Some Characteristics of a Successful Hobby
Hobbies are successful when they allow a diverse group of participants to engage in an activity where they can find enjoyment.
Confederate States
One of the most interesting philatelic areas is Confederate States. When the Southern States seceded from the Union in 1861, they quickly set up a postal system and issued their own stamps.
Plate Block Collecting
Plate numbers were put in the margins of United States sheets so that later the printer would know which sheets were printed from which plates so that plate wear and damage could be monitored. Collectors noticed the marginal numbers and began at first collecting single stamps with the selvage attached as an adjunct to their collection.
US – Offices in China
Used Shanghai Overprints are rare. Most American companies that did business in China used the Chinese post office rather than the US post office.
St. Pierre and Miquelon
A favorite philatelic country is St. Pierre and Miquelon. There is a philatelic tendency for remote areas of great charm to have a collecting importance far in excess of what any local population can create.
Stamp Forgeries
Almost from the very day that Philately began as a serious hobby, stamp collectors were plagued by forgeries. Forgeries exist in two types; those made for philatelic consumption and those produced to defraud the postal service of revenue (called postal forgeries).
The History of Philately
Originally posted August 25, 2009 May 6, 1840 was an important date in English history. Postage rates were reduced to one penny throughout Great Britain, and pre-payment of mail became…