in the fibers of a stamp through which one can see light. 2: Nadelloch (Ger.) Trou d'Epingle (Fr.) Foro di Spillo (It.) Punto de Aguja (Sp.)
Pink Backs: nickname for Washington-Franklin stamps that bleed a pink color when placed in water.
Pin perforating (roulette): holes are pricked into the paper, without any paper being cut out.
Pins des Valles: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937.
Pinsin(e): currency unit in Ireland.
Pinyan: official Chinese spelling system.
Pinzas: (Sp.) tongs.
Pinzette: (Ger.) tongs, tweezers.
Pioneer: postcard with instructions stating that messages must appear on the front.
Pioneer flight: flight from the period starting with the initial experimental flights and ending with the beginning of regular air services; for the U.S., this period is1910-1916.
Pioneer King's Langley: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Pioneer stamps: youth program in communist nations designed to counter the Scouting movement.
Piora-tal: Switzerland hotel post, 1882-87.
PIP: Partial Impression of Plate No. (on U.S.A. Plate No. Blocks)
Piper file: research index of philatelic literature; available from APRL; see : APRL.
Pipmail: inscription on bulk rate used in a bulk-mail service by PIP Printing Corp.
Pips Daily Mail: U. S. local post, Brooklyn, N.Y., about 1862.
Piquage: (Fr.) perforation.
Piqué a zig-zag: (Fr.) zig-zag roulette perforation.
Pira: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937.
Pirate Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Piriatin: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1868-69
Pirie paper: Alex. Pirie & Co., made the paper for New Zealand issues between 1899 and 1902.
Pirmasens: city in Germany, local post, Private-Post, 1894-1900
Piros: (Hung.) red (color).
Pirosas: (Hung.) reddish (color).
Piroscafi Ottoman: local post, Levant, aka Turkish Admiralty SS Co., 1859
Pisagua: postal cancel on stamps of Chile, Chilean occupation of Peru
Pisa-Provisorium: (Ger.) emergency postage on board the transport ship Pisa in 1902, China.
Pisco: overprint on stamps of town in Peru; provisional issue during occupation by Chile,1884.
Piscopi: overprint on stamps of Italy for offices in Piscopi, Aegean islands. 1912-pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, overprint "Piscopi" on stamps of Italy,
1916: first stamps without overprints, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1943, Sept.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by Allied forces, 1945-47: stamps of Britain overprinted MEF (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1947: stamps of Greece overprinted SDD (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1947-summer: stamps of Greece used.
Piso Company (E.T. Hazletine): inscription on Medicine stamp; see Private die proprietary stamps.
Pitcairn Islands: South Pacific Ocean; official name of postal administration: Pitcairn Islands Mail currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 100 cents = 1 NZ dollar (1967) 1921: internal mail was free, with special handstamp, "Posted at Pitcairn Island-No stamps available," 1927, June: New Zealand postal agency opened, free postage discontinued, 1940, Oct. 15: No.1, ½ penny blue-green and orange, first stamps, 1986: Frama machine set up at stamp show in Australia, never used in Pitcairn, but labels valid for postage.
Piszkosfehér: (Hung.) off-white (color).
Pitcairn Islands: 1: The Coconut Bar, Oranges, Senior Service inscriptions, unissued Great Britain cinderellas by David Horry, 2001. 2: Hanging Mutineers inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Pitney-Bowes Corp.: commercial firm selling computer-generated postage.
Pitt & Scott, Inc.: private delivery firm that serviced parcel throughout the world; used a corner card; 1876?
Pittsburgh: local post, Zieber's Dispatch, 1852
Pittsburgh Local Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Pittsburgh area; used a stamp; year unknown.
Pittsylvania Court House, Va. Paid 5 cents: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Piura (Piyra): overprint on stamps for town in Peru for provisional issue during occupation by Chile,1879-84.
Pizarra: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist,1937.
Pizze: (It.) Pizzighettone (Lombardy) pre-adhesive postmark.
PJGB: Philatelic Journal of Great Britain.
Pjon, Pjonustumerki: overprint/inscription on stamps of Iceland for official use.

PK TO PO

PK: international postal code for Pakistan.
P.K.W.N.: (Pol.) Polskie Komitet Wolnosci Narodowei; Polish National Liberation Committee
P.K.Zl.Gr.: Porto Krajowe, Zloty, Groszy (Pol.) inland charge in zloty and groszy, 1810-17.
PL: 1: abbreviation for plate 2: auction abbreviation for political (topic).3: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Poland, such as PL-00391, Warsaw.
PL # BLK: Plate Number Block.
Plade Besos: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Pladefejl: (Dan.) plate error, plate fault, plate flaw.
Pladenummer: (Dan.) plate number.
Plagiarism: postal designs used in one country being used in another country, may have minor changes.
Planche (numéro de): (Fr.) plate number.
Planet: Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique; USPS code place on mailing pieces to track processing and delivery of mail pieces through existing mail processing equipment; see Confirm
PL&R: Postal Laws and Regulations, U.S.
Plan sur de Valencia: (Sp.) inscription on postal tax stamps for funding of project to prevent flooding in the city of Valencia, compulsory on all mail from Valencia since 1963.
Planned Investments: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Planty Catalogue: catalog of U. S. cachets assembled by Earl Planty .
Plaquette de présentation: (Fr.) presentation pack.
Plastic sleeve: plastic envelope used to store covers or stamps.
Plast: Ukrainain scouting movement labels to raise funds.
Plata: (Sp.) silver, overprint on stamps of Peru, 1880-81 that could only be bought for silver, see Metal currency stamps.
Plate: a flat piece of metal (usually copper, zinc or steel) on which an image has been photoengraved, hand engraved or etched; the stamps are then printed from this object; it is the basic printing unit on a press.
Plate block (PB): see Plate number block.
Plate crack: flaw in the surface of the steel printing plate usually caused by the hardened plate cracking under wear or pressure.
Platefeil: (Nor.) plate error, plate fault, plate flaw.
Plate Finisher: an employee of the BEP who removed extra lines or dots from an engraved plate after the siderographer has finished his job.
Plate Finisher Initials: initials punched into a plate, usually in lower right corner, 1908-1928.
Plate flaw: damage to one specific stamp image on one specific printing plate.
Plate gap: ink appearing through perforation holes on coil stamps.
Plate interval: number of stamps on a coil between plate numbers.
Plate marking: all forms of marks printed on the sheet regardless of why they were put there.
Platen: in printing, the flat plate which receives or provides the necesssary resistance as the image is imprinted on the paper.
Plate number: 1: the serial number engraved on a plate which usually appears in a corner of a sheet of stamps; this number is used to keep the plates from getting mixed up at the printing plant. 2: single digit suffix numbers are printed on the coils, instead of the whole serial number.
Plate number block: a block of stamps with the sheet margin attached showing the plate number used in printing that sheet, also known as plate block; usually block of four stamps or more.
Plate number coil (PNC): U.S. coil stamps produced since 1981 with a representative plate number appearing at the bottom of the stamp at certain intervals.
Plate numbers: numbers in the margin of plates.
Plate Number Strip: three or more marginal stamps with the full selvedge and plate number at the center.
Plate pairings: some of the early Transportation Series coils were printed on the Cotrell presses, which used two plates in tandem to print the stamps; two different plate numbers would be paired, resulting in coils of stamps showing both plate numbers, 48 stamps apart.
Plate position: position of a pane of stamps in relation to the whole press sheet.
Plate proof: an impression taken from a whole or part of a plate before actual printing is started.
Plate scratch: caused by an object cutting into the plate.
Plate strip: (PS) joined coil stamps, one of which bears a plate number within its design area, usually collected with the plate number on the center stamp.
Plate variety: any variety in a stamp that had its origin in the plate from which the stamp was printed.
Plåtfel: (Swed.) plate error, plate fault, plate flaw.
Platform tickets: sold by British railways allowing persons who were not traveling access to the station platforms; tickets had stamps with amount paid.
Plating: the reconstruction of a sheet of stamps by the placement of individual stamps representing the various positions.
Platnost: (Czech.) validity, date(s) of postal validity for a stamp issue.
Plåtskada: (Swed.) plate crack.
Platte: (Ger.) die, plate.
Plattendruck: (Ger.) flat bed press printing.
Plauen: 1: city in Germany, local post, Briefbeförderung, 1890-97 2: city in Germany, local post, Courier, 1893-96 3: city in Germany, local post, Express-Packet-Verkehr, 1891 4: city in Germany, local post, Stadt-Briefbeförderung Marquardt & co., 1890-1900 5: town in Saxony, Germany, local post, 1945
Playing cards: British revenue stamps for use in America, 1765-66
Playing card stamps: conventional revenue stamps denominated in currency, 1894-1940.
Playing card U.S. revenue stamps: five different denomination printed since the amount of tax depended of the purchase price of the deck of cards, up to 5¢ per pack, 1862-1965; usually destroyed when deck of cards were opened.
Plaza Mayor: (Sp.) Central Plaza, Madrid, stamp bourses held every Sunday morning.
Pleasant Shade, Va. 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Plebisicite, Memel, Saar Study Group: study group of the German Philatelic Society specializing in the stamps and postal history of the areas involved.
Plebiscite Olzstyn Allenstein: overprint on stamps of Germany, see Allenstein.
Plebiscite stamps: temporary stamps issued by a town or district while their national or political future is being determined by a vote of the people.
Plebiscit Slesvig: Schleswig plebiscite, 1919.
Pleskau: town and Russian district near Leningrad; German occupation forces issued overprint and special stamps in 1941-42.
Plet: (Dan.) spot, blemish.
Pli (enveloppe): (Fr.) cover, envelope
Plic: (Rom.) cover, envelope.
Plic prima zi: (Rom.) first day cover, FDC.
Pliegue: (Sp.) crease, fold.
Plimpton envelopes: The Plimpton Mfg. Co. printed U.S. envelopes from 1874 until 1903.
Plissé: (Fr.) creased.
Pliure: (Fr.) crease
Plonsk: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
PLR: Philatelic Literature Review (USA).
P.L. Teheran: Post Locale Teheran; overprint on stamps of Iran.
Plug: a part of the printing plate that is literally plugged into the main design; such as value, etc..
Plug cancel: round, double circle marking, officially known as a validator stamp; used on postal receipts and registered envelopes.
Plum Creek, Texas 10c: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Plumer & Foff's Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Newburyport, Mass.; used labels, late 1880s.
Plurinvest: labels produced by the Bolaffi Co. of Turin, Italy; each label is a certificate representing a small ownership of the item shown on the label; usually a philatelic rarity or a work of art. The symbol £ stands for Italian lira and not for Pounds.
P M: 1: postmaster, postmark. 2: Philatelic Magazine (Great Britain). 3: Posta Militare, "Military Stamps" overprint on stamps of Italy, used for ordinary usage during stamp shortage, 1944-45.
PMC: purple machine cancel.
PMCC: Post Mark Collector's Club.
P.M. Co.: (Portland M. Co.) see Private die match proprietary stamps.
PMG: abbreviation for Postmaster General.
Pmk: postmark.
PMOG: Pencil Mark On Gum.
PMR: see Transnistrian Moldavian Republic.
PMS: Pantone Matching System used by the USPS since 1987 to assign stamp color specifications; however, the color may vary depending if the stamps were printed by offset or intaglio presses.
PN: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Postal Note.
P.N.B.: Postal Notes Business; to mark mail with postal notes with sums of less than $5.
PNC: 1: philatelic numismatic combination, a stamped envelope, card or mounting device created to commemorate an event; numismatic may be a stamp coin, medal, token or encased stamp. 2: see Plate number coil.
PNC3: Plate Number Coil Collectors Club.
Pneumatic Mail: mail sent between U.S. post offices and railroad stations by pneumatic tubes, 1893-June 30, 1918.
Pneumatic post: distribution of mail through air tubes below ground using compressed air.
Pneumatic tube stamps: issued only by Italy.
Pneumatic tube stationery: issued by three nations; Austria, France, and Germany.
Pneumatischer Brief: (Ger.) Pneumatic letter, inscription on Austrian letter sheet.
Pneumatische Expressbeförderung: (Ger.) pneumatic mail post express cards used by Austria.
Pneumatiskpost: (Swed.) pneumatic post, pneumatic mail.
Pneumatiskpostpostkort: (Swed.) pneumatic post postal card, pneumatic mail postal card.
Pneumatiskpostmärke: (Swed.) pneumatic post stamp, pneumatic mail stamp.
PNG: Papua New Guinea
PNS: plate numbered strip, see Plate strip.
PNT: Plate No. Trimmed
PNTA: Pakistan National Tuberculosis Association.
PO: 1: auction abbreviation for polar (topic). 2: abbreviation for post office. 3: Post Office, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74.
P.O.1: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
P.O.A.: Post Office Agency
Poached Egg: nickname for British green vending machine test label, center illustrates a dark green oval.
Poblact na Heireann: (Irish) Republic of Ireland; Republican Army issues.
POCCIR: (Cyrillic) Russia, South Russia.
Pochette-cadeau: (Fr.) gift-pack.
Pochetten: (Ger.) small stamp pockets with see -thru fronts and black backing.
Pocket-shaped envelope: an envelope that has the flap at one end instead of at the top.
Pocyzta: (Pol.) Poland.
Poczta: (Pol.) 1: on stamps of Italy; Poland inscription / overprint for Polish Second Corps serving in Italy during WW II; cinderella, produced to raise funds for charity, but used on mail without additional postage through agreement with Italy. 2: (Pol.) Post, Polish occupation overprint on stamps of Lithuania, 1920.
Poczta Dylizansowa Szlakiem Kopernika: (Pol.) stage-coach mail "On Copernicus route," May 8th - June 16th, 1973, 35 various labels (cinderellas).
Poczta Harczerska: (Pol.) Scout Post postmark applied during Warsaw ghetto uprising in 1944, scouts delivered the mail within the ghetto; Scout Post in general, after 1945.
Poczta Litwa Srodkowa: (Pol.) Central Lithuania.
Poczta Oflag: (Pol.) stamps and cancels for a German prisoner of war camp for Polish military officers in Gross-Born, Neubrandenburg, Murnau, Woldenberg, Poland.
Poczta Osiedli Polskich Itali: (Pol.) post World War II for the Polish Corps and Refugees in Italy.
Poczta Pol. Korp: (Pol.) overprint of stamps of Russia for Polish Expeditionary Force, 1918.
Poczta Polowa II Korpusu: (Pol.) fieldpost of 2nd Corps [in Italy 1943-1946].
Poczta Polska: (Polish Post) 1: overprint on stamps of Austria for Poland Newspaper, 1916. 2: (lower case) overprint on stamps of Germany during Polish occupation, 1919. 3: inscription for Poland, except between 1944-45 and 1948 when Poczta was omitted.
Poczta Polska Port Gdansk: Polish Post in Free City Danzig (1920-1939); see Danzig.
POD: Post Office Department, predecessor of the USPS; also known as USPOD.
Podací Lístek: (Czech.) receipt.
Podací Lístek na Telegram: (Czech.) telegram(me) registration receipt..
Podatelna: (Czech.) mail room.
Poddebice: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Podkarpatská Rus: see Celistvosti - Podkarpatská Rus.
Podolsk: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1871-9569-84
Podradny: (Czech.) inferior.
POFIS: Philatelic Office of the Slovak Post.
Pofis: specialized catalogue of Czechoslovakia
P.O.G.: auction abbreviation for Part Original Gum, with 50% or more of the original gum being intact.
Pohjois Inkeri: (Fin.) inscription during short revolt, 1930. see North Intermanland..
Pohlednice: (Czech.) postcard, picture postcard.
Poin'on: (Fr.) die
Pointing finger: symbol used as a marking on undeliverable mail that has been returned to sender; usually includes text indicating why the mailpiece is being returned
Points down (Up): the direction in which the points face on grills.
Poisson: (Fr.) fish (topic).
Poitiers: city in France, local provisional, 1944
Pokutia issue: Western Ukraine, occupied by Romania, "C.M.T." on stamps of Austria in 1920; see Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
POL: (Ger.) Polizei; perforated initials on stamps of Germany used as Police Officials.
Polaire Internationale: international polar; inscription on stamps of USSR, air mail, 1932.
Poland: located in Europe between Germany and Russia; official name of postal administration: Poczta Polska currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble, 100 fenigi = 1 marka (1918), 100 halerzy = 1 koruna (1918), 100 grozy = 1 zloty (1924) 1850: parts of Poland absorbed by Austria and Prussia used stamps of these territories. 1856: Russia stamps recognized by Poland, 1858: separate postal service created, 1860, Jan.1: No.1, 10 kopecks blue and rose, first stamp; used six concentric circles as cancel, under Russian kingdom, stamps valid within Poland and for mail to Russia, 1860-63: used four concentric circles as cancel, 1863: stamps of Russia used again due to revolt by Poles, 1914: Poland invaded by Germany and Austria-Hungary, German occupation stamps overprinted "Poczta Polska" for local usage, two stamps issued for Polish Legion, 1915, May 12: German stamps overprinted "Russisch-Polen" for use in Poland, 1916: German stamps overprinted "General Governement-Warsaw" used, as well as overprinted stamps of the German Eastern Military Command, 1918, regional stamps issued in cities / regions of Cracow, Lublin, Posen, Warsaw, North Poland and South Poland, Polish Expeditionary Forces used surcharged Russian stamps, 1918, Nov. 3: Polish republic proclaimed, 1919, Jan. 10; first stamps, first postage due stamp, 1919, May 1: joined the U.P.U. 1919, May 3: first semi-postal, 1919, May-1923: Polish consulate in Constantinople (Levant) operated a post office, 1919, Nov.: a post office opened in Odessa during Russian Civil War, 1920, Feb.1: first official stamp, 1925, Jan. 25: "Port Gdansk" overprint for Offices in Danzig, 1925, Sept.10: first air mail stamp, 1939, Sept.1: German occupation "Deutsche Post Osten" overprint on stamps of Germany, 1939, Dec.1-1941: stamps inscribed / overprinted "General Government of Poland," stamps of Russia used east of the River Bug, 1941, Oct. 26: German General Government stamps inscribed "Deutsches Reich General Government," 1943, Aug.: Deutsches Reich General Government' changed to 'Gross Deutsches', 1941, Dec. 15-46: Polish Government in Exile, Great Britain, issued stamps for use on Polish ships and military camps, 1944, Sep. 7: regular stamp issues inscribed "Poczta Polska."
Poland: local post, Solidarity underground movement, 1988
Polarfahrt: (Ger.) polar flight.
Polar Post: created by Capt. W. Bade in 1897-98 for Spitzbergen.
Polar stamps, government: New Zealand, Sir Ernest Shackleton's expedition in the Antarctic, 1908.
Polar stamps: local post for service in Spitzbergen, 1897.
Polecat Local post: local post fantasy, c1989.
Polecona: 1: Poland Officials. 2: (Pol.) registered letter / mail.
Pole du Nord: inscription on stamps of USSR, air mail, 1931.
Polen: (Dan., Ger., Nor., Swed.) Poland.
Polensk: (Dan.) Polish.
Polensk Post i Tyrkiet: (Dan.) Polish Post Offices in the Turkish Empire (Levant).
Polish Antarctic Territory: bogus antarctic issue
Polish Offices in Danzig: see Port Gdansk; 1938: first commemorative stamp.
Polish People's Republic: see Poland
Polish Post Offices Abroad: 1: "Levant" overprint on stamps of Poland to frank mail from the Polish Consulate in Constantinople. 2: Stamps of Poland overprinted"Port Gdnask" for use at the Polish port of Danzig from 1925-37.
Political stamps: Venezuela, illustrated a map showing Venezuela's claim to British Guianese territory, 1896.
Polizas de Bolsa: (Sp.) inscription on Spanish fiscals for Stock Exchange contracts, etc.
Polní Posta: (Czech.) field post.
Pologne: (Fr.) Poland.
Polonez: (Rom.) Polish (adj.).
Polonia: (It., Sp.) Poland
Polop: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Polsk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Polish.
Polska: (Pol.) Poland
Polska Poczta: overprint on stamps of 1903-1916.
Polske Post på Tyrkia: (Nor.) Polish Post Offices in the Turkish Empire (Levant).
Polske skeppspost: (Swed.) Polish ship mail (ship post).
Polske skibspost: (Dan.) Polish ship mail (ship post).
Polske skipspost: (Swed.) Polish ship mail (ship post).
Polsko: (Czech.) Poland.
Polsky: (Czech.) Polish.
Poluchen: (Rus.) received.
Polvora Caza, Mina, Explosivas: (Sp.) inscription on fiscals for gunpowder, various uses.
Polychrome: (Fr.) multicolored
Polyester: very clear, fairly rigid material that is chemically inert, used by the National Postal Museum for exhibits and storage of the collections; also known as Mylar(r).
Polyethylene: soft, clear inert plastic used in sleeves for photographs, usually comes in rolls or sheets.
Polynésie Fran'aise: (Fr.) French Polynesia.
Polypropylene: inert plastic, similar to polyethylene, used for sleeve pages.
Polysleeve: clear plastic sleeves, usually closed on two or three sides, to hold covers, so that they won't get damaged in handling.
Polyvinyl alcohol: an adhesive product used instead of gum arabic and other adhesives for stamps.
Pombal: inscription on 1925 stamps of Portugal and Colonies for postal tax; Sebastiao Jose de Carvalho e Mello, Marquis de Pombal, rebuilt Lisbon after earthquake.
Pomeroy's Letter Express: U. S. local post, New York State, 1844
Pommare: South Pacific Kingdom issued in 1800s; stamps usually classified as Haiti because inscription reads Haitji
Ponce: local post for town in Puerto Rico, American Dominion, 1898.
Pondelí: (Czech.) Monday.
Ponferrada: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
P.O.n.N.T.: (Resembles these letters) Russian Company of Navigation and Trade; Ukraine overprint on stamps of Russia, Offices in the Turkish Empire, 1900-10.
Pons: local provisional post, France, 1944.
Ponsanooth Village Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Ponta Delgada: Azores, a district of Portugal; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis 1892: No.1, 5 reis yellow, inscription for the Azores district, 1905: replaced by stamps of the Azores. 1931: stamps of Portugal used.
Pontevedra: local post, Spanish province, Civil War, Nationalist, Republican, 1937-38.
Pontianak: local overprint for Japanese Naval Control Area, 1942-45.
Pony Express: established in 1859 to carry mail between St. Joseph, MO and San Francisco, CA with 190 relay stations, 500 horses and 80 riders; took ten days, term "Pony Express" was invented by Wells Fargo.
Pony Express: U.S. local post handstamp, 1853-61.
Pony Express Mail D.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Pony Express (Nottingham): United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Poon: currency unit in Korea
Poona: now named Pune, India
Poonch: Kashmir, India Feudatory State; 1876: No.1, 6 pies red, first local stamps, individually handstamped, Jammu and Kashmir cancellations, 1888: first official stamps, 1894: stamps discontinued, uses stamps of Republic of India.
Poor: (P) refers to stamp description as being in bad condition
Popalania: country created for the comic strip character Popeye.
Pope and King: two Spanish sets issued Dec, 23, 1928 to raise funds for catacomb excavation; one depicted King Alfonso XIII and the other, the Pope.
Popis: (Czech.) description.
POR: Price On Request.
Por Aviáo: (Port.) by airmail.
Por Avion: "by air" etiquettes.
Por Carecer de Sellos en Admon. y Estancos: (Sp.) lack of stamps, on covers with emergency franking.
Por Correo Aereo: "by air mail" inscription on Venezuela etiquettes.
Por favor no Doblar: (Sp.) please do not fold or bend.
Porkala-LÃ¥nguiken: (Fin.) local post via steamship, Finland 1890s.
Porkhof: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1876-1905
Porkkala Langviken: local post, Finland, 1898
Porous paper: an absorbent type of paper used in stamp production, usually unglazed.
Portaláda: (Hung.) mail box, letter box.
Port Arthur: now known as Lu-shun, China; overprinted stamps of Japan and Manchukuo; see China, Regional Issues.
Port Arthur & Darien: China People's Republic issue for Port Arthur & Darien Post Telegraph Administration, 1946-50
Port Cantonal: cantonal stamp of Geneva; Switzerland envelope used as adhesive, 1843-50.
Port. Companhia de Mocambique: see Mozambique Company.
Porteado: overprint on Azores; inscription on Portugal for postage due.
Porteado a receber: "Postage to Be Received"; overprint on Azores; inscription on Portugal for postage due.
Porte de Conduccion: (Sp.) inscription for parcel post stamps of Peru.
Porte de correos: (Sp.) postage.
Porte de Mar: (Sp.) "Carried by Sea," inscription on labels issued by Mexico; indicated the amount to be paid to sea captains for carrying outgoing foreign mail, 1875-79.
Porte Franco (Correos): Peru; Portugal Franchaise stamp inscription.
Porte Libre: private stamp used by merchants in Cura'ao to indicate postage paid for postage from Coro to Cura'ao; 1890's.
Porte pagado: (Sp.) postage paid, used by Cuban military personnel in Angola, 1985.
Porte timbre: (Sp.) cinderella labels that contains a box within the design of a box for the regular postage stamp.
Port Fouad: overprint on stamps of Egypt to commemorate the new port, 1926.
Port Gdansk: overprint on stamps of Poland for the Poland-Offices in Danzig, 1925-38; see Danzig.
Port Gibson, Miss. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Port Hood Provisionals: Canadian Post Office reduced the domestic letter rate on Dec. 29, 1898 from 3¢ to 2¢, leaving the Port Hood, Nova Scotia postmaster without correct rate stamps. Without official authorization, h-e cut 3¢ stamps vertically into two-thirds and one-thirds; surcharged the 2/3 pieces "2¢" and the one-third pieces "1¢" to meet the new rate; used for one day only.
Port Lagos: overprint on stamps of France, used by French post office in town,1893-98; previously used stamps of France 1874-93; see France Offices, Turkey, French Offices.
Portland Match Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Port Lavaca, Tex 10 cents postage: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Portmanteaux issues: multiple sets of stamps of the same, or similar, design for many territories; aka Omnibus issues.
Port Maria: Antarctic fantasy.
Port Maud: Antarctic fantasy.
Porto: (Ger.) 1. postage. (Ger.) 2: inscription on postage due labels of Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Jugoslavia, Liechtenstein, Poland, and Slovenia. 3: overprint on stamps of Denmark, Hungary, etc. for postage due. 4. (Dan., Nor., Swed.) postage rates.
Porto Betalt Lykkebrevet: (Nor.) "postage paid - (Good Luck) letter" postage stamp combined with a lottery coupon, issued June 1, 1964.
Portocaliu: (Rom.) orange (color).
Portocaliu-brun: (Rom.) orange-brown (color).
Portocaliu-roz: (Rom.) orange-rose (color).
Portoetiketter: (Nor.) postage due etiquettes, postage due labels.
Porto Franco: franchaise stamps with company name, Portugal.
Porto Franco: "postage free" inscription on stamps of Peru.
Portofrei: (Ger.) free of postage.
Portofreiheitsmarke: (Ger.) free frank stamp.
Portogallo: (It.) Portugal.
Porto Gazetei: (Rom.) newspaper stamp inscription on stamps of Moldavia, Romania, 1858.
Porto kradi adresát: (Czech.) mail postage due.
Portom(a)erke: (Dan.) postage due.
Porto Marka: Croatia, postage due.
Portomarke: 1: (Ger.) postage due stamp. 2: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway Postage Due.
Portom¦rke: (Dan.) postage due stamp.
Portomerke: (Nor.) postage due stamp.
Porto Pagato: (It.) postage paid.
Porto Pflichtige Dienst Sache: "Service Matter Liable for Postage" inscription for communal officials, Wurttemberg.
Porto Rico: overprint on stamps of United States, American Dominion, Puerto Rico, 1899. 1898: first semi-postal stamp, 1899: first postage due stamp, 1932: name officially changed to Puerto Rico; see Puerto Rico.
Port Paye: (Fr.) first handstamp marking used in France.
Port payé: (Fr.) Anne Genevieve, Mistress Fouquet, 1653, suggested slips of paper, affixed with a solution of isinglass, known as billets de port payé (postage paid), with room for date and year, sold in monasteries, courthouses, colleges and prisons; sender filled in date and posted in street corner boxes, no example of these stamps have been discovered, but described in literature of the period.
Port payé / Post Suède: (Fr., Swed.) inscription used on Swedish vacation stamps; see Vacation stamps.
Porto Scrisori: (Rom.) letter stamp inscription on stamps of Moldavia, Romania, 1858.
Portpatrick & Wigtownshire Railway: British railway local post.
Port Said: French Post Office in Egypt; 1867, June: post office opened, 1867-99: used stamps of France, 1899-1937: stamps of France overprint for use at the French post office, 1902: changed to inscription, but not used until 1937, Port Said cancels found on British stamps for mail on British ships placed into the Egyptian mail system at Port Said, 1931, Mar.31: post office closed, see Interpostal seals, 1867-84; Egypt, French Offices.
Port Talbot Railway & Docks Company: Wales railway local post.
Portugal: west coast of the Iberian Peninsula; official name of postal administration: CTT Correios currency: 1,000 resi = 1 milreis, 10 reis = 1 centimo, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1912), 100 cents = 1 Euro (2002) 1853, July: No.1, 5 reis reddish brown, first stamp, used horizontal bars as cancel, 1875, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1892: "Provisorio" overprint 1898, May 1: first postage due stamp, 1910: republic established, "Republica" overprint diagonally, 1911: overprint "Republica," first semipostal stamp, 1936: first air mail stamp, 1938: first official stamp; see Africa Correios, Amsterdao, Azores, Madeira.
Portugal:1. see Africa Correios, Amsterdao. 2. (Hung.) Portuguese.
Portugália: (Hung.) Portugal.
Portugalsko: (Czech.) Portugal.
Portugalsky: (Czech.) Portuguese.
Portughez: (Rom) Portuguese (adj.).
Portugisisk: (Dan., Nor.) Portuguese.
Portugisiska Guinea: (Swed.) Portuguese Guinea.
Portugisiska Indien: (Swed.) Portuguese India.
Portugisiska Kongo: (Swed.) Portuguese Congo.
Portugisiske skeppspost: (Swed.) Portuguese ship mail (ship post).
Portugisiske skibspost: (Dan.) Portuguese ship mail (ship post).
Portugisiske skipspost: (Nor.) Portuguese ship mail (ship post).
Portugisisk Guinea: (Dan., Nor.) Portuguese Guinea.
Portugisisk India: (Nor.) Portuguese India.
Portugisisk Indien: (Dan.) Portuguese India.
Portuguese Africa: stamps used in all Portuguese possessions in Africa; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1913) 1898, April 1: No.1, 2 ½ reis blue green, stamps of Portugal overprinted "Africa-Correios" first stamps, 1919: Portuguese colonial revenue stamps overprinted "Taxa de Guerra" as war tax stamp, 1945: first postage due stamp, 1974: Portugal withdrew from its African colonies.
Portuguese Congo: northern district of the Portuguese Angola Colony, on SW coast of Africa; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1913) 1894, Aug. 5: No.1, 5 reis yellow, first stamp, first newspaper stamp, 1911: stamps of Angola overprinted / surcharged, 1913: Macao, Portuguese Africa, Timor stamps surcharged "Republica Congo," 1920: replaced by stamps of Angola, 1975: occupied by Angolan military forces; see Angola, Cabinda.
Portuguese Colonies: 1877, July 1: became members of the UPU, 1907: changed UPU affiliation to include Portuguese African Colonies, 1922, Jan. 1: UPU affiliation with additional Portuguese Colonies.
Portuguese East Africa: see Mozambique.
Portuguese Guinea: African west coast between Senegal and Guinea; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1913) 1881: No.1, 5 reis black, first stamps were overprints on stamps of Cape Verde, 1886: Portuguese Colonial keytypes, 1893: first newspaper stamp, 1904: first postage due stamp, 1919, May 20: war tax stamp, 1925: first postal tax stamp, 1938, Sep. 19: first air mail stamp, 1974, Sept. 10: became independent as Guinea-Bissau; see Guinea-Bissau.
Portuguese India: west coast of the Indian peninsula; consisted of Damao, Diu, and Gao; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 12 reis = 1 tanga (1881), 16tangas = 1 rupia, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1959) 1871, Oct.1: No.1, 10 reis black, first stamps inscribed "Servico Postal India Port," 1871-77: regular Portuguese colonial design used in combination with stamps of British India, 1904: first postage due stamp, 1919, Apr. 15: War Tax stamp, 1925: first postal tax, postal tax due stamps, 1938, Sept. 1: first air mail stamp, 1961, Dec. 18: annexed to India; Portuguese India stamps valid until Jan. 5, 1962; then stamps of India used.
Portuguese Timor: portion of the island of Timor; 1885: first stamps of Macao overprinted "Timor" WW 2: occupied by Japan, 1976, May 3: annexed to Indonesia.
Portuguese West Africa: see Angola.
Portzegel: inscription on Netherlands postage due labels
Por Vapor: (Sp.) by steamer; handstamp from Bilbao while under siege during Spanish Carlist War in 1873.
Pos: position
P.O.S. Local Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Posen: city in Germany, 1896-1900: local post, Hansa, 1919, Aug. 5: made part of Poland, stamps of Germany overprinted "Poczta Polska" when this former German province was occupied by the Poles, given to it by the Treaty of Versailles, 1920s: mourning label issued by German stamp dealer Sigmund Hartig, 1939: occupied by Germany, WW 2-post: given Polish name of Poznan.
Posesiones Espanoles del Sahara Occidental: inscription on first stamps of Spanish Sahara, Spanish possessions, 1924.
POS(H)TA: overprint on fiscal stamps of Tannu Tuva for postage.
Position: a coil stamp's position is given in relation to the joint line; 1R is the stamp to the right of the line, 1L is the numbered stamp; if no joint line exists, an imaginary line is used as a reference point.
Position block: four or more stamps that have marking on attached selvage; may include plate numbers, inscription, slogans or positioning guides for cutting.
Positional piece: part of a sheet of stamp, usually containing a variety or other unusual feature, with marks that will identify the exact location of the variety, to confirm that the variety is genuine.
Position plate block: four plate blocks with the exact same plate number in four positions.
POSS: Possessions (USA).
Posseel-Postage: (Afrikaans) "postage" inscription on stamps of South Africa, South West Africa.
Possession Island: local post.
Possessions and Administrated Areas: foreign territories owned or administrated by a nation for which that nation issued stamps; US included Canal Zone, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Ryukyu Islands.
Post: 1: a method of sending intelligence, to and from appointed sites at regular intervals, or whenever such a service may be required. 2: one who traveled with messages, letters, packages, etc, as a courier. 3: a series of stations for keeping horses used in the delivery of posts for relays. 4: to travel with haste via a post horse. 5: to mail. 6. (Dan., Nor., Swed.) mail.
Posta: 1. overprint on fiscals of Tannu Tuva for validation as ordinary postage. 2. (Czech., Hung., Rom.) post office. 3. (Rom.) mail.
Posta 15 or 35: overprint on Tannu Tuva revenue stamps.
Posta aerea: (It.) the carriage of mail by air, airmail.
Posta Aeriana: (Rom.) inscription on air mail stamps of Romania.
Posta Ajrore (Aerore): (Alb.) overprint on stamps of 1962 Albanian for air mail, 1962, 1919.
Post-A-Book: British Post Office 1983 scheme of distinctive labels, stationery and postage stamps to encourage mailing books by mail.
Posta Austr: Austria, Offices in Turkey
Posta Austriaca: (Rom.) Austrian post, Austrian mails.
Posta Bulgara: (Rom.) Bulgarian post.
Posta Ceskoslovenská: (Czech.) Czechoslovakian posts.
Posta Ceskoslovenske Armady Sibirske: Siberia (Czechoslovak Legion Post).
Posta consulare: (Rom.) consular mail.
Posta da Campo: (It.) field post.
Posta dei piroscafi Ottomania: (It.) Ottoman Steamship Post; Turkish Steamship Company, 1840-62.
Posta di bordo: (It.) ships mail.
Posta di Campo militare: (It.) military post.
Post aérienne: (Fr.) the carriage of mail by air.
Posta ferroviaria: (It.) railway mail.
Postafiók: (Hung.) post office box.
Posta Fiume: inscription on triangular stamp of Fiume for newspaper issue.
Posta Franceza: (Rom.) French post.
Postage: 1: price established to be paid for the carrying of mailable matter by the post. 2: Grenada overprint on bisected stamps with Queen's head. 3: India with inscribed value in annas; Hyderabad. 4: Frankatur (Ger.) Affranchissement (Fr.) Affreancatura (It.) Franqueo (Sp.)
Postage & Revenue: 1: with denominations in d (pence), Great Britain to pay taxes and fees normally paid by revenue stamps. 2: with denominations in annas, India-Kishengarh 3: inscription on stamps of Britain and colonies for uses in both areas. 4: overprint on stamps of Saurashtra for the United State of Saurashtra, India, 1949-51.
Postage Camb aus Sigillun Nov: New South Wales, 1850-51
Postage correos: Ponce issue of Puerto Rico.
Postage currency: when change was scarce during the Civil War, U.S. postage stamps were pasted on Treasury paper, using these for fractional silver. Postage Due: 1: stamp issued to collect unpaid postage, collectible on final delivery, usually not valid for payment of original postage. 2: deficiency in the original payment 3: amount to be collected from the addressee; also known as double deficiency in many countries. 4: Gebührenpflichtig, Strafporto (Ger.) Port Supplementaire (Fr.) Segnatasse (It.) Franqueo Deficiente (Sp.) 5: common design on stamps of Portugal and Colonies, 1952 6: with denominations in d (pence), Australia, Great Britain 7: known as "To Pay" labels in Great Britain
Postage Due stamp: stamp used to collect fees in letters that have been underpaid due to destination, weight, service, etc.
Postage I.E.F. 'D': overprint on stamps of Turkey for British occupation of Mosul (Iraq).
Postage meter: a mechanical or digital device that creates a valid denominated postage imprint of an authorized postage indicia.Postage meter, first: invented in Paris, 1884, but was never used.
Postage Paid Cairns Australia: resort stamp inscription to prepay postage from resort to destination.
Postage Paid Impression (PPI): imprint used by private firms in Great Britain to frank mail
Postage Paye: Postage Paid overprint on stamps of Haiti, 1904
Postage Plus: a postage imprint produced by Neopost.
Postage Rate: the amount of money charged for postage.
Postage rate, increase: London 1801, the Penny Post became the Twopenny Post when the lowest rate doubled overnight.
Postage/Revenue stamp: British nations' stamp which can be used either for postage or for revenue purposes.
Posta Germana: (Rom.) German post.
Postages Correos 5 cts: Puerto Rico; U.S. dominion.
Postage stamp: 1: an officially authorized gummed or self-adhesive paper stamp to be affixed to a letter, embossed on an envelope for mail sent through the Postal Service. 2: timbre post (Fr.); briefmarke (Ger.); francobollo postale (It.); sello de correos (Sp.)
Postage stamp envelope: unofficial envelope used to hold loose unused postage stamps, the face values added up to the amount printed on the envelope, along with a mention of a business.
Postage stamp missing (removed): marking on incoming foreign mail, 1887 to indicate mailing office had applied necessary postage so the mailing piece could be processed for delivery without any postage due being assessed.
Postage tax: inscription on stamps of Sudan for postage due.
Postage two cents: with portrait of Andrew Jackson, initials C.S. for Confederate States, United States.
Postage validation imprinter (PVI): a computerized printing device that attaches to an integrated retail terminal to produce a postage label that is similar to a meter stamp strip; may contain a barcoded destination.
Postage verified: USPS term for the mail piece examined to have the correct postage, or the postage is valid, such as suspected re-used stamps.
Posta Greaca: (Rom.) Greek post.
Postai Ajánlási Díj: (Hung.) (postal) registration fee.
Postai Árusitás Idotartama: (Hung.) period of time of postal sales.
Postai Dijszabas: (Hung.) postage rates, postal rates.
Posta Imperiala Rusa: (Rom.) Imperial Russia post.
Posta închisoara: (Rom.) prison mail.
Postai Irányitószám: (Hung.) postal code, zip code.
Post Ajrore: air mail inscription on stamps of Albania, World War II.
Posták: (Czech.) mailman, postman. see Listonos.
Postalari Takse Pulu: Turkey postage due
Postal: used for postcard instead of "Tarjeta Postal".
Postal: 1. overprint on various special service stamps of Ecuador validating for ordinary use. 2. postcard with a preprinted stamp.
Postal agency Siberia: marking in a circle used by the U.S.P.O. in 1919.
Postalari: "postage" inscription on modern stamps of Turkey.
Postal blankett: (Swed.) postal form, postal document.
Postal Buddy: automated printed-on-demand postal stationery; started July 5, 1990, ceased operation on Sept. 17, 1993.
Postal cancellation: a postmark that shows that the stamp has been used for postal purposes and not for revenue use.
Postal card: government produced card with special imprinted stamps which don't exist as adhesive postage stamps, often confused with postcards.
Postal card, first: first government issued postal card was by Austria on Oct. 1, 1869.
Postal card, first U.S.: issued May 13, 1873 with a 1¢ stamp imprinted in brown on buff paper.
Postal charges: 1: Toulouse-Paris messengers, in 1588, had to endorse on each wrapper amount paid or due, with charges shown in numerals in black or red ink. 2: overprint on stamps of Papua New Guinea as a surcharge to change it to a postage due stamp.
Postal code: is used in a foreign country to deliver the mail; see Country code; Post code.Postal codes, established: Algeria 1980; Argentina 1976; Austria 1967; Australia 1967; Belarus 1964; Belgium 1969; Brazil 1970; Brunei 1987; Bulgaria 1975; Canada 1971; China 1979; Croatia 1967; Cyprus 1994; Czechoslovakia 1973; Denmark 1968; Egypt 1980; Estonia 1970; Finland 1971; France 1974; Georgia 1971; Great Britain 1966; Greece 1983; Guernsey 1966; Guinea 1996; Guinea-Bissau 1990; Haiti 2000; Hungary 1973; Ile of Man 1966; India 1972; Israel 1973; Italy 1967; Japan 1968; Jersey 1966; Jordan 1994; Kenya 2001; Kirghizistan 1975; Korea (Republic) 1970; Laos 1987; Lesotho 1978; Lithuania 1971; Malasay 1974; Maldives 1982; Malta 1988; Marocco 1988; Mexico 1981; Moldova 1995; Mongolia 1983; Nigeria 2002; Norway 1968; New Zealand 1983; Pakistan 1988, Paraguay 1988; Netherlands 1976; Philippines 1987; Poland 1972; Portugal 1978; Russia 1969; Saudi Arabia 1983; Singapore 1950; Slovakia 1974; Sudan 1966; Spain 1984; Tadjikistan 1971; Thailand 1982; Turkey 1985; Ukraine 1999; United States 1963; Venezuela 1992.
Postal Codes, Germany, 1944: 1: Berlin 2: Mark Brandenburg, Ostmark 3: Mecklenburg 4: Pomerania. 5a: Danzig-West Prussia. 5b: East Prussia, Bialystok. 5c: Ostland Reich administrative district. 6: Wartheland, Polish territory. 7a: General Government, Polish territory. 7b: Ukraine Reich administrative district. 8: Lower Silesia. 9a: Upper Silesia. 9b: East Sudetenland. 10: Saxony. 11a: West Sudentenland. 11b: Bohemia and Moravia Reich protectorate. 12a: Vienna, Lower Donau, Styria. 12b: Carinthia, Upper Donau, Salzburg, Tyrol-Vorarlberg. 13a: Bayreuth, Franconia, Mainfranken. 13b: Munich, Upper Bavaria, Swabia. 14: Wurttemburg-Hohenzollern. 15: Thuringia. 16: Hessen-Nassau. 17a: Baden. 17b: Markgraflerland. 18: Westmark (Saarland & Rheinpfalz) 19: Magdeburg-Anhalt. 20: East Hanover, South Hanover, Brunswick 21: Westphalia. 22: Dusseldorf, Essen, Cologne-Aachen, Koblenz-Trier. 23: Weser-Ems. 24: Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein.
Postal Commission: Ceylon overprint on the 4-cent stamps of 1883, used to denote the extra commission charged by the post office on money orders which had not been cashed within three months of issue.
Postal Concentration Center: WWII term for a postal facility at which all mail for an overseas force is brought for separation.
Postal Convention: treaty between countries that set direct mail rates fordelivery between the two countries.
Postal currency: started when merchants issued notes when small coins disappeared from circulation in 1861-62, the U.S. Treasurer affixed postage stamps to Treasury paper, then stamps were printed on Treasury paper, evolved into fractional currency.
Postal Division: APS term for exhibition classification to include traditional, postal history, aerophilately, astrophilately, postal stationery and special studies.
Postale Italiano: "Postage of Italy" inscription on stamps of Italy.
Postale Espresso: (It.) express mail, expedited delivery.
Postale tubo: (It.) pneumatic mail.
Postal Fee: the amount of money charged for a postal service.
Postal-Feril Est. Otavalo: overprint on consular fee stamp of Ecuador to honor a new railway service, 1928.
Postal fiscal stamps: fiscal or revenue stamps that have been authorized for use as postage stamps.
Postal forgery: a counterfeit stamp made especially to defraud postal authorities.
Postal frank: labels used by British Consulate in Antananarivo, Madagascar to rush handling of mail via Consular post; not considered postage stamps; although they confirmed payment of postage, since stamps of Mauritius or Reunion were also applied.
Postal guide: oldest was found in Rome, 1852, engraved on sides of the Apollinaire Vases, with names of the relay stations between Cadiz and Rome, and distances between each station.
Postal history: study of any mail piece that went through the mail steam with the purpose of conveying a message.
Postal Inspection Service: The U.S. Postal Service investigative arm responsible for internal audits and investigating criminal acts involving the mails.
Postal insurance stamps: nondenominated stamps, issued in single-stamp booklets in 1967, with the denomination printed on the cover to prepay insurance on domestic mail.
Postalize: make a building ready to comply with postal regulations.
Postally used: stamps and covers that actually went through the mail
Postal map: dates from 4th century AD shows Roman postal routes from the Indus Valley to Britain with post and relay stations marked.
Postal markings: markings or manuscript applied by machine or hand on a item.Postal markings, earliest: letters of court officials in Egypt during the Third Dynasty (about 3000 BC), have the legend, "In the name of the living king, speed!" In the 14th century Tasso couriers used a embossed stamp indicting routing and source of the letter, may be the forerunner of our current registration stamps; see Tasso, Amadeo.
Postal markings, U.S.: Colonial period, 1691, the Massachusetts Bay Colony specified that each letter showing the date the overseas letter was received.
Postal maxi: (Sp.) maximum cards.
Postal mechanisation: relatively new branch of philately that studies the development of postal handling by mechanical and electronic means.
Postal Notes: postal method of transmitting money, adopted in the U.S. in 1883, replaced by money orders.
Postal note stamp: U.S. 1945-51 issue to place on money orders to make up odd amounts.
Posta locale: (It.) local post.
Postal Order: postal financial instrument such as postal checks, international reply coupons, etc.
Postal Rate Commission (PRC): an independent federal agency that makes recommendations concerning USPS requests for changes in postal rates and mail classification.
Postal razzo: (It.) rocket mail.
Postal receipt: issued, at first, for a 1¢ fee, for any mailing piece.
Postal regulations: date from 4th century AD describing the Roman imperial postal system.
Postal rocket: missile used to carry mail; first tried in Austria, 1928.
Postal Savings Stamps: 1: if in Russian Cyrillic alphabet, with double-headed Russian eagle in design, brown in color, it is a postal savings stamps of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic issued in 1918, and sometimes, unofficially used for postage 2: see U. S. Postal Savings Stamps.
Postal scrip: inscription on Canadian stamps, 1932, for remitting small amounts of money.
Postal seal: label, usually circular, used to seal the flaps of official covers to indicate that they are exempt from postal charges.
Postal Service: 1. the carriage of letters, printed matter or mailable packages, including acceptance, collection, processing, delivery, or other services supportive or ancillary thereto: U.S. House of Representatives Government Reform Committee; May 24, 2004. 2. overprint on stamps of India indicate a revenue usage since stamps show amount of duty due.
Postal Service in America, first: established Nov. 5, 1639 in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Postal Service in British Commonwealth, first: Venetians in Cyprus, 1487, for use by merchants.
Postal stationery: 1: envelopes, air letter sheets, postal cards, etc. that have government imprinted or embossed stamps. 2: entier postal (Fr.), ganzsache (Ger.), intero postale (It.), entero postal (Sp.)
Postal stationery, first: the Venice Council of the Doges, the governing body, authorized the issue of prepaid letter sheets for all official letters, 1608.
Postal store: a USPS retail unit that offers customers self-service selections as well as counter assistance.
Postal Strike March 1970: local post, Canada postal strike, 1970.
Postal surcharge: overprint with surcharge on stamps of Cyprus for internal acacoutning use within the postal service.
Postal tax: stamps used on mail, for a specific period of time, in addition to regular stamps.
Postal tax stamp: a revenue stamp required during certain calendar periods with proceeds going for a specific purpose or charity.
Postal Telegraph Company: U. S. telegraph stamps issued for use on own firm's telegrams, 1885-42.
Postal telegraph stamps: stamps that were originally issued for use on telegrams but later permitted to be used as postage stamps.
Postal Transportation Service: successor to the US Railway Mail Service, 1949.
Postal Union: agreement between the postal administrations of countries, 1874

PO to PZ

Postal Union colors: standard colors adapted as international printed rate in green, postcard rate in basic red and international letter rate in dark blue.
Postal Union Congress London 1929: held in Great Britain.
Postal union, international: organized between Austria and several German states in 1850; stamps of participating nations were standardized by definite color for each rate.
Postal zone numbering system: two digit number, forerunner of the Zip code; started May 1, 1943, provided for the inclusion in mail address, immediately following the name of the city.
Posta militara: (Rom.) military mail.
Posta militara Austriaca: (Rom.) Austrian military mail.
Posta militara Rusa: (Rom.) Russian military mail.
Posta militare: (It.) military post.
Posta Moldova: Moldova, former republic of the U.S.S.R.
Posta Napoletana: partial inscription on stamps of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies
Posta naufragiata: (Rom.) shipwreck mail.
Postångare: (Swed.) ocean-going mail steamboat, ocean-going mail steamer, ocean-going mail steamship.
Postångbåten: (Swed.) mail steamboat, mail, steamer, mail steamship.
Postanvisning: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) postal money order.
Postanweisung: (Ger.) postal money transfer.
Postanweisungsmarken: (Ger.) postal money stamp, used for postal money orders and postal money transfers.
Posta Otomana: (Rom.) Ottoman (Empire) post.
Posta Pneumatica: (It.) pneumatic tube post, Italy.
Posta prigioniere di guerra: (It.) prisoner of war mail.
Postaprioritaria: (It.) Priority Mail.
Posta Prisionero de Guerra: (Sp.) prisoner of war mail.
Posta prizoniera: (Rom.) prisoner mail.
Posta prizoniera de razboi: (Rom.) prisoner-of-war mail.
Postára: (Hung.) post office.
Post & Receipt: India with value in annas, Hyderabad.
Posta refugiata: (Rom.) refugee post.
Posta Romana: Romania.
Posta Româna în Constantinopol: (Rom.) Romanian post in Constantinople.
Posta Româna în Turcia: (Rom.) Romanian post in Turkey.
Posta Romana Constantinople: Romania overprint, Offices in Turkish Empire, 1919.
Postas: 1. (Sp.) private mail carriers in late 1700s. 2. (Rom.) mailman, postman.
Postás: (Hung.) mail man.
Postas le Nioc: (Gaelic) Ireland postage due.
Postas le Hioc(nioc): Ireland Postage Due.
Postat Ajrore: inscription on stamps of Albania for air mail.
Postat Expres: inscription on stamps of Albania for special delivery.
Postatiszta: (Hung.) mint, never hinged, see erediti gumizással.
Postatörténet: (Hung.) postal history.
Posta Touva (Tuba): inscription on stamps of Tannu Tuva.
Postat Shqiptare: Albania.
Postauftrags-Portomarke: (Ger.) cash on delivery stamp, postage due stamp money order.
Posta ügynökség: (Hung.) Postal agency.
Posta Ukr. N. Rep. Schagiw: (Ukrainian People's Republic Schagiw) surcharge on stamps of Austria, Stanislau local post for Western Ukraine.
Posta Veteke Verria e Mird Ities: 1921 Albania unauthorized issue.
Postazsák: (Hung.) mail bag.
Postbåd: (Dan., Nor.) mail boat.
Postbags: Royal Mail name for a stamp collecting kit that appeals to children
Postbåt: (Swed.) mail boat.
Postbil: (Dan., Nor.) mail truck.
Postboks: (Dan., Nor.) post office box, P.O. Box.
Postbote: (Ger.) postman.
Postbox: (Eng.) 1: mail box. 2: machine-denominated and vended postage stamps, started in Europe to commence with Euro currency. 3. (Swed.) post office box, P.O. Box.
Post Box W. 13: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Postbud: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) letter carrier, mail carrier, postman.
Postbus: (Swed.) mail bus.
Postbus ticket: distinctive tickets which may require adhesive postage stamps which are cancelled.
Post canceled: 1: stamps canceled after their period of validity; usually more desirable if canceled during period of validity. 2: a cover which has been cancelled on a date later than indicated in the postmark; also known as post dated, back dated.
Postcard: privately produced small card without an imprinted stamp, often with a picture on one side and a space for a written message on the reverse; often confused with postal card.
Postcard Grading: Mint: card off the printing press with no marks of any kind. Near Mint: a mint card with slight color aging. Excellent: card with no faults, may be mint or used. Very Good: corners may be slightly rounded with a slight crease that does not affect the image. Good: Corners blunt or rounded with noticeable creases. Fair: intact postcard with heavy creases, heavy postmark, some tears or damage.
Postcard Presort Rate: discounted cost of bulk mailing of presorted and bundled postcards.
Postcard stamps: stamps affixed to postcards; then overprinted; Orange Free State, 1889.
Postcards with Paid Reply: authorized at 10-cents by the UPU in 1886.
Postcard tax stamp: overprinted "Controle" stamp used in Persia, 1922, to collect a tax on picture postcards and used in addition to normal postage.
Post Code: a group of numbers, or combination of letters and numbers, established to translate an address into a code used by automatic sorting machines.
Postcodes, first: Germany and some of the occupied territories on July 25, 1941 used number 1 to 24; 1 figure to 4 figure codes started in West Germany November 1961; the United States started in 1963; the United Germany converted to 5-figure codes in 1993.
Postcollo: (Bel.) overprint for parcel stamps of Belgium.
PostCom: Association for Postal Commerce, Arlington, VA.
Postdampfer: (Dan.) mail steamship, mail steamer.
Postdampskip: (Ger., Nor.) steamer post.
Post del ferrocarril: (Sp.) railway mail.
Post del urbana: (It.) local town stamps
Poste Aerienne: (Fr.) airmail.
Poste Aérienne Luchtpost: surcharge on Belgium semi-postals for air mail use.
Poste Aérienne, Semi-Officiel: (Fr.) issued privately, but accepted by the postal agency. "Buffalo Balloon" stamp is an example.
Poste Aerieo, Aerienne: overprint on stamps of Iran for air mail.
Poste A Erore: Albania airmail.
Poste ambulante: (Fr.) inscription on stamps of Belgium and France used for a mobile post office.
Poste Centime: (With fine line network in background) France, Alsace and Lorraine, German Occupation.
Poste Colonial/Coloniali: overprint on stamps of Tripoli for Libya, Feb. 17, 1934.
Poste Coloniali Italiane: overprint on stamps of Italy for Italian Colonies, 1932-34; see Italian Colonies.
Post ECS: internet-based document delivery service developed by USPS, Canada Post and France's La Poste.
Posted Aboard the RMS Titanic: National Postal Museum exhibit detailing story of three American and two British postal clerks trying to save the mail as the ship sank.
Posted at sea: maritime marking for mail posted while ship was at sea.
Poste d'Campagne: (Fr.) field post.
Poste de Geneve: with Port local or Port Cantonal; inscription on stamps of Switzerland, Canton of Geneva.
Poste de Paquet: (Fr.) parcel post.
Poste de prissoniers: (Fr.) prisoner of war (mail).
Poste di Fiume: Fiume.
Posted on board: marking from the West Indies.
Posted on Steamer: mark from Freetown, West Africa.
Poste émigrée: (Fr.) expatriate post.
Poste Estensi: inscription on first stamps of Modena, 1852, for family name of its ducal rulers; see Italian States.
Post (Eiooa): with posthorns in the four corners; Germany, Russian issue for East Saxony
Poste/Italiane/Imperia/Liberata/24-2-45: post World War 2 overprint, see C.L.N. Italy.
Poste Khedivie Egiziane: (It.) "Khedive Egyptian Post", Egyptian stamps with values in paras used for British mail from Egypt to India, for territories occupied by Italy.
Postele locale turistice: (Rom.) tourist local posts.
Postele straine in România: (Rom.) foreign posts in Romania..
Poste local: (Fr.) local post
Poste Locale: 1: Switzerland Canton of Geneva, 1850. 2: Turkey (Liannos's Local Post), 1865.
Poste maritime: (Fr.) ship's mail.
Poste militaire: (Fr.) field post.
Posten: (Ger.) (auction) lot.
Post Enfantine: (Fr.) see Toy stamps.
Poste par ballon: (Fr.) balloon mail.
Poste par fusees: (Fr.) rocket mail.
Poste par piéton: (Fr.) mail by foot messenger.
Poste par Zeppelin: (Fr.) Zeppelin mail.
Poste Persane, Postes Persanes: inscription on stamps of Iran (Persia), 1881-98.
Poste pneumatique: (Fr.) pneumatic mail.
Postera: (Swed.) mail station.
Poste Repubblica Sociale Italiana (RSI): (It.) Italian Social Republic Mail, created by Hitler after he rescued Benito Mussolini when he was placed under arrest by King Victor Emmanuel III; Posta Aerea overprint is bogus.
Poste restante: (Fr.) 1: mail addressed to a person, town, a specific post office, but without a street address or box number is held at the post office until called for by the addressee. 2: general delivery; used in Canada during WW II to hold mail until notified when service personnel arrived at a new address. 3: In Great Britain, a department of the post office in charge of letters waiting to be picked up.
Poster stamps: a non-denominated stamp created to advertise or commemorate a product or event.
Postes: (With red crescent and 1954) Afghanistan Tax Stamp.
Postes Aeriennes: overprint/inscription on stamps of Persia for air mail, 1930.
Postes Afghanes: Afghanistan after 1928.
Postes Atlas: children's stamps; see Toy stamps.
Postes Atsoc: Artistamp, Costa reversed; see Republique du Semaj, by James Costa.
Postes de Coree: inscription on stamps of Korea, 1902.
Postes (denomination) centimes: Stamps issued in 1870 during German occupation of Alsace and Lorraine.
Postes Egyptiennes: "Egyptian Posts" inscription on stamps of Egypt, 1879-96.
Postes Expres: inscription on stamps of Egypt, special delivery.
Postes France (or Paris) 1922: on stamps of France, are precancels.
Postes Hedjaz & Nedjde: inscription on stamps of Hedjaz and Nejd, Saudi Arabia, 1930-32.
Postes Imperiales de Coree: Korea, 1903.
Postes Iraniennes: inscription on stamps of Iran, 1935.
Postes Ottomanes: inscription on stamps of Turkey, Mesopotamia 1913-22.
Postes Paye: Haiti provisional overprint.
Postes Persanes: inscription for mail on stamps of Iran (Persia).
Postes Serbes: overprint on stamps of France in pairs, Serbia-Corfu, 1916-18, applied after stamps were affixed to letters.
PostEurop: an affiliate of the Association of European Public Postal Operators, establishes theme for the Europa series of stamps.
Poste Vaticane: inscription on stamps of Vatican City.
Poste Vice-Realiegiziane: (It.) marking of private Italian firm bought by Egyptian government that used Italian cancellers "Poste Vice-Realiegiziane,"1865.
Postexpedition: (Swed.) branch post office.
Postexpeditör: (Swed.) sub-postmaster.
Postfack: (Swed.) letter box, mail box, mail drop, post box; see Brevlåda.
Postf¦rge: (Dan.) "Postal ferry" overprint for Denmark parcel post, carried on Esbjerg-Fano, 1919-77, and Løgstør-Aggersund, 1919-42, ferry service.
Postf¦rgem¦rke(r): (Dan.) mail ferry stamp(s).
Postfälschung: (Ger.) postal forgery.
Postforfalskning: (Dan.) postal forgery (to defraud the post office).
Postfärja: (Swed.) mail ferry.
Postfärjemärke(n): (Swed.) mail ferry stamp(s).
Postferje: (Nor.) mail ferry.
Postförande: (Swed.) mail carrying.
Postförbindelse: (Swed.) postal communication.
Postföreståndare: (Swed.) postmaster, see Postmästare.
Postföring: (Swed.) conveyance of the mails.
Postförskott: (Swed.) cash-on-delivery, C.O.D.
Postförskottstrycksaker: (Swed.) cash-on-delivery printed matter.
Postfreiheiten: (Ger.) free franking privildges.
Postfreistempel: (Ger.) meter stamp.
Postfrim: (Dan.) (Postfrimaerki -Free Postage Stamp) Denmark, Norway
Postfrisch: (Ger.) mint.
Postfrisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) mint, never hinged.
Postfriskt: (Swed.) mint, never hinged.
Postgäng: (Swed.) postal service.
Postgebiet Ober-Ost: (Postal Area of the Eastern Command) overprint on stamps of Germany, Eastern postal areas, Lithuania, German occupation, 1916-18.
Postgebühr: (Ger.) postage.
Postgiro: (Swed.) postal check (cheque) service.
Postgiroinbetalningskort: (Swed.) Giro-bank payment orders.
Post Great Britain: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Posthaltpunkten: (Fin.) postal halt or rural post office in Finland, mostly established pre-World War I.
Post Haste: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Posthorn: originated as a curved horn used by the traveling butchers of Germany in 12th Century to announce arrival of mail courier; often found on stamps and watermarks of European stamps. Mail coach drivers used to blow this instrument upon approaching their stations.
Posthumous proof: die or plate proof of a stamp printed after the stamp has been released; usually produced for exhibitions.
Posthus: (Dan., Nor.) post office.
Posthuset: (Swed.) post office.
Postiljon(en): (Swed.) post boy(s), mail boy(s).
Postino: (It.) postman.
Postique: a location within a post office where collectors may obtain currently available stamps; each office may have its own pictorial cancellation.
Postkarte: (Ger.) postcard.
Postkasse: (Dan., Nor.) letter box, mail box, mail drop, post box.
Postkode: (Den., Nor., Swed.) postal code, zip code; see Postnummer.
Postkonto: (Swed.) postal check (cheque) account.
Postkontor: (Nor., Swed.) post office, see Posthus.
Postkort: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) postcard.
Postkupé: (Swed.) mail coach.
Postkupéexpeditioner (PKXP): (Swed.) Post office on board ships.
Posti: logo of the Finland Post Corporation, 2002
Postino: (It.) mail man.
Postkasse: (Dan.) mail box, letter box.
Postkort: (Dan.) postcard.
Postlagernd: (Ger.) see Poste Restante.
PostLink: small, digital postal meter, made by the Ascom Hasler division of the Neopost Co., stamps are printed on self-adhesive labels.
Post Luchtdienst: inscription on air mail stamps of Belgian Congo.
Postman: (Swed.) post office official, post office clerk.
Postman Pat: British Royal mail character to improve its image among children, started in the 1980s, dropped in 2000.
Postmark (Pm, Pmk.): 1: any marking applied to a letter or parcel indicating the name of the post office and date of mailing. 2: obliteration postale: (Fr.) poststempel (Ger.), bollo (It.) matasello (Sp.)
Postmarke: with crown and 1/4 Gutegr.; German States, Brunswick.
Postmark, earliest: the Latin "Cito, citissime, volantissme" (quickly, very quickly, very fleetingly) was used in Venice in the 14th century, French mail was endorsed staring the 16th century with "en diligence" (with speed and care); U.S. Act of June 3, 1638 required postmasters to mark incoming mail.
Postmark, longest name: Llanfairpwllgwngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Anglesey, Wales, U.K.
Postmark, multi-colored, first: used on Oct. 28, 1935, Prague, Czechoslovakia on Independence Day souvenir mail.
Postmark, pictorial, first: heraldic types used in the Italian city states starting in the 15th century.
Postmästare: (Swed.) postmaster, see Postföreståndare.
Postmaster (PM): manger in charge of a post office.
Postmaster General (PMG): chief executive officer of the U.S. Postal Service, appointed by, and serving at the pleasure of the Board of Governors.
Postmaster Provisionals: stamps issued by postmasters before the general issue of stamps by the government, in US, the first was created in New York City in 1845.
Postmaster's stamp: provisional stamps issued by local postmaster in cities in the U.S. and Bermuda before governmental issues appeared.
Postmester: (Dan.) postmaster.
Post, municipal: organized by Hanseatic League, Bremen, 12th century.
Postmusei: (Swed.) postal museum.
Postnote: British Post Office postal stationery, 1982, for internal first class mail with an undenominated impressed stamps, sold at the current first class rate.
Postnummer: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) postal code, zip code.
Postnumret: (Swed.) post code.
Post Obitum: inscription on U.S. Post office seals used by Dead Letters Office to seal opened letters, 1877.
Post office: 1: place for reception of mail for delivery to addressee. 2: inscription on first stamps of Mauritius, issued Sept. 21, 1847; should have read "Post Paid." 3: 1600s, coffee houses were recipients of mail to betaken by the addressees. 4: 1639, first legislation in the General Court of Mass. 5: Postamt (Ger.) Bureau d'Poste (Fr.) Posta (It.) Oficina de Correos (Sp.)
Post office, automatic: a pay telephone in Bath, England, 1924, was integrated with a posting box and a stamp-vending machine.
Post office branch: a unit of the main post office that is outside the corporate limits of the city or town of the main post office.
Post Office Dept.: U.S. Officials.
Post Office Despatch: 1850-55, Baltimore, Md; see Carriers' Stamps.
Post office, highest: permanently located at Cerro de Pasco, Peru at an altitude of 14,385 feet, China announced, 2001, that one will be open on Mount Everest, Tibet.
Post Office Licensed: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Post Office Maritime Mail: British handstamp for letters posted on board ships that were not previously cancelled.
Post office Monopoly: The U.S. Constitution (Art. 1, Sec. Congress vested in the Post Office Department an absolute monopoly for the transportation of first-class mail.
Post office, northern: located at Ny Ã…lesund, Spitzbergen, Norway.
Post Office One Cent Despatch: Baltimore, Md., see Carriers' Stamps.
Post office pane: a sheet of stamps as sold by the post office.
Post office parcel card mixture: usually include on-paper stamps, usually collected by governments from parcel cards on packages, and sold to collectors and dealers by the kilogram.
Post Offices Abroad: post offices staffed and operated by one country but located in another country.
Post office seals: affixed to prevent tampering in 1872, then in1877 used to repair damaged letters, and reseal mail opened by mistake; seals have no value and no franking power; also known as Official seals.
Post offices, foreign in one city: Constantinople had eight foreign post office operating at various times between 1799 and 1923.
Post office, smallest population: Suwarrow, Cook Islands atoll, where postmaster is the only resident as of 1969, it is reserved as a sanctuary for wildlife.
Post office, southern: located at the South Pole and operated by the U.S.
Post office stones: stones, located in Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, where sailors left messages under stones for outward and homeward bound ships, late1400s.
Post offices, world: last complete listing was in the three-volume Nomenclature des Bureaux de Poste. published by the Universal Postal Union in 1968.
Post office, tree: Mossel Bay, Cape of Good Hope tree where messages were left from one vessel's crew to another, post-1601.
Post office, underseas: established off the Bahamas in 1939 as part of the Williamson Photosphere.
Post-og Simakalastjornin Reykjavik: (Ice.) postal seal used to seal official correspondence or repair damaged mail for the city of Reykjavik.
Postovné: (Czech.) postage.
Postovní Brasna: (Czech.) mail bag.
Postovní Prihrádka: (Czech.) post office box.
Postovní Príkazní Arch: (Czech.) postal order sheet.
Postovní Pytel: (Czech.) mail bag.
Postovní Schránka (shránky): (Czech.) mail box(es), post box(es).
Postovní Vyberka: (Czech.) delivery receipt card.
Postovní Známka: (Czech.) postage stamp.
Post paid: when payment of postage by sender was optional, in cases where prepayment was made, postal handstamp indicated with word "Paid."
Postpaket: 1. (Ger.) parcel. 2. (Swed.) parcel post.
Post Par: private delivery service labels, might have done postal duty, Montreal, Canada.
Post pay'd, P Pd: manuscript marking in 1600s England indicating that postage was paid.
Post Plan: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Post Restante: "General Delivery" to be held until picked up by addressee at the post office.
Post rider: originated as a post office symbol in1 837 by PMG Amos Kendall, design supposedly inspired by Benjamin Franklin, changed in1970; see : Eagle, Mercury.
Post road: a public highway whose use is authorized by law.
Post Route Bill: March 4, 1847, Act of Congress authorizing the Postmaster General to contract for mail transportation from Charleston, S. C. to Colon, Isthmus of Panama to Astoria, Oregon.
Postrute: (Dan.) mail delivery route.
Posts: 1: during the Middle Ages, term connected with the carrying of mail. 2: place where horses kept along a mail courier route. 3: men who rode the horses and carried the mail. 4: form of transport carrying the letters.5: the dispatch of the mail itself.
Posts¦k: (Dan.) mail bag.
Postsache: (Ger.) postal matter.
Postsaker och postsakskort: (Swed.) internal (post office) postal stationery.
Post Schilling: (with no country name) currency unit in German States, Schleswig Holstein.
Posts French-Jerusalem: obliteration on mail deposited with French consulate in Jerusalem; then taken to Jaffa for routing to final destination, 1852-1879.
Postsparbank: (Swed.) post office savings bank.
Post Stamp: inscription in annas-Hyderabad, India.
Poststampel: (Ger.) postmark.
Poststation: (Swed.) sub-post office, rural post office.
Poststämpel: (Swed.) postmark, cancellation.
Poststempel: (Nor.) postmark, cancellation.
Poststöld: (Swed.) mail robbery.
Posttåg: (Swed.) mail train.
Posttaxa: (Swed.) postal rates schedule.
Posttaxe Bayer: inscription on stamps of Bavaria for postage due.
Posttidning: (Swed.) (official) postal gazette.
Posttog: (Dan., Nor.) mail train.
Postur og Simi: (Ice.) postal seal used to seal official correspondence or repair damaged mail.
Post USSR: octagonal design in Russian on stamped envelopes; applied in Kiev post office.
Pos Udara: (Indonesian) airpost.
Postvagn: (Swed.) mail coach.
Postväsen: (Swed.) postal system.
Postväska: (Swed.) mail bag, post bag.
Postverk: (Swed.) post office department, post office establishment.
Postverwaltung: (Ger.) postal administrations.
Postvogn: (Nor.) mail coach.
Postwertzeichen ist ungültig: (Ger.) postage is invalid.
Post Zegel: 1: overprint on stamps of Transvaal, authorizing revenue stamps for postage. 2: inscription on stamps of Netherlands postage due (with no country name), 1852-67. 3. surcharge on stamps of Netherlands postage due, 1907.
Potato postmark: potato cut in half and engraved with fleur-de-lis emblem of the Scout movement used on mail of the Scout Post during Warsaw ghetto uprising in1944.
Potato Tax stamps: conventional revenue stamps denominated in currency, unknown if ever used; 1935.
Potiquet, Alfred: 1861: created the world's first stamp catalog in France.
Potravní Dane: (Czech.) consumption tax.
Potries: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937.
Potsage: error on stamps of Tibet, 1912-50.
Poul(s): currency unit in Afghanistan.
POUNC: Post Office Users' National Council, Great Britain.
Pound: currency unit in many nations.
Pound Sterling: currency unit in Alderney, Ascension, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean territory, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, South Georgia and Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha,
Pour approbation: (Fr.) on approval.
Pour les expresses affaires du Roy: manuscript endorsement on French government correspondence in 1692-93, using the franking privilege.
Pour le Stade Municipal de Port-au-Prince: Haiti, semi-postal.
Povstání: (Czech.) uprising.
P.O.W.: see prisoner of war (mail).
Powell, V. R.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Po-yang: local post, North China, 1949.
Pozcta Polska Port Gdansk: inscription on stamps of Poland for 20th anniversary of Polish independence.
Pozo-Alcon: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pozoblanco: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
P.P.: overprint on stamps of France postage due conversion to postage, Offices in Morocco. 1: postal permit marking on prepaid mail. 2: auction abbreviation term for private perforations. 3: penny post. 4: Port Paye; postage paid. 5: abbreviation for Pulled Perforation
P (number) P: Switzerland inscription.
PPC: abbreviation for Picture Post Card.
P.P.C.: (Poste Polonaise Constantinople) Poland overprint, Offices in Constantinople, Turkey.
P.P.C.: China overprint on stamps of Wuhu Treaty Port stamps.
PPCL1: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; battle group that was part of the Canadian mission in Kosovo.
PPD: topical association abbreviation for prepaid (no value in indicia).
PPI: see Postage Paid Impression.
P.P.R.I.: (Pemerintah Revolusioner Republik Indonesia): Revoluntionary government of the Republic of Indonesia, 1958.
PR: 1: USPS abbreviation for Puerto Rico. 2: auction abbreviation for precancel. 3: pair. 4: prices realized. 5: (It.) Posta da Roma (mail for Rome) pre-adhesive postmark. 6. Scott Catalog number prefix for Newspaper Tax (Hungary) Newspaper (U.S.).
Prachtblock: (Ger.) very fine block.
Prachstück: (Ger.) superb copy
Prades: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Pr¦get: (Dan.) embossed.
Prägedruck: (Ger.) embossed printing
Prägling: (Swed.) impression.
Pragteks: (Dan.) superb (quality).
Prague: also called Praha, Czech Republic
Prägung: (Ger.) embossing.
Praha: also called Prague, Czech Republic
Prairie dog: flaw on 5-cent Aeronautics, Scott 650, shows a tiny object taking a ride on the plane; only on lower right corner stamp, plate no. 19658.
Prakt: (Swed.) superb (quality).
Prakteksemplar: (Nor.) superb example.
Praktexemplar: (Swed.) superb example.
Prangko Taboengau Pos: Indonesia overprint, Japanese Occupation (savings stamps).
Prangli: bogus Russia stamp, not valid for postage.
Prats de Llucanes: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pravy: (Czech.) right (side).
Pravy Dolní Roh: (Czech.) right lower corner.
PRC: People's Republic of China (mainland China).
Pre-adhesive: a postal item dating from a period prior to the use of adhesive stamps by a given country.
Pre-cancel (PCL): special cancel applied to stamps before being affixed to mail matter; in the U.S., there are two categories of precancels: Bureau, where the precancel is applied by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; Local, where the precancel is applied by the local city or town post office.
Precancel gap pair: point of uneven meeting of two precanceling devices, such as straight lines which do not exactly meet.
Precancel, rarest: Orangeburg Coil, only one coil of 500 stamps was made.
Precanceled stamps: stamps with postmark applied prior to the mailing of the article being prepaid.
Precancelado: (Sp.) precancel.
Precancel User's Permit: a free permit authorizing a mailer to buy and use precancel stamps.
Precio: (Sp.) price.
Précurseur: (Fr.) forerunner.
Precursore: (It.) forerunner.
Predate: a cover with a stamp cancelled earlier than the officially designated First Day of sale; term only used for issues with a designated First Day date.
Prednestrova: cinderella local for Moldova as a seceding state, 1993
Predznámkové Dopisy: (Czech.) pre-adhesive letters, stampless covers; see Celistvosti - Predznamkove Dopisy.
Prefecture issues: stamps of Japan available only in the prefecture (one of Japan's subdivisions) for which they were issued, but the stamps were valid for postage throughout Japan.
Pregiato: (It.) scarce, rare.
Preis: (Ger.) price.
Preisliste: (Ger.) price list.
Prekomurje: overprint on stamps of Hungary for Yugoslav occupation of Transmuria, 1919.
Premia de Mar: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Premiére date connue: (Fr.) first known (recorded) date.
Premièr gravures: (Fr.) term used to describe the first designs of the 1861 series of stamps
Premier jour: (Fr.) first day.
Premier tirage: (Fr.) first printing.
Premier vol: (Fr.) first flight.
Prensa: overprint on stamps of Uruguay for newspapers.
Pre-obliteration: ordinary stamps that are cancelled in advance by the printer, to be sold in large quantities.
Préoblitéré: (Fr.) precancellation
Prepaid postage, first handstamp: invented by William Dockwra, 1680, for the London Penny Post, a private service.
Prepázkovy List: (Czech.) sheet, printing sheet.
Prephosphored Paper: paper with taggant added prior to printing.
Préposé: (Fr.) postman, mailman.
Pre-printing paper crease: a white unprinted area in the folds of a crease that occurred as the paper was traveling through the printing press; usually caused by improper tension.
Pre-printing paper fold: a fold in the paper which leaves an unprinted area during the printing process.
Pre-released stamps: stamps sold to the public prior to their official release date.
Pres.: abbreviation for president.
Presbyter Cocidus: "Cooked missionary," made by G. Collingridge, 1903, and sold to New Hebrides as a postally valid stamp.
Presentation: term used in judging an exhibit to determine general layout and clarity.
Presentation album: album containing a pane of a newly issued stamp which is distributed to dignitaries at a First Day dedication ceremony; the President of the U.S. always receives the first album.
Presentation folders: made up by USPS for distribution to officials at various events.
Presentation Pack: British Post Office term for a philatelic souvenir with stamps and descriptive text.
Presidentials: the 1938 series of stamps featuring the Presidents of the U.S.
Presorted Standard: lion, U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value 10¢, issued Nov. 9, 2000.
Presorted Std: bicycle design, U. S. non-denominated stamp, value 10¢, issued Aug. 14, 1998.
Presorted first class: juke box design, U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value 25¢, issued Mar. 17, 1995.
Presorted first class: diner design, U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value 25¢, issued June 5, 1998.
Presorted First-Class Mail U.S. Postage Paid: may be a label or printed directly on an envelope to indicate that standard mail (also known as junk mail)postage has been paid.
Presorted Std: Atlas design; U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value10¢, issued June 29, 2001.
Pressburg: now called Bratislava, Slovakia
Presse à plat: (Fr.) flat-bed press.
Pressed out crease: application of heat, moisture or pressure to conceal a crease.
Pressed Out Grill: done to imitate a reissue on an 1869 US stamp.
Presse en relief: (Fr.) embossed.
Presson's Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Gloucester, Mass., used labels; 1865-90.
Press sheet: a full sheet of stamps as ir was originally printed.
Press sheets, uncut: large sheets of two or more panes of stamps that represent one turn, or half turn of the printing press.
Pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA): see : Self-adhesives.
Pre-stamp cover: mail before the introduction of postage stamps in the place of origin.
Prestige booklet: contains panes of stamps in addition to descriptive information and illustrations about the specific topic
Pretisk: (Czech.) overprint.
Preto: (Port.) Black color
Pretoria: local post, South Africa, 1887
Preussen: (Ger.) Prussia
Preusserblå: (Dan.) Prussian blue (color).
Preussish-Gladbach: local post, Germany, 1918-23
Previously hinged: a stamp with original gum that shows evidence of hinging.
Prevráceny: (Czech.) inverted.
Prexies: nickname given the U.S. Presidential series of definitive stamps of 1938.
Prezzo: (It.) price.
Prf: auction abbreviation term for proof.
Priamur and Maritime Provinces: part of Siberia, Russia; currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble 1917: Bolshevist government established, 1919: anti-Bolshevist government by Adm. Aleksandr V. Kolchak at Omsk, 1921, July: stamps issued by a Japanese-backed White Russian government inPriamur, Russian words say "Nikolaevsk on Amur Priamur Provisional Government," 1922, Nov.: Soviet troops regained control, see Siberia
Prices realized: results of a auction.
Price's City Express: 1: U. S. local post, New York, N.Y., 1857-58. 2: S. Allan Taylor label.
Price's 8th Ave. Post Office: U. S. local post, New York, N.Y., 1854.
Price on request: used in non-U.S. auctions to indicate that a prospective bidder can contact the auctioneer for the estimated price.
Pridnestrovie: bogus issue from Moldova, USSR, not valid for postage.
Priest's Despatch: U. S. local post, Philadelphia, Pa., 1851.
Priluky: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1879-93.
Prima Valores Declarados: inscription/overprint on stamps of Dominican Republic for insured letter.
Primer dia: (Sp.) first day.
Primer dia de Circulacion: (Sp.) first day of issue.
Primer's Presentation Card: when the master proof is cut down to stamp size in the final stage of production, and affixed to a card bearing the name of the primer.
Primer Viaje del Vapor: (Sp.) First Voyage of the Steamship, used on first or maiden voyages.
Prime Minister commemoratives: refers to the Canadian series of stamps started in 1951 to honor former Prime Ministers who have not been previously depicted on Canada's stamps.
Prime rate: refers philatelically to the current postage cost to mail a domestic letter weighing one ounce or less.
Primer Tren Aereo/Internacional 1935/O'Meara y DuPont + 10 cts: overprint/surcharge on stamps of Cuba for glider mail flight Havana to Miami.
Primer Vol: (Fr.) first flight.
Primer Vuelo: (Sp.) first flight.
Primitives: nickname for successors to British Penny Black; 1847-49 Mauritius, 1850-51 New South Wales, 1850-52 Victoria, 1853 Tasmania, and 1854 India.
Primo Giorno: (It.) first day.
Primorje: Jugoslavia cinderella.
Primo Volo: (It.) first flight.
Prince Consort Essay: proposed 1851 stamp essay, to be letterpress printed, with profile of Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, husband of Queen Victoria, never printed.
Prince Edward Island: Prince Edward Island: Canadian province, Gulf of St. Lawrence; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1872) 1705: French governor's couriers carried mail for a fee, 1769-1873: separated from Nova Scotia, and became separate colony, 1816: postmaster of Nova Scotia ran post office, 1851: islanders ran own post office, 1861, Jan.1: No.1, 2 pence dull rose, first stamp issued, 1873, July 1: joined Canadian Confederation, see Canada, Nova Scotia.
Prince Farouk: Egypt.
Prince of Wales Hospital Fund: commemorative label with a replica signature of Albert Edward,, the prince, 2002.
Prince's Letter Dispatch: U. S. local post, Portland, Maine, 1860s.
Princess Anne's Wedding: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1973.
Prince's Express: private mail and parcel firm serviced Boston, Mass., and Portland, Maine; used labels; year unknown.
Princess Diana: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1982.
Princeton, N.J.: occupied by British until Jan. 1776.
Princeton issue: the 3¢ Nassau Hall stamp on Princeton University grounds, is the first modern U. S. colored-paper stamp; produced to use the school colors, orange and black.
Prince Williams of Wales: 1982 Aitutaki overprint
Principality of Thomond: bogus label
Principat: (Rom.) principality.
Principat d' Andorra: (Fr.) Andorra.
Principaute de Monaco: Principality of Monaco
Principaute de Trinidad: Brazil, bogus private issue, 1894
Principato di Seborga: declared independence from Italy, near San Remo, cinderella.
Principato di San Rigolo: parody of Swiss origin, cinderella.
P.R. in R.: (It.) Posta Toscana in Roma, (Tuscany Post in Rome) pre-adhesive postmark.
Prins: (Nor., Swed.) prince.
Prins Edwardöarna: (Swed.) Prince Edward Island.
Prinsesse: (Nor.) princess.
Printed cachet: cachet design applied by any printing method.
Printed matter stamps: used on unsealed or left open printed matter such as circulars, periodicals and newspapers.
Printed on back: some type of printing on back of a stamp as a security measure.
Printed on both sides: an error that occurs when a sheet of stamps is turned over and printed again on the reverse side.
Printed-on Cancellation: placement of an envelope with a stamp already affixed into a printer where the cachet and cancellation would be applied at the same time.
Printed on gum: stamp design printed on the gummed side of the sheet
Printed signature: printed reproduction of a signature.
Printed-to-private-order envelopes: (PTPO) British Post offered stationery embossed with any combination of denominations of available dies for a premium and a minium quantity, Oct. 8, 1855-Dec. 31, 1973.
Printed watermark: imitation watermark as an experimental measure or shortage of watermarked paper.
Printer imprints: usually in margins; can include logos, initials or other markings that identify the stamp printer.
Printer's die proof: die proof signed by the artist, common in French-area countries; aka artist's die proof.
Printer's Initials: marking in the margin of US stamps, made of printer's initials, punched into an engraved plate each time a printer printed from that plate, 1894 - 1912.
Printer's waste: stamps that are spoiled during the printing process, or misperfed and should have been destroyed by the printer.
Printing: 1: an edition of stamps, such as first printing. 2: direct is plate-to-paper 3: indirect is the process that utilizes a blanket or roller to transfer the image from the plate to the paper. 4: turage (Fr.), auflage (Ger.), tiratura (It.) tirada (Sp.)
Printing flaw: an inconstant variety with color missing where it should have been, or color in part of the design that should not have the color.
Printing presses: A Press: a three and five-color Intaglio Giori webfed combination press used by the BEP starting in the early 1970s; officially called Press 702. B Press: a three-color Intaglio Giori webfed combination press used by the BEP starting about 1976; officially called Press 701. C Press: a three-color Intaglio Giori webfed combination press used by the BEP starting about 1982; officially called Press 901. D Press: a six-color offset and three-color Intaglio Goebel webfed combination press used by the BEP starting about 1984; officially called Press 902. Andreotti Gravure Press: used by the BEP for commemorative and coil stamps, starting in the 1980s; officially known as Press 601. Champlain Press: used by J.W. Fergusson & Sons, a subcontractor for Stamp Venturers, prints using a layout of 13 rows of 33 stamps. Cottrell Press: single-color webfed Intaglio press used at the BEP startingin 1956; officially known as Presses 801, 802, 803, 804 and 805. Optiforma Press: six-color webfed Goebel offset press put in service for coils about 1985; officially known as presses 42 and 43. Schiavi Press: Multi-Color Corp., subcontractor for American Bank Note Co., prints 19 rows of 36 stamps.
Priority Mail: USPS service, includes First Class mail weighing more than 13 ounces with two to three day delivery service.
Príplatek: (Czech.) surcharge, surtax.
Prir: "Three" Iceland overprint/surcharge.
Prisoner of war mail: mail sent to or from internees or prisoner of war detention centers.
Prisoner of War stamps: local post stamps printed by prisoners in camps.
Prisoners Letter, Examined: censor marking for mail sent from Southerners in Northern prison camps addressed to the South during the American Civil War.
Prisonnier de guerre: (Fr.) prisoner of war (POW).
Pristina: town in Macedonia; 1911, overprint on stamps of Pristina, Turkey for Sultan's visit to Macedonia, 1911.
Privata skeppspostmärken: (Swed.) private ship letter stamps.
Privat-Beforderung: local post, Darmstadt, Germany, 1895-1900.
Privat-Brief & Circular-Beförderung: Frankfurt, Germany local post, 1894-96.
Privat-Briefbeförderung Courier: local post, Essen, Germany, 1897-98.
Privat-Brief-Verkehr: Freiburg, Germany local post, 1886-1887.
Privat-Brief-Verkehr I: Frankfurt, Germany local post, 1886-1900.
Privat-Brief-Verkehr II: Frankfurt, Germany local post, 1886-1900.
Private Contractor Printers: the USPS began using private printing firms, instead of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, for the production of US stamps.
Private die proprietary stamps: created by individual firms to indicate prepayment of taxes on several items; many companies produced their own stamps because they were able to use the stamps for advertising their products; also known as Match and Medicine stamps; 1864-83.
Private Express Transl.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Privately perforated: perforations applied by private individuals and not done to defraud collectors such as the Schermack Mailing Machine Co.
Private mailing card: U.S. authorized, in 1898, the use of postcards with postage affixed; government printed postcards, with postage preprinted on the card, have been in use since 1873.
Private mailing card: inscription on privately printed postcards; UPU regulations required first class letter rate if mailed out of country of origin, since they did not have the official inscription.
Private overprints: a form of precancel on several types of revenues; many firms precanceled their proprietary stamps before placing them on their product.
Private perforations: any type of perforation applied by a private firm; usually used on stamps that were sold to private vending firms who applied perforations based on what worked best for their equipment
Private postage: 1: nondenominated stamps with inscription "Postage Paid" valid for postage within the Australia and sold by some hotels in Australia for convenience of guests. 2: stamps issued by a government for use of private individuals, usually for large mailings or for mail deemed to be of great benefit to the public; Spain 1869 and 1881 for pamphlet to schools, Portugal rifle club. 3: hotel stamps, Lundy stamps.
Private Post office: inscription on US local posts issued 1864 in San Francisco for a city mail service.
Privatganzsache: (Ger.) private postal stationery.
Privat-Stadtbrief-Beförderung: local post, Erfurt, Germany, 1888-95.
Privat-Stadt-Brief-Verkehr: Fürth, Germany local post, 1896-1900.
Privat-Stadt-Post: local post, Essen, Germany, 1887-88.
Private Post Office: U. S. local post, envelopes, San Francisco, Calif. 1864.
Private Die Proprietary Stamps: issued in 1862 to raise funds for the Civil War, the stamps paid the U. S. revenue tax on products of private firms; manufacturers were permitted to have the dies engraved and plates made for their exclusive use; the tax was repealed effective July 1, 1883.
Private Supplemental Posts: carried mail to and from post offices where government service was erratic or non-existent.
Privatepost: Sweden, discount postage
Privilege envelope: wartime mail, carried by British military, that does not have to be opened for censor, also known as Honour or Green envelope.
Prix: (Fr.) price.
Prix courant: (Fr.) price list.
Prizonier: (Rom.) prisoner.
Prizonier de razboi: (Rom.) prisoner-of-war, P.O.W..
Pro Aero: Switzerland inscription or overprint used in connection with special flights between 1938 and 1949
Pro Assistenza Egeo: overprint on stamps of Italy for Rhodes, semi-postal for general relief, 1943.
Pro-Aviacion Militar-1913: propaganda label to promote the establishment of an Argentine aviation fleet; sold in Argentine post offices with no franking power.
Proba: (Rom.) proof.
Probe: (Ger.) proof
Probeauflage: (Ger.) trial printing
Probedruck: (Ger.) proof; see Essay.
Process colors: four primary colors; yellow, magenta (red), cyan (blue), and black, which are combined to achieve the look of any color combination.
Processing: steps that finish a printed stamp sheet; includes perforation, trimming, dividing into panes, and packing for distribution.
Pro Com: local post, courier mail, Montreal, Canada.
Pro Combattenti: "For theTroops" overprint on stamps of San Marino, semi-postal
Pro Desocupados: 'For Unemployed" inscription/overprint on stamps of Peru for postal tax, 1931-36.
Pro Educacion Fiscia: "For Physical Education" Panama, postal tax.
Profumata in (city): (It.) perfumed in (name of city) to indicate letter had been put through disinfection process.
Pro Fundazione Studio Lire 5: "Benefit of Education Fund" Fiume, semi-postal.
Program folders: USPS give-away for attendees at first day ceremonies.
Progressive Proof: a trial essay that is an incomplete engraving of the finished accepted die.
Prohibited stamps: U.S. Treasury Department regulations prohibit the importation into the U.S. of stamps of certain countries.
Pro Infancia: "For Children's Welfare" overprint on stamps of Mexico, postaltax stamp.
Projet: (Fr.) design
Pro Juventute: children's charity semi-postal stamps used in Switzerland since 1913.
Prominent Americans: series of US postage stamps, 1965 - 1981.
Pro Multilados: (Sp.) for disabled soldiers; Spanish Morocco revenue inscription.
Pronautica P.C.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Proof of mailing: postal receipt stating that an article was mailed from a postal facility.
Proof: a trial printing, known as a strike, taken from a new printing plate for inspection purposes; this can be used to inspect for defects, or to see which ink color looks best for that particular stamp.
Proof paper: thick, handmade white rice paper.
Propaganda forgery: 1: an imitation of a stamp prepared by a government for use by its agents operating in enemy territory. 2: caricatures of enemy stamps. 3: may be done for political purposes with minor design changes intended to influence opinions.
Propaganda label: a stamp-like label that promotes a specific cause.
Propaganda leaflets: first recorded use was in1807 when leaflets were dropped over the French lines during the Peninsular campaign, they were used extensively during World War II by both sides in the conflict.
Propagandamärke: (Ger.) propaganda stamp.
Propaganda stamp: a regular issued stamp which purposely shows written or pictorial allegations intended to damage a cause.
Pro Patria: "For the Country" Switzerland semi-postal, issued from 1952 for national culture funding.
Pro Patrioti Piacenza: town and province in Northern Italy; stamps of Italy overprint for local use, 1944.
Propre: (Fr.) clean
Proprietary stamp: revenue stamp for a range of items to indicate a tax was paid; 1862-1919 became specific-use stamp in 1871 when second issue of documentary stamps released.
Pro Seminario: (Sp.) labels issued in Zaragoza by the Rev. Father Sancho to raise funds.
Prosines: (Czech.) December.
Pro Sinistrati di Guerra: overprint on stamps of Italy for Rhodes, semi-postal for war victims, 1943.
Prospect News Agency: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Prospectus: details of a forthcoming philatelic exhibition, usually contains information for potential exhibitors.
Prospektkort: (Dan.) picture postcard, photo postcard.
Pro Tacna y Arica: Peru postal tax.
Protectorad Cote de Somalis: (Fr.) stamps of French Somali Coast Protectorate: 1: a nation governed, guided or protected by another nation. 2: overprint for Bechuanaland; see Bechuanaland Protectorate.
Protectorado Espanol en Marruecos: overprint/inscription for Spanish Protectorate, Morocco.
Protectorat Cote des Somalis: (Fr.) inscription on stamps of Djibouti; see Somali Coast
Protectorate Francais: overprint on stamps of France inscribed "Chiffre Taxe", Offices in Morocco, 1914-22.
Proteja a la Infancia: "For Children's Protection" Mexico, postal tax stamp.
Protektorát : (Czech.) protectorate.
Protektorát Cechy a Moravia: (Czech.) Bohemia and Moravia. German Protectorate comprising the two W divisions of Czechoslovakia; established March 1939, dissolved in 1945; see Celistvosti - Protektorát Cechy a Moravia.
Proto writing: first in time, original and primitive, carved symbols on shiny black stone, found in Central Asia, 2300 B.C.
Pro Tuberculosos Pobres: "For the Poor with Tuberculosis" Spain, 1937-38.
Pro Union Ibero Americana: (Spanish American Union), Spain.
Prova: (It.) proof.
Provenance: a listing of former and present owners of any philatelic item.
Prøvet: (Dan.) expertised.
Provtryck: (Swed.) proof.
Prøvetrykk: (Nor.) printing proof, proof.
Prøvetryk: (Dan.) printing proof, proof.
Providence Despatch: U. S. local post, Providence, R.I., 1849.
Provincia de Cabo Verde: Cape Verde
Provincia de Macao: Macao
Provincie Franco Bollo Modonesi: Modena.
Provincia di Lubiana: (It.) province of Ljubljana, see Ljubljana.
Provincial Airways Westcountry Air Service: London-Southampton-Plymouth air local post.
Provincie Modones: (It.) Modena Province; inscription on stamps of Modena, 1859.
Provinz Laibach / Pokraiina Ljubljanska: (Ger./Slovene) overprint/surcharge on stamps of Italy during German occupation of Laibach, Sept. 8, 1943-1945; see Lubiana.
Provinz Sachsen: Germany WWII local post issue.
Provis Government of Free India: Indian National Army, Japanese occupation, c1944.
Provisional 1881-1882: overprint on stamps of Peru, Arequipa provisional.
Provisionales: (Sp.) provisional stamps; temporary use of postage stamps.
Provisional Government of Ireland: overprint on stamps of Great Britain for Ireland.
Provisional Govt. 1893: overprint on stamps of Hawaii, April 1893 to recognize the new government which overthrew Queen Liliuokalani.
Provisional issue: 1: stamp issued for a local area pending availability of a regular issue. 2: value or purpose has been changed by a surcharge or overprint. Provisional label: parcel or registration labels produced by hand stamps or manuscript endorsement during shortages or special events. Provisional stamps: postage stamps whose value has been changed after printing; usually by use of an overprint or surcharge.
Provisional Meter: a meter with a surcharge insert to meet a temporary need.
Provisional overprint: 1: includes printed name or initial overprints on first issue of medicine stamp revenues, until own stamps printed;1862-70. 2: "I.R." overprint on U.S. Postage stamps to be used as temporary revenue stamps.
Provisoire: (Fr.) provisional, a stamp issued for a local area pending availability of a regular issue.
Provisorie(r): (Dan., Nor.) provisional (stamp[s]).
Provisorio: 1. (It.) provisional. 2. overprint on 1892-93 stamps of Portugal
Provisorisch Wert in Schweiz Franc: "Temporary Value in Swiss Francs" overprint on stamps of Liechtenstein.
Provisorisk: (Dan., Nor.) provisional.
Provisorisk udgave: (Dan.) provisional issue.
Provisorni Ceskoslovenska Vlada: overprint on stamps of Austria, private issue.
Proxy bidding: a mechanism to automatically enter their maximum bids and the system automatically updates as other bidders place rival bids; also used to place last minute bids toward the end of an Internet conducted auction.
Prøyssisk blå: (Nor.) Prussian blue (color).
Prozatimní: (Czech.) provisional.
P.R.R.I.: (Indon.) Pemerintah Revolusioner Republik Indonesia (Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia); various labels, printed in1958.
PRS: Postal Regulating Station, or Section, wartime postal facility.
Prueba: (Sp.) proof.
Prueba Apocrifas: (Sp.) bogus proofs made after date of issue of a stamp.
Prueba de color: (Sp.) trial color proof.
Prüfer: see Bundesprufer.
Prüfung: (Ger.) expertization.
Prune Island: St. Vincent Grenadines island; stamps first issued 1976.
Prussia: most of northern Germany, German State, Kingdom of Prussia; currency: 12 pfennigs = 1 silbergroschen, 60 kreuzer = 1 gulden (1867) 1850, Nov. 15: first stamps as founder of postal union that included other German States, 1850-59: used concentric circles as cancel, 1856: No.1, 4 pfennings yellow green, 1868, Jan.1: stamps of the German Confederation, 1872: stamps of the German Empire 1918: Prussia became part of the Weimar Republic, 1947, Mar.1: formally abolished as a separate state.
Prusvitka: (Czech.) watermark.
Prusvitka Nahoru, Dolu, Vlevo, Vpravo: (Czech.) watermark up, down, left, right.
Pruta: currency unit in Israel
Przedborz: city in Poland, local post, 1917-18.
Przemysl: city in former Austrian-occupied Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Przestlka Urzedowa: (Pol.) inscription for official stamps of Poland.
PS: 1: Colombia, (Script letters) Cauca. 2: Postal stationery. 3: Scott Catalog number prefix for Postal Savings. 4: see Plate strip.
5. Monogram overprint on Native Feudatory States of India issued for reprint of remainder stamps. 6. Private Secretary, South Australia officialoverprint, 1868-74. 7. intertwined as a monogram, Colombia, Cauca Department. Perforation Shift. 8. postal stationery; a philatelic discipline recognized for FIP exhibitions. PS/3: plate (number) strip of 3 coil stamps with the plate number on the center stamp.
PS/5: plate (number) strip of 5 coil stamps with the plate number on the center stamp.
PSa: Postal Stationery.
PSA: pressure sensitive adhesive (self-adhesive).
P.S.B.: posted by steamboat, pre-adhesive postmark.
PSE: Professional Stamp Expertiser.
PSE: 1: Pre-Stamped Envelope. 2: Postal Stationery Entire
P/SET: abbreviation for Part Set, incomplete set of an issue
Pseudo postmark: a simulated cancel designed to look like a true postmark, but not applied to cancel the stamp.
Pseudo stamps: meter stamp designed with false perforations to look like adhesive stamps.
Pseudo watermark: a device applied to simulate a true watermark.
P.S.I.: Philatelic Society of India
Pskof: 1: local post, Russian Zenmstvo,1871-1910 2: aka Pleskau, Russia, German occupation, 1941-42
PSMK: abbreviation for postmark.
P.S.N.C.: (One letter in each corner of stamp) Pacific Steam Navigation Co., Peru, 1857.
PSRE: Postal Stationery Registered Envelope.
PSS: PreCancel Stamp Society, Inc.PSS: PreCancel Stamp Society, Inc.
P-Stamps: personalized stamps where an individual's picture is on a postage stamp.
Psx: Plate number strip of x, which is usually expressed as 3 or 5.
PT: 1: postal tax. 2: Pataca, currency unit in Macao.
Pta: Peseta; currency unit in Spain.
PTA: Post und Telekom Austria AG: (Ger.) Post and Telephone Company of Austria.
Pte.Rt.: (Fr.) poste restante (general delivery), pre-adhesive postmark.
P.T.M.: watermark on stamps of Malaya, Nov. 1961.
Pto. Rico: Puerto Rico overprint on stamps of United States, American Dominion.
PTS: 1: Philatelic Traders Society (England). 2: pesetas, Spanish unit of currency. 3: Potosi (Bolivia) pre-adhesive postmark. 4: Postal Transportation Service, formerly the Railroad Mail Service.
PTT: abbreviation for post, telephone and telegraph.
PUASP: Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal
Publicity envelope stamps: stamps sold at a discount to veteran's groups for use to gain funds or disabled servicemen.
Publicity Slogan: machine cancel to publicize an industry, tourist attraction, town, city.
Public Letter Office: U. S. local post, envelopes, San Francisco, Calif., 1864.
Public Mail Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Publipostage: (Fr.) bulk mailing, bulk rate.
Publisher's Paid Stamp: United States, Wells Fargo local post.
Pubs: (Fr.) Timbres de Publicité, Belgian and French booklets in which there are advertising labels se tenant.
P.U.C.: Postal Union Congress.
Pudoch: local post, Russian Zemstvo,1903-13.
Puebla: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Puebla de Almoradiel: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puerto Lumbreras: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puerto Principe: city in Cuba, now Camaguey; 1898, Dec.-99: local surcharges during U.S. Administration of Cuba.
Puerto Rico: island of the West Indies, aka Porto Rico; currency: 100 centimes = 1 peseta, 1,000 milesimas = 100 centavos = 1 peso (1881), 100 cents = 1 dollar (1898) 1844: British Postal Agencies established at San Juan and eight other cities, 1855-56: stamps issued jointly with Cuba, but not used until July 25, 1856, 1865: French postal agency opened at San Juan, 1873-pre: stamps of Cuba used, 1873: No.1, 25 centimes gray, first stamps of Cuba overprinted with manuscript initials, May 1, 1877: Puerto Rico joined the UPU as a Spanish colony, 1877: stamps overprinted "Pto-Rico," 1898, Dec. 10: ceded to U.S. administration; U.S. started provisional mail service, war tax stamp, 1899: first postage due stamp, U.S. issue overprinted "Porto Rico" diagonally, inhabitants insisted on original spelling of Puerto Rico, 1900, Apr.12: stamps of Puerto Rico replaced by those of the United States, 1907: admitted to the UPU as a member country with "The Whole of the US Island Possessions" along with Guam, Danish Colonies and Samoa, under the name "Porto Rico."1917, Mar.2: became a U.S. territory, 1932, May 17: name officially changed to Puerto Rico, 1952, July 25: became a U.S. Commonwealth, July 1, 1953, admitted to the UPU as a member country, this time as "Puerto Rico"; see Porto Rico.
Puerto Rico provisionals: put on sale early August, 1898, after U.S. forces landed on the south coast, and the Spanish withdrew towards San Juan on the north coast.
Puffins: nickname for stamps of Lundy Island featuring the native bird.
Puig-Alt de Ter: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puigcerda: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puig-Reig: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Puja: (Sp.) (auction) bid
Pujerra: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
Pul: currency unit in Afghanistan
Pula: currency unit in Botswana
Pulau Bidong: Malaysia-Selangor stamps overprinted, bogus.
Pulau Pinang, (Penang): one of the Straits Settlements; Malaysia (State); 1948, Dec.1: first stamps, 1957: stamps for the Malayan Federation used with those of Penang, 1965, Nov. 18: first issue after joining, wording changed to "Pulau Pinang."
Pull: another term for a print made from the original die that is the master from which printing plates are created.
Pulled perfs: paper has been removed below the base line of the perforation holes.
Pullen & Co's Express: mail and parcel delivery firm serviced New York City and upstate New York; used labels; 1846-5-47.
Pullen & Copp's Express: mail delivery firm serviced New York City and upstate New York; used a label; 1843.
Pullen's Express: parcel delivery firm that operated via the New York and Harlem Railroad; used a label; year unknown.
Pullen, Virgil & Co's Express: mail and parcel delivery firm serviced New York City and Canada; used a corner card and labels; 1852-53.
Pulling: term used when a proof or other print is "pulled" from a die or a plate.
Pultusk: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Punch: children's stamps; see Toy stamps.
Punch cancel: a cancel that consists of a hole punched in the stamp as a form of defacement; found on revenue stamps and telegraph stamps, plus mint stamps sold to the stamp collecting hobby as remainders.
Punched: see perforations.
Punctuated stamps: stamps that are punch-cancelled with small round or oval holes.
Punkt: (Swed.) (a) blemish, blot, spot.
Puno: town in Peru; 1879-84: overprint on stamps of Peru for provisional issue during occupation by Chile.
Punt: currency unit in Ireland.
Punto delgado: (Sp.) thin spot.
Puolustusvoimat Kentta Postia: "Military stamps" inscription on stamps of Finland.
Pup: British word for sleeper, a stamp in a dealer's inventory that is worth more than charged.
Purifie au (city): purified at (city); to indicate mail had gone through disinfection process.
Purified: marking on mail that has been fumigated so that the letter will not be a carrier of disease.
Purjolökgrön: (Swed.) leek-green (color).
Purpur: (Czech., Dan., Nor., Swed.) purple (color).
Purpura: (Rom.) purple (color).
Purpurbrun: (Dan., Nor.) purple-brown (color).
Purpurrød: 1. (Dan.) purple-red (color). ), 2. (Nor.) scarlet (color)
Purregrønn: (Nor.) leek-green (color).
Purser markings: 1: markings applied on board ships that do not have shp post offices; to avoid postage due charges since this mail is usually ranked with stamps foreign to the point of landing. 2: originated as "way" letter on a private mail route by water. 3:indication on mail carried "outside the bags" on an official mail route.
Purvis Printing Co.: overprinted of US revenue stamps, 1898.
PUS: Indonesia Postage Due.
Putter-oner: worker at Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the 1930s who put on a single sheet of dampened paper on top of the inked press plate; see taker-offer.
Puttialia State: overprint for State of Patiala, India.
Putt's envelopes: railroad propaganda envelopes used with a 1857 stamp.
Puzol: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puzzle Cards: postcard with a jigsaw or other puzzle to be solved by addressee.
P.V.A.: Polyvinyl Alcohol gum
P.W.: Public Works, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74.
PW: 1: USPS abbreviation for Palau. 2: Printer's waste.
PVI: postal validation imprint, computer generated postage.
PYAS: currency unit in Burma.
PYB: Finland, Russia, South Russia.
PYCCHION: (Resembles these letters) Russia overprint for Offices in Turkey (Wrangel Issue).
PYCCKAR nOYTA: (Resembles these letters) Latvia overprint on stamps of Russia, Russian Occupation (prepared but never used).

Q

Q: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for Parcel Post. 2: Quebec (Canada) pre-adhesive postmark. 3: Quetzal; currency unit in Guatemala.
Qarku: inscription on stamps of Albania.
Qarku Postes I Korces: inscription/overprint Albania military forces, 1918.
Qatar: peninsula in eastern Arabia; currency: 100 naye paise = 1 rupee, 100 dirhams = 1 riyal (1967) 1950-pre: stamps as Bahrain, 1950-57: used stamps of Muscat, 1956, Feb. 1: British postal agency opened, 1957, April 1: No.1, 1 naye paise on 5 pence light brown, "Qatar" overprint on stamps of Great Britain, surcharged with values in Indian currency, 1961, Sept. 2: stamps of Qatar, 1963, May 23: Qatar took over its own postal services, 1969, Jan. 31: joined the UPU 1971, Sept. 1: full independence.
Q. D. C. Quam / Quem Deus conservet: which (or whom) God preserve; used about middle of 17th century, died out about 1815; term for a manuscript endorsement on early ship letters; implying a prayer by the sender for the protection of the ship and her master.
QE: Scott Catalog number prefix for Special Handling (U.S., Austria, Bosnia).
Q.E.II: abbreviation for Queen Elizabeth II.
Qeverija Demokrat(ike) e Shqiperise 22-X-1944: overprint on stamps of Italy, issued for liberation of Albania from the Germans in 1944, issued in1945.
QI: Scott Catalog number prefix for Postal Insurance..
QIND, QINDAR, QINTAR: currency unit in Albania.
Qishu: Mahra Sultanate in Eastern Aden protectorate, became part of the People's Republic of Yemen.
QNE: variety for ONE on the ninth stamp in the 15th row on the value tablet in stamp sheets
QO: Scott Catalog number prefix for Parcel Post Official (Guyana).
Quabrado: (Port.) broken.
Quadrado: (Port.) square.
Quadratausschnitt: (Ger.) cut square
Quadrato: (It.) square.
Quadriglia: (It.) quadrille.
Quadrille paper: 1: a page ruled in faint squares as guides for making a range of layout arrangements with stamps or covers. 2: Gegittert (Ger.); Quadrettato (It.); Cuadriculado (Sp.)
Quadrilliert: (Ger.) Quadrilled
Quadripartite labels: postal labels made up of four parts; divided by roulette or perforation.
Quadripartition: four stamps that together form a completed design.
Quadrisect stamps: term used for 1931 Nicaraguan stamps where stamp fragments were permitted when supplies of normal low-value stamps ran short.
Qu'aiti State in Hadhramaut: Arab sultanate on borders on the Gulf of Aden; 1891: forwarding agents in Aden handled mail, 1937, April 22: first stamps as Aden, 1939: postal union between Aden and protected states signed, 1942, July: first stamps issued, "Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Mukalla," 1955: Protectorate State of Hadhramaut, 1963, Oct. 20: last issue; replaced by Federation of South Arabia; see Aden States.
Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Mukalla: Aden, East Aden Protectorate, 1955 1942: No.1, ½ anna blue green, first stamp, 1955: became Hadhramaut, 1963, Oct. 20: last issue; replaced by Federation of South Arabia; see Aden.
Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Mukalla: found in Scott Catalogue, Volume 1 after Aden-Kathiri State of Seiyun.
Quaker postmark: where the month is designated by a number and not name; The Society of Friends is opposed to the pagan naming of the months.
Quarnero Islands: see Carnaro, Fiume.
Quan Buu: military stamps of Viet Nam, 1960s.
Quantity Known (Reported to Exist): Unique: only one copy known. Very Rare: Fewer than 10 copies known. Rare: Fewer than 25 copies known. Very Scarce: Fewer than 50 copies known. Scarce: Fewer than 100 copies known.
Quarter: the fourth part of a divisible stamp; example is the 1857 issue of Brunswick with individual values of a quarter gutegroschen which prepaid the lowest postal rate.
Quartina: (It.) block of four.
Quartz lamp: a lamp with a quartz filament that shows repairs or tampering on stamps; used for observing phosphors.
Quatrefoil watermark: see Rosace.
Quattrino: unit of currency in the Italian state of Tuscany until 1860.
Queen Anne Act of 1710: provided for a chief or a General Post office in New York, subordinate to Her Majesty's Postmaster General in London with rates fixed by the British Parliament in 1710.
Queen Elizabeth II, 60th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1986.
Queen Elizabeth II, 65th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1991.
Queen Elizabeth II, Accession to Throne: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1992.
Queen Elizabeth II, 70th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1996.
Queen Maud Land: bogus, 1969.
Queen Mother 85th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1985.
Queen Mother 90th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1990.
Queen Mother's Century: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1999.
Queen's College: local, United Kingdom, Cambridge, 1883.
Queen's head: term for stamps depicting Queen Victoria.
Queensland: northeastern part of Australia; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound 1851: stamps as New South Wales, 1859: became a separate colony, sunburst design as cancel, 1860, Jan. 26-Nov.1: used stamps of New South Wales, 1860, Nov.1: No.1, 1 penny deep rose, first stamp; used Chalon Head stamps, 1861: first registration stamp, 1866: first postal fiscal stamp, 1882: postal treaty with Hong Kong permitted stamps of both countries used when posted aboard ships, 1884-91: stamps of Queensland used in British New Guinea, 1891: joined the UPU, 1900, June 19: first semipostal stamp, 1901: part of the six British Colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia, 1913: stamps of the Commonwealth of Australia used; see Australia.
Queensland Railways: railway stamps promoted the "Golden Casket" a state lottery to used to frank letters and packages shipped via the railroad.
Queensland Railways: Australia railways local post.
Queens, Large, Small: large Queens of Canada ; size change to allow 200 small Queens to be printed in the same space as100 Large Queens (1868); small (1870-97).
Queen Victoria: the Penny Black, first postage stamp issued in 1840, as well as many other stamps, bears her image.
Quelimane: river port of Mozambique Province; Portuguese East Africa; currency: 100 centavos = 1 escudo 1894: Portuguese Colonies stamps overprinted Zambezia, 1898: King Carlos key type stamps issued, 1902: overprint "Provisoria," 1913: No.1, 1/4 centavos on ½ avo blue-green, "Republica Quelimane" overprint on stamps of Macao, Portuguese Africa, Timor, 1914: "Quelimane" inscription on stamps of Portugal, 1922: replaced by stamps of Mozambique; see Tete.
Quelimane: overprint on stamps of Portuguese Colonies; Macao, Portuguese Africa, Timor, 1914: "Quelimane" inscription on stamps of Portugal, 1922: stamps of Mozambique; see Tete.
Quepol: one of the Sicmon Islands in the South Pacific created by Nick Bantock for his book, Griffin & Sabine.
Quer: (Ger.) diagonal.
Queretaro: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Quettan Republic: bogus African nation.
Quetzel: currency unit in Guatemala.
Quind(t)ar: currency unit in Albania.
Quinta de Goya: (Sp.) inscription for the centenary of the death of Goya, 1930, Spain.
Quito: city in Ecuador; Quito to Guayaquil Railway Company used a five-pointed star overprint in 1902.
Quittances: (Fr.) receipts; French Colonies revenue inscription
Quittances du Tresor: (Fr.) treasurer's receipt; French Colonies revenue inscription
Quittung: (Ger.) receipt.
Quotazione: (It.) price.
QV: abbreviation for Queen Victoria
QY: Scott Catalog number prefix for Parcel Post Authorized Delivery (Italy).

RA to RE

R: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue 2: abbreviation for Reprint 3: Registration, Registered, Recommandé (Sp.) 4: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Romania, such as R-70119, Bucharest. 5: registro (Sp.) registered 6: Rand; currency unit in Republic of South Africa, Namibia. 7: Real, currency unit in Brazil 8: Riel, currency unit in Cambodia, Iran. 9: (With value) Reunion overprint on stamps of France, French Colonies. 10: India inscription on stamps of J(h)ind, India, 1874-85. 11: Ecuador, overprint by SCADTA, 1928-20. 12: inscription / overprint Colombia registration. 13: overprint on stamps of Northern Rhodesia changing a postage stamp to a revenue issue. 14: overprint/surcharge on stamps of Panama for registration fee.
R., R.R., R.R.R.: degrees of rarity, in ascending order.
R, r: Riyal: currency unit in Qatar, Saudi Arabia.
R, r: Rupee, currency unit in India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka.
R, r: Ruble, currency unit in Belarus, Russia.
R, Ri: Rial, currency unit in Sultanate of Oman, Yemen.
R, Ri: Ringgit, currency unit in Malaysia.
R, Ru: Ruble, currency unit in Belarus, Russia, Tajikistan, Transdniestra.
R, Ru: Rufiya, currency unit in Republic of Maldives.
R & S: Reiche and Sendbuehler Nos. (Canadian small Queen issue re-entries).
RA: Scott Catalog number prefix for Postal Tax.
Raab's Express Co.: label, local express, Hoboken, NJ and Barclay, NY.
R.A.A.F.: Royal Australian Air Force.
RAB: Scott Catalog number prefix for Postal Tax Semi-postal (Brazil, Greece).
Rab: formerly Arbe, island part of Fiume; 1920, Nov.: stamps issued for Arbe, now Rab, 1920, Dec. 24: stamps withdrawn..
Rabattmarke: (Ger.) discount savings stamp.
Rabaul: capital of New Britain in Bismarck Archipelago; formerly part of German New Guinea; 1914: British forces took over from Germany, stamps overprinted "G.R.I." on German New Guinea registration labels.
Rabaul-G.R.I.: "Georgius Rex Imperator" New Britain overprint.
RAC: Scott Catalog number prefix for Air Mail Postal Tax (Dominican Republic, Haiti).
Rac.: (It.) raccomandata (registered), pre-adhesive postmark.
Racapito Autorizzato: (It.) Italy, authorized delivery stamp.
Raccogliere: (It.) collect; to assemble or bring together.
RADA: displaced person camp, Ukrainian National Council, 1948-49.
Rada Miejska Miasta Przedborza: (Pol.) Town Council of Przedborz; city in Poland, local post, 1917-18.
Radetsky, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1840s, for lower Danube lines.
Radio Tax Stamp: a license fee for the ownership and use of a radio; started 1920s in many countries.
Rádkové Zoubkování: (Czech.) line perforation.
Rakousko: (Czech.) Austria.
Rakousky: (Czech.) Austrian.
Rakousko-Uhersko: (Czech.) Austria-Hungary.
Radway & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
RAF: Royal Air Force, Great Britain.
Rag content paper: cotton fiber usage rather than wood pulp in the manufacture fo envelopes; high rag content envelopes stand up better over a period of time than wood fiber covers, which may contain processing chemicals that eventually discolor the paper.
Rafiyaa: currency unit in Maldive Islands, 1951.
Ragasztönyommal: (Hung.) mint, hinged, see használatlan falcos.
Rahmen: (Ger.) frame, a border.
Rahmanieh: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1880.
Rahmenstempel: (Ger.) framed or boxed marking.
Railroad: handstamp on Mohawk & Hudson Railroad, Albany, N.Y., 1837.
Railroad cancel: postal cancellation applied in a railway post office aboard a train.
Rail Road Car: handstamp on baggage or mail car of an independent railroad indicated mailing status and fee paid.
Railway Air Services: airmail operations by and behalf of railway firms; in 1934, the four major British rail firms formed the Railway Mail Service and ran an airmail network throughout the country.
Railway cancels: used on traveling post offices (T.P.O.), marking may be "Poste Ambulante" in France and Belgium; terminal points are used in Germany and Egypt; sometimes with the train number.
Railway company stamps: local or semi-official stamps issued by railway firms to denote fees payable for mail carried.
Railway Letter Fee Stamp: a special stamp was available between 1891 and 1922 for railway firms in Great Britain and Ireland for letters handed in at stations to be collected on arrival or put into regular postal delivery at the station nearest the addressee; replaced by Railway Parcel Stamps.
Railway Mail Service: division of the Post Office Department that includes Railway Post Offices, Terminal Railway Post Offices, Transfer Offices and Pouch Services.
Railway Parcel Stamps: stamps issued by the railroad firms to prepay the freight charges on packages, first issued in 1846.
Railway Post Office (RPO): portable mail-handling equipment for sorting mail while on transit on trains.
Railroad: Eisenbahn (Ger.) ; Chemin d'Fer (Fr.) ; Ferrovia (It.) ; Ferrocarril (Sp.).
Railroad marking: postmark applied by postal employees to mail carried on railroad cars.
Railroad post routes: the Act of July 7, 1838, section 2, states, "Each and every railroad within the limits of the U. S. which now is, or hereafter may be completed, shall be a post route."
Railway: railroad.
Railway Letter: local, Montreal, Canada, 1971.
Railway postmark: Bahnpoststempel (Ger.) ; Oblitération de Chemin d'Fer (Fr.) ; Bollo di Ferrovia (It.) ; Matasellos de Ferrocarril (Sp.) Railway post office (RPO): post office in a mail car on board a railroad, many often have a route marking.
Railway stamp: stamps issued to carry parcels or mail on the trains of various railway firms, since it is considered an express service, the stamps are usually used in addition to the normal postage stamps. 1: Belgium railway parcel post issues, started 1879. 2: British express stamp, used in addition to postage stamps.
Railway terminal cancellation: end terminals on rail routes.
Rainbow Creek: bogus issue, located in Victoria's Gippsland, 1979.
Rainbow proofs, trials: British color trials to test various colored inks, cancellations and paper; 1840-41.
Raised S: refers to the letter "S" in the word postage being slightly higher and tilted on U.S. Scott U525, postal stationery cut square.
RAJ: Scott Catalog number prefix for Postal Tax Due.
Rajasthan: union of 14 Rajputanan Indian states; 1948: first local stamps, overprint of internal issues, 1950, Apr. 1: stamps discontinued, now uses stamps of Republic of India, also India overprint on stamps of Jaipur, Kishangarh.
Rajnandgaon: India Nandgaon Feudatory State.
Rajpeepla (Rajpipla): India Feudatory State; 1880: first local stamps, 1886: stamps discontinued, uses stamps of Republic of India.
Raj. Service: former Indian native state with own stamp issue, 1880-86.
Rakete: (Ger.) rocket.
Raketenflugpost: (Ger.) flown rocket mail.
Raketpost: (Dan., Nor.) rocket mail.
Rakettpost: (Nor.) rocket mail.
Räknat: (Swed.) counted.
Raleigh, N.C. paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Raleigh Stamp post Sv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Ram: (Swed.) frame.
Rámkove Zoubkování: (Czech.) harrow perforation.
Ramleh: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1865-80.
Ramleh Staz-Bacos: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1882.
Ramleh Staz-Bulkey: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1880-82.
Ramleh Staz-Fleming: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1880.
Ramleh Staz-Schutz: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1880-82.
Ramme: (Den., Nor.) frame.
Rammehøyde: (Nor.) height of frame.
Rammelinie: (Dan.) frame line.
Ramses: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1872-79.
Rand: 1: (Dan., Ger.) margin. 2: currency unit in South Africa, South-West Africa, (Namibia), Basutoland (Lesotho), Bechuanaland (Botswana), Swaziland, and Tristan da Cunha.
Randall Postal Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Randall's Express: local parcel serviced Boston and Rockland, Mass.
Randello: (It.) association, club.
Randers: 1. local bypost, Denmark, 1885-89. 2. Seaport city in Århus county, E Jutland Peninsula, Denmark, on the Gudenå River where it enters Randers Fjord ca. 15 miles from the Kattegut arm of the North Sea, and ca. 140 mile NW of Copenhagen. Local post established May 1885, with first "Randers Bypost og Pakke-Expedition" lithographed local stamps issued on the same day, and with numerous others issued through 1889. The local post was absorbed by the Danish Post Office in December 1889.
Randers Hadsund Jernbane: local, Denmark railway post.
Randgebiet: (Ger.) sideline collecting, anything collectible.
R.& R.S. Special Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Rang I: Level One, national level German stamp exhibitions. The exhibitions are given the rankings, while the exhibitors have to work their way up through those ratings with their exhibits.
Rang II: Level Two, regional level German stamp exhibitions.
Rang III: Level Three, local level German stamp exhibitions.
Rangée: (Fr.) row of stamps.
Ransom, D. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Ransom, D. Son & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Ransoneringsförsändelse: (Swed.) cover regarding rationing of goods, WW II.
Rapa-Nui: Chile overprints for Easter Island, bogus.
Rapid Delivery Co.: 1888?, local parcel serviced the Milwaukee, Wisc. area.
Rapid Delivery Co. Limited: local parcel serviced the New Orleans, La., area.
Rapido: (Sp.) daytime express trains, found on "ambulante" postmarks.
Rapid Package Delivery: local parcel service operated in the Los Angeles, Calif. area.
Rappen: currency unit in Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
RAPT: Rhodesia Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis.
Rareté: (Fr.) rarity.
Rareza: (Sp.) rarity.
Rarisimo: (Sp.) extremely rare.
Rarissime: (Fr.) extremely rare.
Rarità, Raro: (It.) rarity.
Rarität: (Ger.) rare, rarity.
Rarity: term used in judging an exhibit to determine relative scarcity of an item.
Raro: (Sp.) rare, scarce.
Rarotonga: 15 islands on stamps of New Zealand from Cook Islands; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1967) 1903: - 1932, 1972: separate stamp issues for Aitutaki, Penrhyn Islands, 1919-pre: stamps inscribed "Cook Islands Federation" and "Cook Islands," 1919: No.1, ½ pence yellow green, Rarotonga overprint on stamps of New Zealand, 1920: inscribed Rarotonga, but used throughout Cook Islands group, 1932: used stamps inscribed Cook Islands; see Cook Islands.
Ras al Khaima: Oman Peninsula, one of the United Arab Emirates; currency: 100 naye paise = 1 rupee 1964, Dec. 21: No.1, 5 naye paise brown and black, first stamps, 1965: first stamp, 1972, Feb. 10: joined the United Arab Emirates; see Trucial States, United Arab Emirates.
Raseiniu: Lithuania local issue.
Ras-el-Khalig: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1880-84.
Rasgadura: (Sp.) a tear (in a postage stamp or cover).
Rassemblez: (Fr.) collect; to assemble or bring together.
Rasterdjuptryck: (Swed.) half-tone recess printing.
Rastertiedruck: (Ger.) offset printing method, photogravure.
Rate: the amount of money charged for a postal service.
Rate change cover: cover posted on the first day of a new postage rate.
Rated: term used by U.S. Post office is 18th and early 19th century for mail to be "rated" or examined to determine fees.
Rate it up: USPS term for mail piece that has been examined and any additional (forwarding, shortage) postage determined.
Rate Mark: numeral on a stampless letter indicating the amount of postage to be collected from the addressee.
Ratni Doprinos: inscription on stamps of Croatia for semi-postals.
Rattlesnake Island: U.S. local post, Lake Erie, began with rectangular stamps, but the USPS required that they change the shape so that their "stamps" would not be confused with regular postage stamps.
RAU: Syria overprint for International Children's Day, 1958.
Raubstaat: (Ger.) country issuing stamps solely to exploit the collector.
Raute: (Ger.) lozenge.
Ravenglass & Eskdale: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Rawden, Wright, Hatch & Edson: New York security printing firm during 19th century.
Rayer: (Fr.) to delete, to cross out.
Raymond & Co.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Rayon I, II, III: inscription on early issues of Switzerland indicating a district, or zone system for rates,1850-52; Rayon IV had no stamps, abolished in 1851.
Razitko: (Czech.) postmark.
Razitko z Ochoty: (Czech.) postmark of readiness, a handy postmarking device.
Razitko Zvlástní: (Czech.) special postmark.
Razítkovaná: (Czech.) used, canceled.
RB: 1. Scott Catalog number prefix to identify U.S. Revenue Proprietary. 2. Road Board, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 3. Rudolph Bender, BEP employee's initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher Initials.
R.B. & S. Special Delivery: serviced an unknown area, labels exist.
R-Brief: (Ger.) Einschreibebrief, registered letter.
R.B.S.: "Rigsbank Skilling" currency unit in Denmark, 1851.
RC: 1. auction abbreviation for red cross. 2. international postal code for Taiwan. 3. Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Future Delivery.
R.C. & W. (Ryder, Crouse & Welch): see Private die match proprietary stamps.
RCASC: Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, formerly Canadian Army Service Corps, (CASC) 1901, then Canadian Permanent Army Service Corps (CPASC),1903, added Royal in WWI, no longer used after 1968.
R. Commissariato: overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia for Ljubljana (Lubiana), Italian occupation, 1941-45.
RD: 1. Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Stock Transfer. 2. Robert Dailey, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
R. de C.: (Sp.) Recargo de Construcción (Reconstruction of Communications) surcharge/ overprint on stamps of Nicaragua for the rebuilding of the Managua General Post Office.
R. de C. Garzon 1894 No Hay Estampillas: (Sp.) Republic of Colombia, Tomina, "No stamps Available"
R de Panama: overprint on stamps of Panama, 1903-04, for use in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
R.D.M.: Rydende Dienst Macht, Orange Free State, local post, 1898-99.
R.D.P.: Roll of Distinguished Philatelists.
RE: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Cordials, Wines, etc. 2: catalog abbreviation for reinforced.
REA: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Beer.
Reading Match Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Read The News: inscription on stamp labels produced by A.C. Roessler as a copy of the U.S. 1931 2¢ Red Cross issue.
Real: 1: (Sp.) royal 2: currency unit in Central and South America.
Real Photo: postcard made from an actual photograph with a preprinted back.
Real Plata Fuerta: currency in Cuba, Puerto Rico; used as payment for stamps.
Real Renta de Correos: (Sp.) single postal service established by the Spanish Crown in the New World in 1767.
Real Servicio: (Sp.) Royal Service marking from the Spanish colonial period in Mexico.
Reay envelopes: George H. Reay produced fine engraved envelopes of the U.S., 1870-74.
Rebuts: 1: postal marking instruction to return the piece of mail. 2: (Fr.) (service des) undeliverable or refused international mail being returned to sender.
Rebuts Commission: handstamp for St. Thomas, Danish West Indies postage dues for dead letter office.
Recapito Autorizzato: (It.) inscription, or fiscal stamp, denoting the tax on mail permitted to be delivered by private services, also known as "authorized delivery" stamp
Recapito impossible: (It.) undeliverable (mail).
Recargo: (Sp.) "Extra Charge" surcharge, inscription on stamps of Spain for war tax, 1898-99.
Recargo obligatorio: (Sp.) compulsory surcharge.
Recatul Romania: Yugoslavia, bogus.
Receipted parcels: British Post Office parcel service, with serial labels printed in red on yellow paper; similar to Certified Mail.
Received in Damaged Condition: USPS self-adhesive label initiated Fall, 2000, can also be used to seal torn mail.
Received in Damaged Condition: self-adhesive USPS label, initiated in year 2000, as a generic apology for damaged mail, can also be used as a seal in closing tears.
Received from H.M. Ships: British handstamp for letters posted on board ships and bearing a censor cancellation.
Received marking: postmark applied to the back of a cover that denotes the receiving town or city, date and, sometimes, the time of arrival.
Receiver's stamp: handstamp with name or initials of a receiver of Town or City local letters; 17th century.
Receiving cancel: Ankunftstempel (Ger.) ; Marque d'Arrivée (Fr.) ; Obliterazione di Ricevitmento (It.) , Matasellos de Recepción (Sp.).
Receiving house: term formally used in England for place where mail was received.
Receiving mark: a postal marking applied by the receiving post office.
Receiving ship: postmark for a ship with a barrack-like structure used as a temporary home for recruits and transient sailors awaiting assignments to other ships.
Recensement: (Fr.) registration for identity card; French Colonies revenue inscription
Récépissés: receipt; French Colonies revenue inscription
Récépissés de Transport: transportation receipts; French Colonies revenue inscription
Récépissés de Chemin de Fer: railway receipts; French Colonies revenue inscription.
Réception: (Fr.) receipt.
Recess printing: a graphic arts process where the inked image is below the surface of the printing plate; recess printed stamps have a raised image.
Recette: (Fr.) post office.
REC'G CDS: Receiving Circular Date Stamp.
Rechnung: (Ger.) bill, invoice.
Rechromed: replating a printing plate with chrome to extend the useful life after it has been repaired or restored.
Rechts: (Ger., Dut.) right.
Recibo: (Sp.) receipt.
Recife: formerly city of Pernambuco, Brazil.
Reclamado: (Sp.) fees collected over normal postage.
Recoja: (Sp.) collect; to assemble or bring together.
Recom: (Fr.) recommandé (registered), pre-adhesive postmark.
Recomandata: (Rom.) registered letter.
Recomendada: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Colombia for registered letter, 1881
Recomendado: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Colombia for registered letter, 1925
Recommande: (Fr.) registered.
Recon: reconstructed.
Reconstruction: re-assemble a sheet of stamp as originally engraved by collecting specimens; also known as plating.
Recorded Delivery: British term for Certified Mail, with a receipt given to the sender.
Recorded message stamps: Fonopostal, used in Argentina, 1939, to prepay fees for messages recorded on disks.
Record flight: flight that establishes a new record for speed, distance, altitude, or endurance.
Records: flexible recorded records sent to scientists in the Antarctic in 1937.
Recortado: (Sp.) cut close.
Recorte: (Sp.) cut square.
Recouvrements: (Fr.) "recoveries," postage due, to collect postage on returned C.O.D. items.
Recouvrements-Taxe a Percevoir: (Fr.) "Value to Collect" inscription on stamps for amount to collect for magazine subscriptions, etc., French language countries.
Recouvrements-Valeurs Impayees: (Fr.) "Value Unpaid" inscription on stamps for amount to collect for magazine subscriptions, etc., French language countries.
Rectification Tax stamps: inscription on U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax stamps for condensed and purified distilled spirits, 1946.
Rectoverso: (Sp.) stamps printed on both sides of the paper.
Re'u: (Fr.) receipt.
Recuerdo del I'De Febrero: (Sp.) Honduras, 1916.
Recut: an unhardened printing plate that has been retouched.
Recycled Paper: replaced watermarked paper starting in 1992.
Red: informal term for a piece of registered mail; name came when registered mail was sent in red-striped pouches.
b 1961 Afghanistan surcharge for Red Crescent Society.
Red Band cover: indicates registered mail in China.
Red Cross: 1: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1944, 1963. 2: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1963. 3: Rotes Kreuz (Ger.) , Croix-Rouge (Fr.), Croice Rosa (It.), Cruz Roja (Sp.).
Red Cross frank stamps: Switzerland revenue issue; can be found with postmark on covers.
Red Cross Message Scheme: used for the exchange of mail between persons living on opposing sides during World War II, operated out of Switzerland.
Red Cross stamps: semi-postal stamps issued to benefit the Red Cross organization of a nation; was first used in Portugal in 1889.
Redding's Russia Salve: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Redentado: (Sp.) re-perforated.
Red error: the 5¢ red error in the 1917 plate of the 2¢ carmine value.
Red hand: enclosed on a six-pointed star national symbol of Ulster, on Northern Irish stamps.
Redistributed original gum: gum which has been moistened and respread to present the appearance of a non-hinged surface.
Red Line City Express Co.: 1895; stamps, local package delivery serviced the Chicago, Ill area.
Red Line Express Co.: 1892-83; stamps, local package delivery serviced Chicago, Ill area.
Red mercury: Austria newspaper stamp issued in 1856.
Redonda: uninhabited island belonging to Antigua; 1979: stamps valid for postage in Antigua; overprint on stamps of Antigua.
Redondo: (Sp.) round.
Redrawn: a design with the general features of a previous stamp by having a difference in some detail.
Red error: the U.S. 5¢ error in the 2¢ value sheet with Washington's portrait.
Red Revenue surcharge: temporary surcharge used when the Chinese Imperial Post was started in 1897.
Reds: U.S. red commemorative (1920s) and documentary stamps (1940-58).
Red Sea Islands Federation: Red Sea island fantasy.
Red Star: 1973-76, Postal Service, Boston, used a red star for next day delivery at no extra charge.
Red Suspender League: formed in 1959 by Dr. James J. Matejka, Jr. and a group of Chicago area collectors to honor collectors who have helped promote the hobby.
Reduced: a postal piece that has been cut to eliminate uneven edges.
Reed & Thompson: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Reed's City Despatch Post: U. S. local post, San Francisco, Calif., 1853-54.
Reel perforator: stamps perforated on continuous reels or webs of paper.
Reembolsos: (Sp.) collect on delivery mail.
Reemision: (Sp.) reentry.
Re-engrave: to remake all or a portion of a printing plate or die by making additions or corrections without significantly changing it.
Re-engraved stamp: may have small or major details changed.
Re-entry: 1: created when the transfer roll, with the stamp impression imprinted unevenly on the soft metal of the printing plate creating a weak impression, which is only detectable if there is a second impression or "re-entry." 2: Nachgravierung (Ger.), Retrant (Fr.), Doppia Incisione (It.), Regrabado (Sp.) .
Reenviar: (Sp.) to send-on, to re-address.
Reexpedir: (Sp.) to forward or send on.
Reference numbers: British term for plate numbers on Empire stamps printed by De La Rue & Co.
Reflectance: USPS term for situation where the paper color renders the postal service's equipment unable to read the barcodes; dark colors are out, white works best.
Reformed legislature: India Feudatory State of Hyderabad.
Réfugié: (Fr.) refugee.
Refugiat: (Rom.) refugee.
Refusé: (Fr.) refused.
Refused mail: mail that is not accepted by the addressee and is returned to sender.
Reg: 1: registered. 2: Reggio (Northern Italy) pre-adhesive postmark.
Regat: (Rom.) kingdom.
Regatul PTT Romaniei: "Kingdom of Romania"overprint on stamps of Hungary for Romania, occupation of Transylvania issue, 1919.
Regatul Romaniei: (Rom.) "Kingdom of Romania"overprint on stamps of Hungary, Romanian Occupation, 1918.
Rege: (Rom.) king.
Regence de Tunis: (Fr.) "Regency of Tunis" Tunisia, 1888-1908.
Regensburg: displaced persons camp local post, "Ukrainian Post," 1947-48.
Reggenza Italiana del Carnaro: (It.) "Italian regency of Quarnaro" overprint on stamps of Fiume in Gulf of Carnaro, during occupation by Legionnaires of d'Annunzio," 1920.
Regie P.: (It.) Royal Post (Italy) pre-adhesive postmark.
Regierung: (Ger.) reign, government.
Regierungs Dienstsache: (Ger.) overprint on official stamps of Liechtenstein
Regina: (Rom.) queen.
Regio Esercito: "Royal Army" inscription on Italian label designed to be attached to an official document with an Italian army unit postmark.
Regional commemoratives: new USPS stamp issues in certain areas where they are expected to be popular.
Regional issue: USPS new issue available only in locale where first day issue took place.
Regional Mail Collect.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Regionals: definitive stamps issued by Great Britain since 1958 for the regions of Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The regionals are usually sold only in the assigned region, but are valid for postage throughout the country.
Regio Post-Noord Oost Friesland (NOF): local post, Netherlands, 2003.
Registered: Eingeschreiben (Ger.), Recommandé (Fr.), Raccomandata (It.), Registrado (Sp.).
Registered envelopes: issued by Great Britain in 1878 for registered mail, with crossed blue lines.
Registered mail: mail with a numbered receipt that is signed by each postal employee as it is handled during processing.
Register mark: any marking that is put on the sheet margin for the exact adjustment of the perforations of the sheet in the production process; usually crosses with point holes.
Registration: 1: in printing, used to designate a part of a design in relation to another part of the same design. 2: keeping the colors "in register" to registration of perforations, die-cutting and tagging.
Registration labels: a numbered gummed label that indicates the registration number and the city of origin for registered articles.
Registration handstamp, first U.S.: an Act of Congress on July 1,1855 authorized registration of valuable letters for a 5¢ charge.
Registration mark: lines, crosses, arrows, letters numerals or a combination engraved into the marginal area of the plates used in printing stamps with several colors to ascertain the degree to which these marks align with each other.
Registration stamps: stamps issued for the payment of registration fees exclusively; some may be in the form of labels with a number written or printed on them.
Registro: (Sp.) "Registered", Columbia-Antioquia, 1896-99.
Registry labels or stamps: U.S., authorized all Foreign Registered Matter to apply the label or stamp on all registered mail; July 1, 1888; use on foreign mail began May 1, 1856 with Great Britain.
Registry markings: different shaped marks used to help in correctly registering the frame and vignette of bi-colored stamps; also known as "Arrow Marker."
Reglement de compte: (Fr.) settling of account.
Regno: (It.) kingdom.
Regno d'Italia Fiume: Kingdom of Italy-Fiume; overprint on stamps of Italy, 1924
Regno d'Italia / Mbretnija Shqiptare: (It., Alb.) overprint on stamps of Italy for Albania, 1940.
Regno d'Italia Trentino: overprint on stamps of Austria, Italian occupation; see Italian Austria.
Regno d'Italia Venezia Giulia: overprint on stamps of Austria, by Italy for the occupation of Trieste, 1918; see Italian Austria.
Regno Unito: (It.) United Kingdom, Great Britain.
Reg.o: (It.) Reggio (Northern Italy) pre-adhesive postmark.
Regomado: (Sp.) regummed.
Regommé: (Fr.) regummed.
Regrabado: (Sp.) reentry, re-engraved.
Regravure: (Fr.) reentry, re-engraving.
Regressive Die Essay: an essay taken from a transfer roll that has been partially cut away to remove any unwanted parts of the design.
Regular issue: stamp issued for an indefinite period and quantity for ordinary use; also known as a definitive.
Regummed (RG): 1: stamp with artificial, or fresh adhesive gum applied. 2: Nachgummiert (Ger.) , Regommé (Fr.) , Rigommato (It.), Regomado (Sp.).
Rehabilitada para el Servicio Publico: (Sp.) overprint on stamps of Honduras air mails to validate for ordinary postage.
Re.He.: République Helvétique (Sw.) Swiss republic.
Rehusado: (Sp.) refused, usually C.O.D. service.
Reich: (Ger.) empire. Often used in the sense of "the" Empire, i.e., Germany.
Reichenberg-Maffersdorf: Sudentenland local post, German occupation, 1938.
Reichpost: (Ger.) inscription on stamps of Germany, imperial post, 1889-1901.
Reifringstempel: (Ger.) hoop and ring cancel.
Reihe: (Ger.) series, row of stamps.
Reimpresion: (Sp.) reprint.
Reimpresiune: (Rom.) reprint.
Réimpression: (Fr.) reprint.
Rein: (Nor.) clean.
Reindeer mail: used in northern Scandinavia and Russia in the early 1900s to deliver mail.
Reina: (Sp.) queen
Reinado: (Sp.) reign
Reine: (Fr.) queen
Reinero: (Ger.) "net receipts," Deutsche Schiller Stiftung, label for donation to Schiller Foundation. Reino: (Sp.) kingdom
Reinosa: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Reino Unido: (Sp.) Great Britain, United Kingdom.
Reinrtrag: (Ger.) Deutsche Schiller Stiftung, label for donation to Schiller Foundation.
Reis: currency unit in Angola, Angra, Azores, Brazil, Portugal and colonies.
Reisende Postekspedisjon: (Nor.) Traveling Post Office (TPO).
Reissue: an official reprinting of a stamp that was discontinued.
Rejection markings: identification of flawed material range from hand-placed markings to automated markings; may be red grease pencil, black markers or spray, or slit coils.
Rejete (projet): (Fr.) unadopted (design)
Rejilla: (Sp.) grill, lattice work, refers to early postmarks.
Rejistro: (Sp.) "Registry" inscription on stamps of Colombia.
Rejita: (Sp.) small cut, tear or split
Rejoined perforations: separated perforations that have been reattached by means of a hinge, gum or other chemical means.
Reklamemarken: (Ger.) a non-denominated stamp created to advertise or commemorate a product or event; see Poster stamps.
Rekomando: (Czech.) registered letter.
Rekommandere: (Nor.) register.
Rekommandert: (Nor.) registered.
Rekommandert brev: (Nor.) registered mail.
Rekommenderas: (Swed.) registration for mail sent abroad from Sweden.
Rekommenderat: (Swed.) registered.
Rekommenderat brev: (Swed.) registered letter, registered mail.
Rekommenderade brev: (Swed.) registered letters, registered mails.
Rekommandiert: (Ger.) registered; also Einschreiben.
Rekonstruksjon: (Nor.) reconstruction.
Rekonstruktion: (Swed.) reconstruction.
Reko-Zettel: (Ger.) Austrian registration label.
Relais: inscription on nonpostal labels of Persia attached to railroad tickets to allow bearer to ride in the post wagon or mail coach between stops not covered by the railroads.
Relax in Wisconsin: poster stamp with instructions on where to write.
Release date: formal date that the issuing postal administration puts an item on public sale.
Relief: 1: Normal reproduction of the design on a die, in reverse. 2: (Fr.) embossing.
Relief printing: print from a printing base which is supposed to appear in color on stamps raised above the non-printing areas, and only the color-producing areas meet the paper at the moment of impression.
Relieve: (Sp.) printing relief, embossing
Relievo, In Relievo: (It.) relief.
Reli Post: private delivery firm based in the Netherlands Revenue stamp, side: roulettes, part perforated, silk and unwatermarked paper, 1887 definition.
Reliure: (Fr.) binder.
Remail: mail service sent to another country to be placed into international mail systems to save lower postage costs in effect in cooperating nation
Remainders: 1: stamps remaining on hand at postal administration after the issue has been discontinued 2: stamp collection, usually mounted in album(s) from which the most desirable items have been removed
Remanente di charnela: (Sp.) hinge remnant.
Remarque: a small original drawing made by an artist in the margin of a print; seen in margins of federal duck stamps.
Remboursemente: (Fr.) cash on delivery, COD.
Rembrandt Press: used in the photogravure production of postage stamps by the Reserve Bank of Australia
Remita sus Cartas en Sobres Oblongos: (Sp.) handstamp "Send your messages in oblong envelopes."
Remitente: (Sp.) sender
Remitida por Tren por Suspension de Vuelo: (Sp.) handstamp "Sent by train, owing to flight cancellation."
Remolcador: (Sp.) tug, found on naval marks of the Civil war
Remote encoding facility: USPS term for 55 offices where images of envelopes were received and routing codes added electronically, used for handwritten addresses, etc which machines could not read at the time; started early 1990s, being phased out in 2001.
Ren: (Dan., Swed) clean.
Rena Test Stamp: self-adhesive test stamp of unknown origin.
Renecke: town in the Transvaaal; 1900, June 23: local stamps overprinted V.R. during South-African war.
Rendez Honneur aux Quattri Libertes: (Fr.) Honor the Four Freedoms, private overprint on stamps of Italy.
Renfe: (Sp.) "Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles" Spanish National Railways
Renglon: (Sp.) written or printed line on stamps as in the "Republica Espanola" overprint of 1931
Rengravado: (Sp.) re-entry.
Renta interior: (Sp.) internal revenue.
Rentapostman: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Rentierschlittenpost: (Ger.) reindeer post.
Renversé: (Fr.) inverted
Rep.: repaired
Repaired: 1: stamps or covers that have been altered or repaired to reinforce or to resemble an undamaged item; this can be the repair of a tear, changing of perforations, etc. 2: a corrected flaw in typographed or line-engraved printing 3: Repariert (Ger.) , Réparé (Fr.) , Riparato (It.) , Reparado (Sp.)
Repaired paper: term used for paper from the beginning or end of rolls in rotary printing, which has been joined together by overlapping.
Repaired stamp: usually a fake and/or patched stamp to enhance its appearance for exhibition purposes.
Reparacion: (Sp.) repair
Reparado: (Sp.) repaired
Reparasjon: (Nor.) repair.
Reparation: (Dan., Swed) repair.
Réparé: (Fr.) repaired
Reparerad: (Swed.) repaired.
Repareret: (Dan.) repaired.
Reparert: (Dan., Nor.) repaired.
Repariert: (Ger.) repaired.
Rep. de Cuba: inscription in center of stamp across the shield is a cinderella produced by unsuccessful revolutionaries in 1875.
Rep. Dem. Allemande: (Fr.) German Democratic Republic.
Rep. di S. Marino: (It.) San Marino.
Reperforated: stamp that has been perforated anew to defraud the collector.
Repter: (Hung.)airport.
Repiquage: (Fr.) perforation altered or repaired.
Rep. Italiana: (It.) Italy.
Replacado: (Sp.) damaged stamps which have been repaired and affixed to a new paper backing
Replacement Value: the price a buyer expects to pay for an item based on catalogue value, advertised price or dealer quote.
Replaquage: (Fr.) paper repair.
Replicas: printed stamp reproductions were made as space fillers; usually printed in one color, mostly blue, for collectors to use to fill blank spaces in their albums.
Reply coupon: international coupons, exchangeable in any nation of the Postal Union for single rate postage from that nation; also known as an International Reply Coupon, or IRC..
Reply paid: envelopes, postcards and package labels with a special inscription that permits recipient to reply without paying the postage
Reply portion: the part of a reply paid postal card that is used for the response
Reply postcard: two postcards joined together, one for original message, other for recipient's reply.
Repoblika Malagasy: inscription on stamps of Madagascar; see Malagasy Republic.
Repubblica Sociale Italiana Base Atlantica: (It.) overprint on stamps of Italy for use in Bordeaux, France from June 1940 to 1944.
Repoeblik Indonesia: bogus labels by independence forces before Indonesia became a republic.
Repoeblik Maloekoe Selatan: bogus labels for South Moluccas.
Report: (Fr., Ger.) transfer
Reporte: (Sp.) transfer of the design of a stamp from the transfer roller to the printing plate
Repoussage: (Fr.) the knocking up of a low point in a printing plate from the back to bring it to the correct height for printing or retouching.
Repp paper: ribbed paper with fine ribbing on the surface
Repr.: reprint.
Reprint: 1: stamps printed from the original plates after the issue has become demonetized or obsolete; usually reprints have a distinguishing feature so that the difference can be seen 2: USPS uses term for a stamp with the same denomination and design as previously issued, not reproduced on the same plates. 3: Nachdruck (Ger.) , Réimpression (Fr.) , Ristampa (It.), eimpressión (Sp.) Reproductions: stamps made from a new plate to imitate the original issue as the U.S. Special Printing issue of 1875.
Rep.Shqiptare: Albania.
Rep Sociale Italiana: (It.) Italy, Italian Social Republic, 1944
Repter: (Hung.) airport.
Reptil: (Sp.) reptile (thematic).
Repubblica Democratica Alemagna: (It.) East Germany (D.D.R.).
Repubblica Democratica Tedesca: (It.) East Germany (D.D.R.).
Repubblica di San Marino: (It.) San Marino.
Repubblica Federale Alemagna: (It.) West Germany (B.R.D.).
Repubblica Federale Tedesca: (It.) West Germany (B.R.D.).
Repubblica Italiana: (It.) Italy
Repubblica Popolare Cinese: (It.) People's Republic of China (P.R.C.).
Repubblica Sociale Italiana: Italian Social Republic; September 15, 1943: establishment of new government in northern Italy area occupied by the Germans.1944-45: stamps for German-occupied North Italy.
Repub. Franc: France, French Colonies general issue; inscription on first stamps of France.
Repub. Hiber: bogus S. Allan Taylor fantasy issue for Ireland.
Republica, Repubblica, Republik, République: Republic.
Republica: overprint on stamps during the royal period of Portugal, 1911-12.
República de China: (Sp.) Republic of China.
Republica Congo: overprint on Portuguese colonies for Purtuguese Congo.
Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial: Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
Republica de la N'Granada: inscription on stamps of Colombia for Cauca.
Republica del Ecuador Servicio Aerea: surcharge "1 sucre, 1939," triangular label prepared but never released.
República Democrática de Alemania: (Sp.) East Germany (D.D.R.).
Republica de Palombia: stamps produced by a Belgian magazine
Republica Dominicana: (Sp.) Dominican Republic
Republica Espanola: (Sp.) Republic of Spain.
Republica Espanola Timbre del Estado: (Sp.) overprint for fiscal use as a War Tax issue.
República Federal de Alemania: (Sp.) West Germany (BR.D.).
Republica Guine: overprint on stamps of Macao, Portutuese Africa or Timor for Portuguese Guinea.
Republica Inhambane: overprint on Portuguese colonies, Inhambane, 1913.
Republica Mayor de Centro America Estado de El Salvador: (Sp.) Republic of the State of El Salvador.
Republica Mocambique: Mozambique overprint.
Republican: workers government of Spain during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39.
Republica Oriental de Uruguay: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Uruguay, 1864-66.
Republica Oriental del Uruguay: (Sp.) Uruguay, 1866-1961.
Republica Peruana: (Sp.) Republic of Peru.
Republica Populara Romina: inscription on stamps of Romania after 1948.
Republica Portuguesa: Republic of Portugal
Republica Sociale Italiana: Italian Socialist Republic, Northern Italy state established by Germany, 1943
Republic Maluku Selatan: unrecognized stamps of South Moluccas.
Republic of Botswana: overprint on stamps of Bechuanaland Protectorate, Botswana, 1966.
Republic of Djibouti: 1977, June 27: first stamps, former French territory of Afars and Issas.
Republic of Guinea: 1959, Jan. 5: first stamps issued, 1958,. Oct.: voted to leave the French Community. see French Guinea.
Republic of Moroc-Songhrati-Meads: reincarnation of Kingdom of Humanity, bogus
Republic of West Florida: Americans living in this area of Spanish West Florida proclaimed it as a republic in 1810, administered as part of Orleans Territory.
Republiek Stellaland: Republic of Stellaland
Republiek van Suid-Afrika: (Afrik.) Republic of South Africa, 1961-71.
Republik: (Dan., Swed) Republic.
Republika Bosna i Hercegovina: inscription on Bosnia and Herzegovina stamps, 1993-95 for Muslim government in Sarajevo.
Republika Hrvatska: (Croat) Croatia Republika Korce Shqipetare: "Republic of Korytza, Albania" French zone overprint on stamps of Albania, 1916; see Epirus.
Republika Malagasy: Republic of Malagasy
Republika NG. Pilipinas: Philippines, Japanese occupation, 1943
Republikansk: (Dan., Nor., Swed) Republican.
Republika Popullore e Shqiiperise: Popular Republic of Albania.
Republika Srpska: see Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serb Administration in Banja Luka.
Republik China: (Ger.) Republic of China (Taiwan).
Republik Indonesia Serikat: Indonesia.
Republikk: (Nor.) Republic.
Republik Maluku Selatan: bogus triangular label made during early 1950s for South Moluccas, Indonesia.
Republik Österreich: (Ger.) Austria Republique Arabe Sahraoui Democratique: inscription on illegal issue, reported to the UPU April 10, 2000 by Morocco, not valid for postage.
Republique Arabe Unie-Syrie: United Arab Republic, Syria, 1958
Republique Autonome du Togo: Independent Republic of Togo.
Republique Centrafricaine: Central African Republic.
Republique d'Azerbaijan: Republic of Azerbaijan, 1919-22
République de Chine: (Fr.) Republic of China (Taiwan)
Republique de Cote d'Ivoire: (Fr.) Republic of Ivory Coast
Republique de Guinee: (Fr.) Republic of Guinea
Republique de Haute Volta: (Fr.) Republic of Upper Volta
Republique Democratique du Congo: (Fr.) Democratic Republic of Congo
Republique d'Haiti: (Fr.) Republic of Haiti
Republique du Cameroun: (Fr.) Republic of Cameroon
Republique du Congo: (Fr.) Republic of Congo
Republique du Dahomey: (Fr.) Republic of Dahomey
Republique du Gabonaise: (Fr.) Republic of Gabon
Republique du Mali: (Fr.) Republic of Mali
Republique du Niger: (Fr.) Republic of Niger.
Republique Populaire du Benin: (Fr.) overprint/surcharge on air mail issues; People's Republic of Benin.
Republique du Semaj: Artistamp, James reversed
Republique du Senegal: (Fr.) Republic of Senegal
Republique du Tchad: (Fr.) Republic of Chad
Republique du Togo: (Fr.) Republic of Togo
Republique Fran'aise: (Fr.) Republic of France, French Colonies general issues.
Republique Gabonaise: (Fr.) Republic of Gabon.
Republique Georgienne: (Fr.) Republic of Georgia, now part of Russia
Republique Islamique de Mauritanie: (Fr.) Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Republique Gabonaise: (Fr.) Republic of Gabon.
Republique Khmere: (Fr.) Republic of Cambodia
Republique Libanaise: (Fr.) Republic of Lebanon
Republique Malgache: (Fr.) Republic of Madagascar (Malagasy)
République Populaire de Chine: (Fr.) People's Republic of China (P.R.C.)
Republique Rwandaise: (Fr.) Republic of Rwanda
Republique Syrienne: (Fr.) Republic of Syria
Republique Togolaise: (Fr.) Republic of Togo
Republique Tunisienne: (Fr.) Republic of Tunisia
Republique Uni du Cameroun / Republic of Cameroon: (Fr.) see Cameroon.
Repulo Posta: overprint on stamps of Hungary for air mail.
Repülos osztagok: (Hung.) military aviation mail.
Repülötér: (Hung.) airport.
Repuqlika Shqiptare: error variety, B upside down, overprint on stamp (Sc. 182) of Allbania.
Requena: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937.
Requete: (Sp.) Carlist fighting unit found on military markings during the Civil War
Requetes: (Sp.) Civil War charity stamps for the benefit of the Carlist forces
Reseau pneumatique: (Fr.) pneumatic post.
Resellado: (Sp.) resealed, re-authorized.
Resellado: (Sp.) 1: overprint on stamps of Venezuela to restore validity to demonetized stamps, 1900, 1937, 1943, and 1951 2: overprint on stamps of Ecuador as a control mark.
Resello: (Sp.) overprint on demonetized stamps of Nicaragua to restore validity.
Reserve: auction term meaning that the seller has the right to withhold the article from sale if the highest bid does not meet his estimate of what it should bring.
Resetting: a new arrangements of cliches in a plate that produces a tete-beche layout.
Reserveschutzgebot: (Ger.) protective reserve bid.
Resguardo: (Sp.) registered letter acknowledgment receipt.
Resistance: overprint on stamps of Syria for military semi-postal.
Resmi: overprint/inscription, with crescent and star, on stamps of Turkey officials.
Resort stamps: private stamps used to prepay postage from resorts in Cairns, Australia to destination.
Respuesta: (Sp.) reply portion of a double postcard
Restant de stock: (Fr.) remainder.
Restaurado: (Sp.) restored, repaired
Restauriert: (Ger.) restored, repaired
Restbeholdning: (Nor.) stock remainder.
Restbestand: (Ger.) remainder stock
Restricted: "restricted" air mail stamps can only be used for airmail and are not valid for other postal or non-postal uses; see Unrestricted.
Restricted Delivery: requires a fee, which permits the delivery of an item of mail only to the addressee or to the addressee's agent.
Retail option: retail Postal Service customers can access delivery information by calling a toll-free number or via Internet inquiry; USPS term.
Retardo: (Sp.) "Late" overprint/inscription for late fee charge in Spanish language nations.
Rete: (It.) burelage, a fine overall network of dots or lines printed on the surface of stamps in addition to the stamps' design. This is usually done to discourage counterfeiting.
Rethymnon: district in Crete; Russian administration issued stamps May-June1899
Retocado: (Sp.) retouched
Retouch: 1: correction done by hand-engraving on the plate or cylinder 2: flaws corrected on photogravure stamps 3: repairs to a flaw that resulted from an alteration or repair.
Retour: (Fr.) postal marking instruction to return the piece of mail.
Retour à l'expedéditeur: (Fr.) return to sender.
Retourbrief: (Ger.) inscription on stamps issued by Bavaria and Norway for use on mail returned to sender without any further charges
Retourbrief Kgl Oberamt: (Ger.) inscription for return letter stamps of Bavaria.
Retourbrief Kgl Oberpostamt Regensburg: (Ger.) inscription for return letter stamps of Regensburg.
Retourmarken: (Ger.) return to sender handstamp or seal.
Retourstempel: (Ger.) return to sender handstamp or seal.
Retourrezepisse: (Ger.) acknowledgment of receipt.
Retraites: (Fr.) pensions; French Colonies revenue inscription.
Retta: canceling device made of an elongated diamond of dots, used in Egypt and Sudan for rural district mail
Rettile: (It.) reptile (thematic).
Returm¦rke: (Dan.) return (mail) stamp.
Returmärken: (Swed.) return (mail) postage stamp(s).
Returmerke(r): (Nor.) return (mail) postage stamp(s).
Return address: 1: element of a mailpiece that is usually placed in the upper left corner of the mailpiece to indicate the sender; indicates where the sender wants the mail returned if it is undeliverable and where the sender will pay any fee due for that mail. 2: Absendervermerk (Ger.)
Return card: term used for addresses on envelopes for return to sender purposes, also known as corner card.
Returned by Messenger as Undeliverable: special delivery mail is entitled to one "special delivery" delivery, if no one available to receive mail, mail is returned to post office for next regular delivery.
Returned mail: marking on mail indicating returned to sender for any reason
Return from Norfolk Islands: Pitcairn Islands, marking inhabitant's return to the island
Returned letter stamp: a post office label or seal placed on a letter returned to sender because it was undeliverable for any reason.
Return receipt: USPS mailing forms signed by the addressee of an article and mailed back to the sender as evidence of delivery.
Return to Sender by censor: mail piece that was censored and returned when it was determined that it was addressed to an enemy nation.
Retus: (Rom.) retouch.
Retüsch: (Ger.) retouch.
Retvendt stempel: (Dan.) perfectly placed cancellation.
Retymno: Crete, Russian post office, 1899 Sc. 10-46 Crete.
Reunion: Indian Ocean island, 400 miles east of Madagascar; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1852, Jan.1: No.1, 15 centimes black blue, first stamps, Ile de la Réunion inscription, 1864-1940: served by packet-boats direct from Marseille or Aden, via Seychelles or Zanzibar, 1885-91: overprint / surcharge on stamps of French Colonies, 1892-1905: inscription on stamps of French Colonies, 1907-33: own stamps with RF, 1915: first semipostal stamp issued, 1931: first stamp, 1931-47: Reunion with "Postes," 1937: first air mail stamp issued, 1943: overprint on stamps of Reunion "France Libre," Free France, 1946, Mar.: ceased to be a colony, became an overseas Department of France, 1949-74: stamps of France surcharged with CFA, Colonies Francaises d' Afrique, French African Colony, the currency in French African francs, 1947, Jan. 1: colony of Reunion became a part of the French Republic, 1975, Jan.1: surcharge changed to FCFA (French metropolitan franc) from CFA, replaced by stamps of France.
Reus: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Re-use of postage stamps: Congress enacted legislation on July 16, 1862, making the re-use of U.S. postage stamps punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary.
Revalidado: revalidation, overprint on stamps of Portugal.
Revalidate: to restore validity after a stamp has been demonetized; usually by an overprint.
Revalidated: restored to validity after being demonetized.
Revalorizada 1975: 1975 overprint on stamp of Chile as surcharge.
Revalued: a postal stationery piece with an additional indicium imprinted beside the original one that alters the total denomination. 1¢ postal card revalued to 2¢ January 1, 1952.
Revell, Martin F.: postmaster, Annapolis, Md, 1844-49, issued Postmaster's Provisional envelope.
Revenue: overprint on British Honduras, 1899.
Revenue Act of July 1, 1862: start of taxation of 28 categories including documentary articles and proprietary items to help fund the Union cause in the Civil War; simplified on Dec. 25, 1862 ( second Issue revenues) where any type of stamp could be used to indicate the prepayment of any tax.
Revenue Division: APS term for exhibition classification to include revenue exhibits, history and special studies.
Revenue proof: originally made from proof reading sheets by Butler, Carpenter Company

RE to RZ


Revenue stamp: 1: stamp issued to pay various types of taxes, generally denominated in currency; some show exemption from tax such as tax-exempt government services. 2: some may be considered cinderellas; also called "Fiscals." 3: U.S. Congress enacted law creating the second Federal issue of embossed revenue stamps in 1801. 4: Fiskalischemarke (Ger.) , Timbre Fiscal (Fr.),, Francobollo Fiscale (It.), Sello Fiscal (Sp.).
Revenue stamp, first: paper squares were embossed in hand presses and sold for tax-paid revenue use in Holland, 1579.
Revenue stamp mutilator: In accordance with a circa 1915 Internal Revenue Department [on the War Tax Revenue Law], all revenue stamps to the value of ten cents or more had to be mutilated with three parallel incisions, cut through the stamp after being affixed to the document. This was in addition to stamping the same with the initials of the user and date of use. Commercial devices produced to meet this requirement are known as "revenue stamp mutilators."
Revenue stamp, straight: perforated and unperforated stamps; 1887 definition.
Revenue stamped paper: various items with stamped, inked impressions on the paper itself; used to underwrite the American Civil War (1865-83) and the Spanish-American War (1898-1902); usually found as bank checks and railway tickets.
Revers: (Fr.) reverse
Reversed: a left/right mirror image, usually refers to a watermark
Reversed perforation: perforations applied to the back of the sheets, instead of, as normal, to the front.
Reversed print: design visible on stamp back.
Reversed watermark: due to paper inserted upside down, paper received inverted watermark; note the watermark should read correctly when viewed from the front of the stamp.
Reverso: (Sp.) back, as opposed to the front of a philatelic object.
Revisado: (Sp.) examined, censored.
Revised Constitution 1959: Aden overprint for introduction of constitution.
Revista: (Sp.) magazine, periodical
Reverso: (Sp.) reverse side, back
Revoyer: (Fr.) to send back, to return.
Rey: (Sp.) king
Réznyomás: (Hung.) engraved..
Rézvörös: (Hung.) copper-red (color) (also vörösréz).
RF: 1. Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Playing Card. 2. France overprint on stamps for United States République Fran'aise (French Republic), authorized by U.S. authorities in North Africa and French Admiralty to permit French military to use American military air post; 1945.
RF, Rfr: Franc, currency unit in Rwanda.
R.F.D.: Rural Free Delivery
RFV: Scott Catalog number prefix for Playing Card (D.W.I.).
RFW: Ralph F. Wurtz, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
RG: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Silver Tax. 2: Regummed. 3: Registrar General, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74.
R.H.: 1: (Fr.) République D'Haiti (Republic of Haiti) postage dues, 1898 2: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Cigarette Tube 3: Receiving House
Rheatown, Tenn. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Rhiga Colonial Club Resort: cinderella for Cairns Colonial Club Resort, Australia.
Rhineland Pfalz: see Rhineland Palatinate.
Rhineland Palatinate: French occupation of area of Germany; 1947: first French stamps in pfennig currency issued, 1948: first semi-postal stamp issued 1949: first commemorative stamp issued; now a state in Federal Republic of Germany
Rhein-Ruhr-Hilfe: overprint on semi-postal stamps of Germany.
Rhode Island: 1: first federal issue revenue of United States,, July 1, 1798-Feb. 28, 1801. 2: supervisors' seal revenue, March 2, 1799.
Rhodes: Dodecanese Island, Aegean Islands, aka Rodi; 1845-1948: Austria, Great Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Russia and Turkey had offices on Rhodes, 1852, Sept.: French post office opened, closed Sept. 1887, reopened Jan.1896, closed 1924, 1912- pre: Italians seized island, used stamps of Turkey, 1912: overprinted Rodi, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, overprint "Rodi" on stamps of Italy, 1916: first stamps without overprints, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1934: first air mail, postage due stamps, 1943, Sept.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, first semi-postal stamps, 1944: overprint "Weihnachten" prepared locally for German military mail, but not authorized, 1945: liberated by Allied forces, 1945, June 11: stamps of Britain overprinted "M.E.F." (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1947, March 31: British post offices closed; stamps of Greece overprinted "S.D.D." (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1947-summer: stamps of Greece used.
Rhodes: Aegean Islands; see Interpostal Seals, 1880
Rhodesia: southeastern Africa, formerly Southern Rhodesia, aka British South Africa; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1967) 1890-1919: administered by the British South Africa Company, 1890: No.1, 1 penny black, 1896, May 22: stamps of Cape of Good Hope overprinted "British South Africa Company," 1909: name of Rhodesia appeared as an overprint, 1910: Rhodesia as an inscription, 1923: divided and part became the British Crown Colony of Southern Rhodesia 1924: balance became Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia, 1953, Sept. 3: Federation of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland formed from Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1954: first stamps as Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1961: postage due stamps of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1964, Oct.: Southern Rhodesia adopted name of Rhodesia, 1965, May 17: separate issues for Rhodesia, 1965, June 17: first postage due stamps for Rhodesia, 1965, Nov. 11: unilaterally declared its independence, 1965, Dec. 8: first stamps as Rhodesia, not recognized as valid by Britain 1965-67: overprint on postage dues, 1978, Oct. 18: last issue as Rhodesia, 1980, April 18: Rhodesia became Zimbabwe; see Zimbabwe.
Rhodesia: overprint on stamps of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Federation of: Federation of Southern and Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland Protectorate; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound 1953, Aug. 1: Federation of Southern, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland created, 1954, July 1: No.1, ½ pence vermillion, first stamp by the Federation, 1961, Apr.19: first postage due stamp, 1963, Dec. 31: Federation dissolved, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland issued own stamps, Southern Rhodesia used Federation stamps, 1964, Feb. 19: Southern Rhodesia issued own stamps, 1965, Dec.: first postage due stamps.
Rhodesia-G.B. E.M.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Rhodesia, Northern: southern Africa, separated from Southern Rhodesia by the Zambezi River; 1895: used stamps of the British South Africa Company, 1895-1900: administered by North East Rhodesia, 1890s: mail from North West Rhodesia delivered by runners, 1895: placed under control of British South Africa Company, 1900: North East Rhodesia also used stamps of the British South Africa Company, overprinted "B.C.A.," routed via British Central Africa, 1911: unified as Northern Rhodesia, 1923: part of the British Crown, 1924, Apr. 1: made a British protectorate, 1925, Apr.1: No.1, ½ penny dark green, first stamps issued, 1929: first postage due stamp. 1953: joined the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1954-63: used stamps of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation, 1963, Dec. 10: separate issues resumed after Federation dissolved, 1964, Oct. 24: became Republic of Zambia; see Rhodesia; Rhodesia, Southern; Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Zambia.
Rhodesia, Southern: Africa, bordering on Bechuanaland and Mozambique; 1923, Oct.1: became British Crown Colony, 1924, April 1: first stamps issued, 1954-65: used stamps of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation, 1964, Oct.: adopted name of Rhodesia.
Rhodesie: (Fr.) Rhodesia.
Rhodos: (Swed.) Rhodes.
Rhonda & Swansea Bay: Wales railway local post.
R.H./Official: Royal Household/Official overprint for use of staff at royal residences.
R.H. Official: overprint of British official stamps, for use by Royal Household, 1902-04.
Rhymney Railway: Wales railway local post.
RI: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Potato Tax. 2: USPS abbreviation for Rhode Island. 3. international postal code for Indonesia.
Rial: currency unit in Iran, Oman.
Rialtas Sealdac na Héireann 1922: overprint on stamps of Great Britain for provincial government of Ireland, Irish Free State.
Riau (Riouw) Archipeligo: two groups of islands off coast of Sumatra; WW II: occupied by Japan, 1954, Jan. 1: overprint "Riau" on stamps of Indonesia and the Netherlands Indies, required due to currency differences of the islands, 1965, Dec.: stamps withdrawn after revaluation of the rupiah, 1957: overprints in solid letters on stamps of Indonesia, see Indonesia, 1954-60
Ribadeo: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937.
Ribbed: Giriffelt (Ger.) , Côtele (Fr.) , Scanalatura (It.) , Costillado (Sp.)
Ribbed paper: paper which shows fine parallel ridges on one or both sides of a stamp, aka Repp paper.
Ribbed frame: varieties of encased postage with fine parallel lines on the silver side of the metal case.
Ribbed gum: stamp adhesive with evenness changed into narrow, parallel strips to counteract paper curl.
Ribbed paper: paper showing on the surface a continuous series of ribs or ridges.
Ribraltar: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
Rice & Peck's Express: operated via the New York & Erie Railroad (1841-61); used corner card of envelopes and labels.
Rice paper: thin hard white paper; used for Salvador 1889 issue, special printing.
Ricevitoria: (It.) post office.
Ricevuta: (It.) receipt.
Ricevuta di Imposizione: (It.) receipt of fee, tax. Rich & Weston's Express: local express company serviced Plymouth, Mass., labels
Richardson, D.M.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Richardson Match Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Richmond Bureau: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Richmond Letter Courier: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Richmond, Texas Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Richmond, Va.: occupied by British from May, 1781 until Dec. 1781.
Richland: stamps produced from cigarette wrappers, bogus
Rich's Express: local baggage and freight company, serviced Brooklyn, N.Y. and New York City, labels.
Richwood's Dispatch: fantasy local post, La Hoyt, Iowa, 1887.
Ricketts & Hall: U.S. local post, Baltimore, Md., 1857.
Ricketts index: research file of various philatelic material, also available as Ricketts United States Index; US Locals, Bibliography index; available from APRL; see : APRL.
Rickshaw: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Riddell, J. J.: postmaster, New Orleans, La., issued Postmaster's Provisional adhesive and envelope.
Ridged gum: uneven stamp adhesive due to use of a metal roller so that the gum was applied to the stamp paper in fine streams so that the gum dries in humps on the ridges.
Riel: currency unit of Cambodia.
Rift: (Dan., Nor.) tear.
Riga: (It.) horizontal row.
Right and Reverse: term that results from the stacking of printed stamps whose ink is not dry; the right-reverse impression occurs when the inked image is carried on the cylinder which prints the image on several following sheets on the wrong side.
Rigi-Kaltbad: Switzerland hotel post, 1851-64
Rigi-Scheideck: Switzerland hotel post, 1868-80.
Rigi-Staffel: Switzerland hotel post, 1878-79.
Rigommato: (It.) regummed.
Rigsbank skilling: currency unit in Denmark prior to 1875
Rigsdaler: currency unit in Iceland prior to 1876
Rijeka: name given to Fiume by Croations.
Ríjen: (Czech.) October.
Riksbrev: (Swed.) inland letters.
Riksvapnet: (Swed.) national coat-of-arms.
Rik(x)sdaler: currency unit in Sweden, 1858-74
Rik(x)sdaler Banco: currency unit in Sweden prior to 1858
Rilieve: (It.) embossing.
Rimless CDS: no circle surrounding circular date stamp.
Rin: currency unit in Japan. 1876-99
Rincon de la Victoria: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937-38.
Ring: name given to band of seven stamp dealers accused of bid-rigging at stamp auctions in the U.S. and Europe, 2001.
Ringbolt: U.S. Navy code name during WW II for Tulagi Island, British Solomon Islands.
Ringgit: currency unit in Malaysia.
Ringgold, Georgia five cents: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Ring stamps: refers to Swedish early stamps depicting a circular ring.
Ring's Vegetable Ambrosia: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Ringtype: (Dan., Ger.) ring type numerical oblit cancellation.
Rio de Oro: "River of Gold" Spanish territory in northwest coast of Africa, aka Western Sahara; currency: 100 centimos = 1 peseta 1885, Jan. 9: Spanish protectorate, administered from Canary Islands, 1901: used stamps of Spain, 1905: No.1, 1 centimo blue green, stamps first issued, 1924: combined with Saguiet el Hamra; renamed Spanish Sahara; see Cabo Juby, Rio de Oro, Spanish Guinea and Spanish Sahara.
Riogordo: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937-38
Rio Hacha: see Magdalena
Rio Muni: west Africa; formerly Fernando Po and part of Spanish Guinea; currency: 100 centimos = 1 peseta 1959, July 30: overseas province of Spain, used stamps of Spanish Guinea, 1960, April 27: No.1, 25 centimos dull blue violet, colonial stamps of Spain inscribed "Rio Muni," 1960: first semipostal stamp, 1968, Oct. 12: merged with Fernando Po, Eloby, Annobon and Corisco to become Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
Rios 19: overprint on stamps of Ecuador; Los Rios provincial control mark, 1902.
Riotinto: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937-38
Riouw: aka Riau-Lingga; south-east of Singapore, part of Netherlands East Indies; 1954: surcharge in Straits currency on stamps of Indonesia.
Riparato: (It.) repaired.
Ripcord cover: novelty cover from air force parachute personnel with a string under the stamp and instruction to "Pull rip-cord right and down," symbolic of the parachute rip-cord.
Ripon: local, Colombia, 1930-34
Ripoll: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republican 1937
Riporto: (It.) transfer
Riposte mark: computer-generated postage system with colorful indicia.
Rippindale and District: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Ripple gum: a gum used in Germany to produce a non-curling effect.
R.I.S.: Republik Indonesia Serikat; Indonesia overprint on stamps of Netherlands Indies, 1950.
Riss: (Ger., Swed.) little tear
Ristampa: (It.) reprint.
Riststempel: (Nor.) grid or bar oblit cancellation.
Ritaglio: (It.) cut square.
Ritcherdson's Express: 1857?; local express company that serviced Missouri and Kansas territory, labels.
Ritentivo: (It.) binder.
Riticco: (It.) retouch.
Riudor de Bages: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republican 1937.
Riu-Kiu-Inseln: (Ger.) Ryukyu Islands.
Rivadavias: Argentina stamps with design of Bernardino Rivadavia, issued in 1864-90.
River Express Co.: 1894; mail express company that serviced Calif; issued corner card.
Riverside & Arlington Railway Express: operated on electric trolleys,
Riverside, Calif., Express Stamp
River steamer mail: steamboat New Orleans carried first mail by steamer on Jan. 23, 1812 from New Orleans to Natchez.
Rives: watermark seen on French-Area artist's die proofs.
Riyal: currency unit in Dubia (from 1966), Hejaz (from 1928), Qatar (from 1967), Saudi Arabia, (from 1960), Umm al Qiwain (from 1967), and Yemen
Rizeh (Rize): city in Russia, overprint on stamps of Russia, Offices in Turkish Empire, 1909-10, issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Russian post offices in the Turkish Empire.
RJ: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Tobacco Sale Tax.
RJA: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Narcotic Tax.
RJL: Robert J. Little, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
RK: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Consular Service Fee. 2: auction abbreviation for topical rockets and space.
Rkioymoy Atzinae Aenta: (Resembles these letters) Thrace overprint on stamps of Turkey.
RL: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Customs Fee. 2: (Fr.) Rayon Limitrophe (border radius) a reduced arte for towns within the border zone 3: (It.) Repubblica Ligure (Genoese Republic, Italy). 4. international postal code for Lebanon.
R.L.B.: Returned Letter Branch
Rl. Plata F.: currency unit in Cuba, Philippines
R.L.S.: Returned Letter Section
RM: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Embossed Revenue Stamped Paper. 2: USPS abbreviation for room in addresses. 3: Reichsmark: currency unit in Germany.
RMK: Republic of Mountainous Karabakh, not a UPU member.
Rmnt: abbreviation for remnant.
R.M.S.: 1: Railway Mail Service 2: Royal Mail Ship 3: Railway Mail Sorter (India)
RN: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Stamped paper.
RNS: overprint on stamps of Bussahir, India use is questionable.
RO: 1: auction abbreviation for Roosevelt topic. 2: Roumelie Orientale overprint on stamps of Turkey for Eastern Rumelia (Roumelia), 1880 3: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Private Die Match. 4. international postal code for Romania.
Roadman's Penny Post: local post, source unknown.
Roavoamena: Madagascar local issue.
Roberts & Co's Express: local service between Philadelphia and Norristown, Pa.
Robertsport: city in Liberia, registration inscription, 1893-1924.
Robison & Co.: U. S. local post, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1855-56.
Robotic Containerization System: USPS term for automatic handling of sorting and loading of trays of mail to containers or pallets for transportation.
ROC: Republic of China (Taiwan).
Roche's City Dispatch: U. S. local post, Wilmington, Del., 1850.
Rochester: U.S. local post; see Hoyt's Letter Express
Rochester Parcel Delivery Co.: local delivery firm that serviced Rochester, N.Y., Parcel Stamp.
Rocket flight: rocket pioneers placed souvenir cards or covers in their rockets; referred to as "Rocket mail," astrophilatelists commemorate rocket flights by non-flown covers posted at the launch site or nearest postal facility to the launch date.
Rocket mail: mail sent via rockets; first experiments took place in 1928 in Austria by Friedrich Schmiedl; many covers also have special labels affixed for the occasion.
Rocket mail, first official: Stephen Smith flew a rocket with mail and a parcel enclosed on April 7, 1935 in Sikkim, India.
Rocket mail stamp, first official: issued by the government of Cuba on Oct. 15, 1939 for the first experimental rocket flight in Havana.
Rocket post: Raketenpost (Ger.) , Poste par Fusée (Fr.) , Posta per Razzo (It.) , Correo de Cohete (Sp.)
Rocket stamp: a private stamp or label to prepay charges to have a letter or card sent by rocket mail.
Rocking-in: when the image of the transfer roller is moved to the printing plate during the line-engraving process.
Rød: (Dan., Nor.) red (color)
Röd: (Swed.) red (color).
Roda: 1: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1871-82 2: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republican 1937
Roda de Ter: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Rödakors: (Swed.) Red Cross
Rödakt: (Swed.) reddish (color).
Rödakt-blåakt lila: (Swed.) reddish - bluish-lilac (color).
Rödakt brun: (Swed.) reddish-brown (color).
Rödakt karmin: (Swed.) reddish-carmine (color).
Rödakt orange: (Swed.) reddish-orange (color).
Rödakt-orange - orange: (Swed.) reddish-orange - orange (color).
Rödakt-violett: (Swed.) reddish-violet (color).
Rodas: (Sp.) Rhodes.
Rødbrun: (Dan.) red-brown (color).
Røde Halvmåne: (Dan., Nor.) Red Crescent.
Røde Kors: (Dan., Nor.) Red Cross.
R.O. Del Uruguay: Uruguay.
Rodézia: (Hung.) Rhodesia.
Rodézia (Dél): (Hung.) Southern Rhodesia.
Rodgers Aerial Post: cross-country flight carried mail with privately printed stamps, 1911.
Röd Halvmån: (Swed.) Red Crescent.
Rød Halvmåne: (Nor.) Red Crescent.
Rodhos: aka Rhodes.
Rodi: see Rhodes. Overprint/inscription on stamps of Italy, Aegean Islands see Rhodes, Isle of Roles d'Equipage: ships personnel roster; French Colonies revenue inscription.
Rodillo: (Sp.) roller
Rodillo de Propaganda: (Sp.) roller used for slogan postmarks
Rød Kors: (Nor.) Red Cross.
Rødlig: (Dan.) reddish.
Rødligblå: (Dan.) reddish-blue (color).
Rødligbrun: (Dan.) reddish-brown (color).
Rødliggul: (Dan.) reddish-yellow (color).
Rødliglilla: (Dan.) reddish-violet (color).
Rødligorange: (Dan.) reddish-orange (color).
Rødligpurpur: (Dan.) reddish-purple (color).
Rødligviolet: (Dan.) reddish-violet (color).
Rødorange: (Dan.) red-orange (color).
Rodosto: French post office opened Feb. 1872, closed Aug. 1876.
Rödvin: (Swed.) wine red, claret (color).
Rødbrun: (Dan. Nor.) red-brown, maroon (color).
Rödbrun: (Swed.) red-brown, maroon (color), seeRusset.
Rødfiolett: (Nor.) red-violet (color).
Rødlig: (Dan., Nor.) reddish.
Rødligblå: (Dan., Nor.) reddish-blue (color).
Rødligbrun: (Dan., Nor.) reddish-brown (color).
Rødligfiolett: (Nor.) reddish-violet (color).
Rødliggul: (Dan., Nor.) reddish-yellow (color).
Rødliglilla: (Dan., Nor.) reddish-violet (color).
Rødligoranjse: (Nor.) reddish-orange (color).
Rødligpurpur: (Dan., Nor.) reddish-purple (color).
Rödlila: (Swed.) red-lilac, muave (color).
Rödlila-rödakt lila: (Swed.) red-lilac - reddish-lilac (color).
Rødlilla: (Nor.) red-lilac, muave (color).
Röd-ljusröd: (Swed.) red-light red (color).
Röd-mattröd: (Swed.) red-dull red (color).
Rödorange: (Swed.) red-orangr (color).
Rödviolett: (Swed.) red-violet (color).
Roeber, H. & W.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Roeber, William: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Roessler, A. C. (A.C.Roe): East Orange, N.J. cover dealer who designed, printed and sold many types of airmail stationery, cachets and etiquettes; prosecuted by the U.S. Post Office Department for unauthorized overprinting of U.S. stamps; also produced essays and bogus issues of several other nations..
Rofté Mbreti 1467-1914: Albania handstamp for arrival of Prince William zu Wied on March 14, 1914
Roger's Penny Post: U. S. local post and handstamp, Newark, N.J., 1856.
Rohania: Romania.
Rohovy Blok: (Czech.) corner block (of stamps).
Rohrpost: (Ger.) pneumatic post used in Germany, 1867; Austria 1873.
Roi: (Fr.) king
Roido: (Sp.) "diente roido"; perforation pulled.
Roil Mail: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Rojo: (Sp.) red (color).
Rojo Ladrillo: (Sp.) brick red color.
Rojo vinoso: (Sp.) claret (color)
ROK: international postal code for South Korea.
Rol: (Dut.) coil (stamp)
Roland Press P.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Roles d'Equipage: ship's personnel roster; French Colonies revenue inscription. Roleta: (Sp.) roulette
Roll: a coil of stamps
Rolle: (Ger.) coil (of stamps)
Roller-canceller: a canceling device used for periodicals and standard mail.
Rollins Express: local firm that serviced Boston, Groveland and West Newbury, Mass., labels.
Rollo de sellos: (Sp.) coil, roll of stamps
Roll of Distinguished Philatelists: founded by the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in 1920, first signer was King George V
Rollstempel: (Ger.) roller hand cancel
Rom.: (It.) Romagna (Italy pre-adhesive postmark).
Romagna(e): made up of Italian provinces of Forli, Ravenna, Ferrara and Bologna; currency: 100 bajocchi = 1 scudo 1852, Jan. 1: stamps from Papal States, 1859, June 12: No.1, ½ bajocci black strawberry, issued own stamps as a provisional government, 1859, Oct. 12- March 1, 1860: bisects used, 1860, March 25: became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, 1862: Italian general issue stamps replaced local issues, 1870: became part of the province of Emilia; unified Kingdom of Italy; see Roman States.
Romagne: inscription on stamps of Romagna
Romana, Romina, Roumania: Romania.
Romana Posta: bogus label, anti-communist issue
Romana, Zona de Occupatie: overprint on stamps of Hungary, Romanian Occupation.
Romania: see Arad.
Romania: southeastern Europe, on Black Sea, aka Rumania, Roumania; currency: 40 parale = 1 piaster, 100 bani = 1 leu (1868) 1858, July: No.1, 27 parale black on rose, stamps were those of Moldavia, 1862, June 26: stamps of Moldavia and Walachia who combined as Romania, 1865-pre: stamps handstamped on paper, 1865, Jan.: No.1, 2 parale orange, first stamps issued as Romania, 1875, July 1: joined the U.P.U. 1881: kingdom under Carol I, first postage due stamp, 1895: first parcel post stamp, 1896, March 16: stamps of Romania overprinted in Turkish currency issued for Romanian ships, mail and stamp seized by Turkish police on May 25, PO closed, 1906, Jan. 14: first semipostal issued, 1915: first postal ta, postal tax due stamps, 1916: overprinted stamps of Bulgaria for occupation of Dobruja, 1917: occupation stamps of Austria and Germany surcharged, 1918, Dec.1: stamps of Hungary overprinted in Romanian currency used in Transylvania and Romania, 1919: stamps of Romania overprinted in Turkish currency issued for Romanian post offices in Turkish Empire, 1919, July: Banat Bacska issued stamps, then divided between Romania and Yugoslavia, 1919: Temesvar used overprinted stamps of Serbia; 1919, Aug. 20 Temesvar used overprinted stamps of Romania; then awarded to Romania and renamed Timisoara., 1919: Romanian occupation of Pokutia, stamps of Austria surcharged "C.M.T." 1919, Nov. 20: Debrecen used stamps of Romania, then retained by Hungary and Romanian stamps withdrawn, 1919: Romania established a post office on board ship in Constantinople, Turkey, 1928: first air mail stamp, 1929: first official stamp, 1940, Dec.1: first air mail semipostal stamp issued, 1944, April: occupied by Russia, 1947, Dec.30: became People's Republic of Romania.
Romania - 1909 Romanian Aviation Week at Bucharest: the first Romanian aviation event was held in Bucharest during 24-31 October 1909; the French pioneer aviator and English Channel pilot, Louis Blériot (1872-1936), participated. A special postcard depicting Blériot and his monoplane and e inscribed "BL‰RIOT SI MONOPLANUL SAU" was issued for the occasion. The card exists with postage stamps cancelled by an undated postmark, but the dated cancel on the reverse evidences the card being posted on 7 November 1909, a week later than the aviation week events.
Romania - 1919 French Military Flight to Greece and Turkey: on 6 September 1916, a French military plane at Bucharest on a good-will visit departed for Salonika (now Thessaloníki), Greece, and Smyrna (now Izmir), Turkey. Souvenir mail is recorded being carried on the flight.
Romania - 1921 Bucharest-Paris Flight: on 31 October 1921, the French-owned C.F.R.N.A. (Cie. Franco-Roumaine de Navigation Aérienne) airline inaugurated the first Bucharest to Paris flight via Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Strasbourg, France. First flight covers exist for the Bucharest-Prague and Bucharest-Paris legs of the flight.
Romania - 1922 Bucharest-Budapest Flight: on 21 September 1922, the French-owned C.F.R.N.A. (q.v.) airline inaugurated the first Bucharest to Budapest, Hungary, flight; first flight covers commemorating the event exist.
Romania - 1922 Bucharest-Constantinople Flight: on 30 September 1922, the French-owned C.F.R.N.A. (q.v.) airline inaugurated the first Bucharest to Constantinople, Turkey, flight; first flight covers commemorating the event exist.
Romania - 1923 Bucharest-Belgrade Flight: on 1 June 1923, the French-owned C.F.R.N.A. (q.v.) airline inaugurated the first Bucharest to Belgrade, Yugoslavia; flight; first flight covers commemorating the event exist.
Romania - 1925 Bucharest International Flights: during 1925, the French-owned C.I.D.N.A. (Cie. Internationale de Navigation Aérienne) conducted a series of inaugural Flights to international destinations: 17 January, Bucharest to Paris via Prague, Czechoslovakia; 17 March, Bucharest to Constantinople, Turkey; 28 July, Bucharest to Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary; 28 September, survey flights for the Bucharest to Galati, Romania, and return routes; and 30 September, Bucharest to Warsaw, Poland, via Prague. First flight covers exist for the individual flights.
Romania: Austrian occupation; 1916, June: Romania invaded Hungarian Transylvania, was defeated, 1917: Austro-Hungarian Army occupied Romania; issued stamps.
Romania - Bistra Local Post: local post established in 1906, and issuing 2 and 6 Heller Stamps printed by Josef Hientz in Sebes-Alba and inscribed "S.R.V. / SECTION-MÃœHLBACH / (fir tree) / Bistra-Post", the "S.R.V." representing "Siebenbürgiescher Karpatenverein" (Ger., Eng. Siebenburgen, Hung. Erdély, Rom. Transilvania ("Siebenburgen Carpathian Mountains Club"); the post ceased operations in 1914. Mühlbach (Rom. Sebes, Alba county) was the German name for the Romanian town ca. 5 miles south of the county capital Alba Iulia, and ca. 140 miles NW of Bucharest.
Romania: Bulgarian occupation; 1916-17: Bulgaria invaded; stamps of Bulgaria overprinted including date "1916-1917."
Romania - D.B.S.R. Local Railroad Post: the local railroad post formed the link between the Danube Steam Navigation Company (q.v.) mail boats calling at the commercial port of Czernawoda (Rom. Cernavoda, or Cerna-Voda), located in SE Romania on the Danube River WNW of the city of Constanta and ca. 105 miles E of Bucharest, and the Austrian Llyod services at Kustandje (Ger. Küstenja, Rom. Constanta), the Black Sea port ca. 25 miles E of Czernawoda. Local stamps issued in 1867 for the territory then belonging to Turk ey are inscribed "D.B.S.R. / Local-Post / KUSTENDIE & CZERNAWODA / 20 PARAS" ("D.B.S.R.": "Danube Black Sea Railway"), and are found used on letters from either Kustandje or Czernowoda, paying the loose letter railroad rate; these covers are found as mixed franking with the stamps of Lombardy-Venetia.
Romania: German occupation; 1917: Romania occupied by Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Germany; German occupation powers issued stamps of Germany overprinted "M.V.i.R." Militär Verwaltung in Rumänien Military Administration of Romania, 1918: stamps of Germany overprinted "Gultig / 9. Armee," a postal tax to maintain occupation army.
Romanian Occupation of Hungary: 1919: first semi-postal, postage due stamps on stamps of Hungary, occupation of Banat Bacska, Debreczin, Temesvar and Transylvania.
Romanian Occupation of Western Ukraine: stamps of Austria surcharged "C.M.T." during occupation of Pokutia, 1919.
Romanian Offices in Turkish Empire: 1896: No.1, 10 paras on 5 banis blue, general issues surcharged for use in Turkish Empire, but Turkey refused to let them be used, 1896, Mar. 1: agency opened on a Roumanian Steamship Co. ship, 1896, May 25: ship post office closed by Turkish police, 1919: overprint applied for use in Constantinople office.
Romania Post Offices in Constantinople: 1896: general issues surcharged for use in Turkish Empire, but Turkey refused to let them be used, 1896, Mar. 1: agency opened on a Roumanian Steamship Co. ship, 1896, May 25: ship post office closed by Turkish police, 1919: overprint applied for use in Constantinople office.
Romana Posta: bogus label, anti-communist issue, year unknown.
Romania-Zone de Occupatie: overprint on stamps of Hungary for Romanian occupation.
Roman States: also known as Papal States, located in central part of Italy with Rome as its capital, existed since 5th century; currency: 100 bajocchi = 1 scudo, 100 centesimi = 1 lira (1867) 1859: Romagna broke away to become part of Sardinia 1852, Jan. 1: No.1, ½ bajochi black violet, Roman States issued first stamp, 1870: Roman States incorporated into Kingdom of Italy, stamps of Italy used, now Vatican City.
Rombos: (Sp.) lozenge
ROMC: (It.) Regio Uffizio Corrier Maggiore (Royal Office of the General Postmaster), pre-adhesive postmark.
Romersk: (Nor.) Roman (adj.).
Romina: Romania, preceded by "R.P." used on stamps of Romania 1954-64.
Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway: stamp for conveyance of single post letter by railway; Great Britain.
Ronda: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1936-37
Rood: (Dut.) red (color).
Roode Kruis: (Dut.) Red Cross inscription on Netherlands semi-postal.
Roo's: Australian stamps featuring the kangaroo, 1913-48.
Roosevelt Nickel Invert: cinderella used in movie The Truth About Charlie a remake of Charade.
Roosevelt proofs: during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt,1903, the Post Office made 85 albums of sets of die proofs of all U. S. postage stamps designs as gifts to various political figures.
Roothill Emergency P.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
ROPiT: (Russ.) Russian Company of Trade and Navigation; Russian Post Offices in Turkey; 1862, Nov.: first stamps, 1863, Jan. 1: first stamps issued, 1868, May: ROPiT agencies given status of Russian Post offices Abroad, 1909: overprinted stamps issued for Beirut, Dardanelles, Galata, Jaffa,Jerusalem, Kerassunde, Mount Athos, Mytilene, Rizeh, Salonica, Smyrna, and Trebizond, 1914, Sept. 30: Russian post offices on Turkish soil closed, 1919: some post offices reopened briefly; failed for lack of ships.
Roquetes: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republican 1937
Rørpost: (Dan.) pneumatic post, pneumatic mail.
Rørpostm¦rke: (Dan.) pneumatic post stamp, pneumatic mail stamp.
Rosa: (Dan., Ger., It., Nor., Sp., Swed.) pink, rose (color)
Rosaakt: (Swed.) rose-tinged (color).
Rosabrun: (Swed.) rose-brown (color).
Rosace: the embossed or impressed device found on the loose flap of an envelope with a pattern of interlaced circles, the lines are sunk and the interweaving portions are in relief; in imitation of the old-fashioned wafer used in sealing.
Rosafarvet: (Dan.) rose (color).
Rosarød: (Dan.) rose-red (color).
Rosaröd: (Swed.) rose-red (color).
Rosbach perforation: named after F. P. Rosbach perforating machine that applied gauge 12 1/2 to the U.S. 1919 issue.
Rose Engine: device used to engrave complicated geometric designs by Perkins, Bacon & Co.
Rose, J.B. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Roseau: Fresh Water Lake, Layou River, Boiling Lake inscriptions, unissued Great Britain cinderellas by David Horry, 2001.
Rosenrød: (Nor.) rose-red (color).
Roses: 1: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republican 1937 2: U.S. Navy code name during WW II for Efate, New Hebrides Islands.
Roses de Llobregat: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republican1937
Rosette: city in Egypt; see Interpostal Seals, 1871-82
Rosette crack: fine cracks radiating from a central point in irregular lines.
Roskilde Flight: see Denmark - Copenhagen-Roskilde Flight, 1914.
Rossbach: perforating machine, used on a limited number of the 1918 issue, gauge 12 1/2, rejected by the USPOD in 1919.
Ross Dependency: area of Antarctica under New Zealand administration; 1923, July 30: claimed by Great Britain on behalf of New Zealand, 1908: stamps of New Zealand overprinted "King Edward VII Land," 1910-12: stamps of New Zealand overprinted "Victoria Land,"1957, Jan. 11: No.1, 3 pence dark blue, stamp first issued; see New Zealand.
Rossija: Russia, a former republic of the Soviet Union, 1991-.
Rosso: (It.) red (color).
Rosso di Mattone: (It.) brick red (color)
Rosswein: 1: Rosswein, German courier local post, 1893 2: local post, German Democratic Republic, 1946
Rossyeny: town in Lithuania, local provisional, 1919
Rost: (Swed.) rust.
Rostbraun: (Ger.) rust (color)
Rostbrun: (Swed.) rust-brown (color).
Rostfläcker: (Swed.) rust blemish, blot, spot, stain.
Rostfleckig: (Ger.) foxed, rust spots, tropical stain
Rostnummernstempel: (Ger.) grill and numeral cancel
Rostock: city in Germany local post, Courier, 1896-1900
Rostorange: (Swed.) rust-orange (color).
Rostov: city in Russia, aka Rostof; 1871-91: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1918-19: stamps were surcharges on Russian stamps.
Rosu: (Rom.) red (color).
Rosu-aprins: (Rom.) bright red, fire-red (color).
Rosu-caramiziu: (Rom.) brick-red (color).
Rosu-carmin: (Rom.) carmine-red (color).
Rosu-carne: (Rom.) flesh (color).
Rosu-lila: (Rom.) lilac-red (color), see Visiniu-putred.
Rosu-purpuriu: (Rom.) purplish rose, geranium (color).
Rosu-sînge: (Rom.) blood-red (color).
Rosu-violet: (Rom.) violet-red, lilac-red (color).
Rot: (Ger.) red (color)
Rotacni Ocelotisk: (Czech.) line engraving - rotary print.
Rotacni Ocelotisk Kombinovany s Rastrovym Hlubotiskem: (Czech.) line engraving - rotary printing in combination with photo engraving.
Rotary cancel: cancellation die mounted on a revolving drum, soemtimes with a self-inking device, to obliterate stamps.
Rotary coil end strip: a leader and end strip was added to the roll with information re the face value and number of stamps.
Rotary International-Convention Wien 1932: overprint on stamps of Austria semi-postal, 1932
Rotary perforations: a perforation applied by a perforating wheel that has a grinding motion; usually results in rougher perforations and may be slightly distorted in shape.
Rotary Perforator: has wheels of perforating pins that rotate on a central axle or shaft.
Rotary plates: flat plates are bent to fit the round cylinders of the rotary printing presses.
Rotary press: uses joined, curved printing plates that print on continuous rolls (webs) of paper
Rotary press stamps: stamps printed from curved plates as compared to stamps printed from flat plates on a flat bed press. They will be slightly longer or wider than flat press stamps.
Rotary printing: 1: printing process where pressure is applied by an impression cylinder to the paper against the printing cylinder. 2: impresion rotativa (Sp.) , impression par cylindre (Fr.) , stampa rotativa (It.) , walzendruck (Ger.)
Rotary rouletting: rouletting applied by wheels rolled over the paper vs to blades that descend and pierce the paper.
Rotat. aetztiefdruck: (Ger.) rotogravure.
Rotation number: the number applied to a sheet for use on checking the sheets stamp paper.
Rotationsdruck: (Ger.) rotary printing
Rotationsptressar: (Swed.) rotary presses.
Rotes Kreuz: (Ger.) Red Cross.
Roto: (Sp.) broken.
Rotocalco: (It.) photogravure, intaglio.
Rotogravure: rotary photogravure, where an engraved plate is made by photographic means and printed on a rotary press; also known as photogravure
Rotolo: (It.) coil (of stamps).
Rotto: (It.) broken.
Rött påtryck: (Swed.) red surcharge.
Rotura: (Sp.) crack, tear, break, split
Rouad: warship cancel, 1915.
Rouad, Ile: off the coast of Syria, 1916, Jan. 12: French post office issued stamps of the French Offices in the Levant overprinted "Ile Rouad."
Rouble: currency unit in Belarus, Russia
Rouen Aviation Club: France, local, 1922.
Rouge: (Fr.) red.
Rough perforation: Perkins, Bacon and Co. perforating machine where the holes are cut out clean with bits of paper adhering, leaves jagged perforated holes
Rouleau de timbres: (Fr.) coil (stamp)
Roulette: 1: perforation consisting of short knife dash-like cuts; many forms exist 2: durchstich (Ger.), per'age (Fr.), feratura (It.), corte de lineas (Sp.)
Roulette de timbres: (Fr.) coil stamps gathered in a series of rings or spirals.
Rouletted in color: notched rules are put between the cliches forming the plate from which the stamps are printed, and these rules being inked with the plate, the edges of which are colored.
Rouletting: the cutting of paper between stamps in order to make the separation of the stamps easier; in perforations, paper is actually removed from the sheet in the punched holes, but rouletting creates the appearance of a series of dashes.
Roumania: see Romania
Roumanie: (Fr.) Romania.
Roumelie Orientale: overprint on stamps of Turkey for Eastern Rumelia, 1880-84.
Round gum: the shape of the ends of the gum on flaps of U.S. envelopes; in 1876, the shape was changed from square to round.
Round trip cover: cover flown both ways on a round trip without readdressing.
Routage: (Fr.) sorting operations.
Route: a course laid out for a USPS employee or contractor carrier in the performance of deliver duties; can also apply to Railroad Route, etc..
Route agents: authorized to receive and deliver mail on his route, term used about 1839.
Route designations, routing: UPU regulation in the late 1880s stating that mail to be expedited by most rapid means available, any surcharge would be collected upon receipt.
Routing code symbols: USPS term for labels on a piece of mail when delivered, labels marked "C" all items in bundle for same city; "D" all items in bundle for same five-digit ZIP code area; "F" for all items in bundle for same address; "S" all items destined for same state; "3" all items in bundle for the same area based bon first three digits of Zip code.
Rovescio: (It.) reverse, back
Rovno: city in the Ukraine, local overprint, 1993.
Row: a horizontal strip of stamps; vertical strip is called column, or vertical row.
Royal Air Force: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1993, 1998.
Royal and Imperial Society for Navigation by Steamship: formed in1 839 to carry mail on the Danube and its tributaries.
Royal Birth 21 June 1982: 1982 Aitutaki overprint.
Royal Blue: bleu roi (Fr.) ; konigsblau (Ger.) ; assurro reale (It.) ; azul real (Sp.) .
Royal cipher labels: originally printed in England in 1701, in same size shape and color of the Penny Black; used as tax stamps affixed by glue to official documents; prior to their use, duty stamps were embossed directly on important documents, but these disappeared with time.
Royal Co. Island: bogus issue using frame of St. Vincent stamp.
Royal Court Post Office: a post office that travels with the United Kingdom's royalty; contains special cancels,date stamps, etc.
Royal Family Birthday, Anniversary: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1991.
Royal Great Britain Hanoverian Post Office: 1814; independent of any British involvement, King of England was also King of Hanover.
Royal Hudson: local courier label, British Columbia, Canada, 1976
Royalist Bulgarian Government in Exile: Bulgarian freedom movement
Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.: Caribbean shipping company 10¢ stamp, used on steamers between West Indies and England, 1875-80.
Royal Navy: envelope with this heading, Great Britain, known as a "Privilege, Honour, Blue or Green" envelope, permits service people to sign that correspondence in the envelope refers to nothing but family matters.
Royal Niger Company: firm used British stamps, cancelled at their offices at Akassa, Abutshi, Burutu and Lokoja, 1886-December 21, 1899.
Royal Philatelic Society: founded in 1869, King George V was president in 1896; formerly the Philatelic Society.
Royalty stamps: stamps that indicates that a royalty fee has been paid, may or may not be denominated.
Royal Train R.P.O.: postmark used for visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England on June 9, 1939.
Royal Visit: 1: 1992 Aitutaki overprint. 2: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1953, 1966.
Royal Wedding: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1981, 1986.
Royaume: (Fr.) kingdom.
Royaume de Burundi: July 1, 1962: overprint on stamps of Ruanda-Urundi; see Burundi.
Royaume de Cambodge: Kingdom of Cambodia.
Royaume d'Egypte: Kingdom of Egypt.
Royaume de l'Arabie Soudite: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Royaume de Maroc: Morocco.
Royaume des Cieux: Belgian fantasy.
Royaume de Yemen: Yemen.
Royaume du Burundi: Burundi.
Royaume du Cambodge: Cambodia.
Royaume du Laos: Laos.
Royaume Uni: (Fr.) United Kingdom (U.K.).
Roz: (Rom.) rose, pink (color).
Roz-anilina: (Rom.) aniline-rose (color).
Roz-carmin: (Rom.) carmine-rose (color).
Rozoj, Insulo de la: bogus issue
Roz-portocaliu: (Rom.) orange-rose (color).
Rózsa: (Hung.) rose (color).
Rózsaszin: (Hung.) pink (color).
Rózsabarna: (Hung.) rose-brown (color).
Rózsaszsinu: (Hung.) rose-colored.
Roz-somon: (Rom.) salmon (color).
Roz-violet: (Rom.) violet-rose (color).
RP: 1: currency unit in Liechtenstein, Switzerland 2: rocket posts. 3. Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Private Die Canned Fruit. 4. international postal code for the Philippines.
Rp: Rupiah, currency unit in Indonesia.
RPA: (Sp.) República Popular Angola, cancel used by Cuban troops in Angola, Jan. 1985
R.P.E. Shiqperise: (Alb.) Albania.
RPF: "Reichpfennig" overprint on stamps of Luxembourg, German Occupation, 1940.
RPK: handstamp on Cambodian stamps for Republic of Kampuchea.
RPO: see Railway Post Office.
R.P.Romina: Republica Populara Romina; Popular Republic of Romania; overprint on stamps of Romania.
RPS: see R.P.S.L..
RPSC: Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.
RPSL: Royal Philatelic Society, London
RQ: Scott Catalog number prefix for Unemployment Insurance (Ryukyu).
R.R. 1: Germany overprint for Rhine Republic. 2: auction abbreviation for railroad, topical.
R.R. Poste Coloniali Italiane: (It.) Royal Italian colonial posts
R.R. Poste Italiane / Comune de Campione: see Campione d'Italia
RRT: right (side)
RS: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Private Die Medicine.
RSA: 1: Republic of South Africa. 2: international postal code for South Africa. 3. rubber stamp used to address the envelope.
RSC: rubber stamp cachet.
RSFSR: Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic
R.S.I.: (It.) Repubblica di San Marino (Italian Social Republic) created in 1943.
R.S.M.: Repubblica di San Marino (Republic of San Marino), 1949-51
RSO: 1: Regional Security Officer, U.S. marking on covers to indicate envelope was examined and was determined not to have anthrax 2: Railway Sorting or Sub-Office
RT: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Private Die Perfumery.
R.T.R.P.: (Pol.) Provisional Government, Polish Republic
R.T.S.: Return to Sender
RTV: U.S. Revenue Trailer Permit. Scott catalog number prefix to identify stamps other than standard postage.
RU: 1. Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Private Die Playing Card. 2. international postal code for Russia.
RUA: overprint on stamps of Syria, United Arab Republic, 1958.
Ruanda: overprint on stamps of Congo for German East Africa.
Ruanda-Urundi: central Africa, part of German East Africa, aka Belgian East Africa; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1916-pre: ruled by German East Africa, 1916: Belgian occupation stamps, French, Flemish and German overprints on stamps of Belgian Congo, 1918: first semipostal stamp, 1924, Dec.1: mandated to Belgium by League of Nations; No.1, 5 centimes orange yellow, stamps of Belgian overprinted "Ruanda / Urundi"; first postage due stamp, 1925: semipostal stamps of Belgian Congo overprinted "Ruanda-Urundi," 1931: first stamps inscribed "Ruanda-Urundi," 1946, Dec. 13: United Nations Trust Territory, 1962, July 1: country divided; new stamps for Urundi as the Republic of Burundi and Ruanda as the Republic of Rwanda; see German East Africa.
Rub: surface damage due to abrasion, erasure of a cancel, or other unwanted mark
Rubber stamp address: address applied to a cover using a rubber stamp.
Rubber stamp cachet: cachet applied to a cover with a rubber stamp.
Rubezahls Reich: German equivalent of Rip Van Winkle's Kingdom
Rubi: city in Spain; Spanish civil war local, Republican, 1937
Rubinrød: (Nor.) ruby-red (color).
Ruble: currency unit in many Russian language countries.
Rublis: currency unit in Latvia until 1923
Ruby: (British) Type size in printing.
Ruch: specialized Poland catalog.
Rückdatiert: (Ger.) backdated
Rückscheinmarke: (Ger.) stamp issued as a prepayment fee as an acknowledgment of receipt of a registered package.
Rückseite: (Ger.) back (as opposed to the front of a philatelic object).
Rückseitig: (Ger.) back, as opposed to the front of a philatelic object.
Rücksteitiger-Stemple: (Ger.) backstamp; postmark applied to back of incoming mail to show date and time of receipt at the receiving post office.
R.U.D.P.: (It.) Regio Ufficio della Posta (Royal Post Offiice-Lombardy) pre-adhesive postmark.
Rudy: (Czech.) crimson , dark red (color).
Rue: overprint on stamps of Ecuador as a control mark.
Rueda de Carreta: (Sp.) cart-wheel, refers to 1858-73 postmark shaped like a wheel.
Ruffich - Polen: see Russisch-Polen. Rufiyaa: currency unit in Maldives.
Ruhleben: British prisoner camp stamps from Germany, 1915.
Ruhnu: bogus, Russian area, not valid for postage.
Ruhrgebiet: (Ger.) Ruhr area in Germany
Ruled feint: paper with pale blue lines as a writing guide; used for printing the 1887 stamps of Mexico and the 1919 Latvian emergency stamps.
Ruled lines: blue ink lines on the face of an envelope to guide the person writing the address; introduced in 1870 and discontinued in 1872.
Ruleteado: (Sp.) rouletted.
Rulle(r): (Swed.) coil stamp(s).
Rullem¦rke(r): (Dan.) coil stamp(s).
Rum¦nien: (Dan.) Romania
Rum¦nsk: (Dan.) Romanian.
Rum¦niensk Post i Tyrkiet: (Dan.) Romanian Post Offices in the Turkish Empire (Levant).
Rum¦nsk Post i Tyrkiet: (Dan.) Romanian Post Offices in the Turkish Empire (Levant).
Rumania: see Romania.
Rumanien: 1. overprint on stamps of Germany, German occupation of Romania, 1917. 2. (Nor.) Romania (Roumania).
Rumänien: (Swed.) Romania (Roumania).
Rumansk: (Nor.) Romania (Roumania)
Rumänsk: (Swed.) Romanian (Roumanian).
Rumberg: Sudentenland local post, aka Rumbark, 1938
Rumelka: (Czech.) vermilion (color).
Rumford Chemical Works: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Rumunsko: (Czech.) Romania.
Rumunsky: (Czech.) Romanian.
Run: faded color usually due to fugitive ink becoming damp
Runderoth: city in Germany, local post 1945
Rundsendezirkel: (Ger.) circuits issued by (stamp) clubs and organizations
Runeberg: (Fin.) local post for use on steamships carrying mail, late 1800s.
Running Chicken: Waterbury, MA, cancel depicting three running chickens.
Running Up the Bidder: the practice to artificially create higher realizations for an auction lot by "accepting" bids from non-existent bidders; also known as "Bidding Against the Ceiling," "Bidding Against the Curtains," and "Ghost Bidder."
Rupee: currency unit in many countries; Aden (to 1951); Afghanistan, Bahrain, British East Africa, British Indian Ocean territory, Burma, Ceylon, German East Africa, Indian Native States, Iraq (to 1908), Kuwait, Maldive Islands, Mauritius, Mesopotamia, Muscat, Nepal, Pakistan, Portuguese Timor, Seychelles, Somaliland Protectorate (to 1951); Tibet (to 1933); Zanzibar (to 1908).
Rupee Afghani: currency unit in Afghanistan
Rupee Kabuli: currency unit in Afghanistan.
Rupia: currency unit in Portuguese India.
Rupiah: currency unit in Indonesia.
Rupie: (Rupee) currency unit in German East Africa
Rups: Donald Evans issue, America; see Evans, Donald
Rural carrier: a USPS employee assigned to deliver and collect all mail classes.
Rural Couriers Society: private post operator in New Zealand who uses own postage stamps.
Rural Free Delivery (RFD): begun Oct. 1,1896, brought daily mail delivery to residents living outside urban areas.
RUS: precedes the country code for Russia, such as Moscow, RUS-195426.
Rusa, rusesc: (Rom.) Russia, Russian (adj.).
Rush this Message to My Boy: label for mail addressed to US Forces in France, 1917-18.
Rusia: (Sp.) Russia.
Rusko: (Czech.) Russia.
Rusky: (Czech.) Russian.
Rusland: (Dan., Ger.) Russia.
Russell & Co.'s Express:1866, mail and parcel serviced Boston, Bradford and Haverhill, Mass., labels
Russell & Majors: William H. Russell and Alexander Majors, operated express service at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas territory in1855; joined by William B. Waddell forming Russell, Major & Waddells.
Russell, E. T.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Russell, Morgan & Co.: U.S. private die playing card stamp.
Russell, Sayward & Co.'s Express: parcel firm serviced Boston, Bradford and Haverhill, Mass., labels
Russell's 8th Ave. Post Office: U. S. local post, New York, N.Y., 1854-58.
Russell, William H.: operated the Central Overland California and Pike's Peak courier service from Missouri River to San Francisco, April 3, 1860.
Russet: (Swed.) red-brown (color), seeRödbrun.
Russia: eastern Europe and northern Asia; name prior to 1917 Russian revolution; aka Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.); currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble 17th century: Yamskoi Prikaz, postcoachmen's office, recruited postmen for the mail-coaches, 19th century: had more than 458 post offices with 5,000 officials, 1809-Dec. 1917: Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire, 1857: No.1, 10 kopecks brown & blue, first stamp, 1862-1901:Wenden, town in Russian province of Livonia, then called Vidzeme in Latvia, issued own stamps, 1857, Dec. 10: first stamps for Russian Empire, known as the Arms type 1865: local governments issued Zemstov issues, ended in 1917, 1870: Russian post offices opened in Kalgan, Peking, Tientsin, and Urga, 1874, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1897: post offices opened in Chefoo and Shanghai, 1899: special overprinted issues used in foreign offices, 1905: first semipostal stamp, 1917-23: Russian Revolution, formed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Ukraine, issued their own stamps, 1918:, Jan. stamps issued by new central government, Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, 1918: stamps of Russia surcharged under German occupation of Tartu, Estonia,1918: South Russia; Cossack government set up in Don Republic, 1918-20: Civil Wars between anti-Bolsheviks and the new government, 1918, Nov.: Siberia; Admiral Kolchak took over area, issued surcharges on stamps of Russia, resigned on Jan. 4, 1920, 1919, March 4: Central Lithuania issued own stamps when occupied by Bolshevik troops, retaken by Polish Army April 20, 1919, 1919: stamps of Finland overprinted "Aunus," Finnish name for Olonets, town in Russia, 1919, Oct.: South Russia; stamps overprinted by Cossack Government in Kuban, 1919, Jan.: South Russia; provisional government, issued its own stamps, 1919, April: South Russia; General Denikin, issued own stamps, 1919, Aug.1-Nov. 1919: Army of the Northwest, led by Gen. Yudenich, overprinted stamps of Russia, 1919, Sept.-Dec. 1919: Army of the North, led by General Rodzianko; stamps issued, 1919, Oct.: Western Army; overprint on stamps of Latvia; 1919, Nov.: Western Army; overprint on stamps of Russia, 1920, Jan. 20-Oct. 21: Siberia; Trans-Baikal province established White Russian regime, surcharge on four stamps of Russia, 1920, Feb.: Amur Province; People's Revolutionary Committee issued stamps 1920, ended with start of the Far Eastern Republic in Sept. 1920, 1920, April 4: South Russia; General Denikin resigned his command to General Wrangel, 1920, Sept.: Far Eastern Republic; overprint on stamps of Russia, annexed to Soviet Russia Nov. 1922; 1920, Oct. 20: Central Lithuania stamps issued after Polish Army seized area, 1920: South Russia; Cossack stamps from Kuban and Don stopped, 1921, July: Priamur and Maritime Provinces; stamps for Japanese-backed White Russian provisional government that operated May 21 1921, Oct. 25, 1922; 1922: first air mail stamp, 1923, Jan.: Eastern Siberia; due to currency differences, special surcharged stamps used, 1923, Aug. 19: first stamp issued as Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1924: first postage due stamp, 1939, Sept. 17: Russia invaded Poland, eastern Poland used Russian postal system, 1940, Aug.: Central Lithuania put into Soviet Union, issued Russian stamps, 1941, June: Germany invaded Russia, 1941, Nov. 4: stamps of Germany overprinted "Ostland" (Eastern Lands) and "Ukraine," 1945: Russia used own stamps and issued stamps for the Russian-occupied provinces of East Germany, 1991, Dec. 12; last stamp issued as Soviet Union, 1991, Dec. 26: Soviet Union broke up, formed the Commonwealth of Independent States 1991: new stamps mostly overprints / surcharges of previously issued stamps, 1992-93: postal administration of St. Petersburg issued own surcharged / overprinted stamps, as did many other local regional authorities; see Amur, Central Lithuania, Siberia, Eastern, Far Eastern Republic, North West Russia, Priamur and Maritime Provinces, Siberia, South Russia, Trans-Baikal Province, Wenden, and Zemstvos.
Russia, Army of the North: aka North West Russia; 1919, Aug.1: stamps of Russia inscribed "OKCA" Special Corps, Army of the North, for use in the Baltic area, 1919, Sept.:No.1, 5 kopecks brown-violet, Northern Army captured Pskov, Gdov and Yaurburg, issued own stamps, 1919, Oct.: stamps of Latvia overprinted for Riga, 1919, Nov.: "OKCA" stamps of Russia withdrawn, see A.B, Amur.
Russia, Army of the Northwest: 1919, Aug.1: No.1, 2 kopecks green.
Russia, Finnish Occupation: 1919: stamps of Finland overprinted "Aunus," Finnish name for Olonets, a Russian town. 1941: stamps of Finland overprinted "ITA - Karjala SOF. Hallinto" for Russian territory of Eastern Karelia under Finnish military government.
Russia, German Occupation: see Russian Occupation of Germany.
Russian Dominion of Poland: 1860: Polish postage used on letters within Polish territory to Russia, 1865: used stamps of Russia, 1918: Polish Expeditionary Force used Russian stamps with a surcharge.
Russian Dominion of Poland: 1860: Polish postage used on letters within Polish territory to Russia, 1865: used stamps of Russia, 1918: Polish Expeditionary Force used Russian stamps with a surcharge.
Russian Embassy Post office: German surcharge on Russian consular fee stamps, 1922.
Russian Empire, Finland: Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire; 1856: No.1, 5 kopecks blue, 1917, Dec.: Finland declared its independence; see Finland.
Russian Occupation of Crete: 1899: district of Rethymnon issued provisional stamps.
Russian Occupation of Germany: 1945: stamps inscribed "Stadt Berlin" city of Berlin for Berlin-Brandenburg, 1945: stamps and semipostals inscribed "Mecklenburg Vorpommern" for Mecklenburg, 1945: stamps inscribed "Provinz Sachsen" for the province of Saxony, 1945: semipostal issued for West Saxony (Leipzig), 1945: stamps inscribed "Thuringen" for Thuringia issued, 1945, June 23: stamps issued for East Saxony, withdrawn on day of issue, Russian inscription for postage removed, 1946, Jan. 19: semipostals issued for Saxony, 1946, Feb. 6: East Saxony semipostal stamps issued, 1946, Mar. 30: semipostal for Thuringia issued, 1948, June: mark revalued; provisional overprint with city and town names and post office / zones numerals, 1948, July 3: stamps of Germany overprinted "Sowjetische Besatzungs Zone."
Russian Occupation of Korea: currency: 100 chon = 1 won (1962) stamps of Japan used, 1946, Mar. 12: - 1955: No.1, 20 chon red, stamps issued for North Korea, land north of the 38th parallel, 1948, Sep. 9: Democratic People's Republic of North Korea established; see Korea Democratic Peoples Republic.
Russian Occupation of Latvia: 1919: handstamp on stamps of Latvia issued at Mitau by West Russian Army commanded by Col. Bermondt-Avalov, 1940: used stamps of Soviet Latvia inscribed "Latvijas PSR."
Russian Occupation of Lithuania: 1940: stamps of Lithuania overprinted "LTSR 1940 VII 21" Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic July 21, 1940.
Russian Offices in China: currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1917) 1899-1920: stamps of Russia overprinted / surcharged for China (Cathay).
Russian Offices in Turkish Empire: currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble, 40 paras = 1 piaster (1900) 1862, Nov.: used stamps of Russia, 1863, Jan. 1: No.1, 6 kopeck blue, first stamp issued, 1900: stamps of Russia overprinted / surcharged for Levant (Turkish Empire), 1923, Oct. 27: foreign post offices closed.
Russian Post Offices in Turkey: 1913: first commemorative stamp.
Russian Post Offices Abroad: 1863-1913: stamps of Russia overprinted / surcharged for Levant (Turkish Empire), 1899-1920: stamps of Russia overprinted / surcharged for China (Cathay)
Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic: name prior to Aug. 19, 1923; see Russia.
Russian Turkestan: 1917-18: stamps of Russia surcharged 25 kopecks and 1 ruble are fraudulent.
Russian Zone: plus American and British occupying powers 1946-48: one issue, overprinted with pattern of posthorns, for occupation of Germany 1948-49: "Deutsche Post" inscription used.
Russian Zone of Germany: currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1917) WW II-post: Russian zone of occupation included stamps for eastern Berlin (Brandenberg), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, and Thuringia.
Russia Refugee's Post: 1921: stamps of Russia, South Russia, Russian Levant and the Ukraine were overprinted and surcharged for use in refugee camps in Turkey, etc. after the evacuation of the Crimea by General Wrangel's South Russian Volunteer Army.
Russia, South: 1918-19: stamps included Don Territory Government used surcharged Russian stamps; Kuban Territory Government used surcharged Russian stamps, and Postal Savings Stamps; Crimea Regional Government issued two Russian surcharged stamps, one for currency; South Russian Government of General Denikin issued inscribed stamps "United Russia;" Government of South Russia, General Wrangel, issued surcharged Russian stamps.
Russisch Polen: overprint on stamps of Germany, German occupation of Poland, 1915.
Russie: (Sp.) Russia.
Russifch - Polen: (Ger.) Russian Poland; overprint on stamps of Germany issued during German occupation, May 12, 1915.
Russisk: (Dan., Nor.) Russian.
Russiske zone: (Dan.) Russian Zone.
Russiske skeppspost: (Swed.) Russian ship mail (ship post).
Russiske skibspost: (Dan.) Russian ship mail (ship post).
Russiske skipspost: (Nor.) Russian ship mail (ship post).
Russiske Sone: (Nor.) Russian Zone.
Russiske Zone: (Dan.) Russian Zone.
Russisk østasiasisk republik: (Dan.) (Russian) Far Eastern Republic.
Russisk Post i Kina: (Dan.) Russian Post Offices in China.
Russisk Post i Tyrkiet: (Dan.) Russian Post Offices in the Turkish Empire ( Levant).
Russisk Post i Udlandet: (Dan.) Russian Post Offices Abroad.
Russland: (Dan., Ger., Nor.) Russia
Russusch-Polen: (Ger.) overprint on stamps of Germany for use in occupied Russian Poland, 1915
Rust: brown mold that disfigures stamps in humid climates
Rustbrun: (Dan., Nor.) rust-brown (color).
Rustenberg: town in the Transvaaal; 1900, June 23: stamps overprinted V.R. during South-African war.
Rustorange: (Dan.) rust-orange (color).
Rustoranjse: (Nor.) rust-orange (color).
Rustrød: (Dan., Nor.) rust-red (color).
Rutebil: (Dan.) long distance bus.
Rutherfordton, N.C. Paid 5cts: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Rutland Postal Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Ruzovy: (Czech.) pink, rose-colored (color).
RV: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Motor Vehicle Use.
RVB: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Boating.
RVC: Scott Catalog number prefix for Camp.
RVT: Scott Catalog number prefix for Trailer Permit.
RW: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Hunting Permit.
Rwanda: central Africa, formerly part of Ruanda-Urundi, aka Rwandaise Republic; currency:100 centimes = 1 franc 1914-pre: part of German East Africa, 1924: United Nations mandated territory, passed to Belgium with Urundi as Republic of Burundi, 1962, July 1: No.1, 10 centimes brown and gray green, first stamp as Republic of Rwanda, 1963, April 6: joined the U.P.U., 1967, Sep. 18: first air mail stamp. 1973, Aug. 23: first semipostal stamp, see Ruanda-Urundi.
Rwanda: bogus butterflies issue of 1999, reported to the UPU, Feb. 7, 2000.
Rwandaise: Rwanda.
R.W.H.E.: Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson; manufacturers of the U.S. 1847 stamps.
RX: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Distilled Spirits.
RY: auction abbreviation for topical rotary and lions
RY: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Revenue Firearms Transfer.
Ryazan: city in Russia, local post, Russian Zemstvo 1867-80
Ryazhsk: city in Russia, local post, Russian Zemstvo 1882-98
Ryssland: (Swed.) Russia.
Rysk: (Swed.) Russian.
Rytec: (Czech.) engraver.
Ryukyu Islands: group of 63 islands in the Pacific Ocean; between Japan and Taiwan; currency: 100 sen = 1 yen, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1958) 1879: under control of Japan, 1945, Aug.: occupied by the U.S., military post office, provisional overprints of four island districts on stamps of Japan, 1945, Oct. 1: Kume Island; mimeographed on U.S. military paper, 1946: Miyako District, handstamp with chops on stamps of Japan, 1947: Amami District; handstamp with chops on stamps of Japan, 1947, Nov. 1: Okinawa District; with personal seal of Postmaster Hirata, 1948: Yaeyama District; personal seal of Postmaster Mitara, 1949, July: No.18, 5 sen magenta, first regular issue, 1950, Feb. 15: first air mail stamp, first special delivery stamps, 1952: first revenue stamps, 1953: Amami group returned to Japan, 1972, May 15: rest of islands restored to Japan, uses stamps of Japan.
RZ: Scott Catalog number prefix for Rectification.
Rzhef: city in Russia, local post, Russian Zemstvo 1867-96

SA to SE


7-1-71: issue date of the new USPS emblem, issued at every post office in the nation, creating a new field of specialization.
S: 1:Auction abbreviation term for "Superb" or best there is. 2: auction abbreviation term for Specimen. 3: international postal code for Sweden. 4: Scott Catalog number prefix for Franchise. 5: shilling, ship, Seville; pre-adhesive postmark. 6: Sucre; currency unit in Ecuador. 7: Som; currency unit in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan. 8: auction abbreviation for "scarce," in scale of rarity. 9: British canceler for Stamboul, Constantinople, or Istanbul; 1884-1914. 10: in Cyrillic is the letter "C"; thus C.C.C.P. = S.S.S.R., known as the U.S.S.R.; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 11: in circle. arrival mark for mail routed through Spain, used in Gibraltar. 12: in barred oval; Salonica. 13: Colombia-Scadta consular overprint for Switzerland. 14: Sheriff, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 15: Straits Settlements-Selangor surcharge overprint, 1879-91. 16. Colombia-Scadta consular overprint for Switzerland. 17. Sheriff, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74.
$S: Dollar, currency unit in Singapore.
S20, S30, S40: marginal markings on some rotary press plates made from a die with an experimental variation in the frame line depth.
SA: Latvia overprint, Russian Occupation.
S.A.: 1: Saudi Arabia. 2: see self-adhesive. 3: pressure sensitive gum or see self-adhesive.
Saar: region between France and Germany, southeast of Luxembourg; currency: 100 pfennig = 1 mark, 100 centimes = 1 franc (1921) 1920-35 administered by France under League of Nations control, 1920, Jan.30: No.1, 2 pfennings gray, issued its own stamps, those of Germany and Bavaria overprinted "Saare" (Fr.) or "Saargebiet" (Ger.), 1922: first official stamp, 1926, Oct. 25: first semipostal stamp, 1928, Sept. 19: first air mail stamp, 1934, December to February 1935: British Field PO 10 used during plebiscite, 1935, March 1: became the Saarland Province of the Third Reich as a result of the plebiscite, stamps of Germany used, 1945, Dec. 17-Jan. 3, 1947: French Occupation Zone of Germany, 1947, Jan.: region had its own stamps as French Administration Protectorate, inscribed "Saar," 1948, Oct. 12: first air mail semipostal stamp, 1951, Jan.1: State of Saar established, 1957, Jan. 1: reunion with Federal Republic of Germany, stamps inscribed "Saarland," but valued in French currency, 1959, July 6: Saar stamps discontinued, German Federal Republic stamps and currency used.
Saare: (Ger.) overprint on stamps of Bavaria and Germany for Saar.
Saare: (Fr., Ger., It.) Saar.
Saaremaa: bogus, Russia area, not valid for postage.
Saargebeit: (Ger.) overprint/inscription for Saar.
Saargebeit Luftpost: (Ger.) Saar air mail.
Saargebeit Volkshilfe: (Ger.) Saar semipostals.
Saarland: (Ger.) inscription from 1957-59 for Saar.
Saarpost: (Ger.) Saar mail.
Sabadell: city in Spain, local post, Civil War; Republican forces,1937
Sabah: formerly North Borneo; 1963: became Sabah before joining the Federation of Malaysia, 1964, July 1: No.1, 1¢ red brown and green, Sabah overprint on stamps of North Borneo, 1964: no stamps for the territory above 25¢ issued since the 1964 issue; see North Borneo.
Sabot: Dutch; see Evans, Donald.
Sacha-Yakutia: bogus Russian issue.
Sach(s)en: (Ger.) Saxony, German State.
Sachet, stamp: containers/folders of loose stamps sold in British post offices vending machines.
Sachsen: (Ger.) Saxony.
Sachsen Bundesland: (Ger.) on stamps of Germany for the Russian Zone of Saxony.
Sächische Schwärzungen: (Ger.) Saxon blackouts; Hitler and Hindenburg definitives with the portrait obliterated; provisional postal use, Soviet-occupied Germany, beginning May 12, 1945. Sac postal: (Fr.) mail bag
Sad Polowy D.O.E. Wolyn: (Pol.) army field court marshal, handstamp, Poland, 1921.
SAE: stamped-addressed envelope.
S¦rstempel: (Dan.) cachet.
Safad Issue: provisional issue authorized by Israel Commissioner of Postal Services, April 1942.
Safety paper: two-ply paper made by two webs of different quality paper pressed together, used to make stamps hard to forge, a common form has silk threads in it, also known as Duplex paper.
Safety paper overprint: same as underprint, except printed on top of already printed stamps.
Safety paper underprint: applied prior to printing the stamp's design; can be a pattern of repeated words in very small type, numbers, bars, straight lines, network patterns or other designs.
Safe vinyl: vinyl is not chemically safe or stable and it is impossible for a vinyl product to be inert; from: Preservation and Storage Library of Victoria.
Safeway Car Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Saffi / Marrakech: local post, Morocco, 1898-1900
Safieh: city in Egypt, 1880, see Interpostal seals.
Safir: (Nor.) sapphire, deep purplish-blue (color).
Sage type: French series, 1876-1900, designed by Jules-Auguste Sage who won a French government competition for a new stamp design.
Saggio: (It.) proof, essay. 1: Italy, Italian Colonies, overprint for specimen. 2: Italy, Italian Colonies, overprint for proof.
Saggio di colore: (It.) trial color proof.
Sagittair: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Sagunto: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War; Republican forces, 1937.
Saha, Saha-Yakutia: bogus Russian local overprint.
Sahara, Empire of: bogus, West Coast of Africa strip of land between Cape Bojador and Cape Juby, 1907.
Sahara Espanol: (Sp.) overprint on stamps of Spain for Spanish Sahara, 1924.
Sahara Occidental: (Sp.)inscription on stamps of Spain for Western Sahara.
Sahara Occ. R.A.S.D.: (Sp.)Western Sahara.
Sahara Occidental La Aguera: (Sp.) La Aguera.
Saharan republic: Saharan republic, illegal issues, not issued by Morocco, based on UPU circular of Nov. 18, 2002.
Sahraoui, République Arabe Démocratique: (Fr.) bogus, labels, does not exist, reported to the UPU April 10, 2000 by Morocco.
S.A.I.D.E.: Service Aérien Internationale d'Egypte (Fr.); (International Air Service of Egypt) overprint on stamps of Egypt, 1948, for inaugural flights from Cairo to Athens and Rome.
Saigon: Vietnam, now known as Ho Chi Minh City.
Saint Christophe: (Fr.) St. Kitts.
Saint Christopher: see St. Christopher.
Saint Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla: see St. Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla.
Saint Christopher Nevis, Anguilla: Beach Cricket inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Sainte Helene: (Fr.) St. Helena.
Sainte Foy la Grande: local provisional, France, 1944
Sainte-Marie de Madagascar: French 1881: administered from Diego Suarez, 1894, April: first stamps issued, 1890: used stamps of Diego Suarez, 1898, Jan. 18: stamps withdrawn,
Saint Helena: see St. Helena.
Saint Helena Tristan Relief: overprint on stamps of St. Helena; semipostal for Tristan da Cunha, 1961.
Saint James: local label, Danish West Indies, 1910?
Saint John's College: local, United Kingdom, Cambridge, 1883-85.
Saint Kilda: bogus local, United Kingdom
Saint Kitts: see St. Kitts.
Saint Louis: 1: U.S. postmaster provisional US 11X. 2: City Dispatch, US local post, 1851. 3: Clark & Hall's Penny Post, U.S. local post, 1851. 4: Saint Louis City Delivery Company, US local post, 1883. 5: Smith & Stephens' City Delivery, US Local post. 6: Squier & Co.'s Letter Dispatch, U.S. local post, 1859-60.
Saint Lucia: see St. Lucia
Saint Lucia Steam Conveyance Co., Ltd.: West Indies local post, 1871-72
Saint Marino: (Fr.) San Marino.
Saint Petersburg: 1: Deutsch-Baltisches Comite; Russian local post, 1918. 2: "SPB" local overprint on stamps of Russia, 1992. 3. city in Russia, formerly known as Leningrad and Petrograd.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon: see St. Pierre and Miquelon.
Saint Thomas and Prince Islands: see St. Thomas and Prince Islands.
Saint Thomas-Porto Rico: bogus local post, 1869.
Saint Vincent: see St. Vincent.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: see St. Vincent Grenadines
Saisprezece: (Rom) sixteen (number).
Saizeci: (Rom) sixty (number).
S.A.K.: Saudi Arabia Kingdom.
Sakha: 1: 2002, Jan. 14: illegal labels, purporting to be stamps, Russian Federation report to the UPU; not valid for postage. 2: city in Egypt, 1880, see Interpostal seals.
Sakhalin: 2002, Jan. 14: illegal labels, purporting to be stamps, Russian Federation report to the UPU; not valid for postage.
Sakha-Yakutia: state at Yakutsk, cinderella local post, 1994.
Sakura: specialized catalogue of Japan.
SAL: Surface AirLift, form of overseas mailing.
Salamanca: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1938
Salamanca Province: province in western part of Spain near border of Portugal; 1868-69: provisional stamps used in the Spanish province; handstamped with "Habilitado Por La Nacion." (Provisional Government) Spain 117f-122f, 1868-70.
Salamon Szigetek: (Hung.) the Solomon Islands.
Sale by tender: auction whereby the highest bidder gets the lot at the bid price, regardless of the next highest bidder's offer.
Salem, N. C. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Sales circuit: see Circuit Book.
Salhagar: city in Egypt, 1880, see Interpostal seals.
Salida: (Sp.) exit; used in post-Civil War censor marks as a "S" to indicate item was sent from the Censorship Department.
Salinas: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Salins: local provisional; France; 1944.
Salisburgo: also known as Salzburg, Austria. Salisbury: now known as Harare, Zimbabwe.
Salisbury, N. C. Postage five cents: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
S. Allan Taylor Boston: inscription for Samuel Allan Taylor, stamp dealer, who produced many labels for sale to collectors.
Sällsynt: (Swed.) scarce.
Salobrena: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937-38
Salon de Provence: local provisional, France; 1944
Salonica: Greek seaport on the Aegean Sea, now known as Thessaloniki; 1912-pre: part of the Turkish Empire, 1909, Feb.: No.1, 10 paras on 5c green, "Salonicco" surcharge on stamps of Italy; Italian post office in the Levant; Russian post office in Turkish Empire, 1916: British post office in the Levant; see Salonika and Salonique. WW I: base for Allied operations, WW II: occupied by Germany.
Salonicco: see Salonica; city in Egypt, 1868, see Interpostal seals.
Salonicco: See Salonica; overprint on stamps of Italy for Italian Offices in the Turkish Empire; Salonika, 1919-11.
Saloniceo: overprint on stamps of Italy for Italian Offices in Turkish Empire, Salonika
Salonika: 1911, overprint on stamps of Turkey for Sultan's visit to Macedonia.
Saloniki: (Ger.) Salonica.
Salonique: city that was gateway to the Adriatic Coast; 1909-10; overprint on stamps of Russia; Russian Offices In the Turkish Empire, Salonica; issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Russian post office in the Turkish Empire.
Saltillo: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Salung: unit of currency in Siam (Thailand).
Salvador, El: Pacific coast of Central America, formally known as El Salvador; official name of postal administration: Dirección General de Correos currency: 100 centavos = 8 reales = 1 peso, 100 centavos = 1 coló 1822, Sept. 2: became independent of Spain, 1841, Jan. 30: assumed formal name of El Salvador, 1867, May: No.1, ½ real blue, first stamp, 1879, April 1: joined the U.P.U., 1890-98: signed agreement with Seebeck for free stamps in exchange for the right of Seebeck to make and sell reprints to collectors, 1895: first postage due, parcel post stamp, 1896: first official stamp, 1897: first Acknowledgment of Receipt stamp, 1929, Dec. 28: first air mail stamp, 1931: first postal tax stamp.
Salve Hospes: "National Tourist Assn.," inscription on stamps of Netherlands for semipostal.
Salvonia: bogus overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia overprinted for Bosnia Republic.
Salzburg: province of Austria; 1921: local issue for plebiscite, 1945: AMG stamps issued for use during occupation.
SAM: Space Available Airmail; to be sent via airmail if space is available, usually on US military transportation.
Samalout: city in Egypt, 1880-84, see Interpostal seals,.
Samanoud: city in Egypt, 1864-84, see Interpostal seals.
Samara: local post; Russian Zemstvo; 1908.
Samarinda: local overprint for Japanese Naval Control Area; Japanese occupation; 1942-45.
Sambata: (Rom.) Saturday.
Sambia: (Ger.) Zambia.
Same Day Delivery: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Samenhanged: (Dut.) setenat.
Sämisch: (Ger.) buff, brownish-yellow (color).
Samling: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) collection.
Sammantryck: (Swed.) se-tenant.
Sammaröarnas: (Fin.) used on steamships, carrying mail, serving Finland cities, 1913.
Sammeln: (Ger.) collect; to assemble or bring together.
Sammenhengende: (Nor.) se-tenant.
Sammermarken: (Ger.) "Philatelic handling label" for careful canceling and handling of mail, supplied by postal authority, Germany.
Sammler: (Ger.) collector, a person who collects, especially rare things.
Sammlerverein: (Ger.) collector's club.
Sammlung: (Ger.) collection, an assembly of philatelic material.
Samoa: : island in the South Pacific, east of Figi, aka Western Samoa; islands in the South Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and New Zealand; Stamps of this country can be found in these catalogs:Stanley Gibbons, Michel, Scott, Yvert et Tellier. Currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 pfenning = 1 mark (1900) 100 sene (cents) = 1 tala (dollar) (1967) 19th century, late: islands divided between Germany, Great Britain and the U.S.: 1877: first stamp, "Samoa Express," postal service by local newspaper, Samoan Times, 1878: No.1,1 shilling, orange yellow, first stamp, 1881: service closed, but reprints exist, 1891: joined the U.P.U., however mail to the U.S.A. required an additional 5¢ American stamp to pay for inland delivery, 1895: "Samoa Postage" inscription on stamps, 1898: Britain withdrew, used overprinted stamps of Germany, 1900: (German Samoa) islands divided between Germany and the U.S.; #8220;Samoa" overprint on stamps of Germany, and German colonial keytypes, eastern group used U.S. stamps, 1914, Aug. 29: German dominated islands occupied by New Zealand, "G.R.I." overprint on stamps of Germany and surcharged in New Zealand currency, 1914, Sept. 29: overprint "Samoa" on stamps of New Zealand, "G.R.I." overprint on stamps of German Samoa and surcharged in New Zealand currency, 1920: mandated to New Zealand by the League of Nations, 1920s: mourning label issued by German stamp dealer Sigmund Hartig, 1921: New Zealand stamps replaced by stamps of Samoa, 1935, Aug. 7: "Western Samoa" inscribed / overprinted on stamps, 1962, Jan. 1: Western Samoa became independent, 1962, July 2: became the independent country of Samoa, stamps inscribed "Samoa I Sisifo" (Western Samoa), 1965, Dec. 29: first air mail stamp, 1966, Sept. 1: first semipostal stamp, 1977: name officially shortened to Samoa, 1989, Aug. 9: joined the U.P.U.; see G.R.I.
Samoa Express: local post, 1877-80
Samoa i Sisifo: (Samoan) Western Samoa, Independent State, 1958; see Samoa.
Samoa Occidental: (Fr.) Western Samoa.
Samorzad Warwiszki: (Pol.) overprint on stamps of Poland for South Lithuania, Polish occupation, March 23-27, 1923.
Samos: aka Vathy, Aegean Island; 1878-1912: Aegean Island; Ottoman Principality, Turkish control with British, French and Russian protection, 1894: stamps of France surcharged / overprinted "Vathy," 1912, Nov. 14: captured by Greece from Turkey, provisional government; issued own stamps, No.1, 5 lira gray green, 1913, May 30: Samos united with Greece by the Treaty of London, stamps of Samos overprinted "Greece" in Greek letters, 1914: stamps of Greece used, WW II: occupied by Axis forces.
"Sample (A)": an overprint used on stamps instead of specimen; produced by the American Bank Note Co. at the request of the U.S. Post Office Department to avoid confusion with "Specimen" overprinted issues; 1889.
Sample labels, stamps: security printer products to show prospective clients the capabilities of different printing processes.
Sample Post: an international special rate for trade samples packed in small parcels.
Samsoun: current name is Samsun; French post office opened Nov. 1857, closed Aug. 1914.
SAN: 1: Sanabria's Air Post Catalog 2: (Sp.) saint
Sanad, Sunnud: Indian States term for title deed, charter, etc.
Sanahuja: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
San Antonio, Tex Paid 10: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Sanar: currency unit in Afghanistan.
San Augustin: (Sp.) St. Augustine postal marking used in 1784.
Sanda Island: Great Britain local carriage label, Scottish island, 1962.
Sandia Crest: local post, New Mexico, delivered mail from a visitors' center on top of the mountain Sandia Crest to the post office, 1956-61.
Sand Dune States: 1960s nickname for desert sheikdoms that issued a large number of stamps.
Sandjak d'Alexandrette: overprint on stamps of Syria for Alexandretta, 1938.
Sanjak: local overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia; 1990s.
Sands, A. B. & D.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Sands, M.P.J. & H.M.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Sandwich Islands: former name for the Hawaiian Islands, discovered by Capt. Cook in 1778, named by Cook after Earl of Sandwich.
Sandzak: Jugoslavia labels.
San Francisco: 1: California City Letter Express Co.; US local post; 1850s-60s. 2: California Penny Post Co.; 1850s-60s. 3: Carnes' City Letter Express: US local post; 1864. 4: Gahagan & Howe City Express: US local post; 1864-70. 5: Reed's City Despatch post; US local post; 1853-54. 6: William E. Loomis Letter Express; US local post; 1868
San Francisco Match Company: see Private die match proprietary stamps. San Francisco roulettes: postal authorities found sheets in 1907 of the 2¢ carmine with shield on 1903, with horizontal perforations missing between two top rows; rouletted at San Francisco.
Sang: unit of currency in Tibet.
Sanita: (Sp.) marking on mail that has been fumigated so that the letter will not be a carrier of disease.
Sanitary Fair stamp: unofficial stamps issued by the U.S. Sanitary Fair Commission and considered a forerunner of the Red Cross; 1863, Dec.: first stamps inscribed, "Young Ladies of Brooklyn Bazaar."
Sanitatsstempel: (Ger.) postmark that the item has been disinfected.
Sanitorium: with cross of Lorraine, inscription on stamps of Dominican Republic for postal tax.
San Juan: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
San Juan de la Pena: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937.
San Juan del Puerto: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces,1936-37.
San Juan Despi: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1939.
San Luis Potosi, State of: region in Mexico; 1914: revolutionary provisional stamps issued.
San Marino: eastern Italy, European republic; currency: 100 centesimi = 1 Italian lira, 100 cents = 1 euro (2002) 1850-70; stamps of the Papal States, 1870-77: stamps of Italy, 1877, Aug. 1: No.1, 2 cents green, first stamp, 1897: first postage due stamp, 1907, April 25: first special delivery stamp, 1915, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1917, Dec. 15: first semipostal stamp, 1923, Sept. 20: first semipostal special delivery stamp, 1928, Nov. 22: first parcel post stamp, 1931, June 11: first air mail stamp, 1933, Apr. 28: "Zeppelin" surcharge on air mail stamps, 1944, Apr. 25: first air mail semipostal stamp, WW II: not occupied by foreign powers.
San Nicolas: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1936.
San Paulo: province of Brazil; revolutionary government issued stamps, Sept. 1932.
Sans: (Fr.) without.
Sans charnière: (Fr.) unhinged.
Sans Dinero: (Without Money) South America mythical country.
San Paulo: seceding state in Brazil; 1932
San Sebastian: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces, 1937
Sans gomme: (Fr.) ungummed.
Sans-serif type: (without caps or serifs), type without an ornamental projection to one side of a letter, at top or bottom.
Sans Valeur: (Fr.) without value overprint, used as a training stamp.
Santa: city in Egypt,1879-84, see Interpostal seals.
Santa Ana la Real: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937.
Santa Claus: children's stamps; see Toy stamps.
Santa Claus post: label produced by Dennison, 1908-12.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife: largest of the Canary Islands; 1936: Spanish stamps overprinted Viva Espana/18 Julio/1936, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces.
Santa Cruz del Comercio: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937-38.
Santafe: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937-38
Santa Fe Express: handwritten marking to indicate mail via the Missouri frontier via a military express.
San-Tai: local post; Southwest China; 1949.
Santa Landia: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Santa Maria Albarracin: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces,1936.
Santa Maura: aka Lefkas, Greek stamps with Italian overprints are fraudulent; see Lefkas.
Santander: 1: Department in Colombia, formerly a state; stamps issued 1884-1907. 2: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces, 1937 3: Correo Rapido de Santander; local post; 1926-28
Santapola: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Santavakia: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Santiago de la Espada: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Santim: unit of currency in Hatay.
Santimi, Santims, Santimu: 1923-25; surcharge, stamps of Latvia.
Santi Quaranta: Epirus port bogus overprint on stamps of Italy, 1914.
Santisteban del Puerto: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
Santo Domingo: formerly Ciudad Trujillo, Dominican Republic.
San Tomas: local from Venezuela, 1864, used by Blohm, Nolting & Co., a German shipping company, that traveled between La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, St. Thomas (Danish Antilles) and Curazao (Curacao).
Sant Petersburg: (Rus.) Saint Petersburg, straight line cancel, about 1819-21
Sao Paulo: 1932, Sep.13: stamps issued by revolutionary forces; stamps later recognized by the government for general use.
S.A.O.R. Eire: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Saorstát Eireann 1922: overprint on stamps of Great Britain for use in Free State of Ireland, Dec. 1922, 1925-27.
Sao Tome and Principe: see St. Thomas and Prince Islands.
Saouakin: city in Egypt, 1868-82, see Interpostal seals.
SAPDA: South African Philatelic Dealers Association.
Sapozhok: local post; Russian Zemstvo; 1870-1913
Saptamâna: (Rom.) week.
Sapte (Rom.) seven (number).
Saptesprezece: (Rom) seventeen (number).
Saptezeci: (Rom) thirty (number).
S. Ar.: (Sp.) Sevilla Aracena, Spain, pre-adhesive postmark.
SAR: Syria; Syrian Arab Republic.
S.A.R.: South African Railways.
Sar.; Sard.: (It.) Kingdom of Sardinia, pre-adhesive postmark.
Sarafou, Principality of: three islands issued labels, 175 leagues from the Phoenix Islands.
Saransk: local post, Russian Zemstvo; 1908
Sarapul: local post, Russian Zemstvo; 1893-94
Saratoff: city in Russia, local post, Russian Zemstvo; 1869-1879
Sarawak: northwest coast of the island of Borneo; currency: 100 cents = 1 dollar 1869, March 1: No.1, 3¢ brown yellow, stamps first issued, British protectorate, 1941, Dec.17-Sept. 11, 1945: Japanese occupation issue, stamps of Sarawak overprinted in Japanese, 1945, Nov.1: British military administration, stamps of Australia used, 1945, Dec. 17: Sarawak stamps overprinted "BMA" (British Military Administration), 1946, April 15: civil government restored, 1946, July 1: first stamp, ceded to Great Britain, became a Crown Colony, 1963, Sept.: joined the Federation of Malaysia, uses their stamps with overprint "Sarawak."
Sarawak: Mad Dogs and Englishman, inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Sârb: (Rom) Serbian (adj.).
Sardaigne: (Fr.) Sardinia.
Sardegna: (It.) Sardinia.
Sardinia, Kingdom of: Kingdom of Savoy, Piedmont and Sardinia; formed in 1815; 1817: world's first postal stationery, carried by private agencies, each sheet embossed with a figure of a horse and rider, known as "little horses," 1851, Jan. 1: No.1, 5 centesimi gray-black, first adhesive stamps issued, variations re-issued in 1853, 1854, 1855, 1855: Sardinia issue (imperforate) is identical to first issue of Italy (perforated), 1860: King of Sardinia became King of Italy, Savoy and Nice ceded to France, 1860: states of Italy joined Sardinia; Modena (March 16); Parma (March 18); Tuscany (March 22) and Romagna (March 25), 1861, March 17: became the Kingdom of Italy, 1862: stamps issued as Kingdom of Italy.
Sardinien: (Dan., Ger., Nor., Swed.) Sardinia.
Sardin' Island: Swiss origin fantasy.
Sárga: (Hung.) yellow (color).
Sárga Papíron: (Hung.) (on) yellow paper (color).
Sárgásbarna: (Hung.) yellow(ish)-brown (color).
Sárgászöld: (Hung.) yellow(ish)-green (color).
Sargent's Express: private mail delivery serviced Boston and Lowell, Mass., used a label, 1850.
Sark: island in English Channel, Guernsey Dependency, 1919-39: used British stamps, 1937: air service to Jersey, 1939 to Guernsey, 1962-1971: local posts.
Sarkari: overprint on stamps of Saurashtra for official use.
Saroelangoen: local overprint for Palembang district of Sumatra; 1942-45.
Sarral: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sarroca: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
SAS: Sassone Specialized Italy Postage Stamp Catalog
SASE: "Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope" is an unused envelope addressed to the sender with return postage affixed. Many stamp correspondents will not reply unless you include a SASE.
Sase: (Rom.) six (number).
Saseno: island in harbor of Valeno, Albania; currency: 100 centesimi = 1 lira 1914: seized by Italy, 1923, April: "Saseno" overprint on stamps of Italy, 1947: returned to Albania by the Treaty of Paris.
Sassone: specialized catalogue of Italian area, includes Trieste, San Marino, Vatican and more.
Satang: currency unit in Siam, Thailand.
SATAS: Societé pour l'Affranchissement et le Timbrage Automatiques (Fr.) postage meter firm founded in 1934, headquartered in Paris.
Satellite, French A-1; D-1: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1965-66.
Satellite Post Office: postal facility that has counter services, accepts mail and packages and sells stamps, but does not have any mailboxes.
Satinado: (Sp.) glazed, glossy.
S Atlantic Fund: surcharge on stamps of Barbuda.
Satzpreis: (Ger.) price for a complete set.
Satzware: (Ger.) series, stamps in set.
Saudi Arabia: on the Arabian peninsula between Red Sea and Persian Gulf, formerly Al Arabitan as-Saudiyah; currency: 40 paras = 1 piaster = 1 guerche (garch, qirsh), 11 guerche = 1 riyal (1928) 110 guerche = 1 sovereign (1931), 440 guerche = 1 sovereign (1952) 20 piasters (guerche) = 1 riyal (1960), 100 halalas = 1 riyal (1976) 1916: Grand Sherif of Mecca established the Arab State "Sanjak of Hejaz" and "Lawrence of Arabia" drove out the Turks, 1916, Oct.: first stamps issued considered as first issue of Hejaz and forerunner to those of Saudi Arabia, 1917, June 27: first Hejaz postage due stamps, 1921, Dec. 21: stamps for the Kingdom of Hejaz, 1925: No.1, 5 piaster ocher, first issues of the Nejd Administration of Hejaz on Turkish stamps, 1925, April: first Nejdi Administration of Hejaz postage due stamps, 1925: first newspaper stamp; may be unofficial, 1927, Jan. 1: joined the U.P.U. 1932: renamed Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1934, Jan.1: No. 1, 1/4 guerche yellow green, first stamps for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1934, May 15: first postal tax stamp, 1937: first postage due stamp, 1939: first official stamp, 1949: first air mail stamp, see Hejaz-Nejd.
Saudiarabien: (Swed.) Saudi Arabia.
Saugor Island: local post; United Kingdom; rocket dispatch; 1934.
Saunders' Express: private mail delivery firm serviced Mass. and N. H.; used labels, 1860s.
Saurashtra: State in India, 1948: United States of Saurashtra formed of 216 former states on the Kathiawar Peninsula of India, 1949-50; stamps issued, 1956: became part of the Bombay State; see Soruth.
Säuregehalt: (Ger.) acidity.
Sav.: Savannah (Georgia) pre-adhesive postmark.
Savage Republic: rock band labels.
Savannah, Ga. paid 5, paid 10: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Savannah, Georgia: occupied by British from 1778 to 1781.
Saventhem: Belgian church fair label.
Saverne: 1: local provisional; France; 1944. 2: Local for Alsace; German occupation; 1944
Savings Stamps: see U. S. War Savings Certificate Stamp.
Savona: Co. Nazionaldi Liberazione; local post; Italian liberation; 1944?
Savory & Co.'s Express: private mail and parcel delivery serviced Boston and Salem, Mass.; used labels, 1849-73.
Sawin's Express: local express firm serviced Boston and Cambridge, Mass., used labels, year unknown.
Saw-tooth: roulette type that gives the perforation a saw tooth appearance; British used term when automatic vending machines got out of register with the grips.
Saxony: central Germany, German State, aka Sachsen; currency: 10 pfennings = 1 neu-groschen, 30 neu-groschen = 1 thaler 1850, June 29: No.1, 3 pfennings brick red, first stamps issued, inscribed Sachsen, 1850, July: joined the Austro-German Postal Union, 1852-66: used double circle with crossed design as postmark, 1868, Jan. 1: stamps of the North German Confederation, 1871: became part of the German Empire, 1872: stamps of the German Empire, then the Weimar government, followed by stamps of the Third Reich, 1945: Saxony Province; issued "Provinz Sachsen" stamps under Russian occupation, 1945: East Saxony (Dresden) issued stamps under German occupation, 1945: West Saxony (Leipzig) issued local stamps under Russian occupation, 1946, Feb. 12: West Saxony issued semipostal issues under Russian occupation, 1946, Jan 19: Saxony Province; issued semipostal stamp under Russian occupation, subsequently part of the German Democratic Republic.
S. Ay.: (Sp.) Sevilla Ayamonte (Spain) pre-adhesive postmark.
Sayalonga: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1938
Sayles, Welcome B.: postmaster, Providence, RI, 1844-46, issued Postmaster's Provisional stamps.
SB: 1: softbound. 2: stock book, suggested bid. 3: boat: steamboat, pre-adhesive postmark.
SBZ: (Ger.) Soviet Occupation Zone, Germany.
SC: 1: USPS abbreviation for South Carolina. 2: auction abbreviation for stampless. 3: souvenir cover. 4: Stamp Collecting, Great Britain publication. 5: Small Crown (British Watermark). 6: Scott Catalogue. 7: South Carolina, pre-adhesive postmark.
SC: Supreme Court, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74.
sc.: (Lat.) signifying the stamp's artist
S.c: small crown, watermark.
SCADS: Stamp Collectors Against Dodgy Sellers; formed in 2002 to educate collectors about fakes, forgeries, etc.
S.C.A.D.T.A.: Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aéros; (Sp.) a South American air line which issued private stamps until 1932; 1928, Aug. 28 - Dec.27, 1930: private air firm under government contract had their own stamps to show the airmail fee, 1932: succeeded by Avianca.
Scale print: each color printed separately.
Scanalatura: (It.) ribbed.
Scandinavie: (Fr.) Scandinavia.
Scanning marks: refers to electric eye markings, dashes, guides, etc.
Scarab cancel: appears vaguely like a beetle.
Scarab seal: see seal, scarab.
Scarce Plate Number: a plate number that had a limited printing.
Scarpanto: overprint on stamps of Italy, offices in Scarpanto, Aegean Islands; 1912-32
Scarpanto: Dodecanese Island, Aegean Sea 1912 - pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, overprint on stamps of Italy, offices in Scarpanto, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1943, Sept.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by Allied forces, 1945, May 21: stamps of Britain overprinted "M.E.F." (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1946, April 17: British post offices closed, 1947: stamps of Greece overprinted "S.D.D." (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1947, summer: stamps of Greece used.
SCCS: Space City Cover Society.
Sceau: (Fr.) seal.
Sceau d'Noël: (Fr.) Christmas seal.
Scenic cancellation: Japanese postmark with a graphical representation of a geographical or historical design of cultural significance to the community in which the post office is located.
Scented stamps: Luxembourg had the scent of cinnamon on the selvage of panes of its 2002 Christmas stamp issue.
SCF: Stamp Collector's Fortnightly (Great Britain).
Sch: (Schilling) currency in German States
Schabatz, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1870s, for middle Danube lines.
Schach: (Ger.) chess (thematic).
Schaden: (Ger.) defect, damage.
Schädliche Ausgabe: (Ger.) issued mainly to exploit the collector.
Schalterbogen: (Ger.) pane of stamps as sold by the post office.
Schätzpreis: (Ger.) see Estimated value.
Schätzung: (Ger.) appraisal.
Scheetz's Celebrated Bitter Cordial: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schenck & Son: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schenck's Mandrake Pills: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schenck's Pulmonic Syrup: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schermack Company: Schermack Mailing Machine Co., Detroit, Mich., type of interrupted perforation to permit feeding through automatic vending machines. manufacturer of stamp vending machines, 1906-26, to be used with its machine that sealed envelopes and affixed stamps to them; perforations noted for their distinctive long slots.
Schermack perfin: made a series of nine pin holes in US 1908 series postage stamps perforated by Schermack Co. as a security device for its customers against pilferage by dishonest employees; missing pin holes stood for a code assigned to each firm..
Schernikow die proofs: die proofs or essays printed from the original master dies for the 1861 and 1871 issues; printed in ten colors on proof paper, colored card stock and pelure papers; dies acquired by Ernest Schernikow when Philadelphia Bank Note Company went bankrupt; he created "breakdown die proofs" in order to produce a series of prints showing the development of the design; also known as "breakdown die proofs."
Schiavi Press: Multi-Color Corp., subcontractor for American Bank Note Co., prints 19 rows of 36 stamps.
Scientific Expedition stamps: official and unofficial stamps created specially for the use of expeditions.
Schiff: (Ger.) ship.
Schiffpost: (Ger.) ship post.
Schiffsbrief: (Ger.) ship letter
Schilling: currency unit in Austria, old German states.
Schlesien: (Ger.) Silesia.
Schleswig: 1920s: mourning plebiscite label issued by German stamp dealer Sigmund Hartig.
Schleswig-Holstein: northern Germany, German state; currency: 100 pfennig = 1 mark, 100 ore = 1 krone, 16 schillings = 1 mark 1848-51: autonomous territory, 1864-pre: placed under Danish rule, 1850, Nov. 15: No.1, 1 schilling dull blue, greenish blue, first stamps by revolutionary government, protesting Danish rule, used circle design of bars as postmark, 1851, May 1: Danish rule, Danish stamps used in Schleswig, withdrawn March 31, 1864, 1853, July 1: Danish rule, Danish stamps used in Holstein, withdrawn Feb, 29, 1864, 1864, Aug. 1: Denmark defeated by Prussia and Austria, Schleswig and Holstein each issued own stamps, 1865: combined Duchies issue for both territories, but individual duchies issued own stamps, 1865, Nov.1: Schleswig awarded to Prussia, Holstein to Austria, 1866: Prussia defeated Austria, took over both territories, became province of Prussia, 1866, Nov. Schleswig and Holstein stamps could be used in either duchy, 1868, Jan.1: stamps of the North German Confederation, 1871: stamps of the German Empire, 1920, Jan. 25: stamps inscribed "Slesvig Plebiscit" followed by "1 Zone" and "C.I.S" Commission Interalliee Slesvig, as a result of the plebiscite, North Schleswig became part of Denmark, south Schleswig remaining part of Germany, one set of stamps in German currency and another with values in Danish currency issued, 1920, Jan. 25: No.1, 2 ½ pfennigs gray, 1920s: mourning plebiscite label issued by German stamp dealer Sigmund Hartig. 1920: first official stamp, 1920, July 9: stamps withdrawn from northern zone, replaced with stamps of Denmark.
Schleswig Zone 1: Northern zone, to Denmark; 1920 Scott Schleswig 15-28
Schleuderflugpost: (Ger.) catapult mail.
Schliersee: city in Germany, local post; 1918-23
Schlitz: (Ger.) slit.
Schloss: (Ger.) castle.
Schmalrandig: (Ger.) with narrow margins.
Schmetterling: (Ger.) butterfly (thematic).
Schmitt & Schmittdiel: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Schmölin: city in Germany, (Express-Packet-Beförderung) local post; 1891.
Schnittmarkierung: (Ger.) guide line printed on sheets for separation into panes.
Schöenebeck/Elbe: city in Germany, (Privatstadtbrief-Beförderung Courier) local post 1895-1900
Schololaden: (Ger.) chocolate (color).
Schön: (Ger.) fine.
Schönfalz: (Ger.) peelable hinge.
Schongau: displaced persons camp, German, 1946
School stamps: private adhesive stamps used by schools for service payment to and from nearby post offices.
Schottland: (Ger.) Scotland.
Schránka: see Postovní schránka (shránky).
Schriftstempel: (Ger.) script cancel.
Schrifttum: (Ger.) literature.
Schriftverkehr: (Ger.) correspondence.
Schroeter Local Post: see Bergen - F. Schroeter Local Post.
Schutzaufdruck: (Ger.) burelage.
Schutzgebiet: (Ger.) protectorate, colony.
Schutzgebietdruck: (Ger.) colony overprint.
Schwaan: city in Germany, (Privat-Post) local post; 1899-1900
Schwacher bug: (Ger.) slight crease.
Schwach Gestempelt: (Ger.) lightly cancelled.
Schwaren: unit of currency in the German state of Oldenburg.
Schwartz, J. E. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schwarz: (Ger.) black (color).
Schwarzdruck: (Ger.) black printing.
Schwarzenberg: city in Germany, local post; 1945
Schweden: (Ger.) Sweden.
Schweiz: (Dan., Ger., Nor., Swed.) Switzerland.
Schweizer Post.Vaduz: inscription on local stamp issued by Vaduz municipal council, 1918, to frank mail from Liechtenstein to Sevelen, Switzerland.
Schweizer Reneke: town, southwest of Pretoria, in the Transvaal; 1900, Aug.1- Jan. 9, 1901: town where stamps of Transvaal, and colony of Cape of Good Hope were handstamped "Beseiged" by British troops.
Schweizisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Swiss.
Schwer Gestempelt: (Ger.) heavily cancelled.
Schwerete: city in Germany, local post ((Private-Brief-Verkehr) 1887-88
Schwindelmarke: (Ger.) bogus stamp.
Scinde: province of Sind in India; 1850: system of camel mail riders introduced, 1852, July 1: established July 1, 1852; using horses and camels, the governor of Sind, established a system of prepaid letter service, stampscalled "Scinde Dawks," 1853: the Indian government took over the postal operation for the entire country 1854, Oct. postal service was discontinued; it is now Pakistan.
Scinde District Dawk: first issue of India; India-Scinde District Post.
Scio: city in Egypt (Ottoman Empire); 1868, see Interpostal seals.
Sciupato: (It.) damaged.
SCM: Stamp Collector's Magazine.
Scolorito: (It.) faded (color).
Scooter Messengers: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Scotland: 1840: British stamps valid for postage throughout Great Britain, 1958, Aug. 18: regional stamps inscribed "Postage Revenue," except for Machin issues which includes the "Lion of Scotland."
Scotland local cancellations: undated name stamps used at small post offices from 1854 to 1860.
Scott Catalogue: American based stamp catalogs of the world.
Scott Catalogue number: number assigned to a philatelic item by Scott editors according to that publisher's criteria for such assignment.
Scottish Lion: national symbol of Scotland used in upper right-hand corner of stamps from Scotland.
Scott's Express: local railroad and steamboat baggage delivery serviced Jersey City, N.J., used a label, year unknown.
Scout Post: postal services operated by the scouts, usually in periods of emergency; Mafeking, Prague, Warsaw Ghetto Rising.
Scouts Fund: overprint on stamps of Siam; semipostal.
Scovell, Hezekiah W.: postmaster, Lockport, N.Y., 1846, used oval handstamp as Postmasters' Provincial.
Scovill, A.L. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
SCR: Stamp Collector's Review (Great Britain).
Scrambled indicia: name given to hidden encoded imagery used on U. S. stamps; see Decoder, Encoded Designs; Stamp decoder.
Scrape: an abrasion of the stamp surface which removes or moves paper fiber.
Scratchboard: technique in stamp production that looks like traditional line engraving.
Screened Tagging: made of thin lines, or a dot pattern that appears to be lines, when seen with low magnification.
Screw press: press pressure applied by turning of a screw-threaded bar.
Scrim envelopes: Palestine Postal Authority scrim-lined linen envelopes ordered in 1921
Script: a type-face resembling handwriting.
Scrisorei: Romania Moldavia-Wallachia.
Scroll: 1: curved device located within frame of some stamps. 2: British postmark with a curved name panel instead of the circular date stamp. 3: nickname for scroll with word "Canada" at the top of each design, starting August 1928..
Scudo: currency unit in the Roman States.
Scum: colored flaw.
Scutari di Albania: (Town of Albania) northern part of Albania; 1479-1913: under Turkish rule, 1909-16: No.1, 10 paras on 5c green, "Scutari di Albania" surcharge on stamps of Italy in Turkish currency, Offices in Turkey, 1914: "Scutari-Skadar" postmark on stamps of Montenegro and Albania, 1918-19: occupied by Allied forces, fiscal stamps of Austria overprinted "Posta Shkodres Shqypnis," see Italian Offices in Turkish Empire.
Scutit de taxe postale: (Rom.) post-free.
SCV: Scott Catalog Value.
SD: 1: USPS abbreviation for South Dakota. 2: topical association abbreviation for stamp design. 3: small date variation on U.S. stamps. 4. international postal code for Swaziland; 4: Haiti provisional overprint. 5: Stamp Duty; Hong Kong fiscal overprint, 1891.
S.D.C.: (Sp.) Santo Domingo de la Calzada, pre-adhesive postmark.
S.D.D.: (Gr.) Stratiotiki Dioikisis Dodecanissou (Military Administration of the Dodecanese Islands) overprint on stamps of Greece for Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Mar. 31, 1947.
SdeB: Samuel DeBinder, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
S.D.N.: (Fr.) Société des Nations (League of Nations); overprint on stamps of Switzerland.
S.d.N. Bureau International du Travail: International Labor Bureau, overprint on stamps of Switzerland, official.
SDO: Stamp Distribution Office; suppliers of U.S. stamps for either philatelic or standard sales.
SE: 1: Straight edge. 2: watermark on stamps of Ireland are the initials of "Saorstat Eireann" (Irish Free State). 3: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Sweden, such as SE-532 Skara.
Seabury & Johnson: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Sea Floor Bahamas: cancel on mail posted in the bathysphere at the bottom of the sea in Nassau Marine Garden, Aug. 1939.
Sea horses: nickname for the British King George V high value stamps of 1913-34.
Sea Islands: bogus, labels, year, source unknown
Seal: 1: an ornamental paper stamp, such as a Christmas seal; a cinderella. 2: a design, initial or other device placed on a document or letter as a signature or proof of authenticity. 3: letter seals of Egypt, 1932, for use by British forces in Egypt for lower rate on letters to G.B; replaced in 1936 by the "Army Post" stamps.
Sealand: Great Britain fantasy country, made from abandoned WW II concrete platform made into kingdom; source unknown.
Seal, charity: Christmas and Easter seals, not valid for postage.
Seal, dead letter: seal used to seal letters that were opened to find a forwarding address.
Seal, disinfection: letter was opened in the disinfection center, exposed to sulfur fumes and re- sealed with an official seal confirming that the mail piece received this disinfection treatment.
Sealed coil: a full roll of coil stamps that is in the original condition as sold at the post office.
Seal, lead: lead used to "seal" a letter into which was pressed the sender's distinctive mark; high government officials used lead as the sealant
Seal, letter: usually round, may be embossed; used by government departments and private firms as a form of advertising.
Seal, official: U.S. Post Office Department, in 1877, used official seals to reseal undeliverable letters; they do not pay postage.
Seal, registry: used to seal registered mail.
Seal, scarab: seal carvings engraved on the flat surface of stone scarabs, the emblem of the sacred beetle, and used as rings or fitted into handles and used to impress sealing wax on papyrus as authentication of a message.
Seal, wafer: In 13th century Venice, messages were folded and tied with string; the string ends were adhered to the letter with a blob of sealing wax, overlaid with a small piece of paper, called a wafer, this was inserted into a rudimentary form of a press, which then sealed the paper into the seal attached to the letter.
Seal, wax: formerly, molten wax "sealed" a letter into which was pressed the sender's distinctive seal.
Sea Mail: paquebot marking.
Seapost: operations and markings of governmental postal employees operating a post office aboard a seagoing ship on a route where a fixed schedule is maintained.
Search fee: New York City postmaster held mail addressed to countries that were invaded by Germany in WW II, advertised in newspapers that for a fee, based on time, held mail would be searched for letters which senders wanted returned; postage due stamps were affixed to the letters when returned to sender.
Seasonal gum: gum formula calculated to make the gum resistant to the weather and atmospheric conditions.
Seasons Greetings: U.S. undenominated stamp, valued 20¢, placed on sale Oct. 28, 1981.
Seaway Invert: variety of the 1959 issue printed upside down.
Seaway Issue: The St. Lawrence Seaway issue of Canada; famous because of inverted center.
Sebastopol: bogus Ukranian local overprint.
Secap: Societé d'Etudes et de Construction d'Appareils de Précision (Fr.) French postage meter firm, 1994.
Secheresse Solidarite Africane: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Gabon, 1973, for African solidarity in drought emergency.
Secondaire (Collection): (Fr.) sideline or secondary (collection).
Second Bureau Issue: second set of definitive stamps issued by the BEP, 1902.
Second Class Mail: former name of Periodicals-Class Mail.
Second Day: ceremony conducted by postal officials on the day after stamp issuance, in locations different than the first day of issue city.
Second day cover: cover postmarked on the day following the First Day of Issue; popular in the 1940s when the stamps were available at the Philatelic Agency in Washington, DC on the second day.
Second issue: replacement for first issues of U.S. revenue stamps, slightly different than first issue; most printed with blue frames and black vignettes; 1871.
Second Issue revenues: enacted Dec. 25, 1862, where any type of stamp could be used to indicate the prepayment of any U.S. tax, featured state seal medallions for the engraved central designs.
Secours: "Relief" used on stamps of Saudi Arabia semipostals.
Secours aux Refugies: "refugee relief" inscription, with airlaine, on 1925-31 stamps of Syria.
Secours aux Victims de la Guerre: "Relief for victims of the war" inscription on stamps of Haiti semipostals.
Secours Guerche: inscription on postal tax stamp, Saudi Arabia.
Secours National: (Fr.) (National Relief) overprint on stamps of French Colonies semipostals.
Secret mark: 1: identification mark, not easily seen in the stamp design. 2: marks placed on dies of U.S. stamps which the National bank Note Co. turned over to its successor, the Continental Bank Note Co, in 1873.
Sector: the sixth and seventh digits of a ZIP + 4 code; it is a geographic portion of a ZIP Code area or a rural route, several blocks or a large building, part of a post office box section, or an official designation; see Segment.
Sécurité (papier de): (Fr.) safety (paper).
Security overprint: applied to a stamp with the specific purpose of discouraging forgery.
Security paper: various types of paper used to prevent stamp counterfeiting.
Security Services: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Security watermark: used to guard against postal misuse.Sedang: fantasy stamp of Annam Kingdom; IndoChina, 1899; by Marie David de Mayrena, considered a classic bogus issue.
Sedá: (Czech.) grey (color).
Sedavi: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sedella: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937
Sede vacante: vacant see , period between the death of an religious ruler and appointment of his successor; Vatican City overprint, inscription.
Sedfa: city in Egypt; 1884, see Interpostal seals.
Sedocerná: (Czech.) grey-black (color).
Sedofiolová: (Czech.) grey-violet, grey-purple (color).
Sedohnedá: (Czech.) grey-brown (color).
Sedomodrá: (Czech.) grey-blue (color).
Sedoolivová: (Czech.) grey-olive (color).
Sedozelená: (Czech.) grey-green (color).
Seebecks: a nickname given to certain issues of Ecuador (1892-96), Honduras (1890-99), Nicaragua (1890-99) and Salvador (1890-99). Nicholas Frederick Seebeck, as agent for the Hamilton Bank Note Company, printed stamps for these countries at no charge in exchange for the right to sell remainders and reprints to stamp collectors.
Seedorf: displaced person camp, Germany; 1946.
Seelye, Dr. D. H. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Seepost stempel: (Ger.) sea mail cancel.
Se faner: (Fr.) faded (color).
Sefkat Pullari: Turkey postal tax.
Segment: the eighth and ninth digits of a ZIP + 4 code; a specific block , apartment house bank of boxes, a firm, a floor in a large building, or other specific location; see Sector.
Segnatasse: (It.) "Sign Tax" postage due stamps of Italian Colonies, Italy, San Marino, Vatican; 1863-69.
Segno di Controllo: (It.) control mark.
Segno di garanzia: (It.) marking applied to stamps by the issuing agency indicting that the stamp is genuine and valid for postal use; also "expert's mark."
Segno segreto: (It.) secret identification mark, not easily seen in the stamp design.
Segorbe: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Segovia: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces 1936-38
Seguis: (Sp.) applied to forgeries produced by Sr. Segui.
Segunda Republica: (Sp.) The 2nd Spanish Republic of 1931.
Seguro Postal: (Sp.) 'Safe Post' inscription on stamps of Mexico for insured letter stamps.
Seguro Social del Campesino: (Sp.) 'Social and Rural Workers Insurance Fund' overprint on Ecuador postal tax stamps.
Seid eining, einig, einig!: (Ger.) 'Be One, One, One' inscription on Germany stamp as propaganda for union of North and South Germany, 1900.
Seidenfaden: (Ger.) silk thread.
Seite: (Ger.) side, page.
Seiyun, Kathiri State of: see Aden.
Sejm Wilnie: (Lith.) inscription on stamps of Central Lithuania (Litwa Srodkowa) for opening of national parliament at Vilna, 1922.
Sejour: residence permit; French Colonies revenue inscription
Sekajoe: local overprint; Japanese occupation Palembang district, Sumatra; 1942-45.
Seks: (Dan., Nor.) six (number).
Seksstripe: (Nor.) strip-of-6.
Seksten: (Dan.) sixteen (number).
Seksti: (Nor.) sixty (number).
Selangor: Malaya; on west coast of the Malay Peninsula; 1878: No.1, 2¢ brown, an overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements,"S" in a circle, stamps were for local postage only; used in combination with stamps of Straits Settlements for overseas mail until 1891, 1881: Selangor inscribed in stamps, 1895: joined the Federated Malay States, 1900: used Federated Malay States issues, 1935, Dec. 2: name Malaya used on stamps, 1942, May-1945: Japanese characters and "Dai Nippon 2062 Malaya" and "Dai Nippon Yubin" (Japanese Postal Service 1942) overprint, 1942-48: stamp shortage caused stamps of Selanger to be used in other states, 1948, Dec. 1: first stamp, 1949, Sept. 12: first definitive, 1957: stamps of the Malayan Federation used along with those of Selanger, 1963, Sept.: became part of the new Federation of Malaysia, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Selangor, on stamps of Malaysia.
Selantan: South Moluccas (unrecognized issue).
Selbstklebende marken: (Ger.) self-adhesive stamps.
Selbstklebepostkarte: (Ger.) self-adhesive postcard; see Folded Business Card.
Selective block tagging: untagged area on printed stamps permits the cancellation ink to permeate the stamp paper to help prevent illegal use.
Self-adhesive stamp (S/A): adhesive on stamp back that does not have to be moistened to adhere to paper, also known as pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA); stay tacky at room temperature and require a silicone coated paper to facilitate their use, do not require licking to activate, first used by Sierra Leone on Feb. 10, 1964, US in 1974.
Self Government 1947: overprint on stamps of Malta to commemorate the granting of the constitution in 1947.
Self-service: term applied to covers that have been serviced, such as getting own cancels, applying stamps, etc., by collectors themselves.
Self-service registration stamps: German Democratic Republic issued registration labels with a fee for special handling, 1967-68.
Seller's commission: pre-determined commission or fee deducted from the final price of the lot and kept by the auctioneer as part of the commission for selling the lot.
Selling Price: the price a seller can realize from the sale of a philatelic item.
Sello: (Sp.) 1: postage stamp. 2: seal (philatelic).
Sello 10 A 1896Y97: overprint or alone on stamps of Fernando Po for revenue use.
Sello aéreo: (Sp.) airmail stamp.
Sello ano 100: (Sp.) jubilee (century).
Sello commemorativo: (Sp.) commemorative stamp.
Sello da Tasa: (Sp.) postage due.
Sello de Admisión: (Sp.) admission stamp.
Sello de Aviso de Recibo: (Sp.) stamp issued as a prepayment fee as an acknowledgment of receipt of a registered package.
Sello de beneficencia: (Sp.) charity, or semi-postal stamp.
Sello de certificado: (Sp.) registration stamp.
Sello de Ciudad Postal: (Sp.) city post stamp.
Sello de Correo Aéreo Semioficial: (Sp.) issued privately, but accepted by the postal agency. "Buffalo Balloon" stamp is an example.
Sello de Correo Carlista: (Sp.) Carlist stamp of Spain.
Sello de correos de campaña: (Sp.) field post stamp.
Sello de corro maritimo: (Sp.) ships post.
Sello de Cuoto tardio: (Sp.) late fee stamp indicating payment of a special fee for forwarding a mail piece after the regular mail has been closed; also known as supplementary mail.
Sello de derechos consulares: (Sp.) consular fee stamp; Tangiers, 1939 with overprint.
Sello de devolucion: (Sp.) stamp used in fee payment for the return of an undelivered letter.
Sello de entraga autorizaro por paquetes postales: (Sp.) authorized deliverystamp, parcel post
Sello de entrage autorizaro por carta: (Sp.) authorized delivery stamp, correspondence.
Sello de franqueo insuficiente: (Sp.) postage due stamp.
Sello de giro (postal): (Sp.) money order stamp.
Sello de guerra: (Sp.) war stamp, stamp issued during war conditions.
Sello de impuesto: (Sp.) tax stamp.
Sello de Navidad: (Sp.) Christmas seal.
Sello de Recargo: (Sp.) stamp used in payment of postal tax in addition to normal postage.
Sello de Urgencia: (Sp.) special delivery stamp.
Sello encapsulado: (Sp.) encased postage stamp.
Sello falso: (Sp.) forgery.
Sello fiscal: (Sp.) revenue stamp.
Sello negro: (Sp.) handstamp with arms of Castille & Leon on official letters in earl 18th century.
Sello para cartas retardadas: (Sp.) too late stamp.
Sello para Periódicos: (Sp.) newspaper stamp.
Sello pegado al sobre: (Sp.) stamp on cover.
Sello Postal: overprint on demonitzed issues of Nicaragua to validate issue for use.
Sello tipo: (Sp.) definitive stamp.
Sellos de Correos-Resena Historica: (Sp.) private issue, Spain, by A. Duro, 1881.
Sellos sobre fragmento: (Sp.) stamps on piece.
Selma, Ala.: see Confederate States of America, 3¢ 1861 Postmasters' Provisionals.
Selma, Ala. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
S.E. Local Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Selten: (Ger.) rare, scarce.
Selvage (Selvedge): the unprinted paper on the edge or margin of a sheet of stamps.
Selwyn College: local, United Kingdom, Cambridge, 1882.
Sembellawin: city in Egypt; 1879-84, see Interpostal seals.
Semblable: (Fr.) similar.
Sem dentea'âo: (Port.) imperforate.
Semenov, Gen.: stamps of Russia surcharged under general's occupation.
Semeuse camée: (Fr.) sower on solid background.
Semeuse lignée: (Fr.) sower on lined background.
Semi-gloss gum: moisture activated stamp adhesive; displays a moderate degree of light reflection, aka Low Gloss or Satin Gum.
Semi-imperforate: a stamp that has at least one imperforate side and one side with perforations. See Imperforate and Fully imperforate.
Semi-official: stamps used in connection with private postal use, but having official sanction such as the railway letter fee stamps of England, or the U.S. Buffalo Balloon covers where their delivery started in a private balloon and taken to the nearest post office where it continued on to its destination courtesy of the U.S. Mails.
Semi-official air mail stamp: private firms operating air services carried mail and some issued their own private labels to indicate payment of the air mail fee; in addition to the normal postage as indicated on government postage stamp.
Semipostal: an additional monetary value, called a surcharge, devoted to a specific non-postal purpose such as the Red Cross; the surcharge has no postal validity and is usually separated from the official postal value with a "+" sign, aka Charity Stamps.
Semlin, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1840s, for middle Danube lines.
Sen: currency unit in Indonesia, Japan, Malaya, Malaysia, Ryukyu Islands and West Irian.
Señal de charnela: (Sp.) hinge mark.
Senalguacil: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937
Senant: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
Sendung: (Ger.) sending, consignment.
Sene: unit of currency in Western Samoa.
Senegal: west coast of Africa, bordering on the Atlantic Ocean; official name of postal administration: La Poste currency: 100 centimes = 1 CFA franc 1859: used French Colonies General Issues with lozenge of dots reading "GOR" or "SEN," 1887: No.1, 5 centimes on 20¢ red, French rule, stamps for the French colonial general issue surcharged, 1892: Commerce and Navigation stamps inscribed "Senegal & Dependances," 1903: first postage due stamp, 1906 Upper Senegal and Niger, 1915: first semipostal stamp, 1924: Dakar made a special territory, 1935: stamps just used name "Senegal;" first air mail stamp, 1939: first air mail semipostal stamps, 1943: former French colony of Senegal became part of French West Africa, stamps of Senegal surcharged for use there, 1944-1959: used the stamps of French West Africa, 1946: Dakar reunited with Senegal, 1958, Nov. 25: Republic of Senegal established, 1959, April 4-June 20, 1960: united with the Sudanese Republic to form Mali Federation, 1960, Aug. 20: became Republic of Senegal, Sudanese Republic stayed as the Mali Federation, Senegal resumed issuing its own stamps, 1961, Sept. 18: first official stamp, 1961, June 14: joined the U.P.U.; 1981, Dec.: Senegal agreed to merge with the Gambia to form Senegambia; see French Sudan, Senegambia and Niger.
Senegal Gum: gum from the acacia plant, shrub or tree collected in the Senegal district.
Senegal, Upper and Niger: 1903-pre: stamps of French Sudan, 1904: French West Africa colony established to replace Senegambia and Niger, 1906-14: first stamps inscribed "Haut Senegal et Niger," postmarks read "Ht Senegal et Niger," and in Niger "Territoire Militaire du Niger," 1920: stamps overprinted for French Sudan when name changed.
Senegal, Upper and Niger: Northwest Africa; 1903-pre: stamps of French Sudan, 1904: French West Africa colony established to replace Senegambia and Niger, 1906: No.1, 1 centimes slate, first stamps inscribed "Haut Senegal et Niger," postmarks read "Ht Senegal et Niger," and in Niger "Territoire Militaire du Niger," 1906: postage due stamp issued, 1915: semipostal stamp issued, 1921:issues for French Sudan resumed, stamps overprinted, 1933: part of Upper Volta added; see French Sudan, Mali, Federation of.
Senegambia: 1982, Feb.1.: Republic of Senegal and The Gambia merged.
Senegambia and Niger: French administrative unit for the Senegal and Niger possessions in Africa; now Republic of Mali, currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1903-pre: used stamps of French Sudan, 1903, July: No.1, 1 centime black, Commerce and Navigation key type inscribed "Senegambie et Niger," 1904: became part of the French Sudan; name changed to Upper Senegal and Niger; stamps inscribed "Haut-Sénégal-Niger," 1920: colony became French Sudan, later the Republic of Mali,1930-36: used French keytypes; see Niger.
Senegambie et Niger: (Fr.) Senegambia and Niger, 1903.
Sengi: currency unit in Zaire.
Senit: currency unit in Tonga.
Sennar: city in Egypt; 1879-80, see Interpostal seals.
Sennett Security Products: printer of U.S. postage stamps.
Sensitized paper: stamp paper covered with a light-sensitive mixture, used for the siege of Mafeking, 1900.
Sent: currency unit in Estonia.
Sentimo: currency unit it the Philippines.
Sentrering: (Nor.) centering.
Senza gomma: (It.) ungummed.
Senza linguella: (It.) hingeless.
S.E.O.F.: (It.) Servizio Estero Oltre Frontiera (Foreign Service Beyond Border) pre-adhesive postmark.
Seoul: also known as Soul, South Korea.
Sep(s): separation(s)
Separated: torn apart by separating the perforations; Abgetrennt (Ger.)
Separations: the method employed in which stamps are separated from one another; perforations are a form of separations.
Séparé: (Fr.) severed. (Independence)
Sepia: (Eng., Ger., Fr., Sp.) dark reddish-brown color.
Sepia die (inspection) proof: French-area countries proof printed in sepia color only; made on thinner paper than artist die proofs and contain only a single stamp impression, with three hole punches (diamond, crescent, diamond).
Seppia: (It.) dark reddish-brown color.
Septembrie: (Rom.) September.
Serapoum: city in Egypt; 1868-71, see Interpostal seals.
Serbes: overprint on France for Serbia, 1916-18.
Serbia and Montenegro: southeast Europe, between Albania, Bosnia and Herzegoovina; Currency: 100 heller = 1 krone, 1 dinar = 100 paras (Serbia), Euro (Montenegro) 1866: No.1, 1 para dark green, depicting coat of arms, stamps issued as Principality of Serbia, 1874: Serbia was an original member of the General Postal Union, 1875, July 1: joined the UPU, 1878: Became independent of Turkey, 1882: Kingdom declared, 1895: First postage due stamp, 1911: First newspaper stamp, 1912-1913: Balkan War: Annexed territories used regular Serbian stamps, 1914: Serb nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, start of WWI, 1915-1918: First World War - occupied by Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria, Austria used stamps of Bosnia overprinted "Serbien," 1916-1918: Serbian Government in Exile on Corfu, used French stamps overprinted "Postes Serbes," applied after stamps were on a cover, 1918: Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes formed, 1919, May 5: overprinted stamps used in occupied Baranya, Hungary, 1919, May 10: overprinted stamps used in occupied Temesvar, Hungary, 1919: Serbia combined with Montenegro, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Croatia, Dalmatia and Slovenia to form the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1920: Stamps of Yugoslavia used, 1921, Dec. 24: rejoined the UPU as Kingdom of Serbs, Croates and Slovenes, 1929, Oct. 3: name officially changed to Yugoslavia, rejoined the UPU; 1941: Yugoslavia invaded by the Axis powers, Serbia occupied by Germany, stamps of Yugoslavia overprinted "Serbien," 1941, Sept. 22: first occupation semipostal stamp, 1941: first occupation air mail, postage due stamps, 1943: first occupation official stamp, 1945: Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia proclaimed; consists of Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia, 1991: disintegration of Yugoslavia; remaining area known as Federal Republic of Yugoslavia consisting of Serbia & Montenegro, Macedonia, 1992: Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence, Serbia and Montenegro declared itself as Federal Republic of Yugslavia, 1998: province of Kosovo in Serbia revolted, 2001, June 18: rejoined the UPU as Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kosovo governed by U.N. Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UMIK)., 2003, Feb. 4: rejoined the UPU as Federation of Serbia & Montenegro, 2003, Apr. 3: first stamps from new republic, 2003, Aug. 27: first stamps with two currencies, dinar and euro; see Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbian Occupation of Hungary: 1919: stamps of Hungary overprinted for use in Baranya, stamps of Hungary surcharged for use in Temesvar.
Serbie: (Fr.) Serbia.
Serbien: 1. (Dan., Ger., Swed.) Serbia.
2. overprint on stamps of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Austrian Occupation, World War 1. 3. overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia, German Occupation of Serbia, 1941.
Serbienisk: (Dan.) Serbian.
Serbisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Serbian.
Serbmit Sirap a Yruam: Timbres Maury a Paris, backwards, inscription on labels of a stamp dealer.
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Kingdom of the: Yugoslavia 1-62 1921-28
Serbska: Serbian held Bosnia; 1992.
Serge Beaune: multi color printing principle of Giori and similar presses.
Serie: (Czech., Fr., It., Sp., Swed.) set, series.
Serienstempel: (Ger.) machine cancel.
Serial number: postal administration method of control and checking stamp issue; usually applied in margins or on labels; also used on registration labels or other methods for recorded delivery.
Series: a set of stamps with various denominations such as the National Parks issue, may be released to or added to over a period of years.
Series of 1894: nickname; see First Bureau Issue.
Series of 1902: nickname; see Second Bureau Issue.
Series of 1908: nickname; see Washington-Franklins.
Series of 1922: nickname; see Fourth Bureau Issue.
Series of 1938: nickname; see Presidential Series (Prexies).
Serif type: type with an ornamental projection to one side of a letter, at top or bottom.
Seri Pervas, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built 1839, for Levant lines; re-named Baron Stuermer, then Persia, built 1839.
Serpentine roulette: perforation as deep continuous S-shaped, looks like waves, cuts.
Serrated roulette: perforation as triangular cuts.

SE TO SN

Severn & Wye & Severn Bridge Railway: British railway local post.
Severn & Wye Joint Railway: British railway local post.
Sever, Severni: (Czech.) North.
Severni Amerika: (Czech.) North America.
Severni Irsko: (Czech.) Northern Ireland.
Severni Korea: (Czech.) North Korea (People's Democratic Republic of Korea).
Severni Mariánské Ostrovy: (Czech.) Northern Mariana Islands.
Severni Rhodésie: (Czech.) Northern Rhodesia.
Severni Vietnam: (Czech.) North Vietnam.
Severovychod: (Czech.) Northeast.
Severozápad: (Czech.) Northwest.
Service: 1: used as an abbreviation for "On Government Service" to indicate official mail use only. 2: the act of affixing a stamp to a cover and having it cancelled.
Service: 1: overprint on Bangladesh official stamps, 1973-94; See Bangladesh. 2: no country name; overprint on revenue stamps of British India and Pakistan for official use, 1866. 3. used as an abbreviation for "On Government Service" to indicate official mail use only. 4. the act of affixing a stamp to a cover and having it canceled. 5. overprint on stamps of India for official use of International Commission Vietnam, August 1, 1966.
Service cover: postal item sent on active service, with relevant postmarks.
Service de la Societe des Nations: (Fr.) "League of Nations" overprint on stamps of Switzerland, 1923-44.
Service de l'Etat: "State Service" inscription on stamps of Egypt, 1893 for official use.
Service des Postes Persanes: (Fr.) official stamps of Iran.
Service des Postes sur le Chemin de Fer: (Fr.) railway mail service, Belgium, initiated 1841.
Service Franco: official stamps of Iran
Service indicator: inscription included in the design of a stamp to indicate category of postal service to be rendered such as "Bulk Mail Rate."
Service inscribed: term used for wording on a stamp to identify the service for which the stamp was designed; such as "Bulk Rate," etc.
Service overprint: postage stamp overprinted, with the word "service" or the initials of a military force, for exclusive use by military personnel, often outside country of issue.
Service Postal Aerienne: (Fr.) French Morocco, airmails
Servicer: person who performs the act of servicing; usually done on a commercial basis; see Service.
Services Consulaires: (Fr.) consular service for revenue issues.
Service stamps: name used for Official Mail handstamp of a government agency, or their agents; first issued by Switzerland for the Universal Postal Union in 1957.
Service Two Annas: surcharge on official stamps of India.
Service watermark: originally intended for the exclusive use of the USPS, but also used for regular envelopes issued to the public.
Service with a smile: slogan of the Rural Free Delivery carrier
Servicio Aereo: (Sp.) "Air Service" Spanish language countries
Servicio Aereo Exterior: (Sp.) "Foreign Air Service" Spanish language countries.
Servicio Aereo Habilitado: (Sp.) overprint on stamps of Honduras, officials made valid for air mail use.
Servicio Aereo Interior: (Sp.) "Domestic Air Service" Spanish language countries
Servicio Aereo Internacional: (Sp.) "International Air Service" Honduras airmails
Servicio Aereo Sobretase: (Sp.) "Air Service" Argentina
Servicio Bolivariano de Transportes Aeros: (Sp.) Colombia airmail.
Servicio Centro Americano: (Sp.) "Central American Service" Nicaragua airmails
Servicio de Alcance: (Sp.) inscription meaning "late fee" but used for the "Too late" fee.
Servicio del Estado: (Sp.) "State Service"overprint on stamps of Chile, official use.
Servicio de Transportes Aeros en Colombia: (Sp.) Colombia airmail.
Servicio Ecuador de Transportes Aeros: (Sp.) Ecuador airmail.
Servicio Interno: (Sp.) "Internal Service" overprint on stamps of Guatemala.
Servicio oficial: (Sp.) "Official Service" inscription/overprint on stamps of Paraguay, Peru and Ecuador.
Servicio Ordinario: (Sp.) "Ordinary Service"overprint on stamps of air mail stamps of Nicaragua, validating airmails for regular use.
Servicio Postal Aéreo: (Sp.) "Air Mail Service" Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Uruguay airmails
Servicio Postal del Salvador: (Sp.) "El Salvador Postal Service"
Servico Postal India Port: inscription on stamps of Portuguese India, 1871.
Servicio Postal Mexicana: (Sp.) "Mexico Postal Service"
Servi'o Aereo: (Port.) air mail surcharge on stamps of Brazil, 1927.
Servizio di Stato: (It.) "State Service" Italian language countries, airmail officials
Servizio pacchi postali: (It.) parcel post.
Servizio Sospeso: (It.) service suspended, applied on mail sent from Italy to a foreign nation, after its surrender to occupation forces, WW II.
SES: Special Event Souvenir Sheet; introduced by Australia as a personalized sheet of stamps with 10 or 20 stamps with tabs and a decorative border
Sesquicentennial: stamps marking the 150th anniversary of an event or date.
Set: 1: a series of stamps with similarity in design or purpose. 2: stamp production term of composing type or the arrangement of cliches so that sheet of stamps can be printed in that arrangement. 3: serie (Fr., It., Sp.); satz (Ger.).
Seta, hongo: (Sp.) mushrooms (thematic).
Seten: (Fr.) se-tenant.
Se-tenant (Seten,): (Fr.) (joined together), two or more unseparated stamps having different colors, denominations, or designs.
Set-off: when freshly printed sheets are stacked before the ink is completely dry and transfers to the gummed side of the sheet directly above it.
Set solid: printing term for sheets of stamps printed in a format so that they are not separated into panes by gutters.
Setting: the exact geometrical arrangement of the type used for an overprint.
Setting error: occurs when a cliche is inserted sideways or upside down in relation to the rest of the plate.
Seu d'Urgell: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
S.E.U.F.: Stati esteri ultre frontiera (It.) foreign states beyond the frontier.
Seul (timbre): (Fr.) single (stamp).
Sev.: (Sp.) Seville, city in Spain; pre-adhesive postmark.
7R1E: "seven right one early," seventh position in the right pane of the first plate in the early state; the imperforate Benjamin Franklin issue of 1851, Scott # 5.
Sevastopol: surcharge on stamps of Russia during the occupation of Gen. Wrangel's army, 1920.
Seven stars: Cook Islands Federation 1892 issue with seven star design in center.
Sever: (Czech.) North.
Severni: (Czech.) North.
Severni Amerika: (Czech.) North America.
Severni Irsko: (Czech.) Northern Ireland.
Severni Korea: (Czech.) North Korea (People's Democratic Republic of Korea).
Severni Mariánské Ostrovy: (Czech.) Northern Mariana Islands.
Severni Rhodésie: (Czech.) Northern Rhodesia.
Severni Vietnam: (Czech.) North Vietnam.
Severovychod : ( Czech.) Northeast.
Severozápad : ( Czech.) Northwest.
Seville: 1: city in Spain, local post, Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces, 1936. 2: overprint Viva España Julio-1936 on stamps of Spain for city of Seville, 1936.
Sevilla-Barcelona: (Sp.) Spain, 1929
Sev. Zap. Armia: (Cyrillic) Severo-Zapadnaya Armia; Northwest Army.
Sewing machine perforation: rows of holes used for the separation of stamps actually done by an actual sewing machine; result is a pin roulette.
Sexagenary 1897: overprint on stamps of Leeward islands for 60th year of Queen Victoria's reign.
Sexfärgstryck: (Swed.) see Tryck - Sexfärgs.
Seychellerna: (Swed.) the Seychelles Islands.
Seychelles: British group of about 100 islands off the east coast of Africa; currency: 100 cents = 1 rupee 1811: administered by Britain as a dependency of Mauritius, 1861-90: used stamps of Mauritius, 1890, April 5: No.1, 2¢ green and rose, British colonial key type design, 1903, Aug. 31: became a British Crown Colony, 1951, March 1: first postage due stamp, 1975, Oct.: internal self-government, 1976, June 29: became independent, 1977, Oct. 7: joined the U.P.U.; see Zil Elwannyen Sesel.
Seychelley: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book, Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
Seyham, Turkey: now Adana;
SF: 1: (It.) strada ferrate (Railroad) pre-adhesive postmark. 2: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Finland, such as SF-00101 Helsinki. 3: (Swed. or Finland) Soldater Frimärke (Soldiers' Stamp) overprint on stamps of Sweden for reduced mail rates for their armed forces. 4: Sanitary Fair. 5: Space Filler. 6: Franc, currency unit in Liechtenstein, Switzerland.
SFB: (Swed.) (Svenska Frivillig Bataljonen) Swedish Volunteer Battalion.
S.F.K.: "Svenska Frivillig Karen" (Swedish Volunteer Unit) used in postmarks for Swedish volunteers attached to Finnish armed forces fighting Russia in 1939.
SFL: single folded letters with writing on inside and address on outside.
SFRY: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
SFS: see Stamp Fulfillment Services.
Sfor-Bosnia: bogus Russian issue.
SG: 1: Stanley Gibbons catalogue. 2: (Sudan Government), perforated on stamps of Sudan officials, 1913.
SG: 1: Surveyor General, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 2: (Sudan Government), overprinted on stamps of Sudan officials, 1936. Shakespeare stamp: inscription on label issued by stamp dealers, 1964.
SGAG: Stanley Gibbons Auctions Galleries, Inc. (USA).
SGL: single stamp.
SGMJ: Stanley Gibbons Monthly Journal.
SGP: international postal code for Singapore.
S.GR: (Silbergroschen) currency unit in the German States.
s'Gravenhage: aka the Hague, The Netherlands.
SH: 1: auction abbreviation for topical ships. 2: (in upper corners) Schleswig-Holstein, German States, 1850. 3: sheet.
Shackleton-Rowatt Expedition: stamps printed by Great Britain in 1922 but canceled due to death of Shackleton.
Shade: gradation in depth of tone causing differences in the color of a stamp.
Shaded letter type: usually a letter with a white outline and a black shadow.
Shadrinsk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1869-1917.
Shagiv: currency unit in the Ukraine and Western Ukraine.
Shahi: currency unit in Afghanistan and Iran.
Shahpura: State in India, 1914-28
Shakers: Shaker town postmarks, can be found spelled as "3 mo. 16, '56"
Shakespeare: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1964.
Shakspeare Penny Memorial: 1864-65, inscription on label to arise funds for a memorial, name misspelled.
Shako: British letter carrier cap with a cloth covered peak at the back and a drop front peak of glazed leather; replaced with a normal peaked cap in 1932
Shanghai: city in Kiangsu Province, China; currency: 16 cash = 1 candareen, 100 candareens = 1 tael, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1890) 1843: British settlement founded, followed by France, United States, and other foreign settlements, 1864, postal service organized with agencies in 16 cities, 1865: No.1, 2 candareen black, first municipal or local stamps, 1866-69, 1873: stamps printed in Britain, 1892: first postage due stamp, 1898: postal system merged into the Imperial Service,1919-22: U.S.A. overprinted and surcharged its stamps for use in Shanghai, 1922-pre: stamps of Hong Kong overprinted "China" in use until 1922, 1922: currently uses general issues of China. 1940: regional surcharge on stamps of China.
Shanghai: Mail Bus, Jin Ang Railway Station, Talking Shop inscriptions, unissued Great Britain cinderellas by David Horry, 2001.
Shanghai/China: overprint on stamps of the United States, Offices in China.
Shanghai Local Post: Treaty Port, Shanghai, 1890-98.
Shanghai L.P.O.: "Local Post Office" inscription on stamps of Shanghai.
Shipwreck Mail: By Bottle inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Shanghai Municipality: Shanghai international Municipal Council.
Shanghai surcharges: overprints on the U.S. Washington-Franklin series, authorized in1919 for use in the American postal agency in Shanghai when the Chinese rate became erratic.
Shanghai, U.S. Postal Agency: 1868, July 27: authorized by Act of Congress, used U.S. stamps overprinted "Shanghai China," 1907, Sept. 25: postal agent appointed replacing U.S. Consul at Shanghai, 1919: U.S. Post Office established, 1922, Dec. 31: U.S. discontinued operation.
Shan States: eastern states of Burma, 1942, Aug.: Japanese Military Government used own stamps, 1943, Dec. 24: stamps overprinted for use throughout country, Sc Burma 2N51-57
Shansi: province in northeast China; part of the Northwest China Liberation area,
used rebel stamps prior to the formation of the People's republic of China; Japanese occupation; China 5N
Shantung: province of the People's Republic of China; 1: Japanese occupation, 1941-45 China 6N. 2: Shantung Pohoi Post; local post, 1946-49. 3: Shantung Post; local post 1945-49 SC China 5L1-5L9. 4: Shantung Wartime Post; local post, 1942-49
Sharjah and Dependencies: Oman Peninsula, Persian Gulf Sheikdom; one of the United Arab Emirates; currency: 100 naya paise = 1 rupee 1963, July 10: No.1, 1 naye paise light blue-green and pink, first stamp, first air mail stamp, 1963--72: issued 1,200 different stamps, not including imperforate and souvenir sheets, 1964: stamped printed in Egypt inscribed "Government of Sharjah and Dependencies," 1965-69: Khor Fakkan enclave had own stamps, supposedly valid throughout Sharjah 1965, Jan. 13: first official stamp, 1966, Nov. 22.: some previous issues reissued with new riyal currency 1971, Dec. 2: one of six Persian Gulf Sheikdoms to join United Arab Emirates, which proclaimed independence, 1972: used stamps of the United Arab Emirates, see Trucial States, United Arab Emirates.
Sha-Si: local post; Central China; 1949
Shatsk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1871-1916.
Shaw's Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Newburyport, Mass., used labels, 1869.
Shchigry: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1882-86
SHCO: on shield with Geneva cross, inscription on postal tax stamps of Mozambique.
Shedd's Express: local parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Bridgewater, Mass; used labels, year unknown.
Sheet: 1: one full impression of stamps taken from a printing plate; a typical sheet of U.S. commemorative stamps is four panes each of 50 stamps, the sheet is then cut into four panes of stamps for eventual sale. the typical post office pane now appars to be 20 stamps. 2: bogen (Ger.); feuille (Fr.); foglio (It.); hoja (Sp.).
Sheetfed: a flat-plate press that prints postage stamps in individual sheets; see web presses.
Sheet files: an oversized glassine envelope that can hold an entire mint pane of stamps.
Sheetlet: 1: a small pane of stamps; less than what is normally considered by normal standards as a usual pane; in the U.S., a normal pane consists of 20 or 50 stamps, while a sheetlet would be sheets of less than that quantity. 2: Michel 2001 Catalogue considers items with the same four stamps as a sheetlet provided it does not also appear at the same time as a block; items with five to ten of the same stamp are sheetlets; see Blocks, Combination sheetlets, Combination sheets.
Sheet margin: the portion of unprinted paper that surrounds a stamp or a pane of stamps.
Sheet numbers: consecutive numbers placed on sheets by an automatic numbering machine to keep an accurate count of the number printed.
Sheet Stamp: stamp produced in sheet format, vs a stamp made in a coil or booklet pane format.
Sheet Waste: stamps with incorrect perforations or misaligned colors, etc., remnants of some rotary press sheet stamps that were perforated gauge 11, creating rare stamps.
Sheet watermark: a large watermark covering the entire sheet with only aportion showing on a stamp.
Sheffield & Midland Railway Committee: British railway local post.
Sheffield and North: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Sheffield Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Shekel: currency unit in Israel.
Shek-Hung: local post; southwest China, 1950
Shensi: People's Post; northwest China; 1949
Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia: region of Northwest China, issued stamps 1946-49, prior to the formation of the People's Republic of China.
Shensi province: China, 1949
Sherifan Post: 1892: post used octagonal cachets, valid throughout Morocco to 1915, in Tangier to 1919, 1912: first stamps; three zones established; Tangier with European posts, the North had a Spanish protectorate, and a French protectorate was in the rest of the country, 1915: Sherifan Post ended in Morocco, 1919: Sherifan Post ended in Tangier.
Shetland Islands: Scotland issued labels, 1993-94, purporting to be official; see South Shetlands.
Shiffsbrief: (Ger.) ship letter marking.
Shift: a postage stamp printed in more than one color in which one color is off center.
Shift, coil: coil stamps, due to having two round plates curved and fitted around the cylinder, may have a slight misalignment of the plates in relationship to each other; the shift usually shows up between the last stamp on one plate and the first stamp on the next; a line (known as line pair) may be printed between two stamps showing the shift; known as a "jump" on coil stamps of Canada.
Shifted Transfer: occurs as the design in being rocked in, or transferred, to the plate; see reentry.
Shih-kia-chwang: local post; north China, 1949
Shihr and Mukalla: Aden Dependency; 1942: first stamp valid for use throughout Aden, see Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Mukalla.
Shill bidding: increased bids placed by same bidder against himself or a friend, sometimes using an alias, to increase the value of an item; once the bidder reaches the level being sought by the seller, the shill bidder drops out and the winning bid gets the lot at an inflated price.
Shilling: 1: currency unit in many British countries. 2: putting an item up for sale at auction and then assuming a different identity to bid up the price.
Shiny gum: water activated stamp adhesive having a high light reflective appearance; incorrectly referred to as wet gum.
Ship: world's first stamp to picture a steam and sailing ship was New Brunswick's 12 1/2¢ (Sc.10).
Ship cancellation: a postmark applied to mail on board a ship, steamer .
Ship letter: letter carried by a private ship and bearing a rubber stamp or manuscript marking such as "Ship Letter," Loose Ship Letter," or "Posted at Sea" with name of port of entry.
Ship mail: 1: first mail sorted aboard ship was on the Holyhead and Kingstown (H&K) packet on Oct. 1, 1860. 2: West Indies mark.
Ship Mail Room: indication that a letter has passed through the foreign section of the post office on its outward trip.
Shipping company stamps: stamps issued by shipping firms to prepay the postage for mail carried by their vessels.
Shipping Postmaster: marking applied on mail using South African stamps cancelled on board ship in the harbors of Cape Town(1906-72) or Durban (1906-48).
Ship Post Offices: first post offices aboard a ship were on the Columba and Iona, July 1879, on the Greenock-Ardrishaig route.
Ship Postmark: letter carried on a private ship, usually delivered to a post office at the ship's port of entry.
Shirt Pocket Mail: mail delivered by people traveling from one place to another.
Shiu-Hon Chan: Color Illustrated Stamp catalogue of China.
Shizen: term for "health" on Japanese Christmas seals.
Shkrodra, Shkodre, Shkoder: Albania overprint.
Shlisselburg: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1865-66
SHM: auction term for staple holes in margin
Shoe Fly: Toledo, Ohio, cancel illustrated a shoe over a fly. Short paid: postage due to be collected, for various reasons, including one for "too many words;" in 1933, the British rate was five words for 1d on a postcard, more than five required the letter rate of 1 ½ d per ounce.
Short perforation: paper has been removed down to the base line of the perforation holes.
Short set: an incomplete set of stamps usually with the expensive or important value missing.
Short stamp: postage stamp in which the top and bottom edges are closer together than usual, as a result of the perforating machine; in nearly all early British perforated stamps, the top row is one shorter than the remainder.
Short transfer: a variety that occurs when a stamp design is not fully transferred to the plate.
Show cancel: postmark applied to covers at philatelic events; the name of the event is indicated in the cancel.
Show-hsien: local post, east China, 1949
Show stopper: nickname for a rare and unusual exhibition item.
Shpitsbergen Island: bogus Russian Federation Republic; local overprint and stamps.
Shqipenia: overprint on stamps of Turkey for Albania, 1913.
Shqipenie, Shqiperia, Shqiperija, Shqiperise, Shqipni, Shqipnija, Shqiponies, Shqiprari, Shqyptare: (Alb.) Albania.
Shqiperie Korce Vetqeveritale: (Alb.) "Albanian Kortza Independent" French Forces, occupation of Albania.
Shqipnija: (Alb.) fund on bogus stamps issued under German administration or government in exile.
Shránky: see Postovní schránka (shránky).
Shri Lanka: Sri Lanka, 1972
Shrinkage: expansion of wet paper when drying occurs in the circumference of the paper, not the length; that direction is called the grain.
Shrub Oak: local post established by philatelic write Herman Herst Jr., in Shrub Oak, N.Y., a village with no delivery service; his children, later his dog Alfie, carried mail to the post office for the 2-cents fee, 1953-73.
Shrunken stamps: stamps that have been chemically altered so that the fibers shrink.
S.H.S.: 1918, Oct.: State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (Drzava Slovenaca Hrvta i Srba), 1918 - 20: Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kraljevstvo Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca) 1919 - 20: Drzava S.H.S., overprint on stamps of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1919 - 20: Hrvatska S.H.S., overprint on stamps of Hungary.
Sht: auction term for sheet.
Shtator 14 1943: Italian occupation stamps overprinted in 1943-44 for Albania; See Albania.
Shtlt: abbreviation for sheetlet
Shu-cheng: local post, east China; 1949
Shuna: Scottish carriage label, Oct. 1949.
Siam: see Thailand; Bangkok.
Sibbo: (Fin.) steamship, carrying mail, serving Finland cities, local, 1892-99.
Siberia: huge Russian northern territory; currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble 1918 Nov.: Admiral Aleksandr V. Kolchak became ruler of area, issued surcharges on stamps of Russia issued 1919, resigned on Jan. 4, 1920; 1919: No.1, 35 kopecks on 2 kopeck dull green, Kolchak stamps issued in Omsk; later used along the line of the Trans-Siberian railway to Vladivostok, 1921: Priamur Government / Nikolaevsk issues handstamped / overprinted / surcharged "H A II B II" (Nikolaevsk on Amur Priamur Provisional Government), 1922: stamps of Far Eastern Republic overprinted "B II 28/V II 1921-1922" the initials of the "Vremeno Priamursk i Pravitel'stvo" Provisional Priamur Government, 26th May, other overprints exist; see Ataman Semyonov, Amur, Far Eastern Republic, Priamur and Maritime Provinces; Trans-Baikal Province and Russia.
Siberia, Eastern: 1923, Jan.: first stamps issued; due to currency differences, special surcharged stamps issued; see Russia.
Siberian Silhouettes: name given to stamps with a silhouette of a soldier and a cathedral used by Czech troops in Siberia, Dec. 1919.
Siberske: Siberia.
Sibir: (Dan. Nor.) Siberia.
Sibirien: (Ger.) Siberia.
Sibersk: (Dan. Nor.) Siberian.
Si-Chong: People's Post; southwest China; 1950
Sicilia: (It., Sp.) see Kingdom of Two Sicilies.
Sicilia Calabria: 1908 triangular label to raise funds for earthquake charity.
Sicile: (Fr.) inscription on stamps of Sicily for Two Sicilies.
Sicilien: (Dan.) Sicily.
Sicily: Mediterranean island off southern Italy; 1859, Jan.1: issued a set of stamps, cancel was a frame so that the head of the king would not be defaced, 1861, Feb. 15: superseded by Sardinia, new stamps for the Neopolitan provinces, 1862: stamps of Italy issued; see Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Sicmon Islands: group of six islands in the South Pacific created by Nick Bantock for his book, Griffin & Sabine.
Sidcup Etc.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Side: abbreviation for sideways watermark
Side-delivery: coil machine dispensing a roll of side-by-side postage stamps.
Siderographer: the technician who produces printing plates by coordinating the spacing of individual subjects and transferring many copies of the design onto the plate.
Siderographer Initials: initials of the BEP employee who created the plate in the lower left corner of the plate, in effect from 1906 - 1928.
Siderography: process of creating an engraved plate from a transfer roll.
Sidi-Gaber: city in Egypt;1879-82, see Interpostal seals.
Sidney short route: Sidney, Nebraska forwarder, H. T. Clarke, issued imprinted envelope to forward mail
SIEG: Sieger.Zeppelinpost Spezial-Katalog (specialized Zeppelin Mail Catalog)
Siege de la Ligue Arabe: "Meeting of the Arab League" Morocco
Siegel: (Ger.) cancel.
Siegelmarke: (Ger.) stamp seal.
Siege (of) Mafeking: see Mafeking.
Siege of Paris: When Bismarck's army surrounded Paris, the residents used balloons to carry official dispatches and private letters; September 23, 1870. Sieg oder Tod in Alpenrot: (Ger.) victory or death in the Alps; label made in Vienna.
Sielaff: stamp vending machine, introduced in Germany.
Sieradz: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Sierra de Yeguas: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces,1937
Sierra Leone: west coast of Africa; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 leone (1964) 1859, Sept. 21: No.1, 6 pence bright violet, depicting Queen Victoria, 1896: British colonial key type used, 1961: granted independence, but remained in the British Commonwealth, 1962, Jan. 29: joined the U.P.U., 1963, April 27: first air mail stamp, 1964: issued first self-adhesive, free-form stamps, 1971, April 19: became a republic.
Sievier's Essays: R.W. Sievier submitted engraved and embossed designs in British treasury competition, 1840.
Sigesmond, Dr. S. Brown: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Sigillo di Natale: (It.) Christmas seal.
Sigillum Nov. Camb. Aust.: Sigillum Novae Cambriae Australis (Latin) New South Wales inscription, The Seal of New South Wales; first stamp of Australia colony, Jan. 1,1850.
Sigillum Sanitatis: (Latin) Seal of the Health (Authority) indicating letter has been disinfected against disease.
Siglo: (Sp.) century.
Signalrød: (Nor.) deep bright red, traffic-sign red (color).
Signature: indication of the name of the designer or engraver; when on the back of a stamp provides the security of an expert certifying the authenticity of the stamp.
Signature capture: conversion of delivery storage information from paper to electronic.
Signature confirmation: USPS service for mail that is supposed to require a recipient's signature upon delivery; can be tracked via USPS tracking page.
Signé: (Fr.) signed.
Signed: indication of being expertised, by signature usually, on reverse of cover.
Signe d'guarantie: (Fr.) marking applied to stamps by the issuing agency indicting that the stamp is genuine and valid for postal use; also "expert 's mark."
Signed stamp: a signature on a stamp, blocks or pane, usually in the margin.
Signette: (Ger.) revenue stamped paper.
Signiert: (Ger.) signed; see Expertize.
Signoscope: commercial name of an electronic watermark detector.
Signum: see Cachet.
Sikajy: Madagascar local issue.
Sikang: province of China; 1949: Communist rebels issued stamps for use in the province, 1955: divided between Tibet and Szechwan.
Sikkim: overprints on stamps of India, 'Sikkim State'; may be bogus, 1920s.
SILA: "Svensk Interkontinental Lufttrafik AB," Swedish air firm organized for transatlantic service, started 1945.
Silber: (Ger.) silver
Silb.Gr.; Silbergroschen: (Ger.) currency unit in Bremen, Brunswick, Hanover, Oldenburg, Prussia, Thurn and Taxis.
Silentium Victoriam Accelerat: (Latin) Silence Speeds Victory; motto used by the U.S. Office of Censorship during WW III and used as the basis for censorship of mail.
Silesia, Eastern: after World War 1, located on border of Czechoslovakia and Poland, 1920: plebiscite planned; stamps of Czechoslovakia (Feb. 13, 1920), Poland (April 15, 1920) overprinted "SO / 1920" "Silesie Orientale" (Eastern Silesia), plebiscite never held and area divided between two countries.
Silesia, Upper: territory between Germany and Poland; currency: 100 pfenning = 1 mark, 100 fennigi = 1 marka 1906: No.1, 1 centimes slate, 1920, Feb. 20: plebiscite planned as to whether area should go to Germany or Poland, but vote was not conclusive, Polish Plebiscite Commissioner Wojciech Korfanty rebelled, issued official stamps, 1920, Mar.: stamps issued for official use with overprint "C1.H.S." in circle and "C.G.H.S." Commission de Gouvernment Haute Silesie, Commission of Government of Upper Silesia, on stamps of Germany; 1921, March 20: League of Nations awarded most of disputed area to Poland with balance going to Germany, see C.G.H.S.
Silesie: (Fr.) Eastern Silesia.
Silistria, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1840s, for lower Danube lines.
Siljans Mail: (Swed.) Swedish town local post.
Silk: postcard with some or all of the design on silk fabric.
Silk cachet: cachet with pictorial design printed on fabric with a silk-like finish.
Silkote: paper that is whiter than usual stamp paper with a surface texture that is extraordinarily smooth; used for the U.S. 2-cent Liberty experimental printing of 1954.
Silk paper: stamp paper containing small pieces of colored silk in the paper mixture.
Silk thread: 1: paper used for stamps containing a silk thread as a means of preventing forgery. It is most easily seen on the back of the stamp. 2: filamento de seda (Sp.); fil de soie (Fr.); filo di seta (It.); seidenfaden (Ger.)
Silla: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sils: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Silurian paper: granite paper containing blue threads.
Silvering: some encased postage stamps had a thin silver coating to look like the silver coinage of the period.
Silver Jubilee: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1935.
Silvers: see Silver Yuan.
Silverstreak Radio Tax: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Silver tax stamps: used to pay tax on the net profit on the sale of silver bullion; conventional revenue stamps denominated in currency, 1934-63.
Silverton Tramways: local, Australia, about 1887-1966.
Silver Wedding: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1948-49, 1972.
Silver Yuan: the mid-1949 Nationalist issues of stamps of China with denominations expressed in silver-backed currency.
Sily: currency unit in Republic of Guinea.
Simbabwe: (Ger.) Zimbabwe.
Simboluri: (Rom.) symbols.
Simi: (Symi) overprint on stamps of Italy for offices in Simi, Dodecanese Island, Aegean Islands; 1912, pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, overprint "Simi" on stamps of Italy, 1916: first stamps without overprints, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1943, Sept.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by allied forces, 1945, May 21: British post offices opened, stamps of Britain overprinted "M.E.F." (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1947, March 31: British post offices closed, stamps of Greece overprinted "S.D.D." (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1947, summer: stamps of Greece used.
Similigravure: (Fr.) half-tine (engraving).
Simili-timbre: (Fr.) bogus.
Simmons, Dr. M. A.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Simoor: Indian States; 1879-1902
Simple watermark: when the watermark is designed to appear on each stamp.
Simulated perforation: a perforation printed on the stamp to separate the stamp image from the tab.
Sinai, Peninsula of: area between Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba; 1916: Turkey issued a set of stamps with overprints to mark its occupation.
Sinaloa: state in Mexico, revolution issue, 1929; federal forces stopped revolution before stamps could be used.
Sin charnela: (Sp.) never hinged.
Sind: province in India, issued "Scinde Dawk" issue, July 1, 1852, first adhesive stamps in Asia.
Sin dentar: (Sp.) imperforate
Sin-Feng: local post, central China, 1949
Singapore: island off southern tip of the Malay Peninsula; official name of postal administration: Singapore Post Pte Ltd currency: 100 cents = 1 dollar 1867, April 1: British colony and part of the Straits Settlements with Malacca and Penang, 1942: Japan invaded island, 1945-48: Malaya B.M.A. stamps used, 1946, April 1: Straits Settlements dissolved, had its own stamps inscribed "Singapore" as a Crown Colony, Malacca and Penang joined the Malayan Union, 1948: No.1, 1¢ black, stamps inscribed "Malaya / Singapore" 1948: Malayan Union renamed Federation of Malaya, 1955: first air mail stamp, 1958, Aug.1: became self-governing as the State of Singapore, used stamps of the Federation of Malaysia, along with those of Singapore, 1963, Sept. 16: joined the Federation of Malaysia, withdrew in 1965, 1965: became independent member of the British Commonwealth, 1966, Jan. 8: joined the U.P.U., 1968, Feb.1: first postage due stamp.
Singapore: Raffle Ticket inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Singapour: (Fr.) Singapore.
Single: individual postage stamp
Single letter: prior to 1845, letters were charged by piece and per zone; a single letter was a single piece of paper weighing less than one ounce; letters before 1845 were folded pieces of paper, with no envelope, and sealed with wax.
Single line: characters, figures, frames, circles, made up of one stroke or line.
Single line perforation: separation with a single row of holes or cuts in made in one operation.
Single Line Watermark: the USPS initials are in one single line.
Single-ring c.d.s.: a circular date handstamp contained within a single circle.
Single watermark: each stamp bears the complete watermark impression.
Singolo: (It.) single.
Sin goma: (Sp.) ungummed.
Sinkage: depression in the card backing of a die proof by the die block.
Sinkiang: Province of China between Mongolia and Tibet; 1882-1920: used stamps of Russia in Russian post offices c1900: Chinese post office opened, used stamps of China, 1915: No.1, ½ cent black brown, overprint on stamps of China with surcharge due to currency differences for Chinese Turkestan, 1920: Russian post offices closed, 1945, Mar. Northwest China Liberation Area issued stamps, 1945, Aug.: Uighur Republic declared independence, rejoined China in 1949.
Sinking fund: annual public debt-reducing stamps of France, 1927-31.
Sinn Fein: labels issued by Irish rebels, 1907; possibly used during 1916 "Easter" rebellion.
Sinober: (Nor.) cinnabar, reddish-blue (color).
Sinonim: (Rom.) synonymous.
Sinope: current name is Sinop, port on a peninsula leading to the Black Sea, French post office opened Nov. 1857, closed May 1869.
Sin-siang: local post, north China, 1949.
Sin-Tu: local post; southwest China; 1950.
Sin Valor Postal: (Sp.) "No postal value," Spain charity seals, 1953.
Sion: local airmail; Switzerland, 1913.
SIPEX: Sixth International Philatelic Exhibition held in Washington, D.C. in 1966.
SIPS: Staten Island Philatelic Society, four initials frame the corners of the Ulysses portrait on the U.S. 1¢ postcard.
Sibir: (Dan. Nor.) Siberia.
Sibersk: (Dan. Nor.) Siberian.
Sir Codrington error: Greece, 1927 issues had Sir Edward Codrington's Christian name omitted, against British custom; corrected in third and final printing.
Siria: (Sp.) Syria.
Sirmoor: India Feudatory State, aka Sirmur; 1874: first local stamps, 1879: No.1, 1 pie green, first stamps, 1890: first official stamps, overprint "On / S.S.S." On Sirmoor State Service, 1890s: stamp reprinted for collector demand, 1902, April 1: stamps discontinued for stamps of British India.
Siroky Dolní Okraj: (Czech.) wide lower margin.
Siroky Úzky Okraj: (Czech.) narrow lower margin.
Sirotam: surcharge on stamps of Italy for Yugoslavia, German occupation of Ljubljana.
Site: (Eng.) location.
Sitges: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
Sitron: (Nor.) lemon (color).
Sitrongul: (Nor.) lemon-yellow (color).
Sivas: overprint on stamps of Turkey, 1930.
Si Vende Cosi Com'è: (It.) sold as is. Siwai: Indian states term for any tax collection besides land revenue.
Sixth International Philatelic Exhibition (SIPEX): international stamp show held in Washington, DC in 1966.
Sizilien: (Ger.) Sicily.
Sizing: chemicals added to paper in the manufacturing process to keep the ink from bleeding through the paper fibers and to add stiffness; improving the printing characteristics.
SJ: (Swed.) see Statens Järnvägar.
Sj¦lden: (Dan.) rare.
Sjelden: (Nor.) rare.
Sjokoladebrun: (Nor.) chocolate-brown (color).
Sju: (Nor.) seven (number), introduced in the spelling reform of 1938, see Syv.
Sk, Skr: Krona, currency unit in Sweden.
Skadet: (Nor.) damaged.
Skagway Reindeer Express Syndicate: phantom express firm supposedly in Skagway, Alaska Territory; used a range of colored labels.
Skalat: city in former Austrian-occupied Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Skandisnavia: (Nor.) Scandinavia.
Skandinavien: (Dan., Swed.) Scandinavia.
Skandinavisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Scandinavian.
Skargards Trafik Aktiebolaget: Finland local, 1874-87.
Skatik(u)as: currency unit in Lithuania.
Skattem¦rke: (Dan.) revenue stamp, fiscal stamp.
Skeleton handstamp: a date handstamp made so that loose type could be inserted.
Skepp: (Swed.) ship.
Skeppsbrottetpost: (Swed.) ship wreck mail.
Skeppspost: (Swed.) ship mail.
Skeppspostkontor: (Swed.) ship post office.
Skibbruddpost: (Nor.) ship wreck mail.
Skibsbrev: (Ice.) ship letter marking, Scandinavian origin.
Skibspostkasse: (Dan.) mail boat mail box, paquebot mail box.
Skierniewice: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Skifferblå: (Swed.) slate-blue (color).
Skiffergrå: (Swed.) slate-grey (color).
Skilling: currency unit in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Skilling Banco: currency unit in Sweden
Skilling Oscar-Serien 1856: (Nor.) refers to the 1856-1857 King Oscar I definitve issues.
Skilling Oscar-Serien 1878: (Nor.) refers to the 1878 King Oscar I definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1872: (Nor.) refers to the 1872-1875 "Posthorn and Crown" definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1877: (Nor.) refers to the 1877-1878 "Posthorn and Crown" definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1882: (Nor.) refers to the 1882-1893 "Posthorn and Crown" definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1893: (Nor.) refers to the 1893-1908 "Posthorn and Crown" definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1910: (Nor.) refers to the 1910-1929 redrawn "Posthorn and Crown" definitve issues.
Skin: natural oil from skin may damage stamp paper.
Skinned: stamp that has part of the paper stripped away, leaving a thin copy.
Skip: 1. a mailpiece that has passed through a canceling machine without a cancellation being applied to the postage stamp. 2. (Nor.) ship, boat.
Skipper's post: handstamp indicating amount of postage used by skippers of sailing ships and barge masters on inland waterways to indicate fee collected for transport of the mailing piece, 1667.
Skipsbrief: (Ice.) ship letter marking, Scandinavian origin, started Jan. 9, 1914.
Skipspost: (Nor.) ship mail.
Skipspostkasse: (Nor.) mail boat mail box, paquebot mail box.
Skipspostkontorer: (Nor.) ship post office.
Skopin: city in Russia; local post, Zemstvo, 1871-1916.
Skotland: (Dan.) Scotland.
Skotlsk: (Dan.) Scottish.
Skottland: (Nor., Swed.) Scotland.
Skotsk: (Nor., Swed.) Scotch.
Skravert: (Nor.) shaded.
Skull Island, Kingdom of: advertising fantasy created for the movie, King Kong.
Skye: bogus, label, year and source unknown
Sky train mail: gliders towed by airplanes flown from New York to Washington with stops at Philadelphia and Baltimore, Aug. 2, 1934, backstamped Aug. 3.
SL: 1: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Slovenia, such as SL-1001, Ljubljana. 2: Straight Line (cancellation).
Slabbing: encasing collectibles in a container after authentication and grading that will show evidence of any tampering.
Slania, Czeslaw: (1921- ) world's most famous stamp engraver, engraved stamps for more than 35 nations, his 1,000th stamp was issued in Sweden March 17, 2000.
Slant Marking: found on sheet margins of Swedish stamps to position the stamps for perforating and assembling into booklets.
Slätt tryck: (Swed.) smooth print.
SLB: (Sp.) San Lucas de Barromeda (Spain) pre-adhesdive postmark.
SLD: (soldi) currency unit in Austria, Offices in Turkey.
Sleeper: a stamp in a dealer's inventory that may be underpriced.
Sleeve: 1: plastic protector on a cover. 2: seamless steel cylinder used in line engraved intaglio printing; images to be printed are entered directly on the curved surface.
S Lepem: (Czech.) with gum.
Slesien: (Dan.) Silesia.
Slesvig: 1. (Dan.) inscription on the plebiscite issues, Schleswig, 1920. 2. (Swed.) Schleswig.
Slg., Sammlung: (Ger.) collection, an assembly of philatelic material.
Sligo, Letrim & Northern Counties Railway: Ireland railway local post.
Slime holes: mixture of water, chemicals, etc. used to form paper can develop clumps of bacteria that turn into slime; will become an irregular hole in the finished stamp paper.
Slitting: separating the individual rows of stamps in a printed web to from continuous bands that are cut to length and rolled into coils.
SLM: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Malta, such as SLM-11.
SLO: international postal code for Slovenia.
Slobovia: Donald Evans issue, see Evans, Donald.
Slogan cancel: : metal die hub cancel that contains some form of information, advertising or propaganda message.
Slogan postmark: postmark with an announcement or message.
Slogan postmark, first hand: used in London, 1661 for addresses along Kent Road; "For all Kent goes every night from the Round House in Love Lane & Comes Every Mor(ning)."
Slott: (Nor.) castle.
Slovacchia: (It.) Slovakia.
Slovakia: central province of Czechoslovakia; official name of postal administration: Slovenská Posta currency: 100 haleru = 1 koruna 1918: became part of Czechoslovakia, 1920, May 18: joined the U.P.U. 1939, Jan. 18-45: German protectorate, No.1, 5 haleru ultra, overprint "Slovenský stát 1939" on stamps of Czechoslovakia; 1939, March 14: declared independence, 1939, April: first newspaper stamp, 1939: first postage due stamp, 1939, Nov.6: first semipostal stamp, 1939, Nov. 20: first air mail stamp, 1940: first personal delivery stamp, 1942, May: had its own stamp exhibition, issued four stamps, 1945, April 4: Russia liberated country, became a constituent republic of Czechoslovakia, 1993, Jan. 1: became a republic, split into Czech Republic and Slovakia, 1993, March 18: rejoined the U.P.U.
Slovakien: (Dan., Swed.) Slovakia.
Sloveniensk: (Dan., Swed) Slovenian).
Slovakiet: (Dan.) Slovakian.
Slovakotour: inscription on tiny stamps for German citizens to use on postcards while on prepaid vacations in Slovakia.
Slovaquie: (Fr.) Slovakia.
Slovene Coast: post WW II issues for Istria and the Slovene Coast, Istra, Slovensko Primorje (Slov.), Zone B, see Istria.
Sloveni: overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia, Italian Occupation, 1941.
Slovenia: Southeastern Europe, between Austria and Croatia; Official name of postal administration: Posta Slovenije d.o.o. Currency: 100 paras = 1 dinar, 100 stotins = 1 tolar pre-1918: part of Holy Roman Empire, 1918, Oct. 29: part of State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (Drzava Slovencev, Hrvatov in Srbov, Drzava S.H.S. (Crot.), 1918, Dec. 1: part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later named Kingdom of Yugoslavia; Istra, Slovensko Primorje and Venezia Giulia were given to Italy after WW 1, 1919: No.1, 3 filler violet, first stamp, postage due and newspaper stamps, 1920: a plebiscite in Carinthia (Koroska -Slov. / Kärnten - Ger.) between Slovenes and Austrians, 1921, Dec. 24: joined the UPU, 1941, April: occupied by Italy, named Provincia di Lubiana Province of Ljubljana, overprints of stamps of Yugoslavia, first semipostal, air mail stamps, 1942: annexed to Italy, used stamps of Italy, 1944: German occupation known as the Province of Ljunljana (Provinz Laibach / Ljubljanska Pokrajina) 1944: stamps of Italy overprinted by Germany, first German occupation air mail, air mail special delivery, postage due; Italian occupation first postage due, 1945: became part of Yugoslavia, 1991, June 25: declared independence, 1991: No.1, 5 dinars, had its own stamps, 1992, May 8: first postal tax stamp, 1992, Aug. 27: rejoined the UPU.
Slovenien: (Dan.) Slovenia.
Sloveniensk: (Dan.) Slovenian.
Slovenija: Slovenia, formerly northern part of Yugoslavia; independence in 1991; see Ljubljana.
Slovenská, Posta: Slovakia bogus issue, year and source unknown.
Slovenskeno: overprint on stamps of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, 1939-44.
Slovensko: see Slovakia; triangular stamps with V or D in corners are personal delivery stamps of Slovakia.
Slovensko: See Slovakia; overprint on stamps of Hungary, unofficial issue.
Slovensko-Primorje: overprint of stamps of Yugoslavia; Istria and the Slovene Coast, 1945-46.
Slovensky: (Czech.) Slovakian.
Slovensky Stát: overprint on stamps of Czechoslovakia for Slovakia, 1939-44.
Slov.Liga.Slovensky Brat.Objimso mat: Slovakian label printed in the U.S.
Slowakei: (Ger.) Slovakia.
Slowenien: (Ger.) Slovenia.
S.L.Potosi: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Slug: contains changeable information such as date or time and cane be placed in a postmark or cancel die.
Slurred print: ink smudging caused by moving during the actual printing process.
S.M.: 1. Stipendary Magistrate, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 2. Soldat Militen (Drafted Soldier) Belgium, for free franking while in service.
Smal: (Nor.) narrow.
Small Banknotes: nickname for stamps issued in 1890-93 by the American Bank Note Co.
Small Cut: postcard collectors term for only saving the round portion of the postmark.
Small die proof: production proofs and small-size reproduction proofs made before 1903 for a series of 83 albums from dies, prior to final approval of design and color; large die proofs trimmed down are not considered small die proofs.
Small packets: class of mail created by the UPU in 1929 for small parcels, weighing up to 1 kilogram (2 pounds 3 ounces) to be sent unsealed
Small Queens: nickname for the stamps of Canada Queen Victoria stamps of 1870, on sale for 27 years.
Smaragdgrön: (Swed.) emerald-green (color); see Blågrön.
Smarald: (Rom.) emerald (color).
Smaragdgrønn: (Nor.) emerald-green (color).
S. Maria: series of colored labels featuring Santa Maria, 1911
S. Marino: San Marino.
Smear: an over- or under-inked image variety.
S.M.D.P. Alejandro Selkirk: handstamp for ship that delivered supplies to island off coast of Chile; see Isla de Mas Apuera.
SMH: 1: Great Britain Scotland Machin. 2: Scott Catalog number prefix for Machins (G.B., Scotland).
Smiling Boy stamps: nickname for 1931 design for New Zealand Health stamps.
Smirne: Ottoman Empire; city in Egypt;1867-74, see Interpostal seals.
Smirne: overprint on stamps of Italy for use in Turkish city of Smyrna; See Italian Offices in Turkish Empire, 1909-22.
Smísená Frankatura: (Czech.) mixed franking.
Smith & Stephens' City Delivery: U. S. local post, St. Louis, Mo.
Smith, E. K.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Smith's Mountain Express: S. Allan Taylor label in four colors.
Smith, S. N. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
SMJ: Scott's Monthly Journal (USA).
Smjeinogorsk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1917-20
Smolensk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1894
SMOM: see Sovereign Order of Malta.
SMS: (Ger.) Seiner Majestät Schiff (His Majesty's Ship).
Smuk: (Dan.) beautiful example.
Smyrn: variety; Russian Offices In the Turkish Empire, overprint on stamps of Russia, Smyrna
Smyrna: (myrne, Smirne), Turkish city; 1: French post office opened May 1, 1837, closed Aug. 1914. 2: British stamps used at British post office from 1872; then stamps of the British Levant. 3: now known as Izmir, Turkey.
Smyrna: (Amyrne, Smirne), Turkish city; 1: stamps of Italy overprinted "Smyrne" 1909-10. 2: overprint on stamps of Russia, See Russian Offices in Turkish Empire, issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Russian post offices in the Turkish Empire, 1909-10.
SN: currency unit in Japan and Ryukyu Islands.
Snail mail: disparaging term started being used in the early 1990s referring to mail sent via government post offices.
Snake Island: bogus British local post.
Snark Island: fantasy label for island near Borneo.
SNCF: (Fr.) see Societé Nationale des Chemins de Fer, issued parcel stamps in Belgium staring May 1, 1879.
Snedcentrerat: (Swed.) off-centered.
Sniper: a dealer who attends stamp shows has no booth, but attempts to sell his material at stamp shows to collectors, often setting up a table at the show cafeteria
Sniping: the practice of placing a bid at the last possible moment in an auction.
Snowbird Express: local, Toronto, Hamilton and London, Canada, 1970s.
Snowdon Mountain railway: British railway that printed stamps for mail carried on their trains to post offices.
Snowflakes: typographed stamps that have shed flakes or ink with the passage of time.
Snowflakia: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Snowginia: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Snowklahoma: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Snowland: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Snowman perforation: an overlapping perforation variety that looks like a sideways snowman.
Snow's Express: private mail delivery firm serviced points along the Hudson River, N.J., used labels, many forgeries exist, 1856.
Snowshoe Thompson: John A. Thompson, contracted with T.J. Matheson, Murphy's Camp, California, to maintain postal service in the winter between mining towns of Placerville, Ca. and Carson Valley, Ne., for $200 per month, regardless of the depth of the snow.
Snowtrack: USPS unofficial term for cancel on flat, or large envelopes that are repeated over the full length of the envelope.
Snow York: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.

SO TO ST


SO: international postal code for Slovakia.
S.O.: 1: Sorting Office. 2: Stationery Office; punch-perforated, with crown, on stamps of Great Britain. 3. "Stamp Office" fiscal overprint on stamps of Hong Kong, used during stamp shortage,1882.
S.O. 1920: (Fr.) Silésie Orientale 1920 (Eastern Silesia), overprint on stamps of Czechoslovakia and Poland for 1920 plebiscite, which was never held.
SOA: see semiofficial air mail.
Soaking: the process where stamps are removed from the paper on which they were affixed; place stamps with envelope paper attached, face down in pan of lukewarm water, when soaked, they should be placed face down on any absorbent paper.
Soay: bogus, island off the island of Skye, Scottish "isle of sheep," 1965
Soberbia: (Sp.) suberb.
Sobota: (Czech.) Saturday.
Sobre: (Sp.) see Cover.
Sobrecarga: (Sp.) surcharge.
Sobre Clota Para Multos Postales: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Mexico for parcel post.
Sobre de primer dia: (Sp.) first day cover.
Sobre de primer vuelo: (Sp.) first flight cover.
Sobre fragmento: (Sp.) on piece (of cover).
Sobreimpresión: (Sp.) overprint.
Sobre Porte: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Colombia for additional postage or tax; used for mail to countries with which Colombia had no postal agreement.
Sobre prefilatélico: (Sp.) stampless cover.
Sobretasa Aerea: (Sp.) postal tax or charge added for Colombia air transit, 1929.
Sobretasa: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Colombia for postal tax.
Soccer, World Cup: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1966.
Soccorso a Garibaldi: (It.) inscription to raise money for Garibaldi's fight against Sicily.
Social contract: UPU members rights and obligations that affect the exchange of mail and collection of postage due.
Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: Libya.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam: see Vietnam, South.
Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aereos: (Sp.) Colombia air mail, 1929.
Sociedad Ecuatoriano de Transportes Aeros: (Sp.) overprint on stamps of Ecuador, 1938-40.
Sociedade de Geographia de Lisboa: (Port.) "Geographic Society of Lisbon" inscription on stamps of Portugal franchise issue, 1903-38.
Sociedade de Portugueza da Cruz Vermelha: (Port.) "Red Cross," inscription on stamps of Portugal private franchise stamps.
Sociedade Humanitaria Cruz da Oriente: (Sp.) "East Cross Humanitarian Society" Mozambique postal tax inscription.
Societa Corrieri Alta Italia: (It.) (Northern Italian Courier Co.) CORALIT, private bicyclist local post, Italy, Feb.1945-April 28,1945, May 24, 1945-June 30, 1945.
Société des Nations: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Switzerland for League of Nations, 1922-23.
Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais (SNCF): (Fr.) France, railway parcel post, local.
Society for Suppression of Speculative Stamps (SSSS): group of collectors and dealers founded in 1895 in London, England, to provide an organized voice against too many stamp issues; disbanded due to inability to define a common ground and no means of enforcement.
Society of Philatelic Americans: founded Feb. 1894 as the Southern Philatelic Association; became the Society of Philatelic Americans in 1918; last issue of journal was Dec. 1983
Socked-on-the-nose (SOTN): 1: stamp with the postmark in the center of the stamp, see Bull's eye cancellation. 2: perfekt zentralstempel (Ger.); oblitération Parfaitement (Fr.); matasello perfectamente centrado (Sp.)
Soc(k)otra: Mahra Sultanate, Eastern Aden protectorate, became part of the People's Republic of Yemen.
Soc(k)otra: Cyprus stamps overprinted for Indian Ocean island in 1892.
Socovos: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Söder: (Swed.) South.
Soft Paper: paper with a special surface, with the feel of flocked cloth, first used to print stamps of Finland, August 9, 2004. Sohag: city in Egypt;1872-84, see Interpostal seals.
Soho Local Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Soigné: (Fr.) exact or correct.
Soiling: any substance which dulls or darkens the appearance of a stamp.
Sol: currency unit in Peru.
Sol 33 Istiqial: Afghanistan overprint "33rd Year of Independence," Aug. 25, 1951; erroneous inscription on Aug. 25, 1951 issue, voided with a gold bar overprint.
Solar System Rocket Service: four labels for Moon Mail, Planet Post, Star Service and Sun Service made by Broadway Approvals, Ltd., London, 1961.
Soldatenbriefmarken: (Ger.) postage free stamps for military servicemen.
Soldater Frimaerke: (Dan.) inscription/overprint for military mail, Denmark. 1917.
Soldi: currency unit in Austrian Office in Lombardy Venetia, Tuscany, Montenegro, 1858.
Soldiers' and Sailors' mail: Postmaster General Burleson ordered mail sent be servicemen, signed by a field officer, could be sent to a U.S. address without prepayment of postage, only the single rate of postage was to be collected upon delivery, 1914.
Soldier's Letter: 1: inscription on letters used by members of the American Expeditionary Forces who were overseas during World War I. 2: general term for mail posted by a active duty soldier.
Soldiers' Letter Stamps: several countries issued special stamps for their armed forces; franking their mail free of charge.
Soldiers mail: armed forces inscription for no postage necessary; also known as free frank
Soldier's Rate cover: Canadian ruling (c1868) permitting soldiers to send or receive prepaid personal letters, not exceeding ½ ounce in weight at the postal rate of 2¢.
Soldier's stamps: used for the soldiers in the Swiss army who received free stamps; each battalion had its own stamp design, usually with insignias. Other "stamps" for this use were also issued by France, Germany, Italy and New Caledonia.
Sold to the Book: auctioneer's term meaning that the lot has been sold to an absentee bidder represented by the auction firm.
Solferino: a 1871 stamp from Greece with an error of color (Solferino means dark red in Italian).
Solidarität in der Nothilfe für Hochwasseropfer 2002: (Ger.) (Solidarity in Aid for the 2002 Flood Victims) special slogan cancel, Germany.
Solidarité Francaise: (Fr.) French Colonies semipostal, 1943-44.
Solidarité 1947: (Fr.) semipostal of Tunisia.
Solidarté: (Fr.) special tax for drought victims; French Colonies revenue inscription.
Solikamsk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1887-1915.
Sollum/ 14 IX 40: overprint on stamps of Libya privately applied.
Solomon Islands: West Pacific island group, aka British Solomon Islands; currency: 12 pence = 12 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1966) 1893: became British protectorate, 1896: used New South Wales stamps, 1907, Feb. 14: No.1, ½ penny ultramarine, first stamps "British Solomon Islands Protectorate," 1907: February 14: first stamps of "British Solomon Islands protectorate," 1913: changed to "British Solomon Islands," 1939: invaded by Japan, stamps taken to Fiji, 1940, Sept.1: first postage due stamps, 1975, Aug.4: became Solomon Islands, 1976, Jan. 2: became a self-government as Solomon Islands, 1978, July 7: became independent, 1982, May 3: first semipostal stamps, 1984, May 4: rejoined the U.P.U.
Solot: currency unit in Siam (Thailand).
Solothurn: local airmail; Switzerland, 1913.
Solo Use Cover: all the postage and fees are paid by a single stamp.
Solyom, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1880s, for middle Danube lines.
Som: currency unit in Kyrgyzstan.
Solvent smear: remainder of solvent used to clean the printing presses creating a smear.
Sølv: (Nor.) silver (metallic color).
Sølvgrå: (Nor.) silver-grey (metallic color).
Somalia: overprint/inscription on stamps of Italy; 1922-23.
Somalia Italiana Meridionale: overprint on stamps of Italy, Somalia postage dues, 1906-08.
Somalia: eastern Africa on Indian Ocean, aka Somali Democratic Republic, Italian Somaliland, Benadir; currency: 4 besas = 1 anna, 16 annas = 1 rupee, 100 centesimi = 1 lira (1905), 100 besas = 1 rupee (1922),100 centesimi = 1 lira (1925),100 centesimi = 1 somalo (1950) shilling = 100 centesimos (1961) 1903, Oct. 12: No.1, 1 besas brown, first stamp, stamps overprinted / inscribed "Poste Italiane" and "Benadir," 1906: first postage due stamp, 1916: first semipostal stamp, 1917: first parcel post stamp, 1922: stamps of Italy surcharged/overprinted "Somalia Italiana," 1923, July 16: first special delivery stamp, 1934, Oct.: first air mail stamp, 1934, Nov. 5: first air mail semipostal and air mail semipostal official stamp, 1934, Nov. 11: first air mail official stamp, 1936, June 1-1941: stamps valid in Italian East Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Oltre Giuba absorbed into Italian East Africa, stamps of Somalia still used, 1938-41: used stamps of Italian East Africa, 1939: first authorized delivery stamp, 1941-49: under British military administration, 1943, Jan 15: No. 1, 1 penny vermillion; British stamps overprinted "E.A.F." (East Africa Forces), 1948, May 27: British stamps overprinted "B.M.A.Somalia" (British Military Administration Somalia), 1950, Jan. 2: British stamps overprinted "B.A. Somalia" (British Administration Somalia) when British troops withdrew, 1950, March 24: Italian Trusteeship took over, stamps inscribed "Somalia," 1958, Oct. 4: first air mail special delivery stamp, 1960, April 1: first stamps replaced those under Italian and British administrations, 1960, July 1: former Italian colony merged with British Somaliland Protectorate to form independent Republic of Somalia, 1973: stamps inscribed "Jum. Dim.(J.D.) Somaliya" (Far Somali), see Djibouti, Obock, Italian East Africa, Italian Somaliland and Somaliland Protectorate.
Somalia: overprint / inscription on stamps of Italy; 1922-23.
Somalia, Central States of: cinderella, part of Somalia.
Somalia Italiana: see Italian Somaliland.
Somalia Italiana Meridionale: overprint on stamps of Italy, Somalia postage dues, 1906-08.
Somali Coast: northeast Africa, Côte Fran'ais des Somalis (Fr.), aka Djibouti; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1862: port of Obock, on Gulf of Aden, acquired by French, 1888: port of Djibouti constructed by French, 1891: named area Somali Coast Protectorate, 1892-94: port of Obock issued stamps, 1894: No.1, 5 centimes green and red, first stamps as Obock and Djibouti, 1902: used stamps of Somali Coast, 1915: first semi-postal, postage due stamp issued, 1931: first stamps issued, 1940-42: controlled by the Vichy regime of France, 1943: inscription "Cote Fran'ais des Somalis," 1944: first air mail stamp issued, 1964, Aug. 28: first air mail semi-postal stamp, 1959, April 1: joined the U.P.U., 1967, March 19: stamps discontinued, became the French Territory of Afars and Issas, 1977, June 27: territory became Republic of Djibouti, see Djibouti, Obock, Somaliland Protectorate.
Somali Democratic Republic: formed from Italian Somaliland and the Somaliland Protectorate; 1839-post: colonial powers created French Somaliland, Italian Somaliland and the British Somaliland Protectorate; 1940, Aug. 6: Italian forces occupied the British Protectorate, 1941: British drove Italians out, took over Italian Somaliland, 1943: stamps of Great Britain overprinted "E.A.F." (East Africa Forces), 1948: stamps of Great Britain overprinted "B.M.A. Somalia." (British Military Administration), 1948, Oct. 1: stamps of Great Britain overprinted "B.A. Somalia" (British Administration) when troops withdrew, 1950, April 1: Italians, with ten year United Nations mandate, ran Italian Somaliland, 1960, July 1: became independent as the Republic of Somalia, 1969: revolutionary group took over, changed name to Somali Democratic Republic.
Somalikusten: (Swed.) Somali Coast.
Somalikyst: (Dan., Nor.) Somali Coast.
Somaliland Britannique: (Fr.) British Somaliland.
Somaliland, British: south of Obock; 1884: created by Great Britain, 1903: first stamps, 1960: stamps of Somalia.
Somaliland, French: now Afars and Issas. 1957: first commemorative stamp issued 1962: first airmail stamp issued; see Obock.
Somaliland, Italian: originally called Benadir, 1889: created by Italy, 1924: Oltre Giuba, south of Italian Somaliland, conceded to Italy by Britain, 1926: Italy combined Oltre Giuba into Italian Somaliland, 1936: Italy combined Italian Somaliland and Eritrea with Ethiopia to form Italian East Africa, 1945: Italian Somaliland became the United Nations Trust Territory of Somalia, 1960, July 1: Somaliland Protectorate and U.N. Trust Territory of Somalia merged to become Somali Republic, 1970: name changed to Democratic Republic of Somalia, 1991, May 17: rebels in northern part of country founded the Somaliland Republic, issued stamps inscribed "Somaliland Republic" and the "Republic of Somaliland." see Oltre Giuba, Italian East Africa.
Somaliland Protectorate: eastern Africa, on the Gulf of Aden; currency: 16 annas = 1 rupee, 100 cents = 1 shilling (1951) 1885: became British Protectorate, administered by Indian government as a dependency of Aden, 1898: territory run by British Foreign Office, 1903: No.1, ½ anna light green, stamps of India overprinted "British Somaliland," 1903, June: 1: first official stamp issued, 1904: inscription "Somaliland Protectorate" issued on British definitive stamps, 1905: British Colonial Office took over, 1940: occupied by Italy, recaptured by British forces in 1941 1960, July 1: became part of Somalia, now the Somali Democratic Republic, 1991, May 18: Somaliland declared its independence from Republic of Somalia.
Somaliland Protectorate: 1: Not Looted overprint, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001. 2: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
Somalis: Somali Coast, 1902-67.
Somaliya: Somalia, 1973.
Sommaroanna S.S. Co.: Finland local 1895.
Sommerset & Dorset Joint Line: British railway local post.
Somola(o): currency unit in Somalia.
Somon: (Rom.) salmon (color), see Roz-somon.
Somoni: currency unit in Tajikistan.
Som Ubesorget Aabnet af Post Departmentet: (Nor.) "Return to Sender" inscription on stamps of Norway.
Som Uindlost Aabnet af Post Departmentet: "Return to Sender-Not Called For" inscription on stamps of Norway.
SON: see Socked on the nose.
Søndag: (Dan., Nor.) Sunday.
Söndag: (Swed.) Sunday.
Søndagsbrev: (Dan.) Danish postal marking on letters mailed with an extra fee paid for Sunday delivery.
Sonderausgabe: (Ger.) commemorative or special issue
Sonderdruck: (Ger.) special printing such as black prints used for stamp exhibitions.
Sondermarkenblock: (Ger.) souvenir sheet.
Sonderpostamt: (Ger.) special post office.
Sonderpostschalter: (Ger.) special post office counter.
Sonderpoststempel: (Ger.) special post office cancellation.
Sonderstempel: (Ger.) special cancellation
Soneja: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, forces, 1937.
Sonne: bogus, no information available.
Sonntagsmarke: (Ger.) Sunday stamp with tablet regarding Sunday delivery.
Sonora: state of Mexico; 1: "Constitutionalist" inscription on revenue issues of Sonora, Mexico, Civil War issue, 1914-16. 2: fantasy label for Mexican state.
Sons of Philatelia: created in the U.S. in Oct. 1890 by Robert M. Miller who felt that the American Philatelic Association (now APS) dues were too high, dissolved Sept. 1903.
Soomaaliya: (Afrikaans) Somalia Democratic Republic.
Soomaaliyeed: (Afrikaans) Somalia.
Sophie C: mailboat delivers mail to islands in Lake Winnesaukee, N. H.
Sophie, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1850s, for lower Danube lines.
Sopraprezzo: (It.) surcharge.
Soprestampa: (It.) see Surcharge.
Sopron: city in Hungary, local post, overprint on stamps of Hungary, civil uprising, 1956-57.
Sor: (Hung.) set (of stamps).
Sør: (Nor.) south.
Sorbas: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sorfogazat: (Hung.) line perforation.
Sorgfaltig: (Ger.) exact or correct
Soroki: city in Russia; local post, Zemstvo, 1878-98.
Sorozat: (Hung.) set (of stamps).
Sort: 1: (Dan.) black (color). 2: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sortieranlage: (Ger.) automated sorting machine.
Soruth: India Feudatory State, aka Junagarh, Saurashtra, Sorath; 1864, Nov.: No.1, 1 anna black bluish, first local stamps were hand-stamped as Junagarh, 1923: name changed to Sourashtra, 1929: name changed to Saurashtra, issued first official stamps with overprint "Sarkari," 1947, Nov. 9: became part of the Indian Union, 1948, Feb. 15: United States of Saurashtra formed from 217 states, including stamps issuing entities of Soruth, Jasden, Morvi, Nowanugger, and Wadhwan, 1949: issued overprint stamp for "U.S.S. Revenue & Postage Saurashtra" (United States of Saurashtra), 1950, Apr. 30: stamps discontinued, uses stamps of Republic of India; see Jasdan, Morvi, Nawanagar and Wadhwan.
SOS: Stamps on Stamps Collectors Club
SOS Delivery Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Sosnowice: (Pol.) local post; Poland, 1916.
SOS To Canada: marking "Shipped Off Service" indicating that the recipient was no longer needed and had been sent home.
Sötet: (Hung.) dark (as referencing the color of a postage stamp).
Sötétbarna: (Hung.) dark brown (color).
Sötétibolya: (Hung.) dark lilac, dark violet (color).
Sötétkék: (Hung.) dark blue (color).
Sötétkvörös: (Hung.) dark red (color).
Sötétnarancs: (Hung.) dark orange, deep orange (color).
Sötétsárga: (Hung.) dark yellow, golden-yellow (color).
Sötétzöld: (Hung.) dark green (color).
SOTN: see Socked on the nose.
Sottile: (It.) thin.
Soudan: 1: overprint on stamps of Egypt; Sudan, 1897. 2: overprint on stamps of French Colonies; Sudan 1894. 3: overprint on stamps of Upper Senegal and Niger; Sudan, 1921-30
Soudan Fais: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of French colonies for use in French Sudan, 1894
Soudan Francais: (Fr.) inscription on stamps of French Sudan.
Soudan, French: (Fr.) Sudan overprint on stamps of Egypt, French Colonies, Niger, Upper South Celebes: local overprint; Japanese occupation, Naval Control Area; 1942-45.
Souillure: (Fr.) smear.
Soukromy Upomínkovy Arsík: (Czech.) private souvenir sheet.
Soule, Dr. E.L. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Soumi: (Fin.) Finland.
Sourashtra: see Soruth.
Sous condition: (Fr.) on approval.
South Africa: Southern Africa, Republic of South Africa; official name of postal administration: South African Post Office currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 rand (1961) 1794: British control, 1800s: controlled by the Batavian Republic, 1869: stamps of Transvaal, South African Republic, 1877, April: annexed by British, 1880, Dec. 16: South African Republic proclaimed again, 1884: annexed by British, 1893, Jan. 1: joined the U.P.U., 1902: incorporated into Cape of Good Hope colony, 1909: Union of South Africa created; combined the four former colonies of the Cape of Good Hope; Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State, which became provinces, 1910, Aug.18: government authorized use of valid postage and revenue stamps of each province throughout the Union, 1910, Nov. 4: No.1, 2½ deep blue, 1914: first postage due stamp, 1925, Feb. 26: first air mail stamp, 1926: stamps issued in both English and Afrikaans versions; first official stamp, 1933: first semipostal stamp, 1938, Jan. 1: pre-Union of South Africa stamps demonetized, 1952: stamps inscribed in both languages, 1961, May 31: withdrew from British Commonwealth, became Republic of South Africa, 1967: stamps are inscribed "RSA," 1994, Aug. 22: rejoined the U.P.U.
South Africa: many labels exist for various Red Cross, Comforts Fund, Medical Aid for Russia, patriotic, including a stamp auction by Ashbey's Galleries.
South Africa, Homelands of: 1959: South African government established "Bantustans" or homelands, 1977: Transkei and Bophuthatswana issued own stamps, 1979: Venda issued its own stamps, 1981: Ciskei issued its own stamps; see Basutoland, Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transvaal, Venda.
South African Republic: see South Africa.
South America: consists of Argentina, Bolovia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Southampton 1971 Strike: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Southampton Priv.P.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
South Arabia, Federation of: Southern Arabia; currency: 100 cents = 1 shilling, 1,000 fils = 1 dinar (1965) 1959, Feb. 11: sheikdoms formed Federation of Arab Emirates of the South, used stamps of Aden, 1960: four more sheikdoms joined federation, 1963, Jan. 18: Aden Colony joined for a total of 14 states, 1963, Nov. 25: No.1, 15¢ black and red, first stamp as South Arabian Federation, 1963-67: issued stamps to fill any void in area's postal administrations, 1965, April: first definitives replaced the stamps of Aden, 1967, Nov. 30: federation became independent, became People's Republic of Southern Yemen.
South Australia: central portion of southern Australia; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound 1836: formed as a British settlement, 1852-55, 1859: served by P & O steamers to Britain and Europe, 1855, Jan.1: No.1, 1 penny dark green, 1855-60: used oval with bars as postmark, 1868: first official stamp with overprints for individual departments, 1891: joined the U.P.U., 1901: joined with five other colonies to form Commonwealth of Australia; the stamps of the various colonies continued being used, 1913: first all-Australian definitives, see Australia.
South Australia Railway: Australia railway that printed stamps for mail carried on their trains to post offices.
South Borneo: Japanese occupation issue, 1943.
South Bulgaria: originally Eastern Rumelia; currency: 40 paras = 1 piaster 1885: Eastern Rumelia united with Bulgaria to form South Bulgaria, 1885, Sept. 22: used stamps of Eastern Rumelia, 1886: stamps of Bulgaria used; see Eastern Rumelia.
South Carolina: first federal issue revenue of U.S., July 1, 1798-Feb. 28, 1801
South China: see China, regional issues.
South China Sea Islands Federation: islands in South China Sea that claimed independence.
South Dakota: U.S. state Nov. 2,1889; part of Dakota Territory, see Dakota.
Southeast Asia: consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Southern Cameroons: 1960, Oct. 1: first stamps issued, inscription U.K.T.T. (United Kingdom Trust Territory), 1961, Sept. Southern Cameroons joined Cameroun via a plebiscite, see Cameroons.
Southern Rhodesia: Southern Rhodesia postage due overprint on stamps of Great Britain, 1951.
Southern Yemen: check Yemen People's Democratic Republic 1-64 overprint on stamps of South Arabia for Yemen, People's Democratic Republic. 1968, April 1: first stamp.
South Devon Emerg. Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Southern District: Germany, 1852-66: issued own stamps, replacing those of Thurn & Taxis.
South Eastern & Chatham Railway: British railway local post.
South Eastern Post Sv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Southern Express Co., Montgomery, Ala.: operated in the Southern states during the American Civil War, used corner cards, stamps and labels, 1861-1918.
Southern Express Mail: operated during the Civil War exchanging shipments carried by Adams Express Co.; regular Confederate postage was required.
Southern letter unpaid: 1861 civil war marking on unfranked letters and letters franked with invalid U.S. stamps to addresses in the U.S.; see Abutshi.
Southern Marketing: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Southern Nigeria: see Nigeria, Southern.
Southern Rhodesia: southeastern Africa; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound 1923-pre: administered by the British South Africa Company 1913-April 30, 1924: used stamps of Rhodesia, 1923, Oct. 1: made a self-governing colony by the British government, 1924, April 1: No.1, ½ penny dark green, stamps inscribed Southern Rhodesia issued, 1951, Oct. 1: first postage due stamps, overprinted "Southern Rhodesia," 1953: joined with Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1954: stamps inscribed "Rhodesia and Nyasaland," 1963: federation dissolved, 1964, May: own stamps "Rhodesia," 1965, Nov. 11: Rhodesia declared itself independent, 1980, April18: became independent within the Commonwealth, 1980: first pictorial stamp as Zimbabwe; see Rhodesia; Rhodesia, Northern; Zimbabwe.
Southern Route: first successful transcontinental mail from San Antonio to San Diego, also known as the Texas Route; ran for three years, starting July 1857.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich (Islands): Falkland Islands Dependencies. 1986, Apr. 21: No.1, 10 pence multi, 1992, June 20: first semipostal stamp.
South Georgia, Dependency of: island in the South Atlantic; part of the Falkland Island Dependencies; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 pence = 1 pound (1971) 1944-pre: stamps of the Falkland Islands used, 1944, April 3: No.1, ½ pence green and black, first Dependencies issue, overprint on stamps of Falkland Islands, 1963, July: No.1, ½ penny dull red, first stamp, 1982: seized by Argentines in occupation of the Falkland Islands, 1985: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands became a separate colony, 1986, April 21: first stamps, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, 1992, June 20: first semipostal stamps; see Falkland Island Dependencies.
Southill and Norwood: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
South Kasai: portion of the Republic of Zaire; 1960, Aug. 8-Oct. 2, 1962: maintained autonomy, 1961, June 20: declared its independence, issued two stamp issues, 1961, Oct. : stamps withdrawn, stamps of Congo overprinted "Sud Kasai" sold in Brussels, never issued in Africa, 1962, Oct.: rejoined the Congo Democratic Republic, later the Republic of Zaire.
South Letter unpaid: marking applied on mail addressed to the North from the South with postage due during the American Civil War, used June 27-July 11, 1861.
South Liao-ning: "South Liao-ning Post" local post, northeast China; 1948.
South Lithuania: see Lithuania, South.
South Lithuania: 1919: stamps of Russia overprinted and surcharged during Russian occupation of Grodno.
South Moluccas: entity in the Moluccas or Spice Islands; 1945: controlled by Indonesia from what was the Dutch East Indies, 1950: declared independence, 1951-74: bogus issues, see Republik Maluku Selatan
South Orkneys Dependency of: 1944, Feb. 21: overprint on stamps of Falkland Islands, 1963: part of the British Antarctic Territory; see Falkland Island Dependencies.
South Osetia: bogus Georgia, Russia label, not valid for postage.
Southport: (Star Taxis Southport) local strike post, Great Britain, 1971
South Russia: southern Russia bordering on the Caspian and Black Seas; currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble provisional government established by Gen. Denikin, 1918: stamps of Russian surcharged by Kuban government, known as the Ekaterinodar Issues, 1918: No.1, 25 kopecks on 1 kopeck dull orange-yellow, Don Government, Rostov Issue, 1919: stamps used for both postage and currency.
South Sandwich, Dependency of: 1985: became a separate colony; see Falkland Island Dependencies, South Georgia, Dependency of.
South Shetlands Dependency of: 1944, Feb. 21: overprint on stamps of Falkland Islands Dependencies; 1963: part of the British Antarctic Territory; see Falkland Island Dependencies.
South Viet Nam: see Vietnam, South.
South West Africa: southwestern Africa on the Atlantic Ocean, aka Namibia; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 rand (1961) 1884: German protectorate, 1897: stamps of Germany overprinted "Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika," German South West Africa, 1900: German colonial designs used, 1914, Sept.: used stamps of South Africa to Dec. 31,1922, with overprints "S.W.A., SWA, South West Africa, Suidwes-Afrika, Zuidwest Afrika," 1915: German colony surrendered to the Union of South Africa forces, 1923, Jan. 2: No.1, ½ penny green, first pair of stamps under South African occupation were South African stamps overprinted "South West / Africa" on every other stamps and "Zuid-West Afrika" on the rest, or initials "S.W.A.," 1923: first postage due stamps, 1927: first official stamps, overprinted "Official, Offisieel," 1930: first air mail stamps, 1931: own stamps, inscribed "Sudwest Afrika," 1935: first semipostal stamps, 1953: all stamps bilingually described, 1968: stamps inscribed "SWA," 1970: United Nations made area's official name Namibia, 1990, Mar. 20: became Namibia; see Namibia.
South West Africa: overprint on stamps of South Africa, for South West Africa, 1923-26.
South West & Midland Railway Company: British railway local post.
Southwest China: Southwest China Liberation Area included the provinces of Kwechow, Sinkang, Szechwan, Tibet and Yunikan; issued stamps Dec. 1949.
South West Essex P.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
South-west Kiangsi: (Chinese Red Post) 1930-31.
Southwest Road Show & School: poster stamp promoting school in Kansas.
Southwest Territory: U.S. territory May 26, 1790, became Tennessee.
Southwold Railway: British railway local post.
Southwoods Exeter P.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Soutisk: (Czech.) se-tenant.
Souv.: abbreviation for souvenir.
Souvenir card: card, not valid for postage, issued by the U.S. Post Office or the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, in conjunction with a stamp exhibition or some other special occasion, started in 1954.
Souvenir cover: 1: unofficially flown cover, usually carried by pilot or crew member, or for commercial or promotional purpose. 2: term for a philatelic or non-commercial cover. 3: cover created for special occasions such a a stamp show, post office anniversary, community events, etc.
Souvenir historical: flown souvenirs from important events which contributed to the development fo aviation.
Souvenir page: an 8½ x 11 sheet bearing one or more of the stamps described and cancelled with the first day of issue postmark, issued by the USPS; see new issue poster.
Souvenir panel: USPS product, engraved card with text relating to a stamp issue; usually with a mint block of four; sold to collectors.
Souvenir program: ceremony program.
Souvenir sheet (SS): 1: sheet of a stamp or stamps, surrounded with a paper margin issued for a specific event or purpose. 2: first U.S. SS is the White Plains pane of 25 stamps for an international stamp exhibition, held Oct. 16-23, 1926. 3: gedenkblock (Ger.); bloc feuillet (Fr.); foglietto (It.); hoja blocque (Sp.).
Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM): the smallest "stamp" issuing authority in the world. The SMOM was founded in1048 as the Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem with the goal of building a hospital to serve pilgrims from the Holy Land. By the late 1980s the organization had 3,000 Italian members and 2,000 Americans. It has issued more than 300 "stamps" that chronicle the order's history of military and charitable works.
Sovetsky Svaz: (Czech.) Soviet Union (USSR).
Soviet Union: see Russia.
Sovjetunionen: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Soviet Union.
Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta: see Sovereign Military Order of Malta, unrecognized local issue.
Sovrapprezzo: (It.) surcharge.
Sower: French stamp design first issued in 1903 illustrating a woman in flowing gown spreading seeds.
Sowjetische Besatzungs Zone: overprint on stamps of Germany for Soviet Zone of Occupation, East Germany, July 3, 1948, See Berlin, Germany.
Sowjetunion: (Ger.) Soviet Union.
Soyaniquilpam: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
SP: 1: Short Perf. 2: Surface Printed. 3: auction abbreviation for topical sports and olympics. 4: see Surface phosphor paper. 5: Service Publique (official usage) overprint on stamps of Luxembourg, 1881-99. 6: secteur postal (Fr.) field post number. 8: intertwined as a monogram, Colombia, Cauca Department.
SPA: Samuel P. Abbott, BEP employee's initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
S.P.A.: Society of Philatelic Americans, organized 1894.
Space cover: a cover commemorating an event that is related to a space or astro event.
Space filler: 1: a poor copy of a stamp used to fill the space in an album until a betterexample is found. 2: a common stamp of little value. 3: a facsimile of a stamp used to fill a blank space in an album.
Spagna: (It.) Spain.
Späher: (Ger.) scout.
Spain: southwestern European country; official name of postal administration: Correos y Telégrafos currency: 32 maravedis = 8 cuartos = 1 real, 1000 milesimas = 1- centimos = 1 escudo (1866), 100 milesimas = 1 real, 4 reales = 1 peseta, 100 centimos = peseta (ptas) (1872), 100 cents = 1 euro (2002) 1850, Jan. 1: No.1, 6 cuartos black, first stamps lithographed, some had inscription "Certificado" for registered mail, 1854, July 1: first official stamps, 1868-70: provisional government, issued stamps for various provinces, 1869: first franchise stamps to Diego Castell to distribute his publications on Spanish postal history, 1872, April 21 - July 1, 1873: stamps of France used on mail from provinces under Carlist rule, 1873-76: King Carlos VII issued own stamps in the provinces of Alava, Biscay, Guipuzcoa, Navarre, Catalonia and Valencia, banned in1876; 1874, Jan. 1: first war tax stamps, 1875, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1905: first special delivery stamps, 1920, April 4: first air mail stamps, 1926, Sept. 15: first semipostal, air mail semipostal and semipostal special delivery stamps, 1930: first air mail special delivery stamp, 1931: named a republic, first air mail official and delivery tax stamps, 1936: stamps issued by Gen. Franco Nationalist Revolutionary Government, provisional stamps in Burgeos, Cadiz, Canary Islands, Orense, San Sebastian, Seville, issued by Nationalist and Republican forces, 1931-39: first Republic stamps, 1936-75: named a state, 1937, Dec. 23: first postal tax stamps, 1940, Dec. 23: first postal tax air mail stamps, 1948: first postal tax semipostal stamps.
Spandau: city in Germany, local post, (Stadtbrief-Beförderung Courier), 1897-1900
Spandrel: the triangular space between the border and circle or oval center of a stamp.
Spanelsko: (Czech.) Spain,
Spanelsky: (Czech.) Spanish.
Spania: (Nor.) Spain.
Spanien: (Dan., Ger., Swed.) Spain.
Spaniol: (Rom) Spanish (adj.).
Spanish Administration of Andorra: see Andorra.
Spanish Dominion of Cuba: first stamps in1855, some also used in the Philippines and Puerto Rico; see Cuba.
Spanish Dominion of the Mariana Islands: Sept. 1899: stamps of the Philippines handstamped "Marianas Españas.".
Spanish frank stamps: two Spanish authors, Diego Castell Fernandes (1869) and A.F. Duro (1881), wrote historical philatelic books and received a free frank stamp to mail these works.
Spanish Guinea: western Africa, bordering on the Gulf of Guinea; currency: 100 centimos = 1 pesata 1885, Jan. 9: made a Spanish protectorate, 1902: No.1, 5 centimos dark green, first stamp issued, used only in Rio Muni, 1909: stamps inscribed "Territorios Españoles del Golfo de Guinea," used in Spanish Guinea, and islands of Fernando Poo and Elobey, Annobon and Corisco (which had previously had their own stamps), 1926: first semipostal stamp, 1941: first air mail stamp, 1951: first special delivery stamp, 1959, July 30: Annobon and Fernando Po detached, 1959, Nov. 23: last issue inscribed "Guinea Española," 1960: stamps inscribed Rio Muni; Fernando Po has its own stamps, 1968: Fernando Po and Rio Muni united to form the Republic of Equatorial Guinea; see Fernando Po, Rio Muni.
Spanish Morocco: northwest coast of Africa, former Spanish protectorate; currency: 100 centimos - 1 peseta 1860: used stamps of Spain as a Spanish province, 1874-1903: stamps of Spain used, without overprint, 1903: No.1, 1/4 centimo blue-green, 1908: stamps of Spanish Offices in Morocco handstamped "Tetuan," 1909: stamps overprinted "Correo Español Marruecos" used in Morocco until 1914, 1912: Spanish Morocco formed with French permission and British approval, 1914: Spanish stamps overprinted "Correo Español Marreucos," used only in Tangier post office, 1914: first special delivery stamps, 1914, July 22: first stamps issued, withdrawn April 7, 1956. 1915: Spanish stamps overprinted "Protectorado Español en Maruecos" for use in the Spanish zone, all Spanish post offices closed except in Tangier, 1924: first stamps, 1926: first semipostal and semipostal special delivery stamps, 1929: stamps of Spain overprinted "Tanger," "Correo Espanol Tanger," and "Correo Tanger" for use in Tanger, also issued semipostals, air mail, special delivery stamps, 1936: first air mail semipostal stamp, 1937: first postal tax stamp, 1938: first air mail stamp, 1956: became independent with French and Tangier zones of Morocco; as Morocco, 1958: values in Spanish currency discontinued; see Morocco.
Spanish Philippines: stamps issued as Spanish Dominion of the Philippines.
Spanish Sahara: northwest AThursday, 2/17/2005frica on the Atlantic Ocean, aka Spanish Western Sahara;currency: 100 centimos = 1 peseta 1924-pre: known as Rio de Oro, subdivision of Spanish West Africa and Spanish Western Sahara, province of Spain, 1924: No.1, 5 centimos blue green, first stamps for use in La Guera and Rio de Oro, inscribed "Posesiones Españolas del Sahara Occidental," 1926: inscription "Sahara Español", first semipostal stamp, 1942: "Sahara Español" overprint on air mail stamps of Spain, 1943: first air mail and special delivery stamps, 1958: became on overseas territory of Spain, 1960-75: inscription "España Sahara," 1976, April 14: Morocco annexed two-thirds of Spanish Sahara, Mauritania took rest, turned over to Morocco, United Nations refers to area as Western Sahara; see Rio de Oro, Spanish West Africa.
Spanish Tangier: see Tangier, Spanish.
Spanish War Provisional Revenues: July 1, 1898 U.S. revenue law authorized provisional stamps overprinted "I.R." at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
Spanish West Africa: northwest Africa on the Atlantic Ocean; 1949, Oct. 9: Spain combined Spanish Sahara, Ifni and Southern Morocco, 1949: No.1, 4 pesetas dark gray green, first stamp inscribed "Africa Occidental Española," for use in Rio de Oro, Ifni, Saguiet el Hamra, and Spanish Sahara, 1949, Nov. 23: first air mail stamp, 1951, Mar. 1: first special delivery stamp, 1951:, Spanish West Africa dissolved; Ifni and Spanish Sahara issued their own stamps; see Spanish Sahara.
Spanish Western Sahara: includes Cabe Juby, La Aguera and Rio de Oro; see Spanish Sahara.
Spanien: (Dan.) Spain.
Spansk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Spanish.
Spanska Guinea: (Swed.) Spanish Guinea.
Spanska Marocko: (Swed.) Spanish Morocco.
Spanska Västafrika: (Swed.) Spanish West Africa.
Spanska Vastindien: (Swed.) Spanish West Indies.
Spanska Västligsahara: (Swed.) Spanish Western Sahara.
Spanska Vestafrika: (Dan., Nor.) Spanish West Africa.
Spanska Vestindien: (Dan., Nor.) Spanish West Indies.
Spanske skeppspost: (Swed.) Spanish ship mail (ship post).
Spanske skibspost: (Dan.) Spanish ship mail (ship post).
Spanske skipspost: (Nor.) Spanish ship mail (ship post).
Spansk Vestafrika: (Dan.) Spanish West Africa.
Spansk Vestindien: (Dan.) Spanish West Indies.
Spanyol: (Hung.) Spanish.
Spanyol Guinea: (Hung.) Spanish Guinea.
Spanyol Marokko: (Hung.) Spanish Morocco.
Spanyolország: (Hung.) Spain.
Spanyol Szahara: (Hung.) Spanish Sahara.
Spargummi: (Ger.) see Economy gum.
Spark's Post Office: U.S. local post handstamp, New York, N.Y., 1848.
Sparta, Ga. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Spartanburg, S. C. 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Spassk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1883-1913
Spatial: (Fr.) space.
Spaulding's Penny Post: U.S. local post handstamp, Buffalo, N.Y., 1848-49.
SPB: Saint Petersburg, city in Russia, local overprint on stamps of Russia, 1992
SPBS: small parcel and bundle sorter, a private mark applied to mail being routed internally for various in-house office departments.
Spec: specimen.
Special Courier Mail: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Special Delivery: 1: established Oct. 1, 1885 with first stamp issued Oct. 1, 1885. 2: Eilzustellung (Ger.); Par Exprés (Fr.); Per Espresso (It.); Urgente (Sp.) 3: preferential handling of mail in dispatch, transportation, and expedited delivery at destination; which may include Sunday and holiday delivery.
Special Delivery: overprint, 1901; see Bahamas.
Special Delivery stamps: stamps issued for the immediate delivery of mail at the receiving post office, not valid for payment of regular postage.
Special event cancel: a postmark used in connection with a special event of a temporary nature.
Special Event Souvenir Sheet: see SES
Special Expres: "Special Delivery" Canada.
Special Fee stamp: payment of a fee in addition to the postage for a special purpose; such as late fee, special delivery, etc.
Special Handling stamps: a special fee stamp used in addition to parcel postage so that package would be handled as first class mail; U. S. issued April 1, 1925.
Special issue stamp: stamp printed for a particular mailing requirement as Christmas or the Love stamp.
Specialist: a stamp collector who has made a study of a limited field of collecting such as a topic or a country.
Spécialiste: (Fr.) a stamp collector who has made a study of a limited field of collecting such as a topic or a country.
Spécialités Pharmaceutiques: (Fr.) pharmaceuticals; French Colonies revenue inscription.
Specialized U. S. catalogue: the Scott Catalogue devoted solely to U. S. stamps
Special mail agents: accompanied mail on board steamers and in railroad cars.
Special Mess. (Lacey's): United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Special Mission Courier: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Special printing: current design stamps printed on a better grade of paper and in brilliant colors; used during the Centennial in Philadelphia in1876 and in 1935; see Farley's Follies.
Special Reply Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Special request envelope: term used for envelopes with imprint of sender in upper left-hand corner, requesting return if undeliverable.
Specialstämpel: (Swed.) special cancel.
Specialstämpelsamlinjgar: (Swed.) special collections.
Special Stamp in Memory of First day of Invasion: ungummed printed by Germany WW II.
Special stamps: regular stamps that are not within the traditional commemorative or definitive issues; consist of holiday and love stamps.
Specialty cover: cover that is more creative than the mass produced covers; may be multi autographed or canceled.
Specie Daler: currency unit in Norway.
Specimen: 1: an individual collectable stamp. 2: muster (Ger.); spécimen (Fr.); saggio (It.); muestra (Sp.).
Specimen: 1: overprint on stamps that are distributed to members of the Universal Postal Union for identification purposes; started in 1879; the USA discontinued this practice in 1904. 3: an overprint used on special prints of the U. S. department stamps sold to the public at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.
Specimen envelopes: sample envelopes provided by the Post Office to prospective manufacturers as samples.
Specimen stamps: collectors consider these as the overprinted stamps of 1851-95.
Speculation: buying philatelic material in the hope that demand will make it more valuable and provide a profit when sold.
Speculative: stamps that are issued for sale to collectors, not for a legitimate postal use.
Speculisland: Swiss origin fantasy.
Spedire: (It.) forward.
Speed Mail: a USPOD "fax" service for inter-agency mail that lasted for six weeks in 1960.
Speedy: nickname for US special delivery service.
Speedy Letter Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Speiderguttpost: (Nor.) boy scout mail.
Spellatura: (It.) thin spot.
Spellman Museum of Stamps: Regis College, 235 Wellesley St., Weston, Mass.
Spence & Brown Express Post: U. S. local post and handstamp, Philadelphia, Pa., 1847-48.
Spendenmarke: (Ger.) charity stamp.
Sperati reproduction: Jean de Sperati, well-known forger, who was so proud of his work that he stamped the back of some stamps, along with a manuscript number.
Spesné známky: (Czech.) special delivery stamps.
Spezialalbum: (Ger.) specialized album.
Spezialsammler: (Ger.) specialist collector.
SPIDAM FRAMCAOS: French Sudan.
Spidsbergen: see Spitzbergen.
Spifs: 1: Stamps perforated (with the) Initials (of) Firms, Societies, etc. 2: British term for perfins, perforated initials; private or official perforated initials or designs punched into stamps to prevent misuse of stamps.
Spinning Top Post Sv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Spit line: too much saliva applied to a mount when affixing it to the album page, residue adheres to the gum of the stamp, creating a "mild gum disturbance."
Spitsbergen: (also Spitzbergen, Spidsbergen) archipeligo in the Arctic Ocean ca. 360 miles N of Norway coast; part of the Svalbard Island group. Granted by a 1920 treaty to Norway, and officially taken as a possession in 1925 (Spitzbergen is the Dutch name for the territory, and to Norwegians, the territory is known as Svalbard). Local post established by a shipping company-owned hotel in the mining settlement at Advent Bay to prepay postage on mails carried by company boats to Hammerfest, on Norway's mainland; set-of-2 "Spidsbergen" surface printed on white wove paper local stamps depicting a polar bear attacking a hunter issued in May 1896. Additional polar-theme pictorials issued through 1911.
Spitzertype: relief printing process invented by Edmund Spitzer in 1901; whereby a copper plate, coated with glue, is exposed to light and then etched with iron perchloride to control the degree of etching; after cleaning, this becomes the printing base.
Splice: a taped joint connecting two pieces of a roll of printed stamp paper; used to repair broken webs or extend the length of a roll.
Split: old term for a stamp divided into two or more sections and postally used at a fraction of its face value.
Split-Backs: postcard where card is halved; one side for messages, other side for the address.
Split grill: a stamp showing parts of two or more grills caused by a sheet being misfed while in the process of the grill being applied.
Split stamp: fragments of stamps used to prepay postage in relation to the fragment; if split in two, called a bisect stamp.
S.P.M.: St. Pierre & Miquelon; overprint on stamps of French Colonies, 1885-91.
Spojené Státy: (Czech.) United States.
Spojené Státy Americké: (Czech.) the United States of America.
Spojené Státy Brazílie: (Czech.) the United States of Brazil.
Spojené Státy Kolombie: (Czech.) the United States of Colombia.
Spojené Typy: (Czech.) different stamp types joined as pairs or other multiples.
Spojka Svislá: (Czech.) vertical se-tenant gutter.
Spojka Vodorovná: (Czech.) horizontal se-tenant gutter.
Sponsor: individual or organization that commissioned a cachetmaker to prepare a special design for a particular issue.
Spoon: British duplex cancellation, in which the date portion is oval, Dec. 1843.
Spoorwegen Chemins de Fer: (Flemish / Fr.) "trackway or "railroad;" overprint/inscription on stamps of Belgium, parcel post.
Sports: common design on stamps of Portugal and Colonies, 1962.
Sporvei: (Nor.) street car route, tram route.
Sporvognpost: (Nor.) street car mail, tram post.
Spot: toning or rust spot.
Spotter: personnel employed by the auction firm to point out any active bidder who may have been overlooked by the auctioneer.
Spray-on postmark: ink-jet line cancel applied by USPS.
Spremberg: city in Germany, local post, "Express-Packet" 1897-1905.
Spratly Islands: South China Sea, between Viet Nam and the Philippines; various islands occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Viet Nam.
Spray watermark: nickname for a British watermark depicts a rose bloom the "Spray or Rose" on a two-leaved stem; 1867-73.
Springfalz: (Ger.) peelable hinge.
Springer Handbooks: U.S. based catalogs of non-Scott listed U.S. revenue issues.
Springside Post Office: S. Allan Taylor label, 1865.
Sprukket plate: (Nor.) cracked plate.
Spud Papers: series of articles on forgeries that appeared in the periodical The Philatelist, starting in 1871.
Spur die: variety of the 1-cent 1887 series of stamped envelopes with a spur projecting downward from the bottom of the bust.
Spurious stamps: stamps that have been produced or altered to cheat collectors or postal administrations.
Sprung: (Ger.) primary crack or flaw in the German Rosette design stamp.
Sputnik: (Rus.) satellite.
S Q: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Slovakia, such as SQ-812 11, Bratislava.
SQAY: Great Britain local carriage label.
S.Q. Trsta Vuja: Yugoslavia Zone B, Trieste.
S.Q. Trsta Zracna P: Yugoslavia, Trieste Zone B, air mail issue.
Squared circle: cancellation that is circle, containing city and date, within a square; used mainly in Canada, Great Britain and Italy; acted as a duplex canceler.
Square pair: refers to two triangular stamps that are joined on the long side of the triangle to form a square.
Squire & Co. City Letter Dispatch: U. S. local post, St. Louis, Mo., 1859-60.
Squire's City Express Post: S. Allan Taylor label.
Srbsko: (Czech.) Serbia,
Srbsky: (Czech.) Serbian.
Srbsko a Cerna Hora: (Czech.) Serbia and Montenegro.
SR CDS: Single-Ring Circular Date Stamp
Sremsko Barbanjska District: Serbian district, Croatia local post, 1995.
Sri Lanka: Indian Ocean off the southern tip of India, formerly Ceylon; currency: 100 cents = 1 rupee 1857: first stamp, the Pence issue, 1872: decimal currency, based on the rupee started, 1948: as Ceylon became a member of the British Commonwealth, 1972, May 22: No.1, 15 cents blue and multi, first stamp as Sri Lanka, 1949, July 13: joined the U.P.U., 1998: first postal-fiscal stamps; see Ceylon.
Sri Lanka: Kandy, Madirigiriya, Sigirya, inscriptions, unissued Great Britain cinderellas by David Horry, 2001.
S.R.M.: "Skilling Reichs Munze" currency unit in the German States
Srpen: (Czech.) August (month).
Srodkwa Lit(v)wa Poczta: (Pol.) overprint / inscription on stamps for Central Lithuania Mail, 1920; see Central Lithuania.
Srpska: Bosnian Serb Administration issue
SS: 1: Steam Ship (carried mail) 2: auction abbreviation for topical stamps on stamps. 3: (Sp.) San Sebastian (Spain) pre-adhesive postmark. 4: abbreviation for Souvenir sheet.
SSM: Scott Stamp Monthly (USA).
S.S.P.: Suisse Service Postal (Fr., Swiss.) Switzerland postal service.
SSR: Soviet Socialist Republic.
SSS: overprint for "on Sirmoor State Service."
SSS Emergency Mail Serv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
SSSR: forgery by Germany on British stamp of the 1 ½ d 1937 Coronation issue.
SSSS: see Society for Suppression of Speculative Stamps.
Sst., Sonderstempel: (Ger.) special cancel.
SSVTA: Sel-Service Value Ticket Automans; vending machines, Switzerland.
SSW: overprint on U.S. revenue stamps for Samuel S. White.
ST: 1: ST, (without country name) currency unit in Thailand (Siam). 2: Superintendent of Telegraph, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 3: abbreviation for street, Saint. 4: Sorting Tender, on railway postmarks
Staats Marke: (Ger.) German States-Wurttemberg; official use.
Staatsvertrag 1955: overprint on stamp of Austria commemorating the signing of the 1955 State treaty ending the Allied military occupation.
S.T.A.B.: in oval frame, cancel for mail on Finnish steamships, 1880s.
Stabbing: the process where a lithographer affixes transfers in position by pushing a needle point through the superimposed transfer and base sheet.
Stabler's Local Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Stade-Brief-Beforderung: (Ger.) city of Colmar, local post, Germany, 1896-98.
Stadt Berlin: (Ger.) city of Berlin; Soviet occupation, 1948-49
Stadtbriefbeforderung Courier: (Ger.) city of Dusseldorf, local post, Germany, 1894-96.
Städteausgabe: (Ger.) local issue.
Stående: (Nor.) upright (position).
Stadt-Güter-Verkehr Berlin: (Ger.) city of Berlin, local post, Germany 1944-45.
Stadt Pest, S.S.: steamship marking the Danube Steam Navigation Company for Middle Danube Lines, build around 1860s. Stadtpost: (Ger.) local post stamps.
Stadt Post Amt: (Ger.) "City Post Bremen" German States.
Stadt Post Basle: (Ger.) "City Post Basel" Canton of Basel, Switzerland, 1845.
Stadt Post Berlin: (Ger.) "City Post Berlin," issued after Allied occupation, 1945
Stadtpost Study Group: Germany Philatelic Society focuses on private mail systems in late 1800s.
Stadt Pest, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1860s, for middle Danube lines.
Stadt Storkow: (Ger.) city in Germany; WWII local issue.
Stadt Strausberg: (Ger.) city in Germany, WWII local issue.
Staemple: newspaper stamps, Austria.
Staffa: Great Britain local carriage label, 1969.
Staftpostmarke: (Ger.) city post stamp.
Staggered perforation: our of alignment comb perforation due to movement of the paper between descents of the pins.
Staging cachet: handstamp cachet applied to all mail on certain flights; such as "Deutsche Luftpost Europa-Sudamerika" cachet on on all Zeppelin flights from Europe to South America.
Staining: a discoloration in the paper of a stamp.
Stait's Despatch Post: U.S. local post handstamp, Philadelphia, Pa., 1850-55.
Stalag: (Ger.) camp.
Stålblå: (Nor.) steel-blue (metallic color).
Stålgrå: (Nor.) steel-grey (metallic color).
Stålgravyrtryck: (Swed.) steel-engraving recess printing.
Stalingrad: now known as Volgograd, Russia.
Stålstempel: (Nor.) steel die (cancellation).
Ståltrykk: (Nor.) see Trykk - Stål.
Stambul, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built in 1839 for Levant lines.
Stamford Mercury: British postmark with a curved name panel instead of the circular date
Stammbaum: (Ger.) provenance, ancestry.
Stamp: 1: in stamp collecting, a term for an adhesive label for postal purposes. 2: a hard substance mounted on a handle for making an impression on postal stamps. 3: an impression made by the hard substance on postal stamps. 4: Tibet official
Stampa: (It.) printing.
Stamp Act: 1: refers to English Stamp Act of 1765-66 to be applied to newspapers, almanacs, advertisements, playing cards, etc.; embossed stamps were die sunk with a heraldic design. 2: British Parliament Act of 1765, repealed in 1766, imposing a duty on various types of paper used in the American colonies; have word "America" in the design; also known as "Tea Tax"
Stamp agency package stamp: seals issued in 1875 to place on packages opened on handling during postal handling.
Stamp album: book designed to hold stamps.
Stampalia: Dodecanese Island of Atypalia, Aegean Sea 1912, pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, 1916: first stamps without overprints, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1943, Sept.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by Allied forces, 1945, June 18: British post offices opened, stamps of Britain overprinted "M.E.F." (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1947, Mar. 30: British post offices closed; stamps of Greece overprinted 'S.D.D." (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1947, summer: stamps of Greece used; see Astipalaia.
Stamp, American Foreign Service: U.S. consular fee stamps as payment of fee for services, attached to documents or receipts.
Stampa Rotativa: (Sp.) rotary printing.
Stamp Art: term used by USPS to denote stamp designs being offered as works of art.
Stamp Automat: device for vending U. S. postage stamps, first used Sept. 2, 1938, accepted coins only.
Stamp, baseball card: first issued by St. Vincent in the size of a baseball trading card and printed on cardboard.
Stamp, boating: see Boating stamp.
Stamp, Bypost: see By Post stamp.
Stamp canceling machine: earliest known date in the U.S. was at the Boston, Mass. post office, 1876.
Stampcard: 1: produced by Ottmar Zieher of Munich, Germany in late 1890s, for various countries, with "Made in Germany" on the reverse, copies exist that were made in the USA. 2: North Korea issued Stampcards in 1993, in the size of credit cards.
Stamp, carrier: see Carrier stamp.
Stamp, Cigarette Tube: see Cigarette Tube Stamp.
Stamp, cinderella: see Cinderella stamp.

ST TO SZ

Stamp, circular: first issued by the Indian district of Scinde in 1852.
Stamp club: a group formed by stamp collectors tfor the mutual enjoyment of the hobby.
Stamp, coil: see Coil stamp.
Stamp collecting: hobby devoted to the collecting and study of philatelic material.
Stamp Collecting Month: sponsored by the UPU and postal administrations throughout the world, celebrated every October since 1981.
Stamp collector: briefmarkensammler (Ger.); collectionneur de timbre-poste (Fr.); filatelico (It.); filatelista (Sp.).
Stamp.com: first firm approved by the USPS to sell postage online.
Stamp, commemorative: see Commemorative stamp.
Stamp, Consular Service Fee: see Consular Service Fee Stamp.
Stamp, cordials: see Cordial stamps.
Stamp currency: during period of shortage of coins, unused postage stampshave bene authorized to be used as coins; usually covered with casing of celluloid or metal; used during American Civil War, British South Africa Co., 1900; Russia, etc.
Stamp dealer: one who buys and sells philatelic material as a business to earn a profit.
Stamp decoder: clear acrylic lens formerly sold by the USPS to encoded imagery on some stamps; such as letters "USAF" on the 1997 Department of the Air Force commemorative.
Stamp, definitive: see Definitive.
Stamp, department: see Departmentals.
Stamp design error: examples are a canoe moving in the water without a sailor, a ship's flag waving in one direction while the ship is moving in another direction, a man with six fingers or the incorrect picture of a celebrity.
Stamp, diamond: first issued by Nova Scotia in 1851, first U.S. in 1978.
Stamp Distribution Office: a regional USPS site that distributes postal items to various postal facilities.
Stamp, documentary: see Documentary stamps.
Stamp, Duck: see Duck stamps.
Stamp duty: 1: inscription on stamps of the British Empire when used for revenue purposes only, many used as postage stamps when required due to a shortage of stamps. 2: stempelsteur (Ger.); droit d'timbre (Fr.); tassa di bollo (It.); impuesto del timbre (Sp.)
Stamped envelope: an envelope with a preprinted and/or embossed postage imprint, aka postal stationery.
Stamp edging: paper surrounding a sheet of stamps; known as te sheet margin.
Stamped paper: general term for envelopes, cards which are impressed by a postal design for revenue purposes.
Stamped Stationery: see Letter Sheets.
Stämpel: (Swed.) cancellation, postmark.
Stämpelmärken samlingar: (Swed.) revenues collections.
Stämpelsamlingar: (Swed.) cancellation collections.
Stamp, embroidered: Switzerland issued an embroidered stamp in 2001.
Stampex '86: 1986 Aitutaki overprint for stamp exhibition.
Stamp folio: USPS product issued in early 1990s with block of four 29¢ stamps.
Stamp for Specialty, United States Internal Revenue: taxpaid revenue stamp taxed on an activity rather than a product being sold.
Stamp, free-form: first issued by Sierra Leone in 1964 in shape of map of Sierra Leone.
Stamp Fulfillment Center: mail order center of USPS, located in Kansas City, MO.
Stamp, hologram: Austria issued the world's first hologram stamp in 1988.
Stamp identification: knowing the name of the country and other information regarding the stamp.
Stampigliare: (It.) overprint.
Stampila prima zi: (Rom.) first day cancellation.
Stampit: software system used in Germany in 2001 to produce postage stamps printed by computer and sold online.
Stamp, largest: the honor goes to China for its 1913-14 issue measuring 248mm by 77mm.
Stample: (Ger.) "Stamp" newspaper stamps, Austria.
Stampless cover: 1: mail sent by post prior to the start of the prepaid postage stamp. 2: Altbrief (Ger.); Lettre Prephilatélique (Fr.); Busta Prefilatelica (It.); Sobre Prefilatélico (Sp.)
Stamp Lift: device used to remove stamps from paper without soaking. Stamps are placed on a shelf above the water, then covered with humidity slowly loosening the paper.
Stamp Lover: British philatelic journal.
Stamp money: unused postage stamps used as currency during shortages.
Stamp News: inscription on stamp labels produced by A.C. Roessler as a copy of the 1929 2¢ Sullivan Expedition stamp.
Stamp, octagon: first issued by Great Britain in 1847.
Stamp on aluminum foil: Hungary printed aluminum foil stamps in 1955.
Stamp on cloth: Hungary printed stamps on a linen-finish paper in 1958.
Stamp on gold foil: Tonga started this craze when its issued a circular gold foil stamp in1963.
Stamp on plastic: Bhutan put a three-dimensional image with a plastic overlay in 1967.
Stamp-on-stamp: stamp designs that feature other stamp(s).
Stamp on steel: Bhutan issued a stamp, honoring steel production on steel in 1969.
Stamp on tin: U.S. issued tobacco revenue stamps printed on tin foil in the 1860s.
Stamp on wood: Djibouti printed two souvenir sheets on wood in1985 in honor of John Audubon.
Stamp position: system whereby every stamp on a sheet has a number; the numbering starts with the upper left stamp is #1, continuing the count along the top row, and if the sheet has ten stamps per row, then the last stamp in the top row is #10, and the second row would begin with stamp # 11.
Stamp out Naked Mail: rubber stamp, privately applied, to promote the use of stamps on mail.
Stamp Out Want: seal used as scrip among the unemployed during the U.S. depression.
Stamp position code: European term for angle of stamp placement on mail as a message.
Stamp press: device for drying a wet stamp quickly.
Stamp printed on both sides: a positive impression printed on the back in addition to the front of the stamp paper.
Stamp, recording: Bhutan issued a stamp shaped like a phonograph record in 1973 that actually played the nation's national anthem.
Stamp Reproduction: uncanceled U.S. stamps reproduced in authentic colors must be shown either at less than 75% or more than 150% of actual size.
Stamps by Mail: a service in which the customer uses a self-mailer order form or by telephone and pays by check or credit card for postage stamps that are delivered with the customer's regular mail.
Stamps, Customs Fee: see Customs Fee stamps.
Stamp show: a show sponsored by a stamp club to exhibit stamp collections.
Stamp size: the size of the stamp design, measured in mm.
Stamp, smallest: the 13¢ Indian Head penny definitive of 1978 measures 17mm by 20 mm, larger than the Bolivar, Colombia which issued a stamp in 1863-66 measuring 8mm by 9.55mm.
Stamp, smell: Bhutan issue of 1973 smell like roses.
Stamps-on-Stamps: a topical collecting specialty that includes stamps, letters, postal markings on stamps.
Stamp, stereo: Finland issued a pair of stamps, both of which show a flask and the molecular structure of camphor, and produce a 3-dimensional effect when viewed together, also Italy's 3-D stamp of December 1956.
Stamps to go: customer purchases of postage stamps at consignment outlets such as grocery stores, or via ATM machines that dispense stamps.
Stamp stores: a Postal Retail Outlet located as part of a postal facility.
Stamp, trapezoid: first issued by Malaysia in 1967.
Stamp, triangle: first issued in 1853 by the Cape of good Hope; first U.S. was issued in 1997 for the Pacific 97 exhibition.
Stamp Twins: Two stamps with similar designs that were issued due to a coincidence and not an agreement between postal authorities to honor the same subject.
Stamp vending machine: a vending machine that has several modules that dispense varying quantities of stamps from a coil in each module.
Stamp Venturers: private contractor for printing postage stamps in combination with other firms.
St. Albans Postal Serv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
St. Andrew's Cross Labels: blank spaces on sheets of stamps to bring the sheet values to even amounts; in Austria these spaces were filled with diagonal lines known as St. Andrew's crosses; in stamp booklets, these blank spaces are used for advertising.
St. Andrew's Cross postmark: British penny black cancel, Edinburgh, with two lines or rows of crosses with the office number (131) in between.
Standardganzsachen: (Ger.) commonly used postal stationery. Standard Mail: USPS term for merger of third-class and fourth-class mail as one term under Classification Reform act of July 1, 1996; formerly advertising mail.
Standard Mail A: USPS term for advertising mail.
Standard Mail B: USPS term for parcel post.
Standard Match Company: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Standing Helvetia: refers to the 1882-1907 Switzerland issue, which depicts the standing figure of Helvetia, instead of the seated figure used on previous issues.
Standort: (Ger.) location at a stamp show.
St. Andrew's Cross: crosses printed on the four blank spaces left in the panes of the early stamps of Austria and British stamp booklets to prevent forgeries from using gummed stamp paper.
Stanislav Issue: the 1919 Austrian stamps, overprinted and surcharged, of the Western Ukraine.
Stanley Gibbons: British based stamp catalogs of the world, and also the name of a prominent dealer and auction house.
Stanleyville: now known as Kisangani, Zaire.
Staplehurst Deliv. Sv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Star: 1: badge of Islam, on many stamps of Moslem countries. 2: star, numeral, overprint on stamps of Ethiopia for semi-postal. 3: British 1854-57 perforated, line-engraved issues with check letters in bottom corners and stars in upper corners.
Star and Crescent: 1: with colorless crescent on stamps of Turkey semi-postal. 2: Star and Crescent: overprint on stamps of Algeria semi-postal. 3: six-pointed Hebrew star was mistakenly used in an overprint by Turkey and rapidly corrected. 4: stamps of India 1937-43 were overprinted for use in Bahawalpur. 5: issue of Pakistan 1948, showing moon facing right (known as a decrescent) instead of left; corrected in 1949 issues.
Staraya Russa: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1881
Star cancel: incorporates a star or other similar geometric feature.
Star Die: U.S. postal stationery series of 1860 where stars appear on each side of the oval design.
Star Flag cancels: produced by the American Hand Power Cancelling Machine, early 1890s.
Stark schwankende farbtonungen auf glatten oder rauhem papier: (Ger.) smooth or rough paper with heavy fluctuation in shading.
Star Match: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Starobyelsk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1876-95
Star, open: some of the Washington-Franklin plate blocks has an open star after the imprint and before the plate number in the margin. The star means that stamps printed from plates with 3 mm of spacing, instead of 2 mm, between the six outer vertical rows on each side of the plate.
Star plates: U.S. plates with a star in the imprint or near the plate number to indicate an experimental spacing of the subjects, tested in 1908 and 1925.
Star Route: (obsolete) routes carrying mail between post offices while Rural Free Delivery was being established, designated with three stars on routes, other than railroad or steamboat; the stars officially represent "celerity, certainty, security."
Starr's Emergency P.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Star solid: plate 4980 and 4988 of the Washington-Franklin series have a solid star to indicate the 3 mm wider spacing. The 2¢ Lincoln issue of 1909 also has a solid star.
Starting bid: minimum bid.
Star watermark: paper used in 1879 with a five pointed star added to thewatermark to distinguish it from pervious watermark.
State Bedding Stamps: labels with name of state and department with the state government that is involved in the regulation of bedding products.
State, Dept. of: U. S.: officials, high values were used for foreign usage.
Stated-to-catalog: a large lot of stamps, put up for auction, where the auctioneer accepts the vendor's estimate of the catalog value, without checking it.
State Envelopes: inscription of front of envelopes, 1863, with name of state and its counties of front, Post Office chart and location map on back.
State Hunting Permit Stamps: issued by individual U.S. states, usually sold for less than face value after period of validity.
Staten Island: island off the coast of Tierra del Fuego, had a post office 1890 - 1902.
Staten Island Express Post: U. S. local post, Staten Island, N.Y., 1849.
State of North Borneo: North Borneo, British rule.
State of Oman: unauthorized labels; see Sultanate of Oman.
State of Rainbow Creek: label for Australian successionist state.
State of Singapore: Singapore.
Stamp Planet: publication that existed from May 1923 to Dec. 1924; merged with Stamp Topics.
Statens Järnvägar: (abbr. SJ) (Swed.) Swedish National Railways
State Post: Vermont created a post office for the State in Feb.1784 and established five post offices.
State revenue stamps: issued by the states rather than federal authority; most common are mattress stamps.
States of Jersey: inscription for a revenue issue from the Channel island of Jersey; overprinted "Specimen" to preclude their use.
States of the Church: see Roman States.
Statesville, N. C. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Stationarius: postmaster, Roman imperial postal system, about 250 BC.
Station cancel: cancellation applied at a temporary postal station established for a convention, exhibition or other special event.
Stati Parm(ensi): (It.) "States of Parma" first issue of the Italian state of Parma, see Parma.
Stati Uniti: (It.) United States.
Stato di conservazione: (It.) see Condition.
Stato di Conservazione Vario: (It.) a sound copy, not good, if used, not too heavily postmarked.
Stato Pontificao: (It.) Papal States.
Stats ministeriet: (Dan.) "State Minitsry," identifies government mail.
Statue of Liberty: whereby the floor bidder participant never lowers the bidding paddle during the entire calling of the bidding increments.
Stavropol: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1894-1912.
St. Bilena: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
S.T.C.: Stated-to-catalog, total or other, based on catalog prices.
St. Christopher: island in the West Indies; currency:12 pence = 1 shilling 1789: first postmark introduced, 1858-60: used British stamps, 1870, April 1: No.1, 1 penny dull rose, first stamp issued, 1890, Oct. 31: St. Christopher stamps superseded by those of the Leeward Islands, 1903: used the stamps of St. Kitts-Nevis.
St. Christopher-Nevis, Anguilla: islands of the British West Indies; 1952, June14: first stamp, 1956-pre: used stamps of Leeward Island concurrently with own, 1967, Feb.: Anguilla declared independence, but name appeared on stamps until 1980, however not accepted as valid in Anguilla after 1969, 1980, June: stamps issued for St. Kitts and Nevis separately; first official stamp, 1988, Jan. 11: joined the U.P.U.; see St. Christopher, St. Kitts-Nevis.
St. Ciaia: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
Ste: USPS abbreviation in address for street.
Steam: marking on mail carried by a steam boat applied at the receiving post office, when the cover entered the U.S. Post Office Department mail system.
Steamboat: 1: handstamp used on letters entering New York and Providence in 1823, Philadelphia in1824. 2: applied at post offices to letters turned in at ports of call of boast that had no mail carrying contract.
Steamboat mail: first steamboat to carry mail across the Atlantic Ocean was the SS Royal William in 1833; authorized by an Act of Congress, Feb. 27, 1813, for contracts for carrying mail on steamboats.
Steamboat marking: used on inland or coastal steamship that had no contract to carry U.S. mails.
Steamer rate: indicates a fee for the carriage of mails by sea.
Steamers Letter Box: used in port of Shanghai for paquebot.
Steam-Ship: marking on blockade run letters from Europe to the Confederate States during the American Civil War.
Steamway: marking applied at post offices ro letters handed to contract carriers along the way on a route, whether by land or water; 19th and early 20th-century.
Stecher: (Ger.) engraver.
Stedsstempel: (Nor.) circular datestamp (cds) cancellation.
St. Edward's Crown: 1955: watermark design used on British stamps, replaced the Tudor Crown, 1956: same watermark with initials "CA," Crown Agents.
Steel blue: color changeling on the 24¢ stamp in the 1861 series.
Steel engraving: engraving stamp designs on steel dies that are then hardened to produce printing plates.
Steep Holm: island off Somerset; Great Britain local carriage label.
Stein: Donald Evans issue; Holland; see Evans, Donald.
Steindruck: (Ger.) printed on face of paper, lithography.
Steinmeyer's City Post: 1859, Charleston, S.C.; see Carriers" Stamps.
Steintrykk: (Nor.) see Trykk - Stein.
Stella clavisque maris indici: "The star and key of the Indian Ocean"; on stamps of Mauritius.
Stellaland: protectorate in the Transvaal, South Africa currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling 1883: formed by land grants to volunteers during war in 1879-79 1884, Feb.1: No.1, 1 penny red, first stamps issued as local post, inscribed "Republiek Stellaland," 1885, Sept. 30: annexed by British and became part of British Bechuanaland, 1885, Dec. 2: stamps of Cape of Good Hope overprinted "British Bechuanaland" used.
Ste. Marie de Madagascar: island off east coast of Madagascar; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1894: No.1, 1 centime black on lilac blue, French Colonial Navigation and Commerce key type stamps issued, 1896: became part of Madagascar.
Stemma: (It.) coat of arms.
Stempel: 1: (Ger.) stamp. 2: (Dan., Ger.) cancel, postmark. 3: (with "cents"); Austria, Lombardy-Venetia, 1850. 4: (with "kreuzers"); Austria, 1850. 5: "Stamp" newspaper stamp; Austria, 1851-63.
Stempelmarke: (Ger.) fiscal stamp.
Stempelsteuer: (Ger.) stamp duty.
Stempel (Zeitungs): (Ger.) newspaper stamps, Austria.
Stemplet: (Dan.) used, cancelled.
Stenkjaer: > (also Steinkjer, Stenkjer) town and seat of Nord-Trøndelag county, N Central Norway, N of Levanger and at the head of the Trondheim Fjord ca. 275 mile N of Oslo. Local post established by W. B. Bough (see Hammerfest), with set-of-4 "Stenkj¦r / By Post" lithographed local stamps depicting a bear in the wild issued 20 July 1888. The local post ceased operations at the end of 1888.
Stentryck: (Swed.) lithography.
Stereogram: first used by Canada Post for a hologram containing a 60-frame "moving" image.
Stereoscopic stamps: design of Italian stamps consisted of globes in red and green, that when seen through special glasses, have a three-dimensional effect; Dec. 29, 1956.
Stereotype: design copying using metal cast in a mold or plaster of paris to produce printing bases for relief printing.
Sterk Fiolett: (Nor.) stong violet, deep violet (color).
Sterk Uktramarin: (Nor.) stong ultramarine, deep ultramarine (color).
Sterling Sommer: subcontractor to Ashton-Potter for printing U.S. stamps.
Stern Parcel Service: local, Canada postal strike, 1968.
Stettin: city in Germany, local post, 1: Privatstadbrief-Beförderung, 1887-88 2: Stadtbrief-Beförderung, 1887-88. 3: now known as Szczecin, Poland.
Steuer Kasse Erste: (Ger.) cancel for tax cash (office) first.
Steuermarke: (Ger.) tax or fiscal stamp.
Steven's: catalog of Mexican revenues.
Stevens, H. R.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Stevens Security Press: subcontractor to Ashton-Potter for printing U.S. stamps.
St. Evis-Nevik: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
Stewart's: see Mrs. Stewart's.
STG: Thailand 1932-43
St.G.: St. Georges, Bermuda.
St. Gothard: Switzerland hotel post, 1882-87.
St. Helena: island in the South Atlantic Ocean; home of Napoleon's exile; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 pence = 1 pound sterling (1971) 1815-post: mail connections were via Cape Town, 1856, Jan.: No.1, 6 pence blue, British colony issued first stamp, 1912-pre: stamps used are usually found with fancy cork cancellations, 1916: first war tax stamp, 1961, Oct. 12: first semipostal, withdrawn from sale Oct. 19, 1961 1986, June 9: first postage due stamp; see Ascension.
St. Helena: sinking ship design, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
S. Thome e Principe: inscription for St. Thomas and Price Islands to 1914; S. Tome after 1914.
S. Tiago: (Sp.) Santiago (Chile) pre-adhesive postamark.
Stich: (Ger.) engraving.
Stichtiefdruk: (Ger.) recess printed pates have raised image; see Recess printed.
Stichzähnung: (Ger.) pin perforation.
Sticker: usually die-cut adhesives, decorative in nature; may be considered a cinderella.
Stickney Press: BEP intaglio, webfed, rotary press developed by Benjamin Stickney, 1914.
Stick 'N Tic: experimental Canadian label to speed up automatic sorting during the 1983 Christmas season.
Stiffener: piece of card placed inside an envelope to prevent it from being creased or damaged by mail handling equipment.
Stiftung Deutsche Jugendmarke: (Ger.) "German Youth Foundation," semi-postal.
Stiftung zur Forderung der Philatelie und Postgeschcichte: (Ger.) Foundation for the Promotion of Philately and Postal History, recipient of semi-postal sales funds in Germany.
Still, John H.: carrier in San Francisco, about 1851, had circle handstamp "Mailed at Still's N. Y. Bookstore, San Francisco.
Stillehavet: (Dan.) Pacific Ocean.
Stimpilmerki: (Ice.) documentary revenue stamps
Stitch watermark: straight or zig-zag lines watermark caused by the stitching together of the ends of cloth aprons on which the pulp is assembled in the paper making process, appears as a row of short parallel lines.
Stkbk: abbreviation for stockbook.
St. Kilda: 1: Great Britain local carriage label, Outer Herbrides, 1968. 2: island, 100 miles off the coast of Scotland, with labels bearing its name.
St. Kilda "toy mail boat": mail was sealed in a tin can that was placed in a hollow block of wood carved as a toy boat; then covered by a block of wood inscribed "St. Kilda-Please open." The boat would float out with the tide. Hopefully, they were picked up by passing vessels. Island evacuated in 1930. In 1957, the British Army established a base on the island, and mail is taken by Army helicopter.
St. Kitts: oldest British colony in West Indies, currency: 100 cents = 1 dollar 1858-60: used stamps of Great Britain, 1870, April 1: issued its first stamp as St. Christopher, 1890, Oct.: used stamps of the Leeward Islands, 1903: No.1, ½ penny green and violet, stamps for the combined colony of St. Kitts and Nevis were used, along with general issues of Leeward Islands, 1916: first war tax stamp issued, 1952: stamps with names of the St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla used, 1956: St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla became separate colony, 1967, Feb. became an Associated State of the British Commonwealth, Anguilla went on its own, 1980, June 23: No.1, 5 cents multi, St. Kitts and Nevis had separate stamps, first official stamps; see St. Christopher, St. Kitts-Nevis.
St. Kitts-Nevis: aka St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, British West Indies; currency:12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1951) 1858-60: first stamps were British, 1861-90: Nevis first stamp, 1870-90: St. Christopher first stamp, 1882: St. Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla became a presidency of Leeward islands, 1890: Leeward Islands stamps replaced those of St Kitts and Nevis, 1903: No.1, ½ pence green & violet, first combined issue for St. Kitts-Nevis appeared, Leeward Islands issues also valid until 1956, 1916: first war tax stamp, 1938: Anguilla overprint on a map stamp of St. Kitts-Nevis, 1952, June 14: St. Kitts-Nevis stamps replaced by St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, 1956: Leeward Islands stamps no longer used, St. Kitts-Nevis became its own colony, 1967: Britain granted internal self-government, 1980: first official stamp; see Anguilla, St. Christopher, St. Kitts-Nevis.
St. Leelena: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers
St. Louis Bears: nickname for the postmaster provisional stamps issued in Nov.1846 by the postmaster of St. Louis, Mo. The design features the Missouri coat of arms which includes two bears.
St. Louis City Delivery Company: U. S. local post, St. Louis, Mo., 1883.
St. Lucia: British West Indies island, one of the Windward Group; official name of postal administration: Saint Lucia Postal Services currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1949) 1803: occupied by Great Britain, 1844-60: British stamps used at Castries with "A 11" cancel for overseas mail, 1860, Dec. 18: No.1, 1 penny rose red, first issue, 1880s: individual villages used internal post with index letters in the postmarks, 1881: joined the U.P.U., 1916: first war tax stamp, 1931: first postage due stamp, 1956-62: became member of the British Caribbean Federation, 1967, Mar.1: achieved Associated Statehood, first air mail stamp, 1979, Feb. 22: became independent within the Commonwealth, 1980, July 10: rejoined the U.P.U., 1983: Oct. 13: first official stamp.
St. Lucia: Horrabin, Pip Squeak & Wilford, Pop; inscriptions, unissued Great Britain cinderellas by David Horry, 2001.
St. Lucia Steam Conveyance Cy. Limited: used within the island,1882; in 1869 used for the prepayment of letters between Castries and towns along the coast of St. Lucia.
St. Luclu: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers
St. Marron: Swiss origin label.
St. Moritz: 1: Switzerland hotel post, 1892, Hotel Neues Stahlbad. 2: Switzerland hotel post, 1892-1904, Engadinerhof Hotel. 3: Switzerland hotel post, 1897, Privat Hotel Tognoni.
STMP: auction abbreviation for stamp.
St. Nalena: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers
Stochastic screening printing method: printing based on dots in an apparently random position
Stock book: a book with pockets designed to hold stamps; also available in card size and individual sheets.
Stock Exchange Forgery: The British 1/- 1867 stamp were sold at the London Stock Exchange to pay the postage on telegraph forms. In 1898, an alert dealer saw that they were blurry in appearance and some of the corner letters were in combinations that should not have existed. An investigation found that were forgeries and the culprits were never found
Stockholm: Seaport city, capital of Sweden, and seat of Stockholm province; largest city in Sweden; the largest city in Sweden, and its cultural, commercial, and financial center. Two local posts operated through the 1920s, to include Aktiebolager Stadsposten and Stockholms Privata Lokalpost (q.v. individual Stockholm Local Post entries).
Stockholm - Aktiebolaget Stadsposten: Local post established under the direction of Anders Jeurling, beginning operations on 5 December 1887. The local post was purchased by the Swedish Post Office Dept. effective 10 September 1889, and ceased operations on 1 October 1889. First set-of-6 "Stockholms Statdspost" lithographed local stamps depicting a king caricature and values as "öre" issued 5 December 1887, with similar set with values as "øre" issued later, also in 1887, and a final similar-design set-of-2 issued 7 August 1888 (3 öre rose-colored) and 1 January 1889 (4 öre gold & blue).
Stockholm - Stockholms Privata Lokalpost: Local post registered by R. W. Lindhe on 21 November 1925, and beginning operations on 14 December of the same year. The company was reorganized in 1926, but entered liquidation on 4 June 1927. Lindhe organized the Göteborg Privata Local Post (q.v.), having remaining stocks of their triangular stamps, which were overprinted for the new enterprise, and which were issued 14 December 1925. Other different-design stamps were issued through the end of 1926.
Stockport & Manchester: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Stock transfer stamps: tax of stock transfers and certificates; used by federal and state authorities; 1918-52.
Stoke-On-Trent Private: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
S. Tome e Principe: (Port.) St. Thomas & Prince Islands
Stone's City Post: U.S. local post handstamp, New York, N.Y., 1858-59.
Stoos: Switzerland hotel post, 1871-95, Hotel Pension Stoos.
Stop: known to printers as a period; British term for a period.
Stora Comoro: (Swed.) the Comoro Islands.
Storbritannien: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Great Britain, see Britisk (Dan., Nor.), Britiskk (Swed.).
Storfurstendömet: (Swed.) Grand Duchy.
Storia Postale: (It.) postal history
Storkow: city in Germany, local post, 1946.
Storlek: (Swed.) size.
Stormramp Nederland: (Dut.) "Flood Relief in Netherlands," overprint on stamps of Surinam.
Størrelse: (Dan.) size.
Största: (Swed.) largest.
Största enhet: (Swed.) largest unit.
Stothhkh, Stotinki: currency unit in Bulgaria
Stotinki: currency unit in Bulgaria.
ST.P.A.: Stadt Post Amt (Ger.) town post office.
St. Petersburg: known as Leningrad, USSR.
St. Pierre and Miquelon: two group of islands south of Newfoundland; currency:100 centimes = 1 French franc, 100 cents = 1 euro (2002) 1859: first stamps were French colonial handstamped with a surcharge "25/SPM" and overprint, 1885, Jan. 5: No.1, 5 centimes on 40¢ vermilion, first stamp; overprint "St. Pierre M-on" on French Colonies postage due issues, 1892: first postage due stamp,1901: first parcel post stamp, 1915: first semipostal stamp, 1942, Aug.17: first air mail stamp, 1942: stamps overprinted "France Libre / F.N.F.L," Forces Navales Francaises Libres Free French Naval Forces, 1949: became French Overseas Territory, 1976, July: made a Department of France.
St. Pierre et Miquelon: overprint on stamps of the French Colonies for St. Pierre & Miquelon.
St. Pierre M-ON: overprint on stamps of French Colonies; St. Pierre & Miquelon; 1891-92.
Stpl., Stempel: (Ger.) cancellation.
Str: abbreviation for strip
Strå: (Nor.) straw (color).
Strada: (Czech.) Wednesday.
Strafporto: (Den.) "Penalty postage" Denmark postage due.
Strågul: (Nor.) straw-yellow (color).
Straight edge (SE): a stamp which naturally lacks perforations.
Straight line cancel: refers to a marking in which the basic postmark information, such as city and state, appear in a straight line, with no deviations.
Straight Line Perforator: BEP machine that utilized a set of perforating pins and a center cutting wheel, created perforations and cut the sheet in half.
Strain: (Rom.) foreign.
Strainatate: (Rom.) foreign countries.
Straits Settlements: Malay Peninsula, consisted of Malacca, Penang, and Singapore; currency 100 cents = 1 dollar 1826: Malacca, Singapore and Penang incorporated into one government, 1854, Oct. 22-March 31, 1867: stamps of India used, 1867-pre: stamps of British India in use without overprint 1867, Sept.1: No.1, 1 ½¢ on ½ anna blue, overprinted stamps of India with a crown and surcharge, 1876, April 1: stamps of Straights Settlements overprinted for Johore, 1877, April 1: joined the U.P.U., 1906-11: Straits Settlements overprint on stamps of Labuan; 1917: first semipostal stamp, 1924: first postage due stamp, 1936-41: Singapore became separate colony, issues inscribed "Malaya," 1942, March 16 - 1945: stamps of Straits Settlements overprinted under
Japanese occupation, 1946: colony dissolved, Malacca and Penang became part of the Malayan Union, which then became the Federation of Malaya (1948); Labuan transferred to British North Borneo, Singapore is a self-governing state, Christmas Island administrated by Australia; see Malaya (Federated Malay States).
Straordinario: (It.) Tuscany newspaper tax, full inscription reads "Bollo Straordinario Per Le Poste" and delivered by express messenger, 1854.
Strappato: (It.) torn.
Strappe: (It.) tear.
Strapper: (Brit.) part-time postal employee usually hired during holiday season.
Strausberg: city in Germany, local post; 1: Private-Brief-Verkehr/Privatpost; 1886-1900 2: Privat-Post Hansa; 1892-98 3: Stadt Strausberg; 1945-46
Straw: U.S. Navy mail code name during WW II for Samoa.
Strawberry variety: flaw in U.S. Lake Placid stamp indicates spot of red near skier.
Strawboard: U.S. Navy mail code name during WW II for Wallis Island.
Strawhat: U.S. Navy mail code name during WW II for Upolu, Samoa.
Street car letter boxes: U.S. ordinary letter boxes attached to front or rear of street cars running on regular schedules.
Street car mail service: systems were operating in 13 major U.S. cities between 1893 and the 1920s; Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, New York, Pittsburgh, Rochester, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington. In 1899, the mail services were transferred from the Railway Mail Service to the postmasters of the concerned cities.
Streif-(franko)band: (Ger.) wrapper.
Streife: (Ger.) strip (of stamps).
Streik: (Ger.) strike.
Stretta: (It.) cut close.
Stribe: (Dan.) strip (of stamps).
Stríbrná: (Czech.) silver (metallic color).
Stríbrnosedá: (Czech.) silver-grey (color).
Strike: a machine or handstamp cancel on a stamp or cover.
Strike Back E.L.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Strike post: stamps and handstamps used by private carriers when the official post office is on strike.
Strike Post '71: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Strike Post (Atsral): United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Strike Post (Inge): United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Stringer & Morton's City Despatch: 1: U.S. local post, Baltimore, Md., 1850. 2: S. Allan Taylor labels.
Strip: 1: three or more stamps that have not been separated. 2: bande (Fr.); streifen (Ger.); striscia (It.); tira (Sp.).
Strippers: equipment used to free the perforated sheets from the perforating pins.
Striscia: (It.) strip (of stamps).
Stroke perforator: a perforation device that perforates stamps by an up-and-down stroke motion.
Stroma: Great Britain local carriage label, Orkney islands, 1962.
Stroma to Huna: bogus Great Britain local post, 1960s
Strubel: Various types of handmade paper used in early Swiss stamps, not limited to the silk thread type.
Stryj: city in Poland, local provisional overprint, 1919
St. Thomas and Prince Island: two islands in the Gulf of Guinea; aka Sao Tome and Principe; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1913), 100 centimos = 1 dobra (1977) 1869: No.1, 5 reis black, first issue, Portuguese colonial key types, 1892: first newspaper stamp, 1904: first postage due stamp, 1925: first postal tax due stamp, 1938 : first air mail stamp, 1951, June 11: islands became an overseas province of Portugal, 1975, July 12: became independent as the republic, 1977, Aug. 22; joined the U.P.U.
St. Thomas Foreign Letter Office: private post, 1851-Oct. 1860.
St. Thomas-Porto Rico: bogus set of nine values, issued after mail service ceased in 1869 between the two ports; or, prepared for use but not issued.
S.T. Trstavuja: Slobodni Teritorija Trsta - Vojna Uprava Jugoslavenske Armije (Serbian) Free Territory of Trieste, Military Administration of Yugoslav Army, Zone B.
S.T.T. -V.U.J.A.: Slobodni Teritorija Trsta - Vojna Uprava Jugoslavenske Armije (Serbian) Free Territory of Trieste, Military Administration of Yugoslav National Army, Zone B, 1948-54.
S.T.T. VUJ(N)A: overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia for Trieste military government, Zone B, 1948-54.
S.T.T. -V.U.J.(N.)A.: Slobodni Terorij Trsta - Vojna Uprava Jugoslavenske Armije (Serbian) Free Territory of Trieste, Military Administration of Yugoslav National Army, Zone B, 1948 - 54.
Stuart Vernon Org. Ltd.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Stubbekobing-Nykobing-Nysted Banen: local, Denmark railway parcel post.
Stuck: postal employee with more mail than can be completely distributed prior to scheduled dispatch or letter carrier leaving time, as in "go stuck."
Stück: (Ger.) copy, example, on piece.
Study circle: a group of collectors who meet or correspond regarding their mutual interest in a certain area of philately.
Stuffer: stiff piece of paper or cardboard used inside a cover to provided stiffness for a clear cancellation and provide protection against bending of the cover while in the mail stream; also called filler.
Stummer stempel: (Ger.) cancel without inscription.
Stussbrev: (Nor.) Norwegian term for a letter sent from one country to another, which then received additional stamps from the recipient nation.
Stuttgart: city in Germany, local post, Privat-Stadtpost, 1886-1900
St. Vincent: island in the West Indies; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 EC dollar (1949) 1858-60: British stamps used with "A 10" cancel for overseas mail, 1861, May 8: No.1,1 penny rose, first stamp, 1880s: village postmarks issued,1881: joined the U.P.U., 1898: first stamps in British Commonwealth key type, 1916: first War Tax stamp, 1969: associated statehood, 1979: independence; first semipostal stamp, 1982, Nov.: first official stamp,1992, Oct. 28: stamps inscribed St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
St. Vincent Grenadines: group of islands south of St. Vincent; includes Bequia, Canouan, Mustique and Union; 1973-pre: used stamps of St. Vincent, 1973, Nov. 14: No.1, 25¢ green and multicolored; first stamp inscribed Grenadines of St.Vincent, 1974: stamps of St. Vincent overprinted "Grenadines of" 1980, Aug. 7: first semipostal stamp, 1982, Oct.11: first official stamp, 1981, Feb. 3: joined the U.P.U., 1984: No.1,1 cent multicolor; first stamp of Bequia (1984) and Union Island (Mar. 29, 1984).
Styria: province of Austria; 1945: stamps of Germany overprinted "Österreich.".
S.U.: 1: Sungei Ujong, Malayan state, overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements; 1878-91. 2: Colombia-Scadta consular overprint sold in Sweden.
Suaheliland Protectorate: speculative stamps manufactured by Denhardt Bros. in 1889, listed in Michel catalogue; see Wituland, German East Africa.
Suakin: city in Egypt;1872-79, see Interpostal seals.
Subasta: (Sp.) auction.
Subject: unit of the design or entire design of a stamp.
Submarine mail: 1: postal services operated by submarine in time of war as used in 1916-17 by German Aegean islands subs to and from the U.S. 2: Spanish submarine used to carry mail, with fund raising stamps on the mail, from Barcelona to the island of Menorca, Aug. 12, 1938.
Submarino-Correo: (Sp.) submarine mail.
Subsidio pro Combatientes: (Sp.) Aid for War Veterans; Spanish Morocco revenue inscription.
Substation: terms "substation, station and branch post office" were considered synonymous according to a glossary in the 1879 edition of U. S. Postal Laws and Regulations; they are supplementary post offices established in large cities in area remote from a main post office.
Substitute cliché: a single cliché inserted into a printing plate in place of a damaged one; can be identified if it fails to line up exactly with those around it.
Substrate: material upon which a stamp is printed; most common is paper, but wood, plastic and other materials have been used.
Su busta: (It.) on cover.
Succa: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Su-Chung Area: local post, East China, Central Kiangsu, 1942-46
Su-Chung Fifty sub-District: local post, East China, Central Kiangsu, 1942-46
Sucre: currency unit in Ecuador.
Sud: (Fr., Rom.) South
Sudáfrica: (Sp.) South Africa.
Südafrika: (Ger.) South Africa.
Südafrikanischer Bund: (Ger.) Union of South Africa.
Südamerika: (Ger.) South America.
Sudan: Northeastern Africa, south of Egypt; currency: 10 milliemes = 1 piaster, 100 piasters = 1 Egyptian pound (1992), 10 pounds = 1 dinar 1867: used stamps of Egypt, 1897, March 1: No.1, 1 millieme brown, first stamps, overprints "Soudan" on stamps of Egypt; first postage due stamp, 1898, March 1: Sudan inscription, famous "Camel Post" series started, lasted 50 years, 1901: postage due label, 1902: first official stamp, 1905: first Army official, 1931: first air mail stamp, 1954, Jan. 9: stamps inscribed "Sudan / Self Government 1954," 1956, Jan.1: became independent republic of Sudan, 1956, July 27: joined the U.P.U., 1956, Sept. 15: first stamps as independent republic; see Army Service.
Sudan, French: Soudan Fran'ais (Fr.); northwest Africa; Currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc, 1890: French Colonies general issues, 1894, April 12: first stamp, 1899: French Sudan divided among Dahomey, French Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Senegambia and Niger, 1902: non-military zone became Senegambia and Niger, 1903: French stamps replaced by stamps of Senegambia and Niger, 1904: this then became Upper Senegal and Middle Niger, who did not issue stamps, 1919: colony of Upper Volta created from six of the provinces of Upper Senegal and Niger, and rest returned to the original name of French Sudan, 1921: stamps of Upper Senegal and Niger overprinted for use in French Sudan, 1921, Dec.: first postage due stamp, 1922: Niger became an independent colony, 1933: Upper Volta abolished, some provinces reverted to French Sudan, 1938, Oct. 24: semipostal issue, 1940, Feb. 8: first air mail stamp, 1942, June 22: first air mail semipostal stamp, 1944: used stamps of French West Africa, 1954, April 4: French Sudan joined Senegal to form the Mali Federation; see Mali, Federation of.
Sudan, 1922: Niger became an independent colony, 1933: Upper Volta abolished, some provinces reverted to French Sudan, 1944: used stamps of French West Africa, 1954, April 4: French Sudan joined Senegal to form the Mali Federation.
Suden: illegal labels, purporting to be stamps, as per March 15, 2004, Republic of Sudan report to the UPU; depicting Pope John Paul II, not valid for postage.
Sudetenland: (Czech., Pol., Sudety) originally the pre-WWII mountainous region comprising the Sudety Mountains on the N borders of Bohemia and Silesia; after the 1938 Czech:German crisis, including all Bohemia and Moravia borderlands inhabited by German-speaking people. Ceded by Czechoslovakia to Germany by 1938 Munich Agreement, and restored to Czechoslovakia in 1945; see Celistvosti - Sudety.
Sudeten Territory: of Czechoslovakia; 1938, Dec. 2: semi-postal issued for annexation into Germany. 1939: Czech stamps overprinted for use in some Sudetenland cities prior to German takeover. 1945: area restored to Czechoslovakia.
Sudety: (Czech., Pol.) see Sudetenland.
Sud Kasai: overprint on stamps of Congo for South Kasai, sold in Brussels, never issued in Africa.
Suedez: (Rom) Swedish (adj.).
Suidwes Afrika: (Afrikaans) overprint of stamps of South Africa for South West Africa, 1926.
Sudzha: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1882-90
Suecia: (Sp.) Sweden.
Suède: (Fr.) Sweden.
Suez: 1: city in Egypt;1864-84, see Interpostal seals. 2: French post office opened Nov. 1862, closed Dec. 1888.
Suez Canal Company: 1854: concession granted, work started in 1859, 1859-67, mail transported free between Port Said and Suez during construction, 1860-1879: British stamps canceled with canceler "BO2" at Suez, 1868, July 18-Aug. 16, 1868: special charge for the special stamps being used, 1868, Oct.: special stamps stopped: Egyptian government took over the service, used regular postage, 1869, Nov. 17: official opening of the canal for navigation.
Su frammento: (It.) on piece (of cover).
Suid Afrika: (Afrikaan) South Africa.
Sui-Ning: local post, southwest China, 1950
Suisse: (Fr.) Switzerland.
Suiyuan: former province of China; 1946: Communist North China Liberation Area issued stamps for area.
Suiza: (Sp.) Switzerland.
S. Ujong: overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements; Malaya-Sungei Ujong, 1891-94.
Su-kia-fow: local post, east China, 1949
Sul Bollettino: (It.) left half of a two part parcel post stamp of Italy, which was affixed to the waybill that accompanied the parcel, post 1914; see Sulla recevuta.
Sul Bollettino: (It.) on stamps with star and crescent; Somalia parcel post.
Sulina: city on the Danube delta, Romania; French post office opened Nov. 1857, closed Aug. 1879.
Sulina, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1860s, for lower Danube lines.
Sulla Ricevuta: 1: right half of a two part parcel post stamp of Italy, which was affixed to the receipt given to the sender; see Sul Bollettino. 2: (It.) on stamps with star and crescent; Somalia parcel post
Sullivan's Dispatch Post: U.S. local post, Cincinnati, Ohio 1853.
Sullivan's J. W., Newspaper Office: U.S. local post handstamp, San Francisco, Calif.,1854-55.
Sulphuretted: applies to stamps which have become discolored due to gases in the air; also known as oxidized.
Sultanat d'Anjouan: overprint on French colonial stamps from 1892 to 1914 for Anjouan.
Sultanate of Khayam: Omar Khayam, the tentmaker, George Fabian, Illinois, fantasy.
Sultanate of Oman: inscribed State of Oman are labels.
Sultepec: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Sum: currency unit in Uzbekistan.
Sumatra: island forms part of the Republic of Indonesia; 1943-44: stamps of Japan issued for Netherland Indies occupation, 1945: first stamps; anti-Dutch nationalists issued own stamps, not recognized.
Summer gum: U.S. stamps prepared with "hard" gum intended for use when weather is warm to and not prone to curling as heat and humidity increase; 1904-06.
Summer Isles: (Tanera More) island off the coast of Scotland; local carriage label, 1970.
Summer Olympics 1984: Aitutaki overprint with winners' names and events.
Summer Olympics 1988: Aitutaki overprint with winners' names and events.
Sumter, S. C. paid 10: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Sumy: 1: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1868-98 2: local post, Ukrainian; 1993.
Sunburst postmark: Hong Kong type, circle and short radials.
Sunburst seals: labels with a perimeter of outgoing triangles designed to seal registered letters in Mexico.
Sunday Delivery Labels: see Bandelette.
Sunday delivery stamps: stamps with an added fee for mail to be delivered on Sunday and public holidays; used in Bulgaria, 1925-29, 1942.
Sunday labels: attachment of the bottom of Belgian stamps, 1893-1915 with inscription "Do not deliver on Sunday."
Sunday postmarks: applied to mail arriving in London or Dublin on a Sunday and not delivered until the following day.
Sunday stamps: 1: special tax stamps or compulsory use on mail posted on Sundays or public holidays issued by Bulgaria. 2: attachment of the bottom of Belgian stamps, 1893-1915 with inscription "Do not deliver on Sunday." 3: Holland has a special label for Sunday delivery. 4: used in London to inform postmen to deliver letters before 10 am Sunday.
Sunday tax stamp: a post tax stamp was required in Bulgaria on letters to be delivered on Sundays and holidays, with the proceeds going to sanitariums for postal employees.
Sungei Ujong: Malayan State; overprint on stamps of Strait Settlements; Malaya; nonfederated state on the Malay Peninsula; (located in Scott Catalogue after Malaya); 1878: Sungei Ujong, "S U" overprints on stamps of the Straits Settlements, 1891-95: S. Ujong inscribed on stamps, 1895: Sungei Ujong stamps withdrawn, Malayan state incorporated in Negri Sembilan; see Malayan, Federation of.
Sung-Ting: Chinese ceramics label; see Evans, Donald.
Sun Head Stamps: stamps of Uruguay featuring a head within the sun; 1860.
Suomen Taiteilijaseura: (Fin.) Artists Association of Finland, some members make cinderellas.
Suomi: Finlan, means "the land of fens and lakes."
Supeh: Suriname, Japanese occupation, 1941-45
Superb (S, Sup.): perfect, without faults
Superlitho: an exacting printing process that allows for security features to be applied during the printing process.
Supplementary flight: flight intended to advance late mails with another transport service.
Supplementary mail: signifies the payment of double the letter postage rate in 1863 for overseas destinations posted after the regular scheduled mail closing time to get the mail on board before sailing; usually incorrectly described as "overfranking," see Late fee.
Supplements: yearly pre-printed album pages for a country or topic to "supplement" an already existing album page.
Supposed liable to customs duty: marking on incoming foreign mail, applied by foreign exchange postal authorities, where contents of mailing may contain taxable items.
Supratipar: (Rom.) overprint.
Supratipar albastru: (Rom.) blue overprint.
Supratipar argintiu: (Rom.) silver overprint.
Supratipar aurio: (Rom.) gold overprint.
Supratipar dublu: (Rom.) double overprint.
Supratipar negru: (Rom.) black overprint.
Supratipar rasturnat: (Rom.) reversed overprint.
Supratipar rosu: (Rom.) red overprint.
Supratipar verde: (Rom.) green overprint.
Suraffranchi: (Fr.) overfranked.
Surch.: abbreviation for surcharge, overprint.
Surcharge: 1: an overprint which changes the denomination of a stamp either up or down. 2: Universal Postal Union language is additional fee. 3: used on Britain and British Colonies issues may mean postage due. 4: can change a regular definitive stamp into a semi-postal stamp, or regular issue to an air mail issue. 5: zuschlag (Ger.).
Surcharge Postage: Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, postage dues.
Surete Generale: (Fr.) internal security documents; French Colonies revenue inscription.
Surface Air Support System (SASS): USPS term for system to measure performance and verification of payments for all modes of transportation.
Surface colored paper: paper colored on one side after the manufacturing process.
Surface mail: international mail, mail that is distributed by any mode other than air.
Surface phosphor paper (SP): stamp printing paper treated with a taggant that adheres to the surface of the paper.
Surface printed stamp: typographed, a stamp that was printed from the surface of the plate to the paper, applied prior to printing and has a smooth, usually solid appearance when viewed under short-wave ultraviolet light.
Surface Rubs: partial removal of ink by abrasion as the chalk-coated papers of Great Britain.
Surf Island: fantasy, unknown source, perhaps located in or near Indonesia.
Sur fragment: (Fr.) on piece (of cover).
Surgos: Hungary, Fiume, special delivery
Surinam: northeast coast of South America, aka Dutch Guiana; currency: 100 cents = 1 gulden (florin) 1873, Oct. 1: first stamp, William III definitives, 1877, May 1: joined the U.P.U., 1885: No.1, 2½¢ rose, 1886: first postage due stamp, 1922: became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, 1927, Aug. 1: first semipostal stamp, 1930, Sept. 3: first air mail stamp, 1934-pre: majority of inland letters carried by water, 1942, Jan. 2: first air mail semipostal stamps, 1954: became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 1975, Nov. 25: became Republic of Surinam, issued own stamps, 1976, April 20: rejoined the U.P.U.
Surprinting: additional process of printing the denomination on a stamp that has no denomination.
Surrey Priv. Let. Del.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Surtax: the additional denomination on a semipostal stamp over and above the amount that covers postage; if used as an overprint, it is called a surcharge.
Surtaxe: (Fr.) surcharge.
Survey flight: flight made to assess th viability of a proposed or projected commercial flight route; usually made prior to the introduction of regular service or a new route.
Susanville Express: private mail firm serviced Calif., used a label, year unknown.
Susse perforation: perforation gauge 7 unofficially used by Susse Freres, Paris, to French imperforate stamps, 1861.
S.UT: (Sp.) Sevilla Utrera (Spain) pre-adhesive postmark.
Sussex Postal Deliv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Suta: (Rom) hundred (number).
Sutcliffe J. and Son: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Sutherland & Co.: Japan local post stamp.
Su-ung: local post, east China, 1949.
Suur-Pakri: bogus, Russia area, not valid for postage.
Suvalki, Province of: part of Russian Empire bordering on German East Prussia; 1920: divided into Lithuania and Poland, 1940: stamps of Lithuania overprinted "LTSR" by Russian occupiers.
Su-Wan Border Area: local post, east China, 1946.
Suwarrow Sanctuary: overprint on stamps of Cook Islands; an isolated island in their group, 2001.
S V:1: (It.) servizio veloce (speed service) Tuscany pre-adhesive postmark. 2: Stamp Venturers, a stamp contractor.
Sv¦rt: (Dan.) difficult.
Svag: (Swed.) weak.
Svagt: (Swed.) weakly (as referencing the color intensity of a postage stamp).
Svájc: (Hung.) Switzerland.
Svájci: (Hung.) Swiss.
Svalbard: see Spitsbergen.
Svarkort: (Dan.) reply postal card..
Svarkupon: (Dan.) reply coupon.
Svarslosen: (Swed.) reply paid stamps.
Svart: (Nor., Swed.) black color.
Svartakt brun: (Swed.) blackish-brown (color).
Svarta lokalfrimärket: (Swed.) black local stamp (refers to the 1sk [3 öre] Swedish City Postage stamp issued in 1856).
Svartavdrag: (Swed.) black print.
Svartavdrag på kartongpapper: (Swed.) black print on carton paper.
Svartblå: (Nor.) black-blue (color).
Svartgrå: (Swed.) black-grey (color).
Svart-gråsvart: (Nor., Swed.) black - grey-black (color).
Svartgrønn: (Nor.) black-green (color).
Sváziföld: (Hung.) Swaziland.
Svéd: (Hung.) Swedish.
Svédország: (Hung.) Sweden.
Svedsko: (Czech.) Sweden,
Svedsky: (Czech.) Swedish.
Sveits: (Nor.) Switzerland.
Sveitsisk: (Nor.) Swiss.
Svendborg: Seaport on Fyn Island, Denmark, ca. 95 miles SW of Copenhagen. Local post established, with "Svendborg Bypost og Pakke-Expedition" lithographed local stamps issued 1 December 1887. Svenska Bataljonen-Saar: Swedish military contingent in Saar, 1939.
Svendborg Bypost: Denmark local post, 1887.
Svenska Bataljonen-Egypten: Swedish military contingent in Egypt 1959-67.
Svenske skibspost: (Dan.) Swedish ship mail (ship post).
Sven Hedin: expedition commemorated by stamp issued by China in 1932.
Svensk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Swedish.
Svenskegrensen: (Nor.) Swedish frontier, Swedish border areas.
Svenske skeppspost: (Swed.) Swedish ship mail (ship post).
Svenske skipspost: (Nor.) Swedish ship mail (ship post).
Svenske Statens Järnvägar: (Swed.) see Statens Järnvägar.
Svensk-Finland: (Swed.) cinderella issued for Swedes in Finland.
Sverige: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Sweden.
Svetle: (Czech.) light (as referencing the color of a postage stamp).
Svetle fialová: (Czech.) light violet (color).
Svetle hnedá: (Czech.) light brown (color).
Svetle zelená: (Czech.) light green (color).
Svetlo: (Czech.) light (as referencing the color of a postage stamp).
Svetly: (Czech.) light (as referencing the color of a postage stamp).
Svezi: (Czech.) mint, never hinged; see Nepouzitá svezí bez nálepky.
Svezia: (It.) Sweden.
Svisly: (Czech.) vertical.
Svisle rastrovany lep: (Czech.) vertical gum ripple, see Vodorovne rastrovany lep.
Svizzera: (It.) Switzerland.
Svobodna Crna Gora: (Cyrillic) Free Montenegro, cinderella issue.
Svy Carsko: (Czech.) Switzerland.
Svy Carsky: (Czech.) Swiss (adj.).
S.W.A., SWA: South-West Africa, overprint on stamps of South Africa, 1927; See Bantams.
Swain, Jas.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Swain, Wm.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Swan: nickname for issues of Western Australia depicting a swan.
Swan Island: many label incarnations usually parodying Western Australia stamps; also for radio station off the coast of Honduras.
Swan River Settlement: former name for the Australian colony of Western Australia, currently a state of the Australian Commonwealth.
Swaps: duplicate stamps used for trading.
Swarts' City Dispatch Post: U. S. local post, New York, N. Y., 1849-53.
Swatow: local post, South China Post, 1949.
Swazieland: overprint on Vurtheim stamps of South Africa; changed to Zwaziland in 1889 when the South African postal administration ran that nation's postal system.
Swaziland: southeast Africa bordered by Mozambique and South Africa; official name of postal administration: Posts & Telecommunications Corporation currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 rand (1961), 100 cents = 1 emalangeni (1975) 1889, Oct.18: No.1, ½ penny gray, stamps of South Africa overprinted "Swazieland," 1894, Nov.7: overprints withdrawn, 1894-1906: administered by Transvaal, 1895-1910: stamps of the Transvaal used, 1906, Dec. 1: Protectorate separated from Transvaal. put under authority of British High Commissioner, 1910: used stamps of the Union of South Africa, 1933, Jan 2: No.1, ½ penny green, first stamp, first postage due stamp, 1934: Swaziland and Bechuanaland Protectorate under British Commissioner for Basutoland, 1967: internal self-government, 1968, Sept. 6: became independent within the Commonwealth, 1969, Nov. 7: joined the U.P.U.
Swaziwazi: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
Sweatbox: a closed box using humidity to soften the gum on stamps that are stuck together making it easier for separation from each other.
Sweated gum: result when stamps are stored under too much heat or pressure, melting the gum into a smooth, shiny condition that may reduce the value.
Sweden: on the Baltic Sea, borders Norway; official name of postal administration: Posten Sweden Post currency: 48 skilling banco =1 riksdaler banco, 100 öre =1 riksdaler (1858), 100 öre =1 krona (1874) 1855, July 1: No.1, 3 skilling banco blue green, first stamps inscribed "Sverige," 1856-62: stamps for city postage issued, 1874: first postage due and official stamps, 1875, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1905: union with Norway repealed, became separate nation, 1916, Dec. 21: first semi-postal stamp, 1917: first parcel post stamps, 1920, Sept. 17: first air mail stamp.
Sweden - 1912 Demonstration Flight Between Eslof and Akarp/Marieholm: Danish aviator Peter Nielsen left Eslof on 1 June 1912 at 7:47 AM, landing at Akarp Gaestgivergaard at 7:53 PM, and returning the following day to Eslof. Nielsen carried ca. 100 cards on the first leg, and ca. 50 cards on the return flight. Both flight legs received a postal cancellation dated 3 June 1912 on redispatch at Eslof. The Eslof to Arkap mails include a three-line " Svensk Flygpost No. 2 / Eslof / 1912" cachet, while those on the Arkap to Eslof return flight include a two-line "Svensk Flygpost No. 3 / Marieholm" cachet. Both types of cards also include a "Flygpost No. 3 - Akarp - Estlof 1912 1/2 Juni" circular cachet. The flight to Akarp is credited as being the first postal flight in Sweden.
Sweden - 1912 Stockholm-Uppsala Newspaper Air Mail Delivery: Lt. Olle Dahlbeck piloted a "Sommer Monoplane" on 29 August 1912 for the 45-minute flight from Stockholm to Uppsala via Edsviken and Vassunda carrying ca. 2,000 copies of the Dagens Nyheter newspaper. The newspapers were marked with the pilot's facsimile certification: "This copy was carried by me on the first Swedish newspaper mail by aeroplane, arranged with the Dagens Nyheter August 1912 - O. Dahlbeck". The flown newspapers are considered the second Swedish airpost despatches.
Sweden - 1912 Stockholm-Lidingo Flight: Lt. Olle Dahlbeck flew the Stockholm to Lidingo via Tereberg and Vartan and return route during 22-25 September 1912, this time period also including the "Barnens Day" festivities. He carried ca. 5,000 cards franked with an airmail semi-official stamp valued at 50 øre, and inscribed "BARNENS DAG / 1912 / BARNENS DAG / 1912 // SVERIGES / FORSTA / FLYGPOST", which were cancelled by double-ring, bridge-type, "SVERIGES / (date) / FORSTA FLYGPOST" cds. These souvenir mails are considered the third Swedish airpost despatches.
Sweden - 1914 Kalmar-Oland Island and Return Experimental Flight: Pilot Dr. Enoch Thulin carried ca. 100 special cards cacheted in five lines "Luftpost / ofverfordt pr aeroplan / af dr. Thulin - fran Kalmar till Oland - den 7 eller 8 Febr 1914" from Kalmar to Oland Island on 8 February 1914; the postage was cancelled upon the redispatch. The return flight took place on 12 February, and carried ca. 30 special cards with a similar cachet (except: "- fran Oland till Kalmar -"), also cancelled on redispatch at Kalmar.
Sweden - Wasa Rediviva Stamp: The historic Swedish ship Wasa sank in Stockholm Harbor on 10 August 1628. Funds were sought to raise the ship, and to exhibit her in a specially built museum, these efforts being completed in 1961, The Wasa Welfare Committee joined with the Swedish Stamp Dealers Assc. to purchase from the Swedish P.O. 100,000 sets of the 2, 3, and 4 öre 1911 issue stamps, overprinting them with the "Wasa Rediviva" inscription. The stamps were sold at 1 krone 50 øre, but do not have postal significance.
Swedish 4-skilling of 1854: cinderella used in movie The Truth About Charlie a remake of Charade.
Swett, Dr. G. W.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Swiatniki: city in former Austrian-occupied Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Swift & Courtney: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Swift & Courtney & Beecher Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Swindon Stamp Shop Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Swiss Pioneer airmails: stamps issued to inaugurate and frank first flight local mails sold to help Swiss National Military Aviation fund, 1913; officially ruled semi-officials.
Swiss Soldier Stamps: issued to the armed forces of Switzerland to be placed on their outgoing mail in lieu of postage; started in 1915, estimated that more than 3,000 different designs exist.
Switzerland: central Europe; official name of postal administration: Die Post currency: 100 rappen or centimes = 1 franc (1850) 1843, March 1: cantonal issues for Zurich, valid for postage only within canton, 1843, Sept. 30: cantonal issues for Geneva, valid for postage only within canton, 1845, July 1: cantonal issues for Basle, valid for postage only within canton, 1849-50: transitional cantonal issues inscribed "Poste Local", issued, 1850, May: No.1, 2½ rappen black and red, confederation, first Federal Administration issue, 1874: first meeting of the General Postal Union held, 1875, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1878: first postage due stamp, 1911: franchise stamps for institutions and charitable groups, 1913, Dec. 1: first semi-postal stamp, 1918: stamps overprinted for the War Board of Trade, 1919: Switzerland administration of the Liechtenstein Post Office, 1919: first air mail stamp, 1922: overprint for League of Nations and its organizations, 1923: stamps overprinted for the International Labor Bureau, 1938: first official stamp, 1944: stamps overprinted for the International Bureau of Education, 1948: stamps overprinted for the World Health Organization, 1950: stamps overprinted for the International Organization of Refugees, U.N. European Office, 1956: stamps inscribed for the World Meteorological Organization, 1957: stamps inscribed for the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union, 1958: stamps inscribed for the International Telecommunications Union, 1972, Feb. 17: first air mail semipostal stamp, 1982: stamps inscribed for the World Intellectual Property Organization, 2000, Sept. 15: booklet stamps for the International Olympic Committee.
SWL: Sidney W. Lawrence, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
Syburi: Thai occupation of Northern States; see Kelantan.
Syd: (Dan.) south.
Sydafrika: (Dan., Nor. Swed.) South Africa.
Sydafrikansk: (Dan., Nor. Swed.) South African.
Sydafrikansk Republik: (Dan., Swed.) Republic of South Africa
Sydafrikansk Republikk: (Nor.) Republic of South Africa
Sydamerika: (Dan., Nor. Swed.) South America.
Sydaustralien: (Dan., Nor. Swed.) South Australia.
Sydligrhodesia: (Swed.) Southern Rhodesia.
Sydney Tramways: local, Australia New South Wales Government Tramways.
Sydnigeria: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Southern Nigeria.
Sydpolen: (Nor.) the South Pole, see Antarktis.
Sydrhodesia: (Dan., Swed.) Southern Rhodesia.
Sydrusland: (Dan.) South Russia.
Sydrussland: (Nor.) South Russia.
Sydryssland: (Swed.) South Russia.
Sydvästafrika: (Swed.) South-West Africa.
Sydvestafrika: (Dan., Nor.) South-West Africa.
Svetle, Svetlo, Svetly: (Czech.) light (stamp color).
Svetle Fialová: (Czech.) light violet (color).
Svetle Hnedá: (Czech.) light brown (color).
Svetle Zelená: (Czech.) light green (color).
Svezi: (Czech.) mint, never hinged.
Svisly: (Czech.) vertical.
Svisle Rastrovany Lep: (Czech.) vertical gum ripple.
Syli: currency unit in the Republic of Guinea.
Syllabic characters: small characters denoting plate numbers on stamps and postal stationery of Japan, 1874-75.
Syncopated perforation: an interrupted perforation.
Syndicato Condor: private issues of the Condor Company of Brazil for government airmail contract; stamps with this inscription paid the authorized airmail surtax.
Synopsis: exhibit page that serves as an introduction of the exhibit to the judges.
Synoptic collection: completeness based on a plan; such as one specimen of each type of precancels.
Syria: Arab state on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean; currency: 10 milliemes = 1 piaster, 40 paras = 1 piaster (Arabian Gov't.), 100 centimes = 1 piaster (1920), 100 piasters = a Syrian pound 1883: used stamps of Turkey as part of the Province of Sourya, 1900 or so-1914: part of the Ottoman Empire, 1918: conquered by British and Arab forces; British took Palestine, Syria and Transjordan, 1919: French took Lebanon, Alaouites and Alexandretta; remaining area independent Arab kingdom, Syrian stamps issued, 1919, Nov. 21: No.1, 1 millieme on 1 centime gray, first stamps were French Military Occupation with overprint "T.E.O." Terriroires Ennemis Occupes Enemy Occupied Territory, later changed to "O.M.F." Occupation Militaire Fran'aise, 1919: British "E.E.F." stamps of Palestine were handstamped "The Arabian Government" in Arabic, 1920, July: French forces deposed King Faisal; "Syrie" overprints, 1920, March-July: first air mail, postage due stamps, stamps in Syrian currency, 1920: first Arab government postage due stamp, 1922; July: Syria mandated to France, 1923, Sept.-Dec.: mandate stamps valid in Syria and Lebanon, 1924, Jan. 1: stamps of Syria, 1926: first semipostal first air mail semipostal, 1931, May 12: joined the U.P.U., 1934: became partially independent as autonomous republic, 1941, Sept. 27: Syria declared independent by Allies, 1942: military stamps issued overprinted "Force Fran'aises Libres" Free French Forces, 1942: first military air mail, 1943: first military semipostal stamp, 1945: first postal tax revenue stamp, 1946: issued independence stamps as a republic, 1946, May 15: rejoined the U.P.U., 1958, Feb.-61: Syria and Egypt formed United Arab Republic "UAR," 1958, April 3: first UAR air mail stamps, 1959, Jan. 2: UAR semipostal stamps, 1961, April 29: first UAR air mail semipostal stamp, 1961, Nov.: Syria split off from Egypt to become Syrian Arab Republic; see Lattaquie, Alaouites.
Syrie-Grand Liban: overprint on stamps of France for Syria.
Syriac gum: gum from the acacia plant, shrub or tree collected in the Syriac district.
Syria, Northern: see Northern Syria.
Syrie (nne): (Fr.) Syria.
Sytten: (Dan., Nor.) seventeen (number).
Sytti: (Dan., Nor.) seventy (number).
Syv: (Dan.) seven (number).
Syzran: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1872.
Szakirodalom: (Hung.) (philatelic) literature.
Szaud Arábia: (Hung.) Saudi Arabia.
Száz: (Hung.) one-hundred (number).
Szechwan: province of China, borders on Tibet; 1933-Oct. 31, 1936: had its own overprinted / surcharged issues of China; withdrawn due to currency devaluation.
Szechenyi, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1840s, for lower Danube lines.
Szeged: town in Hungary near Yugoslavia border; 1919: Hungarian National Government established by Admiral Horthy, while town was occupied by French forces, Hungarian stamps overprinted "Magyar Nemzet Kormany" (Hungarian National Government) and "Szeged 1919"
Szenegál: (Hung.) Senegal.
Szent, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1850s, for middle Danube lines.
Szeptember: (Hung.) September.
Szerb: (Hung.) Serbian.
Szerbia: (Hung.) Serbia.
Szerda: (Hung.) Wednesday.
Szigetek: (Hung.) island.
Szingapúr: (Hung.) Singapore.
Szíria: (Hung.) Syria.
Szkola Podchorazch Artyl: (Pol.) officer's candidate artillery school cachet, Poland
Szlovák: (Hung.) Slovakian.
Szlovákia: (Hung.) Slovakia.
Szomália: (Hung.) Somalia.
Szomálipart: (Hung.) Somali Coast.
Szombat: (Hung.) Saturday.
Szovjet: (Hung.) Soviet.
Szovjetunió: (Hung.) Soviet Union (USSR).
Szudán: (Hung.) Sudan.
Szürke: (Hung.) grey (color).
Szürkésibolya: (Hung.) grey(ish) violet (color).
Szürkéskek: (Hung,) grey(ish) blue (color).
Szürkéslila: (Hung.) grey(ish) lilac, violet, or purple (color).
Szürkéssbarna: (Hung.) drab, grey(ish) brown (color).

TA to TE


13 Zone Partigiana Piacenza: town and province in Northern Italy; stamps of Italy overprint for local use, 1944.
3¢ Hawaiian Blue: cinderella used in movie The Truth About Charlie, a remake of the movie Charade.
3M Corp.: contractor for stamp printing to National Label Co., 1994 Eagle self-adhesive.
3PF: German bisect provisional made 1901, at New Orleans, La. by German Cruiser Vineta to meet need for printed matter rate by ship's crew.
3-Rings Nummerstempler: (Nor.) 3-concentric rings numerical oblit cancellations.
3-Sidig perforeing: (Nor.) perforations on 3 sides, with straight edge on fourth side.
2 x 4: at one time it was popular to cut the corner, two inches by four inches, containing the stamp and postmark off envelopes and mount them in an album.
20/IX 1908: label from Bosnia Herzegovina honoring Franz Joseph, 1908.
30 Koruna 1914: (Hung.) documentary revenue stamp.
T: 1: abbreviation for the French word "Taxe." When applied on a stamp, the stamp is used for payment of Postage Due; when stamped on an envelope, it signifies that Postage Due has been charged. 2: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Telegraph. 3: Timbre Taxe (Fr.) stamp tax, to pay, postage due 4: (in circle) Huacho provisional local (Peru), 1884. 5: (in four corners with value in center of stamp) Dominican Republic Postage Due, 1901-42. 6: Tala, currency unit in Western Samoa. 7: incorrect currency symbol on stamps of Papua New Guinea; small "t" for reprinted stamps as correct symbol. 8: territory, when used in a postmark. 9: Transito (Spain) transit. 10: (with lion, F and numeral) Belgium, 1966-70. 11: Tarde (Sp.) afternoon. 12: Tausend (Ger.) thousand. 13: perforated on Tasmania for official. 14: auction abbreviation for top. 15: Treasurer, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 16: Ethiopia overprint on Postage Due stamps. 17: overprint on Belgian postage due stamp used from Oct. to Dec. 1919; used when post office ran out of postage due stamps. 18. international postal code for Thailand. 2
$T: dollar, currency unit in Republic of China
$T: pa'anga, currency unit in Tonga.
$T&T: dollar, currency unit in Trinidad and Tobago.
TA: (It.) Transito Austriaco (Austrian transit) pre-adhesive postmark.
T.A.A.F.: (Fr.) Terres Australes et Antarctiques Fran'aises; (French Southern and Antarctic Territories).
Tab: an inscription printed in the margin of a stamp sheet; tabs are collected attached to the postage stamp; see tablet.
Tabacs-Vignette de Controle: (Fr.) taxpaid labels for tobacco.
Tabac: (Fr.) tobacco products; French colony revenue inscription.
Tabara: (Rom.) camp.
Tabasco: overprint on stamps of Mexico for Tabasco district, 1856-1883.
Tabellarii: (It.) messengers, mailmen, Roman imperial postal system, about 250 BC.
Tabernacle Fair Post Office: S. Allan Taylor label.
Tabernes de Valldigna: city in Spain, Spanish civil war local post, Republic, 1937.
Tablet: 1: nickname given to French stamps for Peace and Commerce; due to a large tablet in the design. 2: extra piece attached to each postage stamp bearing an inscription or other design, aka tab.
Tabora: unauthorized overprint on stamps of Belgian Congo for German East Africa.
Tabori Fopostahivatal: (Hun.) Hungarian head field post office.
Tabori Postahivatal: (Hun.) Hungarian field post office.
Tábori Postá(k): (Hung.) fieldpost(s).
T.A.B.R.O.M.I.K.: TAdeusy BROnislaw MIKolajczyk society; Poland semiofficial air mail stamp, Poznan Trade Fair, May 29-June 16, 1921; dropped by a Junkers F-3 aircraft.
TACA: Transportes Aereos Centro Americanos; Air line carrying mail between the U.S. and Central America, started Nov.1943.
Tachado: (Sp.) obliterated, blotted out.
Tache: (Fr.) spot, stain.
Tacna y Arica: (Sp.) Peru postal tax stamps for plebiscite, 1925-28.
Tadzikistan: inscription for Tajikistan.
Tael: unit of currency used in China until 1897.
T¦t klippet:(Dan.) cut close (to design).
Tafalla: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Nationalist forces, 1937-38.
T.A.G.:1: Transport Air Group, U.S. Marine Corps operation after WW 11. 2: see Transports Aeriens Guyanais.
TÃ¥g 1 (2): (Swed.) train, first or second of day from Eslof, Sweden.
Tag der Briefmarke: (Ger.) Day of the Postage Stamp.
Tagesstempel: (Ger.) canceler with date.
Taggant: phosphorescent added to a stamp to aid mechanical canceling, only visible under ultra-violet light; may be applied in a strip, a block or over the entire stamp.
Tagged: philatelic item that has had the postage area treated with material sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, so that the item can be mechanically for cancelling.
Tagged block: tagging applied on a stamp in a rectangle that does not touch the perforations.
Tagging: phosphor coating either on a stamp or paper, that is invisible in normal light; used to activate automated mail handling equipment; first applied in Great Britain in 1959.
Tagging breaks: regularly recurring interruptions in their overall tagging; found in some stamps of the U.S. Transportation Series.
Tagging ghost: the ghost of a stamp image picked up from freshly printed stamps by the tagging roller and placed on the next impression.
Tagliato corot: (It.) bisected
Tagliato in due: (It.) bisect, stamp cut in half which has been used to pay the postage at half the face value of the original stamp; the bisect is collected on the original cover with the postmark or cancellation covering the cut.
Tah-Cheng: city in northwest China, local post, 1945.
Tahiti: island in the South Pacific Ocean, former Oceanic Settlements; Currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1870-75: Regular monthly service to send mail from Tahiti via San Francisco to France, 1882: No.1, 25 centimes on 35¢ dark violet and orange, local surcharge "Tahiti" on French Colonial keytype, 1893: first postage due stamp, stamps of French Colonies, 1903: "Tahiti" overprint on stamps of French Polynesia; 1915: Last Tahiti stamps were semipostal overprint on Red Cross issue, 1958: name and stamps changed to French Polynesia; see French Polynesia.
Tahta: city in Egypt, Interpostal Seals used 1879-84, see Interpostal Seals.
Tai-Han: Empire of Korea, Korea, 1897-1910.
Tai-hu: city in East China, local post, 1949.
Tai-Kiang: city in southwest China, local post, 1949 as Kwei-chow.
Taille douce: (Fr.) copper plate used for line engraving.
Tai-ping: city in east China, local post, 1949.
Taiwan: island, 100 miles off coast of China, aka Republic of China, Nationalist China, Portuguese Formosa (Port.: beautiful), Formosa, formerly part of Chinese Empire; Currency: 100 sen = 1 yen, 100 cents = 1 new Taiwan dollar 1886: first stamps issued as part of China, 1887: local stamp issued, 1894: ceded to Japan after Sino-Japanese War,1895: "Black Flag Republic" stamps, 1904: first postage due stamp, 1920, Dec.1: first semipostal,1921, July 1: first air mail stamp, 1931-1945: Sino-Japanese War; stamps of Japan used during Japanese occupation, 1941: first registration stamp, 1942: overprint on stamps of China for Japanese occupation, 1943: first military stamp, 1945, Oct.: used locally printed separate stamps, returned to China as a province,1945, Nov.4: No. 1, 3 sen carmine, first stamps as Taiwan (Formosa), 1945: "For Use in Taiwan, Chinese Republic" in Chinese, overprint on stamps of China and Japan, first parcel post stamp, 1946, May: restored to China, overprints on stamps of China used, 1948, Feb. 10: first postage due stamp as Taiwan, 1949: Chiang Kai-Shek Nationalist Army took control of island, first air mail, parcel post stamps,1950, Jan.1: No.1, $1 green, first stamp as Republic of China, first registration, special delivery stamps, 1951, Mar. 20: Japan renounced all claims, became a self-government; see China.
Tajikistan: central Asia, bounded by China, Afghanistan, formerly Tadzhikistan; currency: 100 kopecks =1 ruble, 100 tanga = 1 ruble, 100 dinars = 1 somoni (2000) 1991, Dec. 26: joined with other former Soviet states to form the Commonwealth of Independent States, 1992, May 20: No.1, 50 kopecks multicolor, first stamp, 1994, June 9: joined the UPU; Note: many illegal stamps exist.
Tajikistan: bogus Russian issues copied from original stamps.
Taka: currency unit in Bangladesh.
Takava'u: South Pacific fantasy.
Takca: (Bul.) (Tax) inscription (Cyrillic) on stamps of Bulgaria postage due, 1884-89.
Taker-offer: worker at Bureau of Engraving and Printing, in the 1930s, who took off a single sheet of dampened paper from the top of the inked press plate, stacked them up and put another sheet of tissue paper between them; see putter-oner.
Takkemåler: (Nor.) perforation gauge.
Takking: (Nor.) perforation.
Takning: (Dan.) perforation.
Takning, Ark: (Dan.) harrow perforation, see Perforering, Ark.
Takning, Kam: (Dan.) comb perforation, see Perforering, Kam.
Takning, Linie: (Dan.) line perforation, see Perforering Linie.
Takning, Slange: (Dan.) serpentine perforation.
Takning, Slangelinieret: (Dan.) serpentine roulette perforation.
Taksë: (Alb.) (Tax) overprint/inscription on stamps of Albania postage due.
Takse Pulu: inscription on postage due labels of Turkey.
Tala: currency unit in Samoa (Western).
Taladrito: (Sp.) pin hole, perfin.
Taladro: (Sp.) punch-hole, used for cancellation of telegraph stamps.
Talavera de la Reina: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Nationalist forces, 1936.
Talbana: (Ind.) in India, stamp affixed to a summons that required a witness to appear in a court of law.
Talbotton, Ga. Paid 10: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Talca: Chile postal tax stamps, inscribed Bicentenario de Talca, for bicentennial, 1942.
Talcher: supposed official surcharge on stamps of India, 1878.
Taler: (Ger.) unit of currency.
Ta-lien: China, formerly Dairen; see China, Regional Issues.
Talismanic inscription: term for a manuscript endorsement on early ship letters; implying a prayer by the sender for the protection of the ship and her master, usually abbreviated to Q. D. C. Quam or Quem Deus conservet (which or whom) God preserve; used about middle of 17th century, stopped being used about 1815.
Talking books by mail: American Foundation for the Blind program to distribute books through the mail free of charge.
Talking stamps: stamps in the form of a miniature record as issued by Bhutan, April 15, 1973.
Talladega, Ala. paid 10: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Talla dulce: (Sp.) copper plate engraving.
Tallcot, George: inscription on Medicine stamp; see Private die proprietary stamps.
Talon: (Sp.) small stamp attached to the bottom of revenue stamps of Mexico.
Talloncino: (It.) tab (attached).
Talt: (Dan.) counted..
Talyllyn Railway: British railway local post.
Tamaño: (Sp.) format, size.
Tambala: currency unit in Malawi since 1970.
Tambof: city in Russia, Zemstvo local post; 1870-76, see Zemstvo.
Tamburi: first posting boxes, Florence, Italy, 16th century.
TAMcG: Thomas A. McGaffin, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
Tammerfors: Finland local post, July 1866-81.
Tampereen: (Fin.) local post for use on steamships carrying mail, Finland, 1890s.
Tampico: overprint on stamps of Mexico for Tampico district, 1856-1883.
Tampon: (Fr.) handstamped marking.
Tampon a mano: (Sp.) handstamp.
Tampon dateur: (Fr.) dating stamp.
Tampon en caoutchouc: (Fr.) rubber stamp.
Tamponné à la main: (Fr.) handstruck, rubber-stamped.
Tananarive, Madagascar: formerly Antananrivo.
Tandler forgeries: Tandler & Co., San Francisco; reported to made and used false markings after legitimate postal service, 1895.
Tandjong Enim (Radja): local post, overprint for Palembang district, Sumatra, Japanese occupation, 1942-45.
T & P.: Trésor et Postes (Fr.) Paymaster Postal Services.
T & T: town and type, precancelcollecting.
Tandning: (Swed.) perforation.
Tändsticksetiketter: (Swed.) matchbox labels.
Tanera More: Summer Islands, Scotland, 1970.
Tanga: (Port.) currency unit in Portuguese India.
Tanganyika: southeastern Africa on the Indian Ocean; Currency: 100 cents = 1 rupee, 100 cents = 1 shilling (1922), 20 shillings = 1 pound 1915-pre: was part of German East Africa, 1915: British mandate, first British issues were those of Mafia island, off coast of East Africa, 1916: stamps of Nyasaland overprinted "N.F." (Nyasa-Rhodesian Force), used in area taken from the Germans, 1918: stamps of France overprinted "Tanger," 1921: No.1, 12 cents gray, first stamps of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika overprinted "G.E.A." (German East Africa), 1927: stamps of Great Britain overprinted "Tangier," 1933, July 1: used postage due stamps of Kenya and Uganda, 1935, May: used stamps of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika under the East African Postal and Telecommunications Administration, 1935-59: TPO mail carried on main railways and on Lake Tanganyika, see T.P.O., 1946: named a United Nations Trust Territory, 1959: stamps of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika overprinted "Official" for use in Tanganyika, 1961, Dec. 9: No.1, 5 cents sepia and yellow green, became independent, own stamps, first official stamps, 1962, Dec.9: became a republic, 1964, Apr. 26: merged with Zanzibar, to form United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar 1965: Tanzania added making it Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, 1968, Jan. 1: Zanzibar withdrew its stamps, leaving it as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania in various arrangement in the order of the names, 1976: independent issues of each of the three republics no longer valid in the Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
Tanganyika: giraffe head; unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001
Tanganyika & Zanzibar: see Tanzania, 1964.
Tanger: (Fr., Ger., Sp.) overprint on stamps of France and French Morocco for Tangier, 1918-24.
Tanger (Correo(s) Espanol): (Sp.) Spanish Morocco-Tangier post.
Tanger Elksar: Morocco local post.
Tanger-Fez: Sultanate of Morocco, Morocco local post, 1895.
Tangier: city on the coast of Morocco; located on the north coast of Africa;19th century: Sultanate of Morocco divided between French and Spanish protectorates,1897, June: first French stamps issued, 1912: international zone governed by foreign representatives, Britain, France, Spain and Germany (until 1914) all operated post offices using same stamps as the nation's post offices in Morocco, ended in Oct. 1956, 1914, Nov. 27-1921: used stamps of ex-Spanish post offices in Morocco, 1918: stamps of French Morocco overprinted "Tangier," includes a postage due issue, 1923: Tangier international zone declared, 1926: stamps of Spanish Morocco overprinted "Tangier," 1926: semipostal stamps of Spain overprinted "Correo Español Tanger"(Spanish Tangier Post) for use as a semipostal, 1927: No.1, ½ penny green; stamps of British Morocco overprinted "Tangier" and British stamps without overprints values of 2 ½ d and above, 1928: first French air mail stamp issued, 1929: Seville-Barcelona issue of Spain overprinted "Tanger," 1936-40: rival post offices of Spanish Nationalists and Republicans operated, 1938: first Spanish air mail stamp, 1940, June 14-Oct. 11, 1945: used stamps of Spanish Morocco, 1942, March: French post office amalgamated with Spanish post office, 1948: Spanish used definitives for use in Tangier, 1945-56: international status, 1949: first air mail, special delivery stamps issued, 1956: French and Spanish offices closed, 1956: became part of the Kingdom of Morocco, 1957, April 30: British office closed; issued series of commemorative overprints, "1857-1957 Tangier."
Tangier: 1: overprint on stamps of Morocco for international zone of Tangier. 2: overprint on stamps of France for Offices in Morocco, postage due. 3: overprint on stamps of Spain for Spanish Morocco for Tangier. 4: see French Morocco. 5: overprint on stamps of Great Britain, Offices in Tangier, Morocco; 1927-57.
Tangier/Arzila: local post, Morocco, 1895-98.
Tangier/El-Ksar: local post, Morocco, 1898.
Tangier/Fez: local post, Morocco, 1892-93. 1928: first airmail stamp issued.
Tangier/Laraiche: local post, Morocco, 1897.
Tangier-Morocco-Laraiche: Morocco local post.
Tangier/Tetuan: local post, Morocco, 1897.
Tanner's Express: local parcel firm serviced Albany, N.Y., used a label.
Tannhjulstempel: (Dan., Nor.) cogwheel-design cancellation.
Tannu Tuva: northwest Outer Mongolia, on the border of Siberia, aka Tuva; currency: 100 mungos = 1 tugrik, 100 kopecks = 1 ruble, 100 kopecks - 1 tugrik, 100 kopecks = 1 aksa 1911-14: nominally independent, 1914: made a protectorate of Russia, Russian post office at Belotsarsk, 1917: proclaimed independence using the name of Tanna Tuva, came under Chinese rule, 1921-24: independent, inscriptions Posta Touva and Tuba, 1926, Oct.: No.1, 1 kopeck red, first stamps depicted the Buddhist Wheel of Life, as independent Tuva under Soviet protection, stamps printed in Russia, 1932: surcharged for provisional issues, 1943: last stamps, 1944: incorporated into the Soviet Union, became part of Russia as the Tuva Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, 1994: Tuva produced its own stamps but they were never postally issued, uses stamps of the Russian Federation.
Tanta: city in Egypt, Interpostal Seals used 1864-84, see Interpostal Seals.
Tanzania: southeastern Africa on the Indian Ocean, aka Tanganyika and Zanzibar; currency: 100 cents = 1 shilling 1891: Germany declared protectorate as German East Africa, 1893: first stamps were stamps of Germany surcharged for use in colony, 1900: stamps of Germany inscribed "Deutsch Ostafrika," 1916: stamps of Nyasaland issued overprinted "N.F.," (Nyasa-Rhodesia Force), 1917: stamps of Kenya overprinted "G.E.A." (German East Africa), German East Africa stamps overprinted ""Mafia Island," and Indian Expeditionary Force stamps overprinted "I.E.F." Belgian Congo stamps overprinted for use in area of Belgian occupation, 1918: Treaty of Versailles gave Britain mandate over area except for Ruanda-Urundi, 1919, Sept.: Kionga area became a Portuguese mandate, administered by Mozambique, renamed Tanganyika Territory, 1922: stamps under the British mandate inscribed "Tanganyika," 1927: British mandate stamps changed to "Mandated Territory of Tanganyika," 1935: became part of a postal union, used stamps inscribed "Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika," 1961, Dec.: became independent, stamps of Tanganyika, 1962, Dec. 9: became a republic within the British Commonwealth, 1963, March 29: Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda joined the UPU, 1964, April 26: merged with People's Republic of Zanzibar to become United Republic of Tanzania and Zanzibar, used stamps of the East Africa Postal and Telecommunications Union until 1977, 1964, July 7: No.1, 20¢ blue and emerald, stamps inscribed Tanganyika & Zanzibar; not sold or valid in Zanzibar, 1965, Oct.: changed name to United Republic of Tanzania, 1965, Dec. 9: first official stamp, not valid in Zanzibar until 1968, 1966: one issue with the name of Tanzania was valid only in Zanzibar, 1967: stamps inscribed "Tanganyika and Zanzibar," and "Tanzania," first postage due stamp, 1968, July 1: Zanzibar joined the country, 1978, July 31: first postage due stamp, 1988, July 1: first semi-postal stamp.
Tanzania Muungano: Zanzibar.
TAP: Transportes Aeros Portugueses; common design on stamps of Portugal and Colonies, 1963.
Tapa: (Sp.) binder.
Tapanoeli: overprint for local post, Sumatra, Japanese occupation, 1942-45.
Tape: meter stamp on an adhesive paper strip that is affixed to an oversized item that can not be run through a postage meter.
Tapin: one of the Sicmon Islands in the South Pacific created by Nick Bantock for his book, Grifin & Sabine.
TAPO: Temporary Army Post Office.
Tarde: (Sp.) late fee.
Target cancel: a cancel or postmark, usually in concentric circles shaped like a target; used in Austria, 1850, complicated four ring pattern to prevent washing of stamp for reuse.
Target mail: 1: USPS term for mail that weighs over one pound; it must be brought to the post office for mailing, can not be dropped into a letter box. 2: mail that is found in a mailbox or is handed over a U.S. Post office counter by an unknown individual that weighs more than 16 ounces and has postage stamps affixed, regulation went into effect during Unibomber scare whose mailings fitted this description..
Tarifas aereas: (Sp.) list of air mail rates.
Tarifas de superficie: (Sp.) list of surface mail rates.
Tarifs postaux: (Fr.) postage rates.
Tarjeta de campaña: (Sp.) armed forces field postcard.
Tarjetas de identidad: (Sp.) identity cards; Spanish Morocco revenue inscription.
Tarjeta ilustrada: (Sp.) picture postcard.
Tarjeta maximum: (Sp.) maximum card.
Tarjeta postal: (Sp.) postcard.
Tarnów: city in former Austrian-occupied Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Tarragona: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Tarrant & Company: inscription on Medicine stamp; see Private die proprietary stamps.
Tarrassa: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Tartari: bogus Russian local overprint.
Tartu: formerly Dorpat, Estonia; see Dorpat.
Tasa: (Sp.) postage due, used on postage due labels of Uruguay.
Tasa por Cobra: (Sp.) (Tax to Collect) inscription on stamps of Cuba for postage due.
Tasar en destino: (Sp.) postage due at destination.
Tasman, Albert: discoverer of Van Diemen's Land, later part of Tasmania, then Australia..
Tasmania: island off southeastern coast of Australia, British Crown Colony; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound 1803: taken by Great Britain, used as a penal colony, 1853, Nov.1: No.1, 1 pence blue, stamps issued with original name of Van Diemen's Land; 1853-61: used bar oval as postmark, 1858, Jan.: No.1, 6 pence gray lilac, Tasmania name first used on stamps, 1863: first postal fiscal stamp, 1891: joined the UPU, 1901: one of the six British Colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia, 1913: Tasmania replaced by stamps of Australia; see Australia.
Tasmanian Government Railways: Australian local post for Railway, 1901-50s
Tasmanien: (Swed..) Tasmania.
Tassa: (It.) tax.
Tassa di bollo: (It.) stamp duty
Tassa di Trasporto: (It.) Italian transport tax revenue.
Tassels: flag type cancellations with seven wavy horizontal lines
Tassa Gazzette: (It.) 1859 inscription on stamps of Modena, Italian States, for newspaper tax.
Tasso, Amadeo: started a guild of couriers in the 13th century, established a network of postal routes linking the main population centers of Italy; by the 16th century The Thurn and Taxis system covered all of Europe.
Tatarstan: 2002, Jan. 14: illegal labels, purporting to be stamps, Russian Federation report to the UPU; not valid for postage.
Tati: district of East Bechuanaland Protectorate, South Africa, 1895: fiscal stamps issued, not valid for postage.
Tati Concessions: South Africa local post, 1895.
Tatsäche gelaufen: (Ger.) postally used.
Tätt bottentryck: (Swed.) dense background.
Tauchbrief: (Ger.) letter carried by U-boat during World War I.
Tausch: (Ger.) exchange.
Tautine Skautu Stovykla: (Lith.) 1938 overprint on semi-postal of Lithuania for National Scout Jamboree.
Távirat: (Hung.) telegram.
Tavola: (It.) plate.
Távolsági levél: (Hun.) overprint on Hungarian inflation issues for inland letter, 1946.
Ta-Wen-Chen: local post, southwest China, 1949.
Tax: 1: a compulsory payment, such as a postage due tax 2: Gebühr (Ger.); Taxe (Fr.); Tassa, Imposta (It.); Impuesto (Sp.)
Taxa: (Sp.) Uruguay, postage due.
Taxa da plata: (Rom.) inscription of postage due of Romania.
Taxa de Factagiu: (Rom.) (tax for Porterage) Romania, parcel post.
Taxa de Guerra: (Port.) war tax, 1919; 1: (values in Avos), overprint for Macao. 2: (values in $) Portuguese Africa. 3: (values in Reis) Portuguese Guinea. 4: (values in RP) Portuguese India.
Taxa de Plata: (Rom.) inscription on stamps of Romania for a money fine.
Taxa Devida: (Port.) postage due inscription on stamps of Brazil, 1889-1949.
Taxa Postala: (Rom.) postage.
Taxa Recebida: postage paid, airmail of Mozambique.
Tax d'Engagement: (Fr.) enlistment duty; French colony revenue inscription.
Taxe: 1: with post horn, overprint on stamps of Albania for postage due. 2: Taxe (timbres) (Fr.) stamps used when insufficient postage was applied. 3: overprint on stamps of Belgian Congo, Ruandi Urundi postage due. 4: (on 6 rappen stamp) Zurich, Switzerland.
Taxe a Percevoir: inscription on stamps of France and colonies, etc. for postage due to be collected.
Taxe a Percevoir T: overprint on stamps of Ethiopia for postage due to be collected.
Taxe Auto: (Fr.) automobile license tax; French colony revenue inscription.
Taxe d'Embarquement: (Fr.) loading/boarding tax; French colony revenue inscription.
Taxed photographs: Civil War period with revenue stamps on back of photograph; used for two categories; artwork, engravings and all types of photographs; 1864-66.
Taxe fixe: (Fr.) fixed tax; French colony revenue inscription.
Taxe Paiments: (Fr.) sales tax; French colony revenue inscription.
Taxe Paiments Luxe: (Fr.) luxury tax; French colony revenue inscription.
Taxe per'ue: (Fr.) postage prepaid. 1: UPU regulations state that this inscription must be placed on prepaid mail without stamps. 2: inscription on stamps of Mozambique for air mail.
Taxe Piscicole: (Fr.) tax on fishing licences; French colony revenue inscription.
Taxes, Acts & Conventions: various taxable documents; French colony revenue inscription.
Taxes Communales: (Fr.) municipal taxes; French colony revenue inscription.
Taxi Post: taxi drivers in Israel can carry mail, and have postage stamps to sell to charge for this service.
Taxis: (It.) Italian, Tacius, who memory is commemorated in the Monte degli Tassi: see Thurn, Thurn & Taxis.
Tax label, compulsory: adhesives that must be applied to mail in addition to normal postage; used to raise money for specific purposes, most famous was the Notopfer label used to help pay the cost of mail-handling during the Berlin blockade in 1948; considered a cinderella.
Tax paid (revenue) stamps: stamps indicating that a specific or general tax has been paid, denominated by product count, weight or other measure, and not dollars and cents.
Tax pengo: (Hun.) currency unit(s) in Hungary, 1946 hyper inflation period.
Taxpost: British post office label to expedite mail of Inland Revenue offices.
Tax recebida: (Port.) tax received; inscription on air mail issue of Mozambique, 1946.
Tax stamp: 1: stamp to indicate an extra charge on mail. 2: any type of fiscal stamp.
Taylor, Samuel Allan: publisher of Stamp Collector's Record, New England, Feb. 1864, made many phantom stamps for collectors.
Taylor's Emerg.L.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
TbBA: (Cyrillic) Tuva for Tannu Tuva.
TBJ: Thomas B. Jones, Sr., BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
T.B. Morton Co.: local post, Levant, 1869-71.
TC: 1: trial color proof; Scott Catalogue suffix to identify stamps other than standard postage. 2: The Chronicle (Journal of the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society).
TC: India overprint on stamps of Cochin for Travancore Cochin.
T.C.E.K.: Turkey Postal Tax stamps, 1946.
Tchad: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Middle Congo for Chad; see Chad.
Tchecoslovaquie: (Fr.) Czechoslovakia.
Tchèque: (Fr.) Czech.
Tchongking (Chung-King): see China, Indo-Chinese Post Offices, 1903-22: overprint on stamps of Indo-China for use at French post offices in China.
T.C. ijhak tarihi 30-6-1939: overprint on stamps of Hatay; for date of annexation to Turkish Republic, June 30, 1939.
T-Comb Perforator: perforates the stamps in the form of an upside down T with every move of the perforator.
T C P: Trial Color Proof.
T.C. Postalari: (Turk.) inscription on stamps of Turkey, 1931, for the Second Balkan Conference.
Te: 1: Tennessee, pre-adhesive postmark. 2: Tenga, currency unit in Kazakhstan.
Tear: fente (Fr.); strappe (It.); corte (Sp.).
Teba: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Nationalist forces, 1937.
Te Betaal: (Afrikaans) inscription on postage due labels of South Africa and South West Africa.
Te Betalen: (Dut.) inscription on stamps of Belgium, Curacao, Netherlands, Netherlands Indies for postage due.
Te Betalen Port: (Dut.) inscription for postage due (when stamps are printed in green ink) Curacao; (blue ink) Netherlands; (lilac ink) Surinam; (red ink) Dutch East Indies; (lilac ink) Surinam.
Technische Nothilfe (TN): (Ger.) Technical Emergency Corps; cancel, established in Sept. 1919, kept essential services operating during emergencies.
T.E.C.R.: T.E.C. Remington, manuscript surcharge on British East Africa Protectorate issues, 1891-95.
Teese & Co. Penny Post: U. S. local post, Philadelphia, Pa. 1852.
Teeside Pony Express: United kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Teeth: 1: projections that are left when a stamp is separated from other perforated stamps. 2: the projections between perforation holes.
Tegelröd: (Swed.) brick-red (color); seeOrangeaktig röd.
Tegetthoff, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1860s, for Middle Danube lines.
Téglavörös: (Hung.) brick-red (color).
Tegning: (Nor.) design.
Tegucigalpa: city in Honduras; an 1877 stamp is called the Tegucigalpa issue.
Teh-el-Baroud: city in Egypt, Interpostal Seals used 1865-84, see Interpostal Seals.
Teh-el-Kibir: city in Egypt, Interpostal Seals used 1868-84, see Interpostal Seals.
Teheran, P.L.: local post overprint on stamps of Persia for city of Teheran, 1902.
Teia: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Teilbare marke: (Ger.) stamp issued by post office which is perforated.
Teinte: (Fr.) color, shade.
Teinture: (Fr.) dye.
Tela: city in Egypt, Interpostal Seals used 1874-80, see Interpostal Seals.
Telegrafm¦rke: (Dan.) telegraph stamp.
Telegrafstempel: (Dan.) telegraph office cancellation.
Telegrafos: (Sp.) telegraphs.
Telegrafos del Estado: (Sp.) (State Telegraphs) Chile.
Telegrafos Habititado: (Sp.) telegraph stamps valid for postage, Philippines.
Telegrafos particulares: (Sp.) stamps issued by privately owned telegraph companies.
Telegrammkartenbrief: (Ger.) telegram letter card.
Telegrampostanvisningar: (Swed.) telegram postal money orders.
Telegram s Poseckanym Vyúctováním: (Czech.) telegram(me) form credit accounting.
Telegraph & Telephone stamps: 1: stamps used to indicate that a fee has been paid for transmission or transport of a telegram, or to prepay telephone service time, may be considered a cinderella. 2: 1851; earliest known telegraph stamps, a 1-shilling inscription on the message form, issued in Great Britain by the Electric Telegraph Co.
Telegraph cancel: cancellation indicating that a postage stamp was used on a telegraph dispatch form.
Telegraph Despatch Post: U. S. local post, Philadelphia, Pa., 1848.
Telegraph handstamp: with name of sending office, used on plain covers.
Telegraph stamp: 1: stamp either adhesive or impressed upon forms or cards; used solely for telegraph purposes. 2: Switzerland, 1868-69: Cross of Confederation with inscription "Telegraphie" and value.
Telegraph stationery: used when printed envelopes were in short supply, Civil War period.
Telephone stamp: prior to the installation of telephone boxes, special stamps were used on the forms to account for calls by the casual customer who was not a regular subscriber; used in Great Britain and other countries between Dec. 1884 and 1891.

TE to TI



Tellico Plains, Tenn Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Telstar: common theme on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1962-63.
T.E. Ltd. Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Tema: 1: city in Egypt, Interpostal Seals used 1884, see Interpostal Seals. 2: (It.) theme (topic).
Temascaltepec: overprint on stamps of Mexico for Temascaltepec district, 1856-1883.
Tematica: (Rom.) thematic, topical.
Tematico: (It., Sp.) topical, thematic.
Temesvar: 1. overprint on stamps of Hungary by Serbians and Romanians, 1919. 2. (now Timisoara) city (and cap.) in Timis county, Romania; returned by Austria after the 1920 signing of the Treaty of Trianon. Issued postage stamps in 1919 under the Romanian occupation authorities by overprinting Hungarian stamps with various numerals indicating the new values.
Temphat: (Viet.) Vietnam postage due stamps.
Tempo: unit of currency in Korea.
Tenebrescent: chemical agent when added to printers ink causes them to appear darker when seen under UV light, used on the 34¢ Flag over Farm issue.
Tenedos: Aegean Islands, Interpostal Seals for overseas offices used 1868, see Interpostal Seals.
Tenge: currency unit in Kazakhstan.
Tengerkék: (Hung.) sea-blue (color).
Tengerzöld: (Hung.) sea-green (color).
Tenn.: abbreviation for Tennessee prior to Zip Code usage.
Tennessee: 1: became a U.S. state June 1, 1796, formerly Southwest Territory. 2: first federal issue revenue of US, July 1, 1798 - Feb. 28, 1801.
Tenth anniversary-cessation of nuclear testing treaty: 1973 Cook Island overprint for Aitutaki as a protest against French nuclear testing.
Ten voordeele van het Roode Kruis: (Dut.) Belgian Congo (Sc.193, 198, 216, 220) and Belgian East Africa (Sc. 74, 78, 79, 82) surcharge on Ruanda Urundi for the Red Cross.
Ten year rule: Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee guideline states that no person shall be honored on a stamp unless they have been deceased for at least ten years; an exception is made for presidents, who may be honored on the first birthday after death.
T.E.O.: (Fr.) Territories Ennemis Occupés (Occupied Enemy Territories) 1: overprint on stamps of France for Syria, 1919. 2: overprint on stamps of France for Offices in Turkey, Cilicia, 1919. 3: overprint on stamps of French Offices in Turkey, Cilicia, Syria, 1919
T.E.O. Cilicie: (Syr.) Territories Ennemis Occupés overprint on stamps of Turkey for Cicilia, 1919.
T.E.O. Milliemes: (Fr.) Syria overprint on stamps of France.
Tepic: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Tercio: (Sp.) military regiment of the Spanish Foreign Legion.
Teresa: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Terezín: see Celistvosti - Koncentracní Tabory v Terezín.
Teresîn: see Celistvosti - Koncentracní Tabory v Terezín.
Tercentennary: 300th anniversary.
Tereul: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1936.
Teria: city in Egypt, Interpostal Seals used 1879-84, see Interpostal Seals.
Terminal dues: based on Article 49 of the UPU Convention, charge levied by the destination country to cover the costs incurred for delivering international mail received.
Termine inteiro: (Port.) complete set.
Ter. Mo.: Missouri Territory.
Terms of Sale: see Conditions of Sale.
Terra Candella: cinderella, product of Artistamps.
Terranova: (Sp.) Newfoundland.
Terre Adelie-Dumont Durville 1840: overprint on stamps of Madagascar, Oct. 26, 1948, for Adelie Land; French possession in Antarctica, Dumont Durville discovered territory in1840.
Terre-Neuve: (Fr.) Newfoundland.
Terres Australes et Antartiques Fran'ais: (Fr.) see French Southern and Antarctic Territories.
Territoire de L'Inini: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of French Guiana for Inini, 1932-41.
Territoire du Fezzan: (Fr.) inscription on stamps of France for, Fezzan, French occupation of Southern Libya.
Territoire du Niger: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Upper Senegal and Niger, Niger 1921-26.
Territoire Francaise des Afars et des Issas: (Fr.) Afars and Issas.
Territoire Militaire du Niger: (Fr.) postmark on stamps of Upper Senegal and Niger for Niger, 1906-14.
Territoire Militaire Fezzan: (Fr.) French Occupation of Libya.
Territorial cover, mail or postmark: territories in the U.S. that have not been as yet, admitted to the union as states, more desirable when "Ter." Or "T" appears in the postmark.
Territori Britannici dell Oceano Indiano: (It.) British Indian Ocean Territory.
Territorie Libre du Mali Faud: (Fr.) personal labels of Mssr. Mali Faud.
Territories: overprint on stamps of Madagascar.
Territoires Britanniques de l'Ocean Indien: (Fr.) British Indian Ocean Territory (B.I.O.T.).
Territoires du Nord-Ouest (Canada): (Fr.) North West Territories (N.W.T.).
Territorio de Ifni: (Sp.) overprint on stamps of Spain for Ifni, 1941-50.
Territorios del Africa Occidental Española: (Sp.) Spanish West Africa.
Territorios Españoles del Golfo de Guinea: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Spanish Guinea, 1909-49.
Territory of East Florida: a group of "patriots" attempted to overthrow the Spanish administration, elected a Director of the Territory, adventure collapsed in 1813, when U.S. Senate refused aid.
Territory of New Guinea: formerly German New Guinea; 1885: used German issues, 1925: first stamps issued, League of Nations mandated territory administered by Australia, 1942, Jan.: invaded by Japan, 1945, Oct. 30: civil administration by the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU), used stamps of Australia 1945-1952, thereafter only defintive issues used, 1972: name changed to Papua New Guinea, 1973, Dec. 5: became self-governing, 1975, Sept. 10: became independent.
Territory of Papua: formerly British New Guinea; Queensland and overprint on British New Guinea stamps used, 1906, Nov. 8: British New Guinea stamps overprinted, 1928: flights from Port Moresby initiated, 1942, Jan.1: Japanese invasion, 1945, Oct. territory administered as Papua New Guinea.
Terrs. Españoles del Golfo de Guinea: (Sp.) Spanish Guinea.
Teruel Province: provisional government in Spanish province, handstamped "HPN," 1868-70.
Területei: (Hung.) territories.
Területek: (Hung.) territory.
Tervezo: (Hung.) designer.
T.E.S. Ltd. Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Tesserakonta lepta: (Greek) correspondence label used in Greece, 1831.
Test coil: see test label.
Test cover: cover mailed to evaluate efficiency of airmail delivery system.
Test label: test labels used by government agencies and vending machine manufacturers. 1: dummy stamps in coil format to test vending machine operation. 2: used by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, in 1909 to check internal printing and equipment. 3: exists from private printers. 4: sometimes called testing stamps.
Tete: southeastern Africa between Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia; currency: 100 centavos = 1 escudo 1894: used stamps of Mozambique; Portuguese Colonies stamps issued as Zambezia, 1898: King Carlos key type stamps issued, 1902: overprint "Provisoria," Provisional, 1913: No.1, 1/4 centavo on ½ avo blue-green, "Republica Tete" overprint on stamps of Portuguese Africa, Macao and Timor, 1914: Tete inscription on Portuguese Ceres key type, 1920: stamps of Mozambique; now part of the People's Republic of Mozambique; see Mozambique, Quelimane.
Tête-Bêche: (Fr., It., Sp.) a pair of stamps connected together with one stamp right side up, the other upside down.
Tête de série: (Fr.) incomplete set with high values missing.
Tetloe's Perfumery: inscription on Perfumery stamp; see Private die proprietary stamps.
Tetouan Maroc Chechouan: local post, Morocco.
Tetuan: capital of Spanish Morocco, on African peninsula that juts up towards Spain at Strait of Gibraltar; 1890: British postal agency opened, closed Dec. 31, 1956. 1896, Nov.: local post between Tutuan and Sheshuan (Chechouan), Morocco, 1908: "Tetuan" overprint on stamps of Spain for Spanish Offices in Morocco, 1956, Dec. 31: British postal agency closed; see Morocco, Spanish Offices in.
Tetuan El-Ksar: local post, Morocco, 1897-98.
Tetuan-Sheshuan: local post, Morocco.
Tetyushy: city in Russia, Zemstvo local post; 1911, see Zemstvo.
Teuer: (Ger.) very expensive.
Teulada: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Texas: became a U.S. state Dec. 29, 1845, but independent republic since 1835.
TF: 1. (Afrikaans) Telegraaf; overprint on stamps of Orange Free State for Telegraph Office revenue stamps. 2. Transit Fran'ais (Fr.), French transit. 3. Tassa Franca (It.), post paid.
Tg: Tugrik, currency unit in Mongolia.
TGP Post: name change from PTT, May 2002, Netherlands postal service.
TGS: Tropical Gum Stain(s).
T.H.: 1: Territory of Hawaii, when used in a postmark. 2: perforated on stamps of Hawaii for official use.
Th.: auction abbreviation for thin.
Thai: Thailand.
Thaiföld: (Hung.) Thailand
Thailand: western portion of the Malay peninsula in southeastern Asia, aka Siam; official name of postal administration: The Communications Authority of Thailand currency: 32 solot = 16 atts = 8 sio = 4 sik = 2 fuang = 1 salung, 4 salungs = 1 tical, 100 satangs = 1 tical (1909) = 1 baht (1912) 1882-85: stamps of Straits Settlements overprinted "B" used in British post office in Bangkok, 1883, Aug. 4: No.1, 1 solot blue, first stamp, 1885, July 1: Siam joined the UPU, 1909: unfederated Malay states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Trengganu ceded to Britain, 1918, Jan.11: first semipostal stamp, 1925: first air mail stamp, 1939: name officially changed to Thailand, 1940-pre: English inscriptions used "Siam," 1943: Malayan states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Trengganu ceded to Thailand by Japan; occupation stamps issued, 1945, Sept.: four Malayan states reverted to British rule, name reverted to Siam 1963, Oct. 1: first official stamp.
Thailand: (denominated in cents) Malaya, Siamese Occupation, 1943-45.
Thajsko: (Czech.) Thailand.
Thajsky: (Czech.) Thai.
Thaler: currency unit in Brunswick, Hanover, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, North German Federation, Oldenberg, Saxony, Thurn and Taxis.
Thames Postal Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Thames Weald Tunnel: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Thanet, Isle of: bogus local post.
Thatcher Ferry Bridge error: Canal Zone issue of Oct. 12, 1962, famous because of missing silver impression of the bridge.
Thebe: currency unit in Botswana.
The Bluff Charta: forgery printed by Germany on British stamp, WW II.
The District Mail Outwith: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
The Gambia: see Gambia.
The Gilbert Islands: Gilbert islands 1979 overprint for independence on stamps of Gilbert & Ellice Islands.
Thematic: collecting of stamps telling a story relating to a certain theme or topic.
Thematic collection: a collection of stamps, covers, cancellations and other items related to one specific topic that relates a story as pictured in the designs of these stamps.
Thematic Division: APS term for exhibition classification to include thematic or topical exhibits.
Thématique: (Fr.) thematic
Thematisch: (Ger.) topical or thematic.
Thene Budcentralens Expresspost: see Hälsingborg - A. Thene Budcentralens Expresspost
Theresienstadt: Concentration Camp Post, July 10, 1943, aka Terezin, Czechoslovakia. see Celistvosti - Koncentracní Tabory v Terezín.
Therison revolution: Crete, never issued, 1905 Therison.
Thermograph cachet: cover design made by applying a rubber stamp impression, then powdered and heated; gives a raised and glossyimpression.
Thermographic paper: a paper type where the image is produced by heat, laser beam, or pressure.
Thermography: printing process in which a powder of ink and resins is deposited on paper and then fused with heat into a raised, usually glossy, enamel-like design, can change color when heat applies, used on stamps of Great Britain.
Thessaloniki: formerly Salonica, Greece.
Thessaly: district in northern Greece; 1898, April 21: eight-sided stamps of Turkey, for use in Turkish occupation in Thessaly during the Greco-Turkish War.
Thibet: (Fr.) Tibet.
Thildonck: Belgian church fair label.
Thimble cancelers: Norwegian term for small postal cancellers, with a diameter of 14-19 mm, used mostly in the period of 1914-1950's.
Thin: removal of paper fibers from the back of a stamp, usually done by careless removal of a stamp from a cover or a hinge from a stamp.
Thin bar grid cancel: thin bars arranged in a circular or ovate (horizontal bars tapered at each end) pattern.
Thinned: loss of original paper thickness due to careless removal from envelope, or stamp mount.
Third Avenue Post Office: U. S. local post, New York, N. Y., 1855.
Third Class Mail: former USPS term, includes circulars and printed matter, booklets, catalogs with each piece weighing less than 16 ounces. Now broken into many rate structures.
Third federal issue: revenue stamp with no state name, Jan. 1, 1814-Dec. 31, 1817.
Third International Philatelic Exhibition: held in New York City, 1936.
Third Reich Study Group: Germany Philatelic Society focuses on postal history from 1933-1945.
Thirty Two Cents: with picture of ship, Liberia.
This article originally mailed in country indicated by postage: handstamp applied to mail that was sent from a foreign country to the U.S. via diplomatic pouch, outside the normal mailstream, to indicate origin of mail.
This is a Jewsh War: inscription, forgery by Germany, with picture of Stalin replacing King George on British stamp, on 1/2d British stamp.
Thomasville, Ga. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Thomes & Skaden's Express: local mail delivery firm operated between Susanville, Calif. and Reno, Nevada, used a label, 1870-73.
Thomond, Principality of: Ireland phantom country, part of Shannon Airport, c1961.
Thompson & Co.s American Express: local mail and parcel delivery firm operated between Albany, N.Y. and Boston, Mass., used labels, corner cards.
Thompson, John L.: inscription on Medicine stamp; see Private die proprietary stamps.
Thom, Reuben T.: postmaster, Fredericksburg, Va., issued Confederate Postmaster's Provisionals.
Thonons-les-Bains: city in France, local provisional,1944.
Thorens: city in France, local provisional,1944.
Thor S.S.: (Fin.) steamship, carrying mail, serving Finland cities, local, 1870-80s.
Thousand Islands: islands in Canada, local post, 1981-88.
Thrace: southeastern Europe between Black and Aegean Seas; currency: 100 lepta = 1 drachma, 40 paras = 1 piaster, 100 stotinki = 1 leva (1919) 1913, July: autonomous government of Western Thrace, stamps of Turkey overprinted in Greek for use in Giumulzina district, withdrawn Sept. 1913, 1913, Oct.: No.1, 10 lepta on 20 paras rose, surcharge on stamps of Turkey, Muslims formed an autonomous republic, issued own stamps, but area was awarded to Bulgaria; Bulgarian and French stamps used until 1918, 1915-18: military posts of France and Britain operated in Salonica, 1919-20: "Thrace Interalliee" overprint on stamps of Bulgaria for Thrace, Allied and Greek Occupation, stamps of Greece overprinted in Greek "Administration Western Thrace," Turkish stamps overprinted "High Commission of Thrace," 1919: postage due stamps, 1920, July: Eastern Thrace occupied by Greece, "Thrace Occidentale" overprint on stamps of Bulgaria, then stamps of Greece overprinted in Greek "Administration of Western Thrace," Turkish stamps overprinted "High Commission of Thrace," 1940, Dec. 10: Greece invaded southern Albania and issued stamps, 1941, Feb.- May 1941: British troops arrived with field post offices, 1944, Oct.: territory regained by Greece, stamps of Greece used.
Thrace Interalliee: overprint on stamps of Bulgaria, during Allied occupation; 1915-19.
Thrace Occidentale: overprint on stamps of Bulgaria, during Allied occupation; 1920.
Thrakien: (Ger.) Thrace.
Three-Dimensional stamp (3D): a ridged plastic used to reproduce images that made them appear three dimensional.
Three Skilling Banco: Sweden's 1855 stamp; one example known of the yellow error of color.
Thulamela: labels by Sue Dickinson for name of reconstructed city in South Africa.
Thule: Greenland local post, 1935.
Thunderbolts and Mercury: indicating special handling on stamps of Austria.
Thuringen: city in Germany;1945-46.
Thuringia: issued stamps under Russian occupation, 1945-46.
Thurn: Italian count who won the surname of della Torre (of the tower) for defense of a tower during siege of Milan in 4th century, French: de la Tour, German von Thurn, <
Thurn and Taxis: private postal monopoly for 420 years; currency: Northern District: 30 silbergroschen = 1 thaler Southern District: 60 kreuzer = 1 gulden 1450: knighted for link of postal relays in northern Italy, 1501: appointed by Austria as "Captain and Master of our Posts," 1505: postal treaty signed establishing a courier service between Italy, Spain, France and Germany, 1506: Link between Belgium and Austria established, 1574: service could be used by the public, operated from Poland to Straits of Gibraltar with 20,000 employees, 1846: postal stationery issued, 1850: operation reduced to various German principalities, postal union of Prussia and Austria formed, 1851, Jan. 29: issued stamps in two currencies for use throughout its postal system, 1852: No.1, 1 kreuzer black, light green, used in Southern District of Germany, 1852-67: used four circles as postmark, 1852: No.1, ½ silbergroschen black, green, used in Northern District of Germany, 1867, Jan. 28: forced to sell postal monopoly to Prussia, used stamps of Prussia, the Counts kept a franking privilege until 1918 with a special handstamp "Franco Taxis," 1867, July 1: stamps of Northern and Southern District superceded by stamps of Prussia, 1868, Jan.1: stamps of Prussia superceded by stamps of the North German Postal District, 1872, Jan. 1: stamps of the German Empire used.
Thurn and Taxis Northern District: 1852-67; consisted of Bremen, Camburg, Gotha, Hamburg, Hesse-Kassel, Lippe-Detmond, Lippe-Schaumburg, Lübeck, Reuss-Gera, Reuss-Greiz, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. currency: 30 silbergroschen = 1 thaler 1852: No. 1 silvergroschen black, red; stamps of Northern District, 1867, July 1: stamps of Prussia.
Thurn and Taxis Southern District: 1852-67; consisted of Coburg, Frankfurt-am-Main, Hesse-Darmstadt, Hesse-Homburg, Hohenzollern-Heckingen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Liechtenstein, Nassau, Saxe-Meiningen and Schwarz-Rudolstadt, currency: 60 kreuzer = 1 gulden 1852: No. 1 1 kreuzer black on light green.
Thusis: Switzerland hotel post, 1897-99, Hotel Rhätia.
Thyra S.S. Co.: (Fin.) Finnish steamship cancel, local, 1870-80s.
Ti: (Dan., Nor.) ten (number).
Tiacotalpan: village in Vera Cruz, Mexico, issued one stamp in Oct. 1856.
Tibet: central Asian state between India and China; currency: 6 2/3 tranga = 1 sang Note: stamps of Tibet valid only within its borders, 1903: an unofficial overprint applied to stamps of British India by Indian postal officials at temporary post offices, 1911, March: No.1, 3 pies on 1 cent ocher, overprinted stamps of China used in towns of Gyangtse, Lhasa, Phari-Jong, Shigatse and Yatung, 1911: stamps of China surcharged for Offices in Tibet, 1912, Dec.: No.1, 1/6 trangka green, local stamps of Tibet, mail outside country used stamps of India, spelling error exists, "Potsage," 1945: official stamp, 1949, Dec.: Southwest China Liberation Area included Tibet, stamps issued without gum, 1951: used stamps of China, 1954, June 23: China took over the country, 1965: China created the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.
Tibet Chinese Offices: surcharge on stamps of China, 1911.
Tibet, Chinese Province: part of Southwest China Liberation Area, Dec. 1949.
Tibet, Free: label for the Tibetian freedom movement in the 1950s.
Tibet Government in Exile: label for the Tibetian freedom movement, 1950s.
Tical: unit of currency used in Siam (Thailand).
Tidig: (Swed.) early.
Tidlig: (Dan.) early.
Tidnigns stamplarna: (Swed.) stamped stationery, as newspaper wrappers, a tax on newspapers themselves, not for postal payment, 1824.
Tidningsmärken: (Swed.) newspaper stamps.
Tidningsöverflyttningar: (Swed.) address changes for newspapers.
Tie bid: one or more identical high bids received for the same lot at auction.
Tied: a stamp is considered "tied" when the cancellation proves the stamp originated on that cover.
Tiefdruck: (Ger.) intaglio printing, engraving.
Tientsin: Treaty Port city in China; 1800s: Chinese local post, 1900s: "China" overprint on stamps of Germany, 1917-21: "Tientsin" overprint on stamps of Italy, Offices in China, see China, Italian Offices. 1918: French post office.
Tientsin: bogus set of stamps for treaty port local post.
Tientsin Treaty: origin of postal service agreed to be Great Britain and China, 1858, became effective March 20, 1896.
Tierra del Fuego: (Sp.) Land of Fire; island off the tip of South America; 1891, Jan.: stamp issued by a mine owner to establish his authority over the inhabitants.
Tiffany die: rejected and unissued 1 cent die of the 1887 envelope issue.
Tiflis: city in Russia, Zemstvo local post; 1857, formerly Tbilisi; see Zemstvo.
Tiger Head: 1: Afghanistan stamp design symbolizing the Amir Sher (Tiger) ali; 1871-73. 2: with Siamese inscription, overprint on stamps of Siam for semi-postal.
Tijola: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Tiket Waraq Dak: (Afghan.) Afghanistan inscription for postal card stamps.
Tikhvin: city in Russia, Zemstvo local post; 1871-1903, see Zemstvo.
Tilintetgjort: (Nor.) destroyed.
Tilleggsverdi: (Nor.) surtax.
Tillfälligt inlandspostmärke: (Swed.) temporary inland postagr stamp.
Tillory, State of: cinderella.
Timaru Bicycle Post: local post, New Zealand town, Dec. 1968- April 12, 1969, run by Moulins Services.
Timbrato: (It.) postmarked.
Timbre: (Fr., Sp.) postage stamp.
Timbre a vignette: (Fr.) stamp with label attached.
Timbre Colis Postaux: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Indo-China for parcel post usage.
Timbre commémoratif: (Fr.) commemorative stamp.
Timbre complementario: (Sp.) complementary stamp; on postage due labels of Mexico.
Timbre coupe: (Fr.) bisect, stamp cut in half which has been used to pay the postage at half the face value of the original stamp; the bisect is collected on the original cover with the postmark or cancellation covering the cut.
Timbre d'accuser d' reception: (Fr.) stamp issued as a prepayment fee as an acknowledgment of receipt of a registered package.
Timbre de Autorise Deliverance pour Colis Posteaux: (Fr.) authorized delivery stamp, parcel post.
Timbre de Autorise Deliverance pour Lettre: (Fr.) authorized delivery stamp, correspondence.
Timbre de bienfaisance: (Fr.) charity or semipostal stamp.
Timbre d'Carlistes: (Fr.) Carlist stamps of Spain.
Timbre de chemin de fer: (Fr.) railway letter fee stamp.
Timbre de l'poste aérienne: (Fr.) air mail stamp.
Timbre d'Entrée: (Fr.) admission stamp
Timbre de franchaise: (Fr.) frank stamp.
Timbre de franchaise militaire: (Fr.) military stamp.
Timbre de guerre: (Fr.) war stamp, stamp issued during war conditions.
Timbre de poste locale: (Fr.) city post stamp.
Timbre de reconstruccion: (Fr.) (Reconstruction stamps) postal tax stamp of Guatemala.
Timbre de service: (Fr.) official stamp.
(Timbre d'usage) courant: (Fr.) definitive.
Timbre du Souvenir: (Fr.) semipostal of Luxembourg.
Timbre embouté: (Fr.) tagged stamp.
Timbre Fictifs: (Fr.) dummy training stamps; French colony revenue inscription.
Timbre Fiscal: (Fr.) revenue stamp.
Timbre Fiscal Republique Syrienne: (Fr.) overprint for postal tax, Syria.
Timbre Imperial Journaux:(Fr.) 1868 France newspaper semipostal stamp.
Timbre Mobile: (Fr.) adhesive training stamp; French colony revenue inscription
Timbre Movil: (Sp.) (Movable stamp) revenue stamp authorized for postal use, Spain.
Timbre Muti: (It.) mute handstamp
Timbre Olympique: (Fr.) Olympic games.
Timbre par le gouvernment en exil: (Fr.) stamp for the government in exile.
Timbre Patriotico: (Sp.) national defense overprint on stamps of Ecuador for postal tax.
Timbre Personnalisé: (Fr.) personalized stamp.
Timbre post: (Fr.) postage stamp.
Timbre Poste: (Fr.) 1: postage stamp. 2: overprint on stamps of France, postage due stamps, Offices in Morocco, 1893.
Timbre Poste Colis Postaux: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Martinique for postage due.
Timbre poste enchassé: (Fr.) encased postage stamp.
Timbre pour avion: (Fr.) airmail stamp.
Timbre pour colis: (Fr.) parcel stamp.
Timbre pour colis postal: (Fr.) parcel post stamp.
Timbre pour exprés: (Fr.) special delivery stamp.
Timbre pour journaux: (Fr.) newspaper stamp.
Timbre pour la Poste Aerienne: (Fr.) stamp issued primarily for airmail use.
Timbre pour l'étranger: (Fr.) foreign mail stamp.
Timbre pour lettres en retard: (Fr.) too late stamp.
Timbre pour l'intérieur: (Fr.) inland mail stamp.
Timbre Proporcional: (Sp.) (proportion stamp) Costa Rica, revenue stamps valid for regular postage.
Timbre proportional: (Fr.) tax based on the amount of the transaction; French colony revenue inscription.
Timbres de Mandat: (Fr.) money order stamps, the Netherlands.
Timbre souvenir: (Fr.) commemorative stamp.
Timbre sur timbre: (Fr.) stamps on stamps (thematic).
Timbre Taxe: (Fr.) (With numeral and no country name) inscription on stamps of French Colonies for postage due, 1945.
Timbre Unique: (Fr.) general revenue tax; French colony revenue inscription.
Timbro di gomma: (It.) rubber hand stamp.
Timbro: (It.) postmark.
Timbro a mano: (It.) handstamp.
Timbro di legno: (It.) wooden hand stamp.
Timbrologia: (Sp.) stamp collecting.
Timbrologie: (Fr., Ger.) stamp collecting.
Timbromania: description of stamp collecting in France and Belgium, 1863.
Timbru: (Rom.) inscription/overprint on postal tax stamps of Romania.
Timbru de Ajutor: (Rom.) (Eng: "Assistance Stamp") overprint on the 1915 regular issues of Romania, creating a stamp representing a tax on mailed materials, the funds being used for the assistance on soldier's families. Through 1923, the 5 and 10 Bani values were for postal purposes, the 25 Bani being added in 1923 to conform to the increased rates; higher value stamps were used to pay the tax on railroad and theater tickets, and various other revenue taxations.
Timbru de Binefacere: (Rom.) Stamp of Benefaction, postal tax stamp of Romania, 1906.
Timbrul Aviatiei: (Rom.) inscription on semipostals of Romania, 1936.
Timbru Official: (Rom.) officials of Romania.
Timbuctoo (Timbuctoola): Stamps Magazine fantasy.
Timisoara: see Temesvár.
Timor: Portuguese colony on eastern half of Timor island in Malay archipelago; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 78 avos = 1 rupee (1895), 100 avos = 1 pataca, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1960), 100 cents = 1 US dollar 1885: No.1, 5 reis black, stamps of Macau overprinted "Timor," 1887: keytype stamps of Portugal, 1892: first newspaper stamp surcharged "Jornaes Timor," Timor Journals, 1904: first postage due stamp, 1919: first war tax stamp overprinted "Taxa de Guerra," 1925: first postal tax stamp, stamps of Portuguese India overprinted "Instru'ao," 1938: first air mail stamp, 1976, May 3: Indonesia annexed Timor, 2000: Timor became independent.
Timor: overprint on stamps of Mozambique for Timor, 1946.
Timor Lorosae: see East Timor.
Timor Portugues: Timor.
Timpuriu: (Rom.) early.
Tin Can island: Niuafou island-Tonga.
Tin can mail: mail from Niuafo'ou, Tonga would be sealed in an oil drum and "pushed" out to a passing ship of the New Zealand Steamship Co., by native swimmers, 1921-32, after a swimmer was killed by a shark, mail was brought to ships by canoe in a 50-pound biscuit tin the ship would then pull the drum on board and take the letters inside to the next port for delivery, stopped in1946.
Tin foil revenues: tax-paid revenue stamps printed on tobacco foil.
Tin hat: nickname for King Albert portrait on stamps of Belgium issued in 1919.
Tint: used in stamp collecting to denote a lighter shade than normal.
Tinted paper: paper that has received a background tint on one side beforethe stamp is printed to help printer avoid printing the stamps on the gummed side..
Tintenentwertung: (Ger.) pen cancellation.
TION (ST.): Tidnings Stämplar (Swed.) newspaper stamp.
TIPEX: Third International Philatelic Exhibition, held in New York City in 1936.
Tipo: (It., Sp.) type.
Tipo de cambio: (Sp.) exchange rate.
Tipografi: (Rom.) typography.
Tipografia: (It., Sp.) typography, letterpress.
Tira: (Sp.) strip of (stamps).
Tirada: (Sp.) printing.
Tirage: (Fr.) quantity printed.
Tiraj: (Rom.) number (of stamps) issued.
Tirane/Kallnuer/1924: (Alb.) Tirana, overprint on stamps of Albania for the opening of the National Assembly.
Tiraspol: 1: city in Russia, Zemstvo local post; 1873-79, see Zemstvo. 2: unofficial, Prednestrova, issued when seceding from Moldava, 1992
Tiras protectoras: (Sp.) mounting strips.
Tiratura: (It.) quantity printed.
Tire track cancel: term applied to roller cancellations that resemble the tread of a tire.
Tirol: (Ger.) Tyrol.
Tirol den Tirolern: (Ger.) label for Tyrol for Tyrolese.
Tirsdag: (Dan., Nor.) Tuesday. Tisdag: (Swed.) Tuesday.
Tisk: (Czech.) printing.
Tisková Deska: (Czech.) printing plate.
Tisková Forma: (Czech.) printing form.
Tisková Technika: (Czech.) printing technique, printing method, printing type.
Tisková Vada: (Czech.) misprint, error.
Tiskovy List: (Czech.) sheet of stamps.
TiTa, C: Turkish Aviation Society, inscription on postal tax air mail stamps of Turkey, 1931.
Titisee: local post, Germany, 1945-47.

TI to TR


Title Page: exhibit page that serves as an introduction of the exhibit to the viewer.
Titres de Properties: (Fr.) transfer of real estate; French colony revenue inscription
Titres, Objets, Values: (Fr.) share certificates; French colony revenue inscription.
Titulaire du prix Nobel: (Fr.) Nobel prize (thematic).
Titulos: (Sp.) used on fiscal stamps in connection with university degrees.
Tl Távolsági lev-lap, Tl: (Hun.) domestic postage overprint on hyper inflated issues of Hungary in 1946 for use of postage prepayment.
Tiverton Hospital: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Tivissa: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Tixtla Guerro: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Tíz: (Hung.) ten (number).
Tizenegy: (Hung.) eleven (number).
Tizenketto: (Hung.) twelve (number).
Tizian-vörös: (Hung.) Titian red (color).
Tjänste: (Swed.) official.
Tjänsteförsändelser: (Swed.) official mail.
Tjanste-Frimaerke: (Nor.) (Service Stamp) Norway official use stamps, 1881-1919.
Tjänstefrimärken: (Swed.) official stamps.
Tjeckoslovakien: (Swed.) Czechoslovakia.
Tjekkoslovakiet: (Dan.) Czechoslovakia.
Tjeneste: (Dan.) official.
Tjenestefrimaerke: (Nor.) (Service Stamp) inscription on stamps of Norway for official use, 1926-32.
Tjeneste Frimaerke: (Dan.) (Service Stamp) inscription on stamps of Denmark for official use, 1871-1924.
Tjenste-Frimarke: (Swed.) (Service Stamp) Swedish official use stamps, 1874-80.
Tjenestekort: (Dan.) official postal card.
Tjenestem¦rke: (Dan.) official stamp.
Tjenestemerke(r): (Nor.) official stamp(s).
Tjenestepakkem¦rke: (Dan.) official parcel post stamp.
Tjenestepakkemerke(s): (Nor.) official parcel post stamp(s).
Tjenestepost: (Dan., Nor.) official mail.
Tjue: (Nor.) twenty (number), introduced in the spelling reform of 1938, see Tjve.
TL: overprint on stamps of Tonga for royal wedding of King George Taufa' ahau II to Lavinia, 1899.
Tl: (Magyar) Távolsági levél (inland letter) overprint on inflation stamps of Hungary for franking.
Tlacotalpan: 1. one-stamp provisional issue, Mexico,1856. 2. port in Mexico; local 'Postmasters' stamp, 1856.
Tmave: (Czech.) dark (color).
Tmave Fialová: (Czech.) dark violet, dark purple.
TN: 1. USPS abbreviation for Tennessee. 2. international postal code for Tunisia.
TNT: Thomas Nationwide Transport, owned by some European postal administrations; collects mail at customer's location with no stamps or franking. The mail is then prepared for delivery in one of their 80 international mailing centers for final delivery. The postage label usually carries the TNT logo and name of country where the TNT mailing center is located.
To: 1: Tolar, currency unit it Slovenia. 2: Scott Catalog number prefix for Official Telegraph. 3. (Dan., Nor.) two (number).
T/O & E: Table of Organization and Equipment, military post office term.
Tobacco tax stamps: 1917 documentary revenue stamps overprinted with "Tobacco / Sales Tax" for tobacco produced in excess of stated allotments; 1934-35.
Tobago: West Indies island off coast of Venezuela; currency:12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound 1879: No.1, 1 penny rose, first stamp, 1889: united with Trinidad as Colony of Trinidad and Tobago, 1899, Jan. 1: became ward of that colony, stamps of Trinidad and Tobago used; see Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago.
Tobarilla: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Tobarra: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Tobruch: unofficial overprints on Italian East Africa issues, 1942.
Tocado: (Sp.) touched, adjoined, border on.
Toccato: (Fr.) touched, adjoined, border on.
Toddy, Isle of: bogus Scotland island stamp.
Toe: unit of currency in Papua New Guinea.
Toeslag: (Dut.) surcharge.
Tog: (Dan., Nor.) (railroad) train, (railway train); see Bane, Jernbane; Jernbanelinie.
Toga: see Tonga; 1: inscription on early stamps of Tonga, late 1800s to 1950. 2: bogus issue
Togf¦rge: (Dan.) railroad train ferry, railway train ferry.
Togferje: (Nor.) railroad train ferry, railway train ferry.
Togo: west coast of Africa on Gulf of Guinea; aka Togoland, Republique du Togo; currency: 100 pfennig = 1 mark, 12 pence = 1 shilling, 100 centimes = 1 Franc 1886: joined the UPU with other German colonies, 1888, Mar.1: first post office opened under German control, 1897, June: No.1, 3 pfennings dark brown, diagonal Togo overprint on German occupation stamps plus German stamps valid, 1900, Nov.: Togo inscription on German colonial keytypes, demonetized in Sept. 1901, 1914, Sep.: overprint on stamps of German Togo "Togo / Anglo-French / Occupation" for British occupation, overprint "Togo / Occupation / Franco-Anglaise" for French occupation areas, 1914-15: during shortage of stamps, stamps of Gold Coast used, 1915, May: stamps of Gold Coast overprint "Togo / Anglo-French / Occupation," 1916: overprint on stamps of Dahomey "Togo / Occupation / Franco / Anglaise" for use in French occupation area, 1919, July 10: Britain and France divided country after mandate, 1920, Oct.: stamps of Gold Coast used in British area of occupation, 1920s: mourning label issued by German stamp dealer Sigmund Hartig for loss of territory, 1921, July 15: under French mandate; Dahomey stamps overprinted "Togo," 1921: first postage due stamp of Dahomey overprinted "Togo," 1922, July 20: United Nations awarded the British Zone to the Gold Coast, 1938: first semi postal stamp, 1940: first air mail stamp, French-mandated Togo declared for the Vichy government, 1942: air mail semi postal stamps issued and only sold by Vichy government in France, 1944-47: stamps of French West Africa used, 1947, Oct. 6: stamps as a Trust Territory, 1955, May 2: stamps issued as an Autonomous Republic, 1956: French area granted internal autonomy, 1957: British zone united with Ghana (former Gold Coast), 1957: French zone became a republic; "Republique Autonome de Togo" inscription, 1958: French area became independent, 1960, April 27: became an independent republic, "Republique du Togo" inscription, 1962, Mar. 21: joined the UPU, 1962: "Republique Togolese" inscription, 1991: first official stamp.
Togo/Anglo-French/Occupation: overprint on stamps of German Togo for British occupation area.
Togolaise: (Fr.) Togo.
Togo Occupation Franco-Anglaise: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of German Togo and Dahomey for French occupation of Togo.
To Hundre: (Nor.) two-hundred (number).
To Hundrede: (Dan.) two-hundred (number).
Tokelau Islands: Pacific Ocean, 300 miles north of Western Samoa; three atolls: Atafu, Nukunono and Fakaofo, one of world's smallest and most isolated nations; aka Union Islands, currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 100 cents = 1 NZ dollar (1967) 1900: US accepted control over the eastern islands, used US stamps without overprint, 1916: stamps from Gilbert and Ellice Islands, 1925: stamps of Western Samoa, 1925, Nov. 4: transferred from the Gilbert & Ellice group to New Zealand, renamed Union Islands, took over administrative duties from Great Britain, 1946, May 7: took name of Tokelau, 1948, June 22: No.1, ½ penny red-brown and rose-lilac, 1949, Jan. 1: incorporated as part of New Zealand, but issues own stamps.
Tokyoint: cancel for Tokyo International Post Office, opened Oct. 28, 1968, to handle processing of international mail originating in Tokyo and Yokohama.
Tolar: currency unit in Slovenia.
Toledo: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican and Nationalist forces, 1937.
Tolima: one of the United States of Colombia, 1870-1904, now uses stamps ofColombia.
Tollur: (Ice.) cancel used on revenue stamps.
Tolosa: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1931.
Tolox: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Nationalist forces, 1937.
Toluca: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Tolv: (Dan., Nor.) twelve (number).
Toman: currency unit of Persia (Iran).
Tombstone: term used to describe a handstamp that looks like a tombstone, vertical format with a rounded top and a square bottom.
Tomeloso: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Tommy Gun stamp: name given to a $200 stamp used for a permit to own a Thompson submachine gun; 1934.
Toned paper: name given to off-white paper, usually with a brownish shade; see Cook Islands issue of 1892.
Tonet: (Nor.) tinted.
Tong: tool shaped like a tweezer with rounded tips used to handle stamps.
Tonga:180 miles southeast of Fiji; aka the Friendly Islands; Toga is native name for island, currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 seniti = 1 pa' anga (1967) 1886: first stamps from Fiji, 1887: No.1, 1 penny carmine-rose, first own stamp, 1893, Feb. 13: first official stamp, adopted the UPU rates, 1900: became British protectorate, 1942, Oct.: New Zealand troops landed, closed post office in Jan. 1944, 1950-pre: stamps inscribed Toga, 1950, Nov. 1: stamps inscribed "Tonga," 1962, Feb. 7: first air mail official stamps, 1963, July 15: stamps in shape and style of a coin, first air mail stamp, 1970, June 4: Britain ceased to have responsibility for external relations of Tonga, 1972, Jan. 26: joined the UPU, 1982, Apr.14: first semi-postal stamp, 1990, Feb.1: first air mail special delivery stamps; see Niuafo'ou (Tin Can Island).
Tongan pa'anga: currency unit in Niuaf'ou.
Tongareva: native name for Penrhyn Island.
Tonga Tin-Can Mail: started in 1921 at Niuafo'ou when a native was killed by a shark while pushing a can of mail through the water to a ship.
Tongking: Viet Minh government, North Vietnam, 1946-54.
Tongs: an indispensable instrument used to handle stamps that looks like a tweezer but has a round or spade tip which can be inserted under the stamps without hurting the perforations or borders.
Toning: discoloration on envelopes or stamps caused by exposure to light, heat, humidity, air or a combination of factors.
Tonkin: see Annam and Tonkin.
Tono: (Sp.) shade (color).
Tonquin: aka Tongking, Tonking; see Annam and Tonkin.
Tonsberg: Seaport and seat of Vestfold county, SE Norway, located on N end of Nøtterøy Island ca. 45 miles SSW of Oslo. Local post established, with set-of-4 "Tonsberg" lithographed on colored papers local stamps depicting an edifice issued 29 August 1884, and with further local stamps issued through 1887. The local post ceased operations effective 1 July 1890..
Tønsberg og Omegns Automobilkompani: (Nor.) city in Norway, local post labels used for freight of packages on the buses in the Tønsberg area 1884-90.
Tönung: (Ger.) shade (color).
Tony's Taxis, Bedford: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Too Late: special stamp for payment when a letter is mailed after the normal hour of posting has passed.
Tools: see accessories.
Tooth: projection of paper that are part of a perforation.
Top: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing added the word TOP to the blue plate (the vignette) and to the carmine plate (the frame) to help prevent the printing of inverted blue airplane designs.
To Pay: inscription on stamps of Great Britain for postage due.
To Pay labels: British label for charges related to customs and special handling fees rather than postage due.
Topeji: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Topical collection: a collection of stamps, covers, cancellations and other items related to one specific topic, aka thematic or subject collecting.
Topical: stamps by the topic on the stamps, such as space, animals, sports, etc.
Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co.: bank note engraving firm that printed the 1851-60 U.S. stamp issue.
Torajam: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Nationalist forces, 1937.
Torbay Taxi Services: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Torch Stamp: meter stamps made by Friden Neopost illustrating a flaming torch.
Torello: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Tornese: currency unit in the Kingdom of Two Sicilies.
Tornese Naple: re-engraved issues of Naples, 1860; name came from currency of period.
Torn stamp: stamp condition not acceptable for a collection; the exception are used stamps of Afghanistan, where postal clerks tore stamps as a form of cancellation.
Toro: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Nationalist forces, 1936.
Török: (Hung.) Turkish (adj.).
Törökország: (Hung.) Turkey.
Toronto Delivery Co.: parcel delivery firm that serviced Toronto, used a label, year unknown.
Toronto Estonian Philatelic Society: local, Canada postal strike, 1975-78.
Torralba de Calatrava: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Torredonjimeno: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Torremanzanas: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Torrente: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Torreperogil: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Torres: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Torres Strait Settlement: bogus Australian local post, c1879.
Torrevieja: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Torr färg: (Swed.) dry color.
Torrox: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Nationalist forces, 1937.
Torsdag: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Thursday.
Tortosa: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces, 1937.
Toscana: (Dan., It., Sp.) Tuscany.
Toscano: (It.) Italian State of Tuscany.
Toskana: (Dan.) Tuscany.
Totalan: city in Spain, Spanish civil war local post, Nationalist, 1937.
Totma: city in Russia, Zemstvo local post; 1894-1904, see Zemstvo.
Totogi G Tohi: (Good for Postage) Tonga.
Totopetz: town in Russia, local post; aka Pskoff .
Tou: inscription on Iranian revenue stamps for airmail usage, 1928
Touché: (Fr.) touched, adjoined, border on.
Touched: adjoined, border on.
Toughre: triple sign-manual, signature of the former Sultan of Turkey; on 1863, 1897-1908 Turkish issues, also as an overprint, aka tougra.
Toukh: city in Egypt, Interpostal Seals used 1865-84, see Interpostal Seals.
Tour et Taxis: (Fr.) Thurn and Taxis.
Tours: city in France, local provisional, 1944.
Toutes Taxes: (Fr.) all taxes; inscription on stamps of French colony revenues.
Touva: see Tannu-Tuva; 1: inscription on stamps of Tannu Tuva, 1927-35 2: bogus Russian Federation Republic; overprint and stamps, not valid for postage.
Tovva: overprint/inscription on stamps of Mongolia for Tannu Touva.
Towle & Co. Letter Delivery: U.S. local post handstamp, Boston, Mass., 1847.
Towle City Post: U.S. local post handstamp, Boston, Mass., 1849-50.
Towle 's City Dispatch Post: U.S. local post handstamp, Boston, Mass., 1849.
Town marks: name of a town, often used as cancellations, when killer bars or cancels were not available.
Town postmark: British cancelers used 1842-44 to distinguish them from the Maltese Cross and 1844 numbered types.
Town stamp: handstamp usually containing only the name of the town.
Toy boat mail: see St. Kilda toy boat mail.
Toyland: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Toypkia: Greek post offices in Turkish Empire used stamps of Greece with name of town and Toypkia in brackets, Oct. 13, 1861-April 25, 1881.
Toy stamps: produced for children as part of a game in which children could establish a make- believe post office, may be considered a cinderella.
Toytown Post: children's stamps; see Toy stamps.
T.P. (Timbre Poste): (Fr.) postage stamp.
TPE: Tiny Paper Enclosure(s)
TPG Post: name of the Dutch postal service effective May 29, 2002; formerly PTT Post
TPO: T.P.O. Magazine (publication of the T.P.O. and Seapost Society), Great Britain; see Traveling Post Office.
T.P.O.M.: (Fr.) Territoires et Possessions d'Outre-Mer overseas territories.
TPOS: The Postal Order Society.
T.Q.: Timbre de Quittance; receipt; French colony revenue inscription.
TR: 1: auction abbreviation for territorial use. 2: precedes the postal code on addresses in Turkey. 3: Titles Registry, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 4: auction abbreviation for tear.
Trachten: (Ger.) costume, topic or theme.
Tracia: (Sp.) Thrace.
Trade press: publications dealing solely with news for stamp dealers and professional stamp traders.
Trade Sample Proof (TSP): stamp printing firm sheet to illustrate the quality of their work.
Trader's Express: local parcel delivery firm operated between Boston, Mass. and Providence, R.I. used a label.
Trader's Express: local parcel delivery firm operated between Biddeford, Portland and Saco, Maine. used a corner card.
Trader's Express Company: local parcel delivery firm operated around Newark, N.J. used a label.
Traditional screening: printing method based on a fixed number of dots per square centimeter.
Traffic lights: color dots, one for each color used in printing, applied in sheet margins of British stamps.
Traffic light block: block with attached margin showing color checks.
Traiguera: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Republican forces,1937.
Trailer Permit: inscription on U. S. Internal Revenue Service tax stamps, issued by National Park Service and sold by park rangers; 1939 to 1952.
Training stamps: date back to business schools, but used today for training postal clerks; France issued 32 different; see college stamps.
Traite de Versailles: (Fr.) Allenstein overprint on stamps of Germany, plebiscite issue, 1920.
Traje: (Sp.) costume, topic or theme.
Trakback: British post office label with serial number and barcode for tracing parcel.
Traneb¦rrød: (Dan., Nor.) cranberry-red (color).
Trangka: unit of currency in Tibet.
Transacciones: (Transactions) revenue stamps used as postage, Bolivia, 1893.
Trans-Antarctic Expedition: overprint on stamps of Falkland Islands Dependencies for use by the Hillary-Fuchs Trans-Antarctic expedition in 1955-58.
Trans-Baikal Province: 1920, Jan. 20-Oct. 21: White Russian regime established at Chita, Siberia, surcharge on four stamps of Russia; see Siberia.
Transcarpathian Oblast: see Celistvosti - Podkarpatská Rus.
Trans-Carpathian Ukraine: are in Russia, local post, 1944.
Trans-Caucasian Federated Republics: formed from Armenia, Russian Azerbaijan, and Georgia; currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble 1923, July 6: Caucasian states formed an independent Soviet republic, 1923, Sept.15: No.1, 10 kopecks dark blue, first stamp, overprint 'arms' type of royalist Russia, 1924: all stamps withdrawn, used stamps of USSR.
Trans-Djuba-Gebiet: (Ger.) Jubaland.
Transfer: an impression made on the printing plate by the transfer roll, the medium used to transfer the subject from the die to the plate.
Transferencia: (Sp.) transfer.
Transfer roller: cylinder of soft steel used to take up the design engraved on a die, design on the roll appears in "relief" and in reverse, when hardened, the transfer roll can make multiple impressions of the design.
Transfer, short: happens when a transfer roller does not roll in a subject to its full length causing part of the design to be omitted.
Transient second-class: former U.S. Post Office Department term for publications that did not meet the requirements for the special postal rates granted to most publishers.
Transit charge: a fee levied by one country for transporting, through its system, mail destined for and belonging to another country.
Transitional perforation: a change in the perforation gauge in the middle of a stamp.
Transitional stamp: a strip of stamps that show a change from one form to another.
Transition Multiple: a pair, strip or block of stamps with one or more error stamps.
Transit mark: handstruck mark on a letter besides those of the origin and destination, usually post offices located at intersection of mail routes and designated as "distribution centers," may contain the word "transit" in the device.
Transition stamp: a stamp multiple that shows a change from one form to another.
Transit mark: postal marking applied between the sending and receiving post offices.
Transitorio: (Sp.) (Transitory) provisionals of Mexico, 1913.
Transito Territorio: (Sp.) (Territorial Transit) transcontinental route, El Salvador, 1899.
Transit postmark: the postal marking applied between the sending and receiving post offices.
Transitstempel: (Dan.) cancellation applied to mail in transit to destination.
Transittkontorer i Tyskland: (Nor.) postal transit office in Germany.
Trans-Jordan: see Jordan.
Transkaukasien republik: (Swed.) Transcausasian Federated Republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia).
Transkaukasischer Bund: (Ger.) Transcaucasian Federated Republics.
Transkei: East Cape Province, South Africa Homeland State, currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents + 1 rand (1961) 1858-65: protection of Cape Colony, 1879-94: annexed to the Cape Colony, 1913: received internal self-government from South Africa, 1976, Oct. 26: No.1, 4¢ multicolor, issued its first stamps as independent republic for local use, 1994, April 27: ceased to exist; see South Africa.
Trans-Mississippi Issue: commemorative U.S. stamps issued for the Omaha Exposition, 1898.
Trans-Mississippi mail: postal route across the Mississippi River that connected the eastern and western Confederate states during the Civil War, 1861-65.
Transnistrian Moldavian Republic (PMR): Russian part of Moldavia issues own stamps valid for domestic mail only.
Transports a l'Interior: (Fr.) internal freight tax; French colony revenue inscription.
Transportation Coils: series of U.S. definitive stamps, 1981.
Trans-Oceanic First Flight: new air mail route across either the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans.
Transorma: machine for sorting mail arranged by street delivery, name came from Transportation and Sorting by Marchand and Andriessen, demonstrated in 1927 and used until July 1968.
Transpacific mail: 1866: Pacific Mail Steam Navigation Co. received a contract from the U.S. for a regular service from San Francisco to Hong Kong via Hawaii and Yokohama, 1868: Hong Kong and U.S. established rates of postage (10¢ U.S.), feeder service to Japan established, 1877: Oriental and Oceanic Steamship Co. began an alternative service, 1892: Canadian Pacific Railway started from Vancouver to Hong Kong.
Transporto Pacchi in Concessione: (It.) parcel post authorized delivery, Italy.
Transportadora Colombia: (Sp.) local post, Colombia Express Companies.
Transportes Ecomicas: (Sp.) local post, Colombia Express Companies.
Transporto Pacchi in Concessione: (It.) Italy Parcel Post stamps.
Transports: 1:U.S. Post Office series of air mail stamps issued in 1941; they all depicted a transport-type aircraft. 2: freight tax; French colony revenue inscription
Transports Aeriens Guyanais (TAG): air local, French Guiana, 1921.
Transvaal: a Boer republic of South Africa; aka South African Republic; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound 1869, Aug.: No.1, 1 penny brown lake, coat of arms design, stamps issued as the First South African Republic, Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (Afrikaan), 1877-78: British control of area, stamps overprinted "V.R. Transvaal," 1878-1909: stamps depicting head of Queen Victoria, 1880, Dec.: first Boer War, Britain defeated in battle, ZAR aka "Second Republic," 1882: stamps of the Second Republic issued, 1883: republican stamps used, 1887: Bakker Express, local post serving Nylstroom-Pretoria-Marabstad, 1893: joined the UPU, 1884: republic restored, 1899, Oct. 12: second Boer War, censorship of mail widespread for first time, local stamps produced during the many sieges, 1900: annexed to Great Britain and named the Transvaal, 1902-06: self-government, used British colonial type issues overprinted "V.R.I." (Victoria Regina Imperatrix), 1907: first postage due stamp, 1910: became one of the four colonies forming the Union of South Africa.
Transvaal: overprint for Central South African Railway.
Transylvania: eastern part of Hungary; 1919: Romanian occupying troops issued "Regatul Romanaiei" (Kingdom of Romania) overprint on stamps of Hungary.
Trapiche: city in Spain, Spanish Civil War local post, Nationalist forces, 1937.
Trask's Express: local mail and parcel delivery firm operated between Boston and Gloucester, Mass., used labels.
Trasporto Pacchi in Concessione:(It.) concessionary parcel stamps used by private firms at rates lower than government services, 1953.
Trauerblock: (Ger.) memorial stamp.
Travailleurs ‰trangers: (Fr.) foreign workers; French colony revenue inscription
Travancore: India Feudatory State, southwest coast of India; currency: 16 cash = 1 chuckram, 2 chuckrams = 1 anna 1888: No.1, 1 chuckram ultramarine, first stamps for native state in Madras States Agency, 1949, July 1: United States of Travancore - Cochin established; stamps were overprinted / surcharged, 1949: first official stamps, 1950: inscription for "State of Travancore - Cochin" 1951, June 30: stamps discontinued, uses stamps of Republic of India.
Travancor-Anchal (Anchel): India, Travancore, Cochin.
Travancore-Cochin: India, Travancore, Cochin established as a United State; 1949, July 1: No.1, 2 pies on 6 cash violet black, 1949: stamps of Travancore overprinted "Service" for official use; see Travancore.
Traveling post office: several railways, world-wide, including the Grand Junction Railway, traveling between London and Birmingham, England, carried mail, Jan. 6, 1838.
TRD: temporary rubber date stamp issued while regular marking is being replaced or not available.
Tre: (Dan., Nor.) three (number).
Treasure Island: George Fabian fantasy of Robert Louis Stevenson's island.
Treasury Dep't.: U.S. Officials.
Treasury Essay Competition: a stamp design contest by the British Treasury, held in 1839, 2,600 entries received, none were used.
Treasury Roulette: form of roulette machine devised by Henry Archer and tested in G. B., 1853-54; see Gladstone.
Treasury Savings Stamp: issued by the Treasury Department.
Treatment: term used in judging an exhibit to determine development, completeness and correctness of the exhibit.
Treaty acceptance: foreign origin mail accepted for airmail service based on an international treaty or agreement providing for rates and compensation.
Treaty of Nanking: 1842: at the end of the Opium Wars Great Britain was permitted to trade at Amoy, Canton, Foochow, Ningpo, and Shanghai. Due to the lack of a national postal service in China, postal agencies were opened in these cities, as well as Chefoo, Hankow, Kiungchow, Swatow, and Tientsin. 1859: postal agencies were also opened in Japan at Nagasaki and Yokohama, Kobe (1868),. Later, the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the U.S. operated consular post offices in Chinese treaty ports. There were 11 Chinese cities in which local posts were operated by foreign businessmen. 1894: France used French and Indo-China stamps at post offices operated at Canton, Chungking, Hoi How, Kungming, Kwangchowan, Mongtseu, and Pakhoi. 1899: Russia overprinted stamps of Russia for use in Russian Post offices in China. 1917: stamps of Hong Kong were overprinted "China" for use at British treaty port post offices; stamps of Germany were overprinted "China;" stamps of Italy were overprinted "Pechino" (Peking) and Tientsin;" stamps of Japan were also overprinted using Japanese characters. 1919, July 1: U.S. operated a post office at Shanghai with US stamps overprinted and surcharged "Shanghai/denomination/China." 1922, Dec.: U.S. ceased use of U.S. stamps.
Treaty Ports: cities in China and Japan where foreign nations were permitted trading facilities; stamps were issued for use in their postal services.
Treaty rate: permitted U.S. domestic rates to carry a letter or card to another country without paying the international rate
Trebizonde: aka Trebisonde, Trabzon, town on coast of Anatolia, Ottoman Empire; 1857, Nov.: French post office opened; closed Aug. 1914. 1909-14; overprint on stamps of Russia, Offices in Turkish Empire; used in Turkish cities with Russian post offices, Beyrouth, Constantinople, Dardanelles, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Kerassunde, Metelin, Mont Athos, Salonique, Smyrne, Rizeh, and Trebisonde; issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Russian post offices in the Turkish Empire.
Tredie rige: (Dan.) 3rd Reich.
Tredive: (Dan.) thirty (number).
Tredve: (Nor.) thirty (number).
Trefärgstryck: (Swed.) see Tryck - Trefärgs.
Tre hundre: (Nor.) three-hundred (number).
Tre Hundrede: (Dan.) three-hundred (number).
Trei: (Rom.) three (number).
Treisprezece: (Rom) thirteen (number).
Treizeci: (Rom) thirty (number).
Tren: (Rom.) train.
Trengganu: on eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula; Malaysia, overprint on stamps of Straits; 1909: became a British protectorate after being under Thailand rule, 1910: No.1, 1¢ gray green, first stamps from Straits Settlements inscribed Trengganu, 1917, Oct.: first semipostal stamp, 1937, Aug. 10: first postage due stamp, 1942: Japanese occupation, Japanese characters, "Dai Nippon 2602 Malaya" Japanese Postal Service 1942 Malaya; overprint, 1942: postage due occupation stamp with handstamp "Seal of the Post Office of the Malayan Military Department," 1943, Oct. 19: ceded to Thailand by Japan, 1944: Japanese occupation stamps overprinted for use in Trengganu, 1945, Sept.: returned to British protection, 1948: joined the Federation of Malaysia, 1949, Dec. 27: definitives issued, 1957: used stamps of the Federation of Malaysia along with those of Trengganu, 1963: joined the Federation of Malaysia, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed "Trengganu," 1999, Mar. 4: stamps of Malaysia.
Trengganu, 1963: joined the Federation of Malaysia, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed "Trengganu," stamps of Malaysia.
Trennung: (Ger.) separation.
Tren postal:(Sp.) mail train made up of coaches and wagons.
Trentino: "Regno d' Italia / Venezia Tridentina / 3.XI.18" (It.) aka Venezia Tridentina, overprint on stamps of Austria for Italian Occupation, 1918.
Trenton Match Co.: inscription on Match stamp; see Private die proprietary stamps.
Trenton, New Jersey: occupied by British until Dec. 29, 1776.
Trepado: (Sp.) stamp perforation.
Treringsnummerstemple(r): (Dan., Nor.) 3-concentric rings numeral oblit cancellation(s).
Tres: (Dan.) sixty (number).
Tresidet utakket: (Dan.) three sides imperforate.
Tresillo: (Sp.) triptych, strip of three stamps.
Tre Skilling Banco: Swedish philatelic rarity, orange color error, supposed to be blue.
Tresor et Postes: (Fr.) Czechoslovak legions in France, 1914.
Tresse: decorative design found on the back flap of some envelopes.
Trestribe: (Dan.) strip-of-3.
Trestripe: (Dan., Nor.) strip-of-3.
Tretio: (Swed.) (thirty) error on Swedish 20 öre stamp, 1879, which should have read "tjugo" (twenty).
Tréves (Fr.), Treviri (Lat.): aka Trier, Germany.
Tretten: (Dan., Nor.) thirteen (number).
Trial color proofs: 1: prints made from dies or plates in order to evaluate the final color of a stamp. 2: reprint proofs. 3: used as presentation material for officials in French area countries.
Trial flight: flight made to evaluate aircraft or system, some have covers aboard commemorating flight.