DEFINITION
Philately is the study of revenue and postage stamps, which includes the design, production and uses of stamps after they are authorized for issue, usually by government officials such as postal authorities. Philately is the distinct activity of studying stamps, which may or may not include stamp collecting. Therefore, some philatelists will study extremely rare stamps without expecting to own copies of them, whether because of cost, or because the sole survivors are in musea. Conversely, stamp collecting itself is the acquisition of stamps, at times without regard for origin or usage.
ETYMOLOGY
In its French form, the word "philately" has been coined thus far been historically attributed to Georges Herpin in the publication Le Collectionneur de timbres-postes, Vol. 1, November 15, 1864. It is a combined form of the Greek words philos (φίλος, which means "friend"), and ateleia (ἀτέλεια, which means "exempt from duties and taxes"). Therefore, from legal points of view, postage stamp(s) indicate that no service charge is to be collected from the recipient as they constitute franking and thus confirm the pre-payment of postal fees by the sender or another. The alternative terms "timbrophily" and "timbrology" are far less commonly used.
The origin of philately is in the observation that in a pile of stamps all appearing to be the same type, closer examination may reveal different kinds of paper, different watermarks embedded in the paper, variations in color shades, different perforations, and other kinds of differences. Comparison with records of postal authorities may or may not show that the variations were intentional, which leads to further inquiry as to how the changes could have happened, and why. To make things more interesting, thousands of forgeries have been produced over the years, some of them very good, and only a thorough knowledge of philately gives any hope of detecting the fakes.
One explanation for all the variation is that stamp printing was among the early attempts at large-scale mass production activity by postal authorities. Even in the 19th century, stamps were being issued by the billions, more than any other kind of manufactured object at the time.
AREAS OF PHILATELY
Basic or technical philately, then, is the study of the technical aspects of stamp production and stamp identification. It includes the study of
* The initial stamp design process
* Paper (wove, laid, etc, and including watermarks)
* Printing methods (engraving, typography, etc)
* Gum
* Separation (perforation, rouletting)
* Overprints on existing stamps
* Philatelic fakes and forgeries, especially the identification of forgeries
Topical, also known as Thematic, philately is the study of what is depicted on the stamps. There are hundreds of popular subjects, such as birds, insects, sports, maps, and so forth. Interesting aspects of topical philately include design mistakes, design alterations, and the stories of how particular images came to be used.
Postal history concentrates on the use of stamps on mail. It includes the study of postmarks, post offices, postal authorities and the process by which letters are moved from sender to recipient, including routes and choice of conveyance.
Cinderella philately is the study of objects that look like stamps but aren't stamps. Examples include Easter & Christmas Seals, propaganda labels, and so forth.
The results of philatelic study have been extensively documented by the philatelic literature, which includes many books and nearly 15,000 different periodical titles.
Philately is basically an activity of reading and study, but the human senses typically need augmentation. The stamps themselves are handled with stamp tongs or tweezers so as to preserve them from large, clumsy, and possibly greasy fingers. A strong magnifier reveals details of paper and printing, while the odontometer or perforation gauge helps distinguish a "perf 12" from a "perf 13".
While many watermarks can be detected merely by turning the stamp over, or holding it up to the light, others require the services of watermark fluid, such as benzine (not to be confused with benzene, which is toxic), carbon tetrachloride or trichloro-trifluoro-ethane that "wets" the stamp without dissolving gum or ink. Other techniques, such as using coloured light filters have been attempted in an effort to avoid the use of toxic substances.
An assorted philatelic cover that mixes the stamps of several places together. Experts evaluating the authenticity of the rarest stamps use additional equipment such as fluoroscopes. Some stamps are printed with ink which fluoresces when exposed to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light sources are also used to examine stamps and postal history for signs of repairs or various types of faults
-ORANIEN BAUM-
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