| Founder(s) | Alfred F. Lichtenstein, Theodore E. Steinway, Louise Boyd Dale, et al |
|---|---|
| Type | not-for-profit organization |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Location | New York, USA |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Focus | certifying the authenticity of rare stamps |
| Mission | maintaining a reference collection of postage stamps |
| Method | reference collection, philatelic library |
| Revenue | certification fees |
| Subsidiaries | University of the State of New York |
| Website | The Philatelic Foundation |
The Philatelic Foundation is a philatelic organization granted a charter in 1945 by the University of the State of New York as a Nonprofit Educational Institution.
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The Philatelic Foundation is located at 70 West 40th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10018.
The Philatelic Foundation maintains a reference collection of postage stamps and is a major source of authentication of rare and valuable postage stamps for stamp collectors who wish to know if the “valuable” stamp they have is authentic or counterfeit, and, if it is authentic, whether it is free of defect.
If the stamp submitted is authentic, a certification, containing a photo of the stamp and related technical details, is issued and sent to the person submitting the stamp.
Obtaining a certification of a valuable postage stamp by a stamp collector or a stamp dealer may be done for various reasons:
The Philatelic Foundation issues various publications on philatelic literature, including, for example, Analysis and Counterfeit Leaflets, quarterly magazines and bimonthly newsletters
Although the Philatelic Foundation is a recognized major source of philatelic expertise, especially of stamps issued in the United States, there are numerous other philatelic experts listed in stamp catalogs of various countries.