Championship Stamp Supply Definitions of Philatelic Terms

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Machine Cancel	A cancellation imprint imparted to a cover by a machine, not a hand stamp. Most machine cancellations are metal die hub cancels.
Magnifier	An essential piece of stamp collecting paraphernalia, a magnifier allows a collector to see details of a stamp not easily seen with the naked eye, including plate flaws, design details, some repairs, and other more or less hidden flaws. A 10-power magnifier is adequate for most collectors' needs.
Mail-Bid Sale	A private sale in which there are no bidders present. A catalog describing all stamps is prepared in advance and distributed to collectors, but all bidding is done by phone, Internet, or mail. The winning bids are determined by a pre-set cutoff date and time, when all bids are tabulated. In recent years, mail-bid sales have become at least as popular as public auctions for the buying and selling of stamps.
Mailer's Permit Postmark	A private cancellation approved by the Postal Service that enables holders of a Mailer's Postmark Permit to cancel and use precancels and other fractionally denominated or non denominated service inscribed U.S. stamps.
Mailer's Postmark	A system in the United States that permits mailers to create and use their own postmarks. This service requires a special permit that is available at no cost from the U.S. Postal Service. Although mailer's postmarks are intended primarily to save time for bulk mailers, some are utilized by stamp collectors and dealers. As used by bulk mailers, mailer's postmarks are usually applied by a printer to precanceled bulk-rate stamps. This gives the appearance of a standard mail piece to solicit a better response for the mailer. As used by collectors, mailer's postmarks allow for cleaner cancels than are applied by many machines.
Major Varieties	Stamps that differ significantly from the originally released versions. A major variety can be a different printing, a printing variety, or even a form of error. Generally, if a stamp variety can easily and consistently be distinguished on a mint or used single stamp, it may well be a major variety.
Make-up Rate Stamps	Non denominated stamps issued for use with stocks of previously issued first-class letter rate stamps in making up the difference between the rate, shown and a newly introduced rate. The first U.S. makeup-rate stamps were the (4-cent) bister and carmine test-only stamp, used during the rate increase from 25 cents to 29 cents in 1991.
Manuscript Cancel	Many early postmasters (or postmasters of very small offices) used pen cancellations because they did not have hand stamps. Many of these early markings are very rare. Later manuscript cancels on stamps are less valued than standard markings. By the end of the 19th century, manuscript cancels were uncommon but still considered less desirable than inked cancels. Manuscript cancels (More likely obliterations) are fairly common today but are used primarily for revenue protection when un canceled stamps are discovered. Such modern-day pen cancels are considered a fault.
Map Stamps	In 1919-21, Latvia used the reverse sides of old, unfinished maps and currency to print its stamps. Thus, the back sides of these stamps show partial map designs.
Margin Copy	Any stamp identifiable as coming from the edge of a sheet or pane and showing evidence of the sheet margin or selvage. Such stamps come from one of the top, bottom, or side margins of a stamp pane. As such, the stamp may have attached selvage or a naturally occurring straight edge. In the case of an imperforate stamp, white stamp paper extending from one side shows the margin, with no trace of an adjoining stamp on the affected side. Because selvage is easily trimmed, the blank margin may be extremely wide or quite narrow. There are large- or small-margin copies, depending upon the stamp's location in a pane or how much the selvage has been trimmed.
Marijuana Stamps	Issued by various states to aid in the war against drugs, these stamps, in theory, represent the payment of taxes on marijuana. In most cases, drug dealers are supposed to buy the stamps (frequently with high face values) to show that taxes have been paid. Of course, it is highly unlikely a dealer in illegal drugs will make such a purchase and document his activities. IF a dealer is nabbed and does not have the documentation of marijuana stamps, he also may be charged with tax evasion, which may yield a harder sentence.
Maritime Mail	Any form of seaborne mail, much of which bears a special postmark to that effect; however, maritime mail in its true form was introduced in 1939 by the Royal Navy. The marking "Maritime Mail" was used as a security device to avoid using the ship name, port of landing, or date.
Married Pairs	Some of the printing plates used to produce Penny Blacks of 1840 also were used to produce Penny Reds. As a result, all printing characteristics (and flaws, if any) are identical. A married pair is a Penny Black and Penny Red, from the same printing plate, and with the same check letters to denote the same position on the plate.
Master Die	The original engraved die from which all transfer rolls and printing plates are created. A flaw on a master die will show on every stamp printed.
Master Plate	A printing plate saved so that other plates may be created from it, if necessary. In a sense, a master plate may be used similar to a die.
Mat	A rubber letterpress printing plate (usually hardened), which is used to apply precancels, surcharges or other overprints on stamps.
Mat Variety	The printed evidence of damage to an overprinting mat. Such varieties are very similar in nature to a plate variety. (See also Plate Variety)
Match and Medicine Stamps	See Private Die Proprietary Stamps.
Matrix	Any form of intermediate die or mold used to duplicate an original die. This practice is necessary when working with old dies that have become brittle or fragile with age.
Maximum Card	Although the definition of what constitutes a maximum card has loosened somewhat over the past few years, the general idea is the same: it is a picture postcard or other similar item that not only bears a depiction that matches a stamp design, but also has the stamp affixed, with a related cancel. Traditionally, the illustration should have existed prior to the stamp. More recent maximum cards have been created specifically for collectors, with the cards being produced about the same time as the related stamp.
Meter Impressions	The printed impressions left by postage meters to show prepayment of all classes of mail. Meters were introduced in 1903 and have gained such wide-spread use that few businesses still use postage stamps. Meter impressions are quite collectible, particularly the oldest examples. Many others, with pictorial imprints, are collected topically. A meter impression may be found printed either directly on the envelope or on gummed labels.
Microperfs	Similar to fine perforations, except even smaller. Microperforations frequently contain hundreds of perforation holes per inch.
Microprinting	A form of printing (usually offset lithography or line engraving) made up of tiny letters and numerals, either as text or used to form larger patterns or design elements. Most forms of microprinting are nearly invisible to the naked eye, often appearing as nothing more than a broken line in the design. Although there are many applications for microprinting, it is most commonly used as a security device for printing different types of stamps, banknotes, and other securities. Canada has used microprinting for years to identify the year dates of various stamps. The United States began using microprinting in the 1990s, both as a security device and as a design element. Other countries have begun using it as the technology has become available.
Military Stamps	Such items are created and issued for use by a country's military, usually during times of war.
Millimeter	Unit of measurement in the metric system. There are 1,000 millimeters in a meter, or 10mm in a centimeter (25.4 to the inch). In addition to design measurements, cancellation diameters frequently are expressed in millimeters.
Miniature Sheet	A small sheet of stamps. In many cases a miniature sheet may also be a souvenir sheet (but not always). Example of a "Miniature Sheet"
Minor Variety	Minor varieties differ from an original version of a stamp, but are not as easily distinguished as major varieties. Minor varieties may include gum types, shades of color, perforation differences, plate varieties, paper types, and numerous others.
Mint	Stamps in post office condition. A mint stamp has full, original gum that has never been hinged. It also is fresh appearing. In addition, mint stamps are assumed to be free of all defects, such as soiling, creases, stains, tears, or other markings or faults. Mint is different from unused.
Mirror Print	A form of freak where all or part of a stamp design is reversed on the gum side. (See also Set Off)
Miscut	A fairly common form of freak that is a result of stamps being poorly trimmed. Miscuts can occur on stamps at any format, in any degree from minor to major. The greater the miscut, the more desirable the variety. Miscuts can include portions of other stamps, marginal markings, plate numbers, or other information that would appear on the uncut printing sheet. A single miscut stamp can be larger or smaller than its normal counterpart.
Misperforation	A misalignment of a stamp's perforations with respect to the intended design of the stamp. Misperfs, considered freaks rather than errors, are some of the most visually attractive and sought-after EFO items. Misperfs can include vertical or horizontal misalignments (or both), and diagonal misperforations is the type that deals with jumbo or boardwalk-margin stamps. These stamps, which frequently sell for many times the standard catalog value, appear normal but have huge margins. They frequently sell for multiples of the value of a normal copy of the same stamp.
Mission Mix	On-paper mixture containing stamps gathered for mission work or other charities. Such mixtures are supposed to be rich in foreign stamps and often contain the unexpected. In recent years, the term has come to mean almost any form of bulk mixture.
Missionaries	A name given by collectors to the early typeset issues of Hawaii. The name was applied to the rare stamps because most surviving copies have been found on letters sent by Hawaiian missionaries to friends and relatives at home.
Mixed Franking	Describes any cover bearing the stamps of more than one country. Mixed franking's can occur for any number of different reasons. The earliest mixed-franking covers occurred when letters and other postal matter traveled between more than one non-Universal Postal Union country. Because no reciprocal payment agreements existed, payment for postage was necessary in each country, expressed in the stamp of the sending and receiving nation. More recently, mixed-franking covers occur either when a cover must be rerouted (and a postal clerk deems the need for additional postage), or when an inbound cover has insufficient postage affixed and is assessed postage due. Thus, a cover bearing the postage stamps of one country and postage due stamps of another comprise one form of mixed-franking cover; this is probably the most common mixed franking. The more countries' stamps that appear on a single cover, the scarcer it is, except for special around-the-world covers created as souvenirs by collectors. Mixed franking's also are known as combination covers.
Mixed Perforations	A very scarce type of perforation that is formed when a sheet of stamps is perforated (perhaps poorly), backed with a gummed strip of paper and then perforated again, by a perforating device, leaving holes that are different from the originals. Several examples of 1901 stamps from New Zealand are known with these mixed perforations.
Mixture	A group of stamps, usually unsorted, that generally contains a large number of duplicates and frequently bits of paper from the envelopes from which they were taken. Most mixtures are sold by the pound. Historically, the most popular form of mixture has been the mission mix.
Modeler	In the printing process, the modeler is the individual responsible for taking a drawn, painted, photographic, or computer image and translating it into a form that can most easily be adapted to one of the primary printing processes.
Monochrome	A stamp consisting of only one ink color.
Motor Vehicle Use Stamps	Generally, these were affixed to the inside windshield of automobiles to show payment of fees for a specific period of use.
Mounting	The act of carefully placing stamps on album pages for exhibition or personal display. It is vital that stamps are properly and carefully mounted to avoid any form of damage.
Mourning Stamps	Stamp issues released in tribute to a recently deceased person, often a monarch or leader. Numerous countries over the years have released mourning stamps of different types. The most recognizable of these are those that are either edged or printed in black, such as the illustrated 1935 Queen Astrid stamp of Belgium. Although the United States doesn't issue mourning stamps by name, stamps to express respect of the passing of U.S. leaders include the 15-cent black Lincoln stamp of 1866 and the 2-cent black Harding of 1923.
MS	Abbreviation for manuscript, either as an instruction from the sender on a piece of mail (for example, "Via Southampton"), used as a postal marking (generally on a pre-stamp mail), or an inked mark used to cancel a stamp. Generally, a manuscript cancel on a stamp devalues it to some extent, except on revenue stamps where MS cancels are the norm. Sometimes, a manuscript cancel is the only way a town is known because that town did not use a CDS.
Mulready	The name given to special prestamped lettersheets released May 6, 1840, in England in conjunction with the Penny Black. The Mulready envelope is named after designer William Mulready. It was not popular with users and was broadly lampooned; these lettersheets were withdrawn from sale after a relatively short period of time.
Multicolored	Any stamp that is printed in three or more colors. Stamps printed in two colors are generally referred to as bicolored stamps.
Multiple	Any attached group of stamps from the same sheet or pane. The number of stamps can be anything from two to an entire pane or sheet.
Multiple Watermarks	A form of watermarking (created during the papermaking process) where the watermarked design is repeated numerous times in the fiber of the paper. This gives a finished stamp the appearance of having multiple watermarks.
Mute Cancel	Also known as a dumb cancel, this is any form of cancellation or postal marking that contains no information, such as town name, date, or time. In most cases, a mute cancel is simply composed of concentric rings or ovals. Mute cancels frequently are used to cancel stamp on the front of U.S. registered mail pieces.

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Definitions taken from © Copyright All About Stamps, written by Wayne L. Youngblood, used with permission. Championship Stamp Supply wishes to thank Wayne L. Youngblood and Krause Publications for their kind support and permission in using © Copyright All About Stamps for our online definitions of philatelic terms.