The hobby of collection and study of postage stamps is popularly known
as philately. It was English lady with an unusual fancy who unwittingly
started stamp collecting as hobby. She wanted to cover the walls of her
dressing room with used postage stamps in 1841. She appealed to the
readers to send used stamps through the columns of London Times. Soon
the craze for collecting stamps began to spread. M.G.Herpin coined the
word philately , literally meaning ‘ a lover of taxation ‘ in the year
1864 and encompasses stamp collecting.
The first postage stamp of the world called Penny Black was
issued in England in May 1840 as per the suggestion of Sir Rowland Hill
and the stamp had portrait of young Queen Victoria. In 1852 by the order
of the Governor of Sindh Province , three stamps label were issued.
They were in usage in Sindh Province only. They are known as Sind Dak.
The stamps were embossed and depicted the East India Company’s broad
arrow.
Postage stamps are issued primarily to prepay the charges for conveying
articles to their destination. Postage stamps issued by a country
reflect the tradition , heritage and wealth of its people as also its
flora and fauna. There is no facet of human life , which is not
portrayed on stamps and herein lies the secret of universal appeal and
great educative potential which stamp hold.
Stamps have very often been arbitrarily classified but we shall
classify them on the purpose of issue into four broad categories. (1)
Definitive (2) Commemorative / special (3) Thematic (4) Provisional .
Definitive stamps are regular stamps issued for day to day use. The
definitive series are not changed for long periods like five years or
more. They are printed in large numbers and can be reprinted as per
requirements. They are so designed as to incur minimum expenditure in
manufacture , storage , distribution and sale.
Commemorative / special stamps are issued to commemorate personalities
, events etc. of national or international importance or to draw
attention to special occasions , subjects or functions. These are
printed in limited quantities and are never reprinted.
Thematic Stamps are now being issued and collected in increasing
number. Thematic stamp collectors instead of collecting all the stamps
of the world, concentrate on stamp having the subject of their choice,
such as birds , animals , games and sports , trees ,etc. They are
pictorials , neither printed in sufficient quantities to be called
definitive nor are they produced in connection with any personality,
place or event to be called commemorative. The aim of issuing such kind
of stamps is to satisfy the demands of the thematic stamp collector and
to earn money.
Provisional Stamps as their name signifies, are issued on temporary
basis. Such kind of stamps are issued where there is an acute shortage
of some particular stamps or sudden changes in Government, currency or
postal rates. Sometimes, old stamps are overprinted and made available
in time when there is possibility of delay in printing the new ones.
The collection of postage has become a universal hobby as also means of
profit , since many stamps, especially the rare ones are sold at a very
high price. Philately is therefore rightly termed as king of hobbies
and the hobby of kings. The collection of stamps has now known to such
proportions that there are regular ‘ philately clubs’ throughout the
world helping their members to obtain stamps of other countries.
To enable stamp collectors in India and foreign , the India Post opened
Philatelic Bureaux at all State capitals and important cities and
philatelic counters at other important cities and towns. Old stamps can
also be had from these Bureaux and counters , subject to availability.
Philately Deposit accounts can be opened with initial deposit of Rs
200/- at all Philatelic Bureaux / counters and all Head Post Offices to
get new stamps , first day covers , brochures as well as new postal
stationery with advertisement.
Some special terms relating to stamp collecting.
- Mint-
Uncancelled stamps are called mint stamps. They must be in the same
form as issued by Postal Department. These stamps have gum on the back
of them. A few countries issue ungummed stamps.
- Used- Stamps , with post office seals, are called used.
- Pair- Two similar stamps in one unit are called pair.
- Block – When four or more stamps are joined together in square position.
- Cancellation or Postmark - To put a stamp seal on the stamp through sometimes it is done with ink.
- Perforation – Holes on all sides of a stamp are called perforation.
- Tete- beche- The pair of stamps joined in different direction from each other.
- Watermark-
Some kind of mark given on the stamp paper , as Star in India formerly
and Asoka pillar now a days. Indian commemorative stamps now being
printed on paper without watermark.
- Overprint- When some separate words are printed on ordinary or special stamps , they are called overprints as Service on some old stamps.
- First Day Cover- It is an envelope with stamp cancelled on the first day of issue.
- Miniature Sheet-
A small sheet on which one or more stamps have been printed , specially
issued for stamp collectors, though can be used for purposes also. In
India , Indipex stamps were issued in miniature sheets
- Maxim card- It is a postcard with a big sized copy of a stamp and the related stamp cancelled on the first day of its issue.
- Se-tenant – Stamps of different designs, joined together, are called Se-tenants.
- Doctor’s Blade-
At the time of printing, some stamps come with some extra ink in the
form of lines, bars or dots. Such mistake is called Doctor’s blade.
- Traffic Light-
Most of the multicoloured stamp sheets are printed with colour marks on
the margins of the sheet. This enables the printer to know whether any
colour is missing in printing. Such corner stamps with colour symbols
are known as traffic light stamps. Several collectors use to collect
such stamps.
Thanks to :
Shri. Balaji.S
Inspector Posts (Tech),
O/o. Chief PMG,
North East Circle,
Shillong - 793 001.
Mobile : +919615954049
