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.
Shri. Balaji.S
Inspector Posts (Tech),
Inspector Posts (Tech),
O/o. Chief PMG,
North East Circle,
North East Circle,
Shillong - 793 001.
Mobile : +919615954049
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