Mint stamp
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In philately, a mint stamp is a postage stamp which has never been utilized as postage to mail an article and as such has never been cancelled. This means that, in theory at least, such a stamp could be removed from a collection and utilized as postage, provided that the postal authority which had issued it is still extant and still accepts the stamp for postage. Of course, this is usually not a justifiable move from an economic standpoint. Rates which would have delivered a letter half century ago would now serve only to round up to a new rate (perhaps). However, in many stamp series a used condition is considered to be preferable to, and more valuable than, mint condition. This has led to many stamps having forged cancellations put on them to enhance their collection value. This practice has led to some collectors preferring mint stamps.
Some collectors and dealers use the term "mint" for never-hinged stamps, those that have never been mounted with stamp hinges or had their gum otherwise disturbed, calling stamps with hinge marks or missing gum merely "unused". The phrases "post office fresh" or "mint never hinged" (or "MNH") also frequently appear in advertisements to mean that both front and back are intact, as issued.
