Championship Stamp Supply Definitions of Philatelic Terms

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Packet	A group of stamps, often packaged in a glassine envelope, for sale by a dealer. A packet often indicates little or no duplication, as opposed to a mixture.
Packet Cancellation	A special type of postmark applied to mail carried on ships maintained by a government. The post office aboard ship applies the marking, which traditionally carries the ship's name and, perhaps, shipping line.
Packet Forgery	A reproduction of a cheap genuine stamp intended to fool beginning collectors. Such items were particularly common during the early 20th century when packets were tremendously popular and were used to enhance their appeal. The primary targets of such forgers were stamps of exotic countries whose issues were difficult to obtain in quantity, making it cheaper to simply reproduce the stamps than to locate genuine examples. Also affected were those countries with which Western countries had little relations, such as the Soviet Union, prior to World War II. Many early Soviet stamps were imitated and put in packets by forges who were confident their fakes would neither be found out nor prosecuted. Because packets are almost always purchased by entry-level collectors, and because they contain almost only low-value stamps, the odds of packet forgeries being detected were very low. Today, some collectors enjoy identifying and acquiring packet forgeries along with their genuine counterparts.
Packet Letter	A mail piece brought to the delivery office in a packet, usually by ship. Such ships were usually either private ships that operated independently, or private ships that were under contract to the post office.
Pair	Two un separated stamps. A vertical pair describes two stamps with one about the other, while a horizontal pair describes who stamps side by side.
Pane	This is often commonly, mistakenly, referred to as a sheet. A printing sheet is cut into smaller multiples during processing to produce post office panes. A single page from a booklet of stamps also is referred to as a pane.
Paqueboat	A special marking applied to covers mailed, or posted, at sea. Typically, paqueboat markings contain some sort of notation making its status posted at sea perfectly clear.
Parcel Post	A special class of mail that exists in many countries for the special purpose of mailing packages. In many cases, a special parcel post stamp may be required for the franking.
Parcel Post Tax	A tax levied in the United States in 1917, which affected all mail sent by parcel post with postage exceeding 25 cents. The tax was levied at the rate of 1 cent for each 25 cents (or part thereof) beyond the first 25 cents, paid by affixing a revenue stamp along with the postage on an item.
Partial Perf Stamps	Stamps that are perforated in one direction only (vertically or horizontally). Part-perf revenues are most commonly encountered in the first issue series. Although collected as singles, pairs and larger multiples are preferred to prove that perforations have not been removed.
Part-Perforate	A stamp perforated on only one, two, or three of its four sides. Most booklet stamps have straight edges on one or more sides, and many coil stamps are perforated only on two sides. Thus the stamps with straight edges are part perforate. The term can also refer to sheet stamps with naturally occurring straight edges but is not generally used to describe them.
Paste-Up Pair	On early U.S. coils that were printed on sheet fed presses, sheets of stamps had to be pasted together and later trimmed into coil strips. When these sheets were pasted together, they were joined at the side selvage; therefore, a past-up pair shows where one stamp overlaps the other's selvage. In rare cases, the plate number is hidden under the paste up, and these pairs generally sell for a premium. Paste-up pairs can occur on imperforate, privately perforated, or standard U.S. coil stamps.
Pelure Paper	A strong, thin, translucent paper with an almost imperceptible weave. Because it is translucent, the printed stamp design shows clearly through the back of the stamp. Although not a staple in stamp printing, pelure paper has been used by many countries.
Pen Cancel	A form of cancellation applied by pen. Also referred to as manuscript cancels, these markings usually are considered less desirable than hand-stamped or machine cancels. In some cases, a pen cancel may indicate the difference between a postal or revenue use of a stamp. (See also Manuscript Cancel)
Penny Black	The very first adhesive postage stamp, released on May 6, 1840. The Penny Black is not an uncommon stamp, but does have quite a bit of value. The design features a young Queen Victoria's profile.
Perfecting	The printing of text or images on the back of a stamp. Such printing may be above or below the gum. The most well-known example of perfecting is the printing on the backs of duck stamps.
Perfins	An abbreviation for "perforated initials", these are holes punched in stamps to form letters or a design. Typically, these are the initials or logo of a large company or organization. The perfins constitute a form of identification to prevent unauthorized use or resale of the stamps. They are usually punched to be read from the front but show up most clearly (though reversed) when viewed from the back. Perfins can, however, be found in any orientation on a stamp, inverted, forwards, or backwards.
Perforated Margin-Copy Stamps	These normally have a blank selvage attached, although off-center or larger than normal copies can show evidence of the sheet or gutter margin inside the perforation area. Although most margin-copy stamps don't sell for a premium, stamps from some countries (such as Israel) and many classic-era stamps are more highly sought after as margin copies. Margins with printed designs or information also tend to increase demand for margin-copy stamps.
Perforation Gauge	A tool used by stamp collectors to calculate the number of perforations within 2 centimeters on the side of a stamp, to help distinguish one stamp from another. Example of a "Perforation Gauge"
Perforations	A synonym for holes, perforations refer to any form of stamp separation that involves the removal of paper. Although perforation holes are typically round, they may also be oblong, square, star-shaped, or in many other forms. Stamp separation techniques, such as rouletting or die cutting, are not perforation, because no paper is removed in the process. Perforations consist of "teeth," the saw tooth edges left when a stamp is separated, bridges (those same bits of paper while they still span stamps prior to separation), and holes.
Permit	A form of postal service that allows mailers of bulk material to imprint a permit marking on mail pieces to show the payment of bulk mail. Unlike meter impressions, permits are usually printed right on the mail piece, allowing the mailer to pay by net weight. A permit holder's permit number and point of mailing must be included in the printed permit area.
Persian Rug	Nickname given to a $500 documentary revenue stamp of the second issue. The stamp dimensions are so large that each stamp was printed as a sheet of one. The $200 stamp is slightly smaller and is fondly referred to as the Baby Persian Rug. Both large, high-value stamps were intricately printed to prevent counterfeiting.
Philatelic Agency	The official sales arm of any postal authority. Most countries maintain some form of agency to facilitate foreign sales. In some cases, such as in the United States, a philatelic agency is maintained by the postal service itself. In other cases, a philatelic agency may be maintained either by an independent third party or by a stamp dealer specifically for sales to other countries. A philatelic agency usually handles both dealer and individual collector sales and also publicizes all new issues.
Philatelic Cover	A cover that originated with a stamp collector. Such covers can include not only first-day, first-flight, or special-event covers, but also those sent between collectors as regular mail. Philatelic covers are usually easily identified by the unusual combination of stamps on the envelope.
Philatelist	A person who collects and studies stamps.
Philately	The common name for the hobby of stamp collecting.
Phosphorescence	A photochemical reaction to short-wave ultraviolet light causing stamps and other items to glow. Items that are phosphorescent will glow only under short-wave ultraviolet light. The non-organic compounds used to tag stamps include zinc orthosilicate (which produces a yellow-green glow) and calcium silicate (which produces an orange-red glow). Unlike long wave ultraviolet light, prolonged exposure to short-wave UV light can cause harm.
Photogravure	Although this form of printing is technically a type of intaglio (recessed), it is distinctive enough to warrant its own category. Photogravure stamp images are etched into a plate through a photographic process that separates color (if any) and enters them as numerous cells, or dots, that make up the whole image. A separate plate is required for each color. These cells are very shallow, much shallower than engraved lines, and cannot cover large areas of image.
Pictorial Cancel	A special cancellation, most frequently hand-stamped, that must be approved by the U.S. Postal Service. These cancels contain pictorial elements and are used to help promote an event or anniversary.
Pictorials	Stamps that bear illustrations of animals, landscapes, works of art, flowers, or any other decorative theme that sets them apart from portraits or symbols. Although most pictorials are commemorative stamps, some pictorials are definitives.
Picture Postal Cards	Cards produced for the USPS since 1989 with a stamped imprint prepaying the postage (as on conventional postal cards) and a color illustration on what would ordinarily be the message side of the card (as on commercial picture postcards). Picture postal cards are sold at a significant premium (40 cents to 50 cents each, on average.
Piece	A fragment of an envelope or parcel containing stamps and, usually, the postmark. When stamps are found on such objects, they are said to be on-piece.
Pigmented Ink Taggant	With this type phosphorescent tagging, the compound is mixed in with one or more printing ink colors. Because the pigment (or color) of the printing ink can overpower the glow given off by the taggant, this technique is generally used only with lightly colored stamps. Most postal stationery and postal cards of the 1970s were produced with pigmented ink taggant, as were several stamps. The first such stamp was the background of the 6-cent U.S. Leif Erikson commemorative of 1968.
Pillar Box	A hexagonal standing box created for the collection of mail. Pillar boxes are still in use in many counties, including Great Britain, where they originated; they were introduced October 23, 1852.
Pin Roulette	This form of rouletting consists of tiny pin holes (with no paper removed), which allows for simple separation of stamps.
Planographic Printing	Surface printing. (See also Offset Printing)
Plate Number Block	Commonly known as a plate block, this is a multiple of four or more stamps, with selvage displaying the printing plate numbers attached. The most common form of plate block is a corner block of four, although some issues with multiple numbers require larger blocks. Plate block collecting is primarily a United States convention, while collectors from other countries frequently save numbered singles. Example of a "Plate Number Block" or "Plate Block"
Plate Number Coil	A relatively modern U.S. collecting specialty, dating back to 1981. At that time, in an effort to attract plate number collectors back into the hobby, the United States Postal Service began producing coil stamps with the plate number printed right on the stamp at regular intervals in the coil roll. These single-digit plate numbers (as they began) represented a full six-digit plate number. Collectors soon recognized that, because of the numbers, the PNCs' designs were different from their non-numbered counterparts and began collecting them as used singles, and also in mint strips of three and five with the number appearing on the center stamp. Such stamps are avidly collected.
Plate Proof	An image pulled from the printing plate itself. A plate proof typically includes multiple stamp images that are later cut apart, rather than the single image found on a die proof. More often than not, plate proofs closely resemble the final issued stamp.
Plate Varieties	A large class of usually small flaws that trace to the plate making process or from damage to the plate during production, which result in individualized flaws unique to one stamp or associated margin on an issued pane. Plate varieties are much more frequently encountered on older line-engraved stamps than on modern line-engraved or gravure stamps. Gripper cracks and double transfers are examples of plate varieties. Retail values tend to be modest, typically three to five times the basic retail value of the normal stamps for routine plate varieties.
Plating	The activity of collecting stamps based on their position from the original printing plate. Due to the characteristics of early stamp printing, it was possible, with study, for one to completely reconstruct, with certainty, entire printing plates, simply by studying the minor differences in design and other inconsistencies left by the siderographer.
Playing Card Stamps	Receipts for the payment of taxes on playing cards. Denominated in cents, by class, and by pack, most playing card revenues were used to seal decks of cards, so many were destroyed when cards were opened. Playing card taxes were repeated June 22, 1965.
PMS	The Pantone Matching System, a uniformly accepted system of color communication in the printing image. Each color and shade regardless of value or chroma, is assigned a number. This number is then used to print an image. Although the PMS system was designed back in the 1960s, it has only been in use by stamps printers since 1987.
PNC3	The abbreviation for the Plate Number Coil Collectors Club, and organization dedicated to the study and collecting of plate number coils.
Pneumatic Post	A special service that was in use in some larger towns in Germany, France, and Italy, as well as several United States cities. Mail was transported through special tunnels, known as pneumatic tubes, much the same way as carriers are transported from car to drive-in windows at banks.
Pointing Finger	A general-purpose symbol used as an instructional marking on undeliverable U.S. mail that has been returned to sender for most of the 20th century. Pointing finger hand stamps exist in a vast variety of styles. They usually include text indicating why the cover is being returned, or are used in conjunction with other auxiliary markings that furnish an explanation.
Position Block	Any multiple of four or more stamps that have markings on attached selvage paper. These markings may include plate numbers or inscriptions, slogans, or cutting guides. Because these position blocks help identify what area of the plate produced the stamps, they are generally collected as premium items.
Post Office Parcel Card Mixture	Traditionally one of the highest quality mixtures available, these include on-paper stamps, usually collected by foreign governments, from parcel cards on packages, and sold to dealers and collectors by the kilogram. Such mixtures often contain high-value stamps.
Post Office Seals	Also known as official seals, these were initially created to seal registered packages and letters in order to thwart tampering and theft. Over the years, however, post office seals were more generally used to seal unsealed matter found loose in the mails and to repair material that has been damaged in the mail system. Post office seals are known from a number of different countries and are highly collectible. Many different varieties and privately produced types exist as well. Although most post office seals are not particularly valuable as unused or used singles, they add greatly to the value of a cover when properly tied by a cancel. Post office seals have been produced by virtually every form of stamp printing, including line-engraved intaglio, letterpress, and offset lithography. United States post office seals have been self-adhesive since 1992.
Postage and Revenue	An inscription that appears on the stamps of many British countries in particular. Stamps with these inscriptions may be used either for postage or to pay taxes and fees normally paid by revenue stamps.
Postage Due Stamp	A stamp that indicates additional postage was paid on an insufficiently franked letter or package. Collection of this fee is most always the responsibility of the receiving postmaster. Many countries, including the United States, have used postage dues over the years. Large quantities of postage due stamps have come on the philatelic market either as remainders or as byproducts of business reply mail. (See also Surcharge)
Postal-Fiscals	See Revenues.
Postal History	The exclusive study of mail rates and routes.
Postal Card	A government-produced card with the postage printed directly on it as an imprinted stamp. Postal cards usually do not bear government-printed illustrations. They are collected as entire cards, unlike stamped envelopes, which can be collected as cut squares. Postal cards should not be confused with postcards.
Postal Cancellation	Although any stamp obliteration is technically a cancellation, a postal cancel verifies that a stamp was used for postal purposes. This is particularly important for high-value British stamps that were valid for both postage and revenue uses. Such stamps with verified postal cancellations are worth far more than their far more common revenue-cancelled counterparts.
Postal Counterfeit	A forgery of a real stamp, created to defraud a postal administration or its rightful revenue. (Other types of fakes, such as forgeries or altered stamps, are created to bilk stamp collectors.) Usually, a postal counterfeit can be identified fairly easily by its relatively crude appearance compared to a genuine stamp. Both the printing (frequently different than the original) and the perforations (if any) usually do not look like the real thing. Because counterfeiting is a federal offense and copies found at the time of investigations are usually confiscated and the letter destroyed, postal counterfeits are usually quite scarce and desirable to collectors. Postally used counterfeits, or those still on cover, can sell for many times the price of those that are collected as unused examples.
Postal Stationery	A collective term for stamped envelopes, wrappers, postal cards, aerogramme's, and other postal items with stamps imprinted directly on them.
Postally Used	Stamps and covers that went through the mail, distinguishing them from what many feel are less desirable uses, such as philatelic or revenue use. Typically, a cover that has been postally used will have been used commercially. Because such covers are difficult to find in good condition, they generally command higher prices than those created by collectors for collectors, many of which never enter the mail stream. The difference in value between a postal or revenue use may well run into the hundreds of dollars.
Postcard	A privately produced item with a photograph or illustration on one side and a message area and space for a stamp on the other. Such cards are bought as souvenirs and sent or collected. Postcards should not be confused with government-produced postal cards.
Posthumous Proof	A form of die or plate proof pulled any time after a stamp has been released. In many cases, such proofs are pulled for sale to collectors, rather than production purposes. Some posthumous proofs, such as several 19th century types, were produced for exhibitions and later ended up in collectors' hands.
Postmaster Provisional's	Stamps prepared and issued by individual postmasters to fill a local need when stamps aren't available. In some cases, postmaster provisional's were released with the consent of the higher postal authorities, but in many cases such items were not sanctioned. Some of the most well-known postmaster provisional's were released and used in the United States before the first general issue of stamps was available in 1847. These include the Baltimore, New York, and Providence provisional's were released and used by postmasters during the time between secession and the release of the official CSA issues.
Potato Tax Revenue Stamps	Released in 1935, these showed payment of tax on potatoes produced in quantities larger than a farmer's allotment. These revenues are among the shortest-use stamps, lasting only slightly more than a month. The Agricultural Adjustment Act of December 1, 1935, that made the stamps possible was declared unconstitutional on January 6, 1936. It is believed that no potato stamps were actually used; all known copies are mint.
Pre-adhesive	Any postal item dating prior to the adoption of adhesive stamps in a given country. All postal items prior to 1840 are considered pre-adhesive, while some countries may have pre-adhesive covers dating to the latter part of the 19th century.
Precancel	A stamp that has been canceled or defaced prior to use. Precanceled stamps save handling time by postal clerks (because a processing step is already accomplished), which usually results in postal savings for the customer. Precancels are also a form of security device to prevent employee pilferage of postage. Because precancels have, until recent years, required a permit for use, they've been relatively safe from theft. Precancels of the United States are divided into two main categories: bureau precancels and local precancels.
Preprinting Paper Crease	Sometimes, as stamp paper is fed into the press, it creases, traveling through the press with a wrinkle where it has folded over itself. This area does not take ink. After printing, a crease may open, or it may remain creased until the sued stamp is soaked. When the crease opens, a noticeable uninked area appears where the paper was creased. Some stamps contain more than one preprinting crease, and creases on some multicolored stamps occur between application of the different colors, resulting in an odd appearance. Preprinting paper creases are highly collectible, and are most common on 19th century sheet fed stamps, although they still occur. They range in width and length from tiny to design-splitting creases that span several stamps and can run in any direction. Such creases often are mistakenly referred to as preprinting paper folds.
Press Sheet	A full sheet of stamps as it was originally printed. In the case of sheet fed presses, this is easy to determine. A webbed press sheet represents one revolution of a printing cylinder or sleeve.
Pressure Sensitive	See Self Adhesive.
Prime Rate	The current postage cost to mail a domestic letter weighing one ounce or less.
Printed on Both Sides	A particularly desirable form of error that occurs when a sheet of stamps is turned over and printed again on the reverse side. In some cases, this was done with an unacceptable printed image to save paper, and in others as part of the make-ready process of printing. Those that were created to eliminate waste generally are found on early stamps. Those used as make-ready should have been destroyed; they should not have been sold or distributed. A stamp printed on both sides will have a regular-reading )or positive) stamp image on both sides. This should not be confused with set-off, which is a reverse image on the back side.
Printers' Waste	Stamps that appear to be errors or freaks but are not, due to their origin. Most valid error or freak material has been sold over a post office counter and is later sold to collectors and dealers. Printers' waste, however, is misprinted material that was intended to be discarded (and was). It is usually illegally retrieved prior to incineration or other planned disposal. Stamps derived from printers' waste frequently are crumpled or have gum faults or other telltale signs of its illicit origin. Due to the nature of printers' waste, it usually sells for comparatively little, compared with legitimate errors, and is not as desirable. The most famous printers' waste are the 29-cent Richard Nixon inverts, most of which were later recalled and presumable destroyed, and the imperforate 1893 2-cent Columbians, all of which originated as waste paper.
Printing	There are two divisions of printing: direct and indirect. Direct means plate-to-paper, while indirect refers to processes that utilize a blanket or roller to transfer the image from the plate to the paper. Under these divisions, there are four main types of printing used for stamps, which include line-engraved intaglio (recess), photogravure (a form of recessed intaglio), offset lithography (surface) and letterpress (relief). Other forms of printing, such as xerography, stencil, and others, have rarely been used for stamps.
Private Die Proprietary Stamps	Revenue stamps created by individual companies to show prepayment of taxes on matches, playing cards, patent medicines, perfumes, and other items. Many companies produced their own stamps because they not only received a discount for producing their own, but also were able to use their stamps as a form of advertisement. These items are also known as Match and Medicine stamps.
Private Overprints	A form of precancel found on several types of revenues, but may be most prominent on Battleship revenues. About 275 firms precanceled their proprietary stamps before placing them on their product. Although these items are highly collectible and sought after, few sell for very high prices.
Private Perforations	Any form of perforation applied privately. During the early part of this century, the United States Post Office Department produced fully imperforate stamp that were sold to private vending and affixing companies. The vendors then applied the type of perforations that worked best for their equipment. These items, also known as vending and affixing machine perforations, were created primarily during the years between 1906-23, prior to the advent of rotary press continuous coils and the standardization of most stamp vending and affixing machines. These included forms of stamp separation that resembled traditional perforations, as well as unusual patterns, including large, oblong hyphen-hole perforations. Many other forms of private perforations also are known from numerous countries. Some were created out of need, while others were created primarily as philatelic souvenirs. Private perfs have always been popular with collectors but have been frequently faked. In addition, because some imperforates are more valuable than private perfs, many fake imperforates have been created by trimming perforations from these stamps. (See also Perfins)
Proof	Any stamp image printed to check image, color, quality, design, or any other factor that could affect a final printed stamp. Proofs may be pulled at any point in the stamp designing of manufacturing processes, including years after a stamp issue has been produced. There are many different types of proofs, including progressive die proofs (taken as a design is being engraved), die proofs (from the final engraving), trial color proofs (to check the desirability of different colors), plate proofs (from printing plates), posthumous proofs (made long after a stamp was issued), and others. Both die and plate proofs may also exist as essays, those varieties of stamp images produced prior to the final version.
Propaganda Forgery	A form of faked stamp used for political purposes. In some cases, these stamps are nearly exact replicas of genuine stamps, except for some minor design difference intended to influence opinions. IN other cases, propaganda forgeries almost look like caricatures or parodies of the actual stamp they imitate. Some propaganda forgeries are intended to be used on mail, both to defraud and influence, while others are passed out like labels. Numerous propaganda forgeries were created during World War II. Most are scarce and highly desirable.
Proprietary Stamps	Revenue stamps created for the purpose of paying taxes on canned goods, matches, medicines, perfumes, playing cards and other items. As of 1871, when the second issue of documentary stamps was released, proprietary specific-use stamps.
Protectorate	A country or region governed, guided, protected, or controlled by a larger, stronger country.
Provisionals	Stamps that are issued, or overprinted, for temporary use until regular issues are available. The need for provisional stamp issues usually revolves around war or political upheaval.
Provisional Overprints	Refers to two types of U.S. revenue stamps. The first type includes printed name or initial overprints on first-issue revenues. These were primarily produced by medicine companies for use until their own proprietary stamps were printed. The second type of provisional overprint occurred as a result of the Spanish-American War. U.S. postage stamps were overprinted "I.R." for use as revenue stamps until new revenue stamps could be printed and distributed.
Pulled Perf	This is perhaps the most damaging form of perforation fault. When a stamp is poorly separated, the perforation tooth may have the paper fibers pulled from the stamp itself, leaving an end that appears shorter than the recessed portion of a perforation hole. Even if one pulled perf is present on a stamp, it is considered a major fault. Example of a stamp with a "Pulled Perf"
Punch Cancel	One of several forms of destructive cancels, or defacements, used on stamps. A punch cancel is a cancel that consists of a hole punched in the stamp. In some cases, this is the only form of defacement used. In others, a punch is combined with an ink cancel. Punch cancels are one of the most effective forms of revenue protection because the reuse rate on stamps canceled in such a manner is very low. Punch cancels are also used to deface mint stamps that have been sold into the stamp collecting hobby as remainders. The most commonly encountered form of this defacement practice is found on telegraph stamps of the world. Punch cancels can include perforated initials, circular punches, or any other type of hole. In most cases, stamps with punch cancellations are worth considerably less than those with normal manuscript or hand-stamped cancellations.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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.