Philately 23681 225269711 2008-07-12T20:19:55Z Martarius 4905985 made [[Template:expand|expand t]]emplate more specific {{portal|Philately}} {{expand|article|date=May 2007}} [[Image:Stamp UK Penny Red pl148 closeup.jpg|right|framed|Close examination of the [[Penny Red]], left, reveals a "148" in the margin, indicating that it was printed with plate #148. Stamps printed from plate #77 are extremely rare.]] '''Philately''' is the study of [[revenue stamp|revenue]] and [[postage stamp|postage]] stamps. This includes the design, production and uses of stamps after they are authorized for issue, usually by government authorities, the most common one being [[Postal Authorities|postal authorities]]. Although many equate it with [[stamp collecting]], it is a distinct activity. For instance, philatelists will study extremely rare stamps without expecting to own copies of them, whether because of cost, or because the sole survivors are in [[museum]]s. Conversely, stamp collecting is the acquisition of stamps, at times without regard for origin or usage. [[Image:Stamp UK Penny Red pl148.jpg|left|150px|thumb|The [[Penny Red]] was used in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] for many years, and comes in hundreds of variations.]] ==Etymology== The coining of the word "philately" in its French form has been circumstantially attributed to Georges Herpin in the publication ''Le Collectionneur de timbres-postes'', Vol. 1, [[November 15]], [[1864]]. It is formed from the Greek words ''philos'' (friend) and ''ateleia'' (exempt from charge, or "franked"), which is a stretch to relate to the study of stamps, but the alternatives of "timbrophily" & "timbrology" or "timbrologist" never caught on. The origin of philately is in the observation that in a pile of stamps all appearing to be the same type, closer examination reveals different kinds of paper, different [[watermark]]s embedded in the paper, variations in color shades, different perforations, and other kinds of differences. Comparison with records of [[Postal Authorities|postal authorities]] may or may not show that the variations were intentional, which leads to further inquiry as to how the changes could have happened, and why. To make things more interesting, thousands of [[forgery|forgeries]] have been produced over the years, some of them very good, and only a thorough knowledge of philately gives any hope of detecting the fakes. [[Image:Inverted Jenny.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The [[Inverted Jenny]] is a famous [[Postage stamp error|error]]; philatelic study explains exactly how it happened.]] One explanation for all the variation is that stamp printing was among the early attempts at large-scale [[mass production]] activity by [[Postal Authorities|postal authorities]]. Even in the 19th century, stamps were being issued by the billions, more than any other kind of manufactured object at the time. ==Areas of philately== Basic or '''technical''' philately, then, is the study of the technical aspects of stamp production and stamp identification. It includes the study of *The initial stamp [[postage stamp design|design]] process *[[Postage stamp paper|Paper]] (wove, laid, etc, and including [[watermark]]s) *[[Postage stamp printing|Printing]] methods (engraving, typography, etc) *[[Postage stamp gum|Gum]] *[[Postage stamp separation|Separation]] (perforation, rouletting) *[[Overprint]]s on existing stamps *[[Philatelic fakes and forgeries]], especially the identification of forgeries [[Image:Stamp Tanganyika 1925 10c.jpg|right|150px|thumb|A topical philatelist might be interested in which subspecies of [[giraffe]] is represented on this 1925 stamp of [[Tanganyika]].]] '''[[topical stamp collecting|Topical]]''', also known as '''Thematic''', philately is the study of what is depicted on the stamps. There are hundreds of popular subjects, such as birds, insects, sports, maps, and so forth. Interesting aspects of topical philately include design mistakes (such as use of the wrong picture on a [[United States|US]] stamp honoring [[Bill Pickett]]), design alterations (for instance, the recent editing out of cigarettes from the pictures used for US stamps), and the stories of how particular images came to be used (one US stamp from the 1920s shows a [[Viking]] ship apparently flying an American flag, but this was not a mistake; the stamp depicted a modern replica). [[Image:Cover DE 1936 Hinden-800px.jpg|left|300px|thumb|One of many covers flown on the ''[[Hindenburg]]'' [[zeppelin]], featuring a variety of postal markings.]] [[Postal history]] concentrates on the use of stamps on [[mail]]. It includes the study of [[postmark]]s, [[post office]]s, [[Postal Authorities|postal authorities]] and the process by which letters are moved from sender to recipient, including routes and choice of conveyance. A classic example is the [[Pony Express]], which was the fastest way to send letters across the United States during the few months that it operated. [[Cover (philately)|Covers]] that can be proved to have been sent by the Pony Express are highly prized by collectors. [[Cinderella stamp|Cinderella]] philately is the study of objects that look like stamps but aren't stamps. Examples include [[Easter & Christmas Seals]], propaganda labels, and so forth. The results of philatelic study have been extensively documented by the [[philatelic literature]], which includes many books and nearly 15,000 different periodical titles. Philately is basically an activity of reading and study, but the human senses typically need augmentation. The stamps themselves are handled with '''stamp tongs or [[tweezer]]s''' so as to preserve them from large, clumsy, and possibly greasy fingers. A strong '''[[Lens (optics)#Uses of lenses|magnifier]]''' reveals details of paper and printing, while the '''odontometer''' or '''perforation gauge''' helps distinguish a "[[postage stamp separation|perf 12]]" from a "perf 13". [[Image:Watermark elephant head.jpg|right|framed|Early stamps of [[India]] were [[watermark]]ed with an elephant's head.]] While many watermarks can be detected merely by turning the stamp over, or holding it up to the light, others require the services of '''watermark fluid''', such as [[benzine]] (not to be confused with [[benzene]], which is toxic), [[carbon tetrachloride]] or [[Trichlorotrifluoroethane|trichloro-trifluoro-ethane]] that "wets" the stamp without dissolving gum or ink. Other techniques, such as using coloured light filters have been attempted in an effort to avoid the use of toxic substances. [[Image:Cover US philatelic 1925.jpg|right|300px|thumb|An oddball [[philatelic cover]] that mixes the stamps of several places together.]] Experts evaluating the authenticity of the rarest stamps use additional equipment such as [[fluoroscope]]s. Some stamps are printed with ink which fluoresces when exposed to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light sources are also used to examine stamps and postal history for signs of repairs or various types of faults. == Organizations == * {{flagicon|World}} [[Fédération Internationale de Philatélie]] * {{flagicon|Europe}} [http://www.aephil.net/ Académie Européenne de Philatélie] * {{flagicon|United States}} [http://www.afdcs.org/ American First Day Cover Society] * {{flagicon|United States}} [[American Philatelic Society]] * {{flagicon|United States}} [[American Topical Association]] * {{flagicon|United States}} [[National Postal Museum]] (USA) * {{flagicon|United States}} [http://www.owasu.org Old World Archaeological Study Unit] * {{flagicon|Argentina}} [http://www.filateliaargentina.com.ar/asociaciones.html Féderación Argentina de Entidades Filatélicas] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [http://www.apf.org.au/ Australian Philatelic Federation] * {{flagicon|Canada}} [http://www.bnaps.org/ British North American Philatelic Society] * {{flagicon|Cyprus}} [http://www.cyphilatelic.com Cyprus Philatelic Society] * {{flagicon|Greece}} [http://www.efo.gr/ Hellenic Philatelic Federation] * {{flagicon|Greece}} [http://www.hps.gr/en/main.htm Hellenic Philatelic Society] * {{flagicon|Mexico}} [http://www.mepsi.org/main.htm Mexico Elmhurst Philatelic Society International] * {{flagicon|New Zealand}} [http://www.wnc.quik.co.nz/rpsnz/rpsnz.htm Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Inc] * {{flagicon|Norway}} [http://www.filatelist.no/ Federation of Norwegian Philatelists] * {{flagicon|Russia}} [http://www.rossica.org/ The Rossica Society of Russian Philately] * {{flagicon|South Africa}} [http://www.thematicsa.co.za Thematic Collecting Group in South Africa] * {{flagicon|Turkey}} [http://www.oneps.org/ The Ottoman and Near East Philatelic Society] * {{flagicon|Turkey}} [http://www.mclstamps.co.uk/opal/opalhome.html Oriental Philatelic Association of London] * {{flagicon|Ukraine}} [http://www.museum.com.ua/en/rukov/uchred.htm Odessa City Collectors' Society] * {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Royal Philatelic Society London]] * {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [http://www.ukphilately.org.uk/nps/ National Philatelic Society UK] * {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [http://www.philatelic-traders-society.co.uk/ Philatelic Traders Society (London)] * {{flagicon|Wales}} [http://www.wps.wales.org/ Welsh Philatelic Society] * {{flagicon|World}} [[Scouts on Stamps Society International]] * {{flagicon|World}} [http://wreckandcrash.org Wreck & Crash Mail Society] * {{flagicon|World}} [http://www.geophila.com GEOPHILA Association of collectors of stamp territories around the world] * {{flagicon|Germany}} [http://www.michel.de/ MICHEL Online catalog] ==See also== {{commonscat|Philately}} * [[List of notable postage stamps]] * [[List of philatelic topics]] * [[List of philatelists]] * [[List of philatelic museums]] ==References== * [[Leon Norman Williams]], ''Fundamentals of Philately'' (American Philatelic Society, 1990) ISBN 0-933580-13-4 * Richard McP. 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