Talk:Postage stamp

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Something that I'd like to see is an explanation of why some people (in Britain at least) collect used boring, common postage stamps for charity; surely they have no value for collectors? 212.219.56.214 08:30, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

-- Should the Stanley Gibbons references be on here? It seems a bit spammy considering the IP that added them is really mail.stanleygibbons.co.uk. A.Kurtz 14:08, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC)

-- If there is anything on my site at www.devoted.to/stamps that can be used on Wiki please feel free to use it as you see fit. Anything else I can help with especially regarding GB postal history leave me a message and I will try to sort it out --user:Tallanent


I think something should be on this page to distinguish between postage stamps and things like meter labels, PC Postage and computer vended postage but do not know how it should be gone about. --user:Daniel C. Boyer


"Certain U.S. stamps without the country name

This is restricted to the U.S. Pilgrim Tercentenary stamps, the only U.S. stamps without a country designation. --Daniel C. Boyer

or with a letter for a face value are restricted to use in domestic mail. " Non-denominated stamps have been issued by other countries too, such as Britain. So I am going to revise it. --user:Daniel C. Boyer

What about the British "E" stamp? This is certainly accepted for use in the international mails. --Daniel C. Boyer

Some mention might be made that stamps have at times been made of materials other than paper, such as the U.S. plastic stamp, stamps that have been made out of foil, and the controversial East German stamp made entirely out of a synethetic material (controversial because it does not accept a cancellation, there is no good way to affix it to an envelope, etc.). (Who can find out more info about this?) --user:Daniel C. Boyer


Mention cinderellas? --user:Daniel C. Boyer


Care should be taken to distinguish when and if definitions of "express" and "special delivery" stamps are written that while in many countries the definition is the same in the United States there is a definite difference between "Express Mail" and the (now defunct) "Special Delivery." --Daniel C. Boyer


"the numerous early issues of China and Japan that confound new collectors unfamiliar with oriental scripts": this is not an example of what is discussed earlier in the sentence! Re-editing. --Daniel C. Boyer


I don't think Liechtenstein (not Lichtenstein, that's a pop-art painter) is a good example of "excessive" stamp production. There are many better examples, such as most island nations, that produce more stamps than reasonably needed (Pitcairn is a nice one). I would also immediately think of the emirates before they became united, and Eq. Guinee - or are these considered to be cinderellas?


My note on the USPO issuing Parcel Post Postage Due stamps may be too U.S.-centric. Are there any other countries that are examples? Someone might want to revise. --Daniel C. Boyer

Similar comments may apply to "special handling". --Daniel C. Boyer
not really, as long as equal weight is given to peculiarities in other countries when they arise. -Ec



What do people think about moving the early history of the postage stamp to Penny Black? -- Tarquin 08:18 Aug 7, 2002 (PDT)

Too specific. How would you handle the Chalmers/Hill controversy? or some other early attempts that could have easily qualified as the first stamp. Still the Penny Black and Rowland Hill are important enough to merit articles of their own. Ec

Where would be the best place (maybe another article) to talk about innovation in methods of selling, such as dispensing stamps by ATM? I am going to include it under "types of stamps" now, but this might not be the best way to go. --Daniel C. Boyer

Another article is probably the right way to go with this. Ec

Mention of "encased postage"? --user:Daniel C. Boyer

More generally: stamps used as currency such as the late tsarist issue of Russie, some of which were printed on cardboard. Ec.

Test stamps? --Daniel C. Boyer

Yes, I'll add a sentence . Eclecticology

Contents

[edit] wood stamp

there was also a stamp made out of thinly sliced wood. google it - Omegatron 19:47, Oct 11, 2004 (UTC)

http://www.swisspost.ch/SiteOnLine/EN/Accueil/1,1727,18202,00.html

[edit] Stamp Guidelines

I'm trying to find the guidelines/requirements for the choice of what is depicted on U.S. Postage stamps - I'm having trouble finding the information, but I seem to remember there being a specific set of standards. One was that if a person is used, the person must be dead.

[edit] help needed

Found the following page Wine post. I wikified it and tried to verify on google, it came back as a match, but could someone of a Philatelic disposition take a look and check it out, maybe put a link to it in the right place so as it becomes less of an orphan? ta Sabine's Sunbird 06:05, 12 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Where are they made?


[edit] image at the top of the page

With the number of PD images that should be around (there are plently of 100 year old stamps) do we really need to use a fair use image?Geni 14:34, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "circular (such as the stamps of New Zealand)"

no. i live in new zealand and the stamps are not circular. Plough | talk to me 11:08, 4 March 2006 (UTC)

New Zealand has been issueing round Kiwi stamps from 1988. Of course the rest of their stamps are not circular but round kiwi stamps have been issued. Including those in minisheets.--PremKudvaTalk 09:46, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

Should ephilately be here?

Do you want to make an entry? You could make a seperate entry too if you wanted and link it here. Oh please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date.--PremKudvaTalk 06:06, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Stamps and Legal Tender

I seem to recall learning in school that stamps are legal tender in their countries of issue and can technically be used the same as coins and notes for payment of debts, especially where payment to government bodies are concerned. I don't know if this is true, but do any of you stamp experts? Are there any law experts here who can verify or falsify this? --InformationalAnarchist Wednesday, July 12, 2006 at 14:54:04 (UTC) (Edited anonymously because I can't remember my identification password)

I've never heard this and have seen numerous businesses specifically state stamps are not acceptable as payment. I think I might even have seen the government say this. --Lukobe 17:11, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
Let's see:
Yes, legal tender
http://www.igpc.net/collectors.html
No, not legal tender
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_330.html
http://www.xent.com/pipermail/fork/Week-of-Mon-20050613/036589.html
This is hardly definitive, but I tend to think they are probably not legal tender... --Lukobe 17:16, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "Types of stamps" section still stubby

We need to do some more work on the section "Types of stamps". I have no idea what many of these strange terms mean. :=) -- 201.78.233.162 23:14, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Most of the type *should* link to articles that go into more depth, but each should have one sentence of explanation. They should probably be separated by "purpose" vs "form", since one could have a commemorative postage due coil stamp for instance. :-) Stan 06:33, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] External Links Edit

I went through the external links and removed any spam / off topic links and removed the spam banner from the top. I also added a link to the APS and BNAPS Home page.

James A.O.B. 00:56, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Improperly stamped mail

What happens if you mail something to Canada and accidentally use a US stamp does it still go or are you just screwed over? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Krakko (talkcontribs). 15:54, February 14, 2007

Your question is not clear. If you are in the US and use a US stamp for something going abroad, but it is unstamped or under-stamped, it will usually be returned to you for the additional postage. However, you want to send something to Canada but from where? If not from the US, it will usually be marked for postage due and the recipient may have to pay depending on the diligence of Canada Post in collecting foreign taxe. Hope that helps you. ww2censor 23:36, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

To Canada from Canada... and I can't sign my posts right now because my tilda key is actually not working, Thanks - Krakko
The international agreement is that you *must* use the stamps of the country you're sending from, and the destination country accepts the mail, assuming that the from-country has satisfied itself on the amount and type of postage used. Stan 03:07, 15 February 2007 (UTC)
Canada Post's current regulation are that unfranked or under-franked mail is returned to the sender for the fee, but if there is no return address it is forwarded to the sender who must pay the full fee plus an administrative charge. Check out this page. Your US stamp used within Canada is effectively unpaid because the US stamp has no value there. BTW you can write your signature in longhand! Cheers ww2censor 04:17, 15 February 2007 (UTC)