Hermes and the Stamps of Greece
There is no more appropriate stamp design than the portrait of Hermes, the messenger god in his winged helmet, on the first stamps of Greece.
Check Letters
Check letters are simple a way of indicating where in the sheet a stamp was printed.
Trans-Mississippi Issue of 1898
Despite the unpopularity of its first commemorative set, the Columbian Exposition issue of 1893, the United States Post Office commemorated the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition with their own set of commemorative stamps in 1898.
Columbian Exposition Issue of 1893
The Columbian Exposition set of 1893 (Scott #230-245) was the world’s first commemorative set and it has become one of the most popular sets not only in United States philately but in the world. But this was not always so.
Stamp Survival
The problem of what quantities exist of different classic stamps has been one of the great difficulties of philatelic research. Counts of stamps such as United States 5¢ and 10¢ 1847 tend to be little more than guesses.
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.