Stamp collecting is the
collecting
The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining items that are of interest to an individual ''collector''. Collections differ in a wide variety of respects, most obvio ...
of
postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the ...
s and related objects. It is an area of
philately
Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is pos ...
, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular
hobbies
A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing oth ...
since the late nineteenth century with the rapid growth of the
postal service, as a never-ending stream of new stamps was produced by countries that sought to advertise their distinctiveness through their stamps.
Collecting
Stamp collecting is generally accepted as one of the areas that make up the wider subject of
philately
Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is pos ...
, which is the study of stamps. A philatelist may, but does not have to, collect stamps. It is not uncommon for the term ''philatelist'' to be used to mean a stamp collector. Many casual stamp collectors accumulate stamps for sheer enjoyment and relaxation without worrying about the tiny details. The creation of a large or comprehensive collection, however, generally requires some philatelic knowledge and will usually contain areas of philatelic studies.
Postage stamps are often collected for their historical value and geographical aspects and also for the many subjects depicted on them, ranging from ships, horses, and birds to kings, queens and presidents.
Sales of postage stamps are an important source of income for some countries whose stamp issues may exceed their postal needs, but have designs that appeal to many stamp collectors.
History
It has been suggested that John Bourke, Receiver General of Stamp Dues in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, was the first collector. In 1774, he assembled a book of the existing embossed
revenue stamps, ranging in value from 6 pounds to half a penny, as well as the hand stamped charge marks that were used with them. His collection is preserved in the
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural i ...
,
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
.
Postage stamp collecting began at the same time that stamps were first issued, and by 1860 thousands of collectors and stamp dealers were appearing around the world as this new study and hobby spread across
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
, European colonies, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
and other parts of the world.
The first postage stamp, the
Penny Black, was issued by
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
in May 1840 and pictured a young
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
. It was produced without
perforations (imperforate) and consequently had to be cut from the sheet with scissors in order to be used. While unused examples of the Penny Black are quite scarce, used examples are quite common, and may be purchased for $20 to $200, depending upon condition.
People started to collect stamps almost immediately. One of the earliest and most notable was
John Edward Gray
John Edward Gray, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (12 February 1800 – 7 March 1875) was a British zoology, zoologist. He was the elder brother of zoologist George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray ...
. In 1862, Gray stated that he "began to collect postage stamps shortly after the system was established and before it had become a rage".
Female stamp collectors date from the earliest days of postage stamp collecting. One of the earliest was
Adelaide Lucy Fenton who wrote articles in the 1860s for the journal ''The Philatelist'' under the name Herbert Camoens.
As the hobby and study of stamps began to grow, stamp albums and stamp related literature began to surface, and by the early 1880s publishers like
Stanley Gibbons
The Stanley Gibbons Group plc is a company quoted on the London Stock Exchange specialising in the retailing of collectable postage stamps and similar products. The group is incorporated in London. The company is a major stamp dealer and phi ...
made a business out of this advent.
Children and teenagers were early collectors of stamps in the 1860s and 1870s. Many adults dismissed it as a childish pursuit but later many of those same collectors, as adults, began to systematically study the available postage stamps and publish books about them. Some stamps, such as the triangular issues of the
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.
A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is ...
, have become legendary.
By the early 2000s, stamp collecting was seen to be in decline as the digital world surpassed traditional hobbies even though by 2013, ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' estimated the global number of stamp collectors was around 60 million. However, the hobby's unexpected appeal for a millennial audience was observed in a 2020 article for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
''.
Equipment
A few basic items of equipment are recommended for proper stamp collection. Stamp tongs help to handle stamps safely, a magnifying glass helps in viewing fine details and an album is a convenient way to store stamps. The stamps need to be attached to the pages of the album in some way, and stamp hinges are a cheap and simple way to do this. However, hinging stamps can damage them, thus reducing their value; today many collectors prefer more expensive ''hingeless mounts''. Issued in various sizes, these are clear, chemically neutral thin plastic holders that open to receive stamps and are gummed on the back so that they stick to album pages. Another alternative is a stockbook, where the stamps drop into clear pockets without the need for a mount. Stamps should be stored away from light, heat and moisture or they will be damaged.
Stamps can be displayed according to the collector's wishes, by country, topic, or even by size, which can create a display pleasing to the eye. There are no rules and it is entirely a matter for the individual collector to decide. Albums can be commercially purchased, downloaded or created by the collector. In the latter cases, using acid free paper provides better long-term stamp protection.
File:Stamp tongs.jpg, Stamp tongs with rounded tips help to prevent damage to stamps from skin oils and rough handling
File:Stamp hinges.jpg, Clockwise from top left: hinge-mounted stamp, stamp about to be hinge-mounted, stamp damaged by a hinge, stamp hinge In philately, stamp hinges, or mounts, are small, folded, transparent, rectangular pieces of paper coated with a mild gum. They are used by stamp collectors to affix postage stamps onto the pages of a stamp album. Mackay, James. ''Stamp Collecting ...
s
File:Making stamp mounts at home by hand.jpg, Making stamp mounts at home by hand
File:Odontometer.jpg, Perforation gauge. Also known as an odontometer
File:Magnifying glass.jpg, A magnifying glass
File:Stamp album sleeve.jpg, A stockbook with clear plastic pockets is one of the safest ways to store stamps. Some collectors prefer a traditional stamp album.
File:US postage stamps on album pages.jpg, Pre-printed stamp album with United States country pages affixed
File:Prag postmarks.png, Custom printed loose-left album page displaying stamps postmarked in Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
Acquiring stamps
The main ways of acquiring stamps are through retail market stamp dealers who have online websites, or post on eBay or other forums, and conduct local stamp show dealer "bourse" events. The way to buy wholesale is to attend auctions and there are many auction companies around the world that offer regular auctions, most lots sold at one advance over the underbidder no matter what the price. These are called unreserved auctions. Reserved auctions are the same except a minimum price or "reserve" is set to ensure the stamp does not sell below this level. If during the auction there are no bidders for the lot at the reserve price then the lot will be left unsold in the auction.
Buying at auction takes knowing the market and what stamps are worth at both a wholesale market level and what they can be then sold for in a retail market. Stamp value's are heavily skewed to quality. The same stamp can sell for drastically different prices due to quality. The most sought after stamps are those that are fresh, have white non-toned paper, have no hidden faults like hidden creases or thins, do not have any repairs and have not been regummed with fraudulent gum. Stamp pricing is also based on the look of the stamp, and the stamp that has an image that is very well centered will sell well. Mint (not used) full original gum stamps that have never been hinged will always sell for premiums. It is important to have certificates for rare and high quality stamps to certify they are fault free and genuine in all respects. Foundations like the Vincent Graves Greene are well respected for certifying Canadian stamps. They check for hidden faults like creases, tears and thins as well as lightened cancellations, repairs, reperforated perforations and re-applied (regummed) fake gum.
Stamp list pricing is set in various stamp catalogues. For US and Canada stamps the standard catalogue is the Scott catalogue using Scott numbers. For Canadian stamps there is a specialized catalogue called the Unitrade (which reflects more accurately the actual values of the stamps vs the Scott catalogue values), and for Great Britain and Commonwealth stamps most collectors use Stanley Gibbons catalogues. Typically stamps will sell at auction for a range of 10 to 30% of catalogue list price, but if the stamp is of the very top quality then the sell price may exceed the catalogue list price. As with many collectibles with no inherent value, sell pricing is set by the market bidding on the item at the time.
Many collectors also ask their family and friends to save stamps for them from their mail. Although the stamps received by major businesses and those kept by elderly relatives may be of international and historical interest, the stamps received from family members are often of the definitive sort. Definitives seem mundane but, considering their variety of colours,
watermark
A watermark is an identifying image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light (or when viewed by reflected light, atop a dark background), caused by thickness or density variations ...
s,
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre e ...
differences, perforations and printing errors, they can fill many pages in a collection. Introducing either variety or specific focus to a collection can require the purchasing of stamps, either from a dealer or online. Online stamp collector clubs often contain a platform for buying/selling and trading. Large numbers of relatively recent stamps, often still attached to fragments or envelopes, may be obtained cheaply and easily. Rare and old stamps can also be obtained, but these can be very expensive.
Duplicate stamps are those a collector already has and are not required, therefore, to fill a gap in a collection. Duplicate stamps can be sold or traded, so they are an important medium of exchange among collectors.
Many dealers sell stamps through the Internet while others have neighborhood shops which are among the best resources for beginning and intermediate collectors. Some dealers also jointly set up week-end stamp markets called "bourses" that move around a region from week to week. One of the most well known bourses is the
Carré Marigny
The Carré Marigny ("Marigny Square"), in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, is the site of an open-air market where postage stamps are bought and sold by hobbyists and serious philately, philatelists.
The Carré Marigny was featured as a location ...
in Paris.
They also meet collectors at regional exhibitions and stamp shows.
Collecting specialties
A worldwide collection would be enormous, running to thousands of volumes, and would be incredibly expensive to acquire. Many consider that Count
Philipp von Ferrary
Philip Ferrari de La Renotière (January 11, 1850 – May 20, 1917) was a noted French-born stamp collector, assembling probably the most complete worldwide collection that ever existed, or is likely to exist. Amongst his extremely rare stamps w ...
's collection at the beginning of the 20th century was the most complete ever formed. Many collectors limit their collecting to particular countries, certain time periods or particular subjects (called "topicals") like birds or aircraft.
Some of the more popular collecting areas include:
*
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the ...
s – particular countries and/or time periods
**
Airmail stamps – stamps may be required for
airmail
Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be th ...
, which is typically more expensive and has special postage rates.
**
Commemorative stamps – stamps to commemorate events, anniversaries, etc., on sale for a limited time.
**
Definitive stamps – the most common type of stamps
**
Postage due stamps are special stamps applied by a post office to mail bearing insufficient postage. The stamps were issued in several
denominations to make up different amounts due.
*
Topical stamp collecting – many collectors choose to organize their philatelic collection on the theme of the stamps, covers, or postmarks. Popular topical themes are animals, dogs, cats, butterflies, birds, flowers, art, sports, Olympics, maps, Disney, scouting, space, ships, Americana (topics relating to the US), stamps on stamps, famous people, chess,
Chinese new year
Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival () a ...
, and many others.
**
Birds on stamps
A bird stamp is a postage stamp that illustrates one or more birds. It is a popular theme in topical stamp collecting.
Birds started appearing on stamps by 1875, when Japan issued a series of three stamps bearing stylized illustrations of the ...
** Ships on stamps
**
Insects on stamps
**
People on stamps
**
Stamps on stamps
*
Postal stationery – includes government-issued
postal cards,
aerogram
An aerogram, aerogramme, aérogramme, air letter or airletter is a thin lightweight piece of foldable and gummed paper for writing a letter for transit via airmail, in which the letter and envelope are one and the same. Most postal administration ...
s,
letter card,
wrappers, envelopes, etc., that usually have an
imprinted stamp.
*
Sheets
A bed sheet is a rectangular piece of cloth used either singly or in a pair as bedding, which is larger in length and width than a mattress, and which is placed immediately above a mattress or bed, but below blankets and other bedding (such a ...
** Sheetlets – this is a format that is now issued regularly by
postal administrations. Instead of issuing stamps in large sheets of 40, 100 or even 200 stamps, smaller sheetlets with 20 to 24 stamps are issued with a large selvedge area which may incorporate part of the stamp design or theme.
**
Souvenir sheets – many postal services sometimes release stamps in a format that look like a sheet with a big picture. Various parts of the picture can be torn out and used as postage stamps. Se
examplewith 10 stamps in one picture. (Souvenir sheets should be distinguished from souvenir cards, which are souvenirs of a philatelic meeting or exhibition but are not valid for postage.)
**
Miniature sheet – is very similar to a souvenir sheet, being in a sheetlet with a single or a number of stamps embedded in it.
** Corner blocks or
plate blocks – compose a block of stamps from one of the four corners of the stamp sheet. Collectors usually opt for a block of four stamps, complete with the
selvage area which will sometimes have the printing details on it.
**
Coil strips – Pairs or more of stamps from rolls, premium ones showing the plate number or a ''coil line pair'' which shows the seam between the edges of the plate.
*
Revenue stamps – stamps issued to pay taxes.
**
Federal Duck Stamp
The Federal Duck Stamp, formally known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, is an adhesive stamp issued by the United States federal government that must be purchased prior to hunting for migratory waterfowl such as ducks and gee ...
s (stamps for duck hunting licenses, mainly U.S. with some other countries such as Canada and New Zealand)
*
First day cover (FDCs) – envelopes with stamps attached and canceled on the first day that the stamp was issued. Most modern FDCs bear designs, called "
cachets", related to the theme of the stamp issued.
*
Maximum cards – these are postcards where the stamp is on the same side as the picture and they have a close connection.
* Souvenir pages – with first day canceled stamps on a page describing all design, printing and issuing details. These are similar to first day covers except that they are issued as printed sheets of paper instead of envelopes, and the specification of the stamp is printed by the official source. Se
picture of first souvenir page in the US
*
Cinderella stamps – stamp-like labels that are not valid for postage.
*
Postmark
A postmark is a postal marking made on an envelope, parcel, postcard or the like, indicating the place, date and time that the item was delivered into the care of a postal service, or sometimes indicating where and when received or in transit. ...
s or
postal marking
A postal marking is any kind of annotation applied to a letter by a postal service. The most common types are postmarks and cancellations; almost every letter will have those. Less common types include forwarding addresses, routing annotatio ...
s in general.
Organizations
There are thousands of organizations for collectors: local stamp clubs, special-interest groups, and national organizations. Most nations have a national collectors' organization, including the
American Philatelic Society (APS) in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
; the
Royal Philatelic Society London
The Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL) is the oldest philatelic society in the world. It was founded on 10 April 1869 as ''The Philatelic Society, London''. The society runs a postal museum, the Spear Museum of Philatelic History, at its ...
and
Philatelic Traders Society in United Kingdom; and the
Royal Philatelic Society of Canada. The Internet has greatly expanded the availability of information and made it easier to obtain stamps and other philatelic material. The
American Topical Association is now a part of the APS and promotes thematic collecting as well as encouraging sub-groups of numerous topics. The Collectors Club, often referred to as the Collectors Club of New York, is a private club and philatelic society in New York City. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest existing philatelic societies in the United States. This club like many others has made the transition to Zoom virtual meetings due to Covid and has decided to keep the forum for the future as membership and attendance at club events has grown substantially since they have made their meetings accessible via the internet.
Stamp clubs and philatelic societies can add a social aspect to stamp collecting and provide a forum where novices can meet experienced collectors. Although such organizations are often advertised in stamp magazines and online, the relatively small number of collectors – especially outside urban areas – means that a club may be difficult to set up and sustain. The Internet partially solves this problem, as the association of collectors online is not limited by geographical distance. For this reason, many highly specific stamp clubs have been established on the Web, with international membership.
Organizations such as the
Cinderella Stamp Club (UK)
The Cinderella Stamp Club was founded on 5 June 1959 in London, England, and is an association of philatelists, amateur and professional, whose interests lie in local stamps, telegraph stamps, railway stamps, revenue stamps, fiscals, forgeries, ...
retain hundreds of members interested in a specific aspect of collecting. Social organizations, such as the
Lions Club and
Rotary International
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...
, have also formed stamp collecting groups specific to those stamps that are issued from many countries worldwide that display the organization's logo.
Rare stamps
Rare stamps are often old and many have interesting stories attached to them. Some include:
* The
British Guiana 1c magenta is the world's most famous and valuable rare stamp.
*The Canada 12d Penny Black
*The Canada 10 Cent Montreal Small Queen Pale Milky Rose Lilac First Printing
*The United States Hawaiian Missionary Issue
* The United States "
Inverted Jenny" (which is actually a printing error)
* The United States "
1-cent Z grill" stamp
*The United States One Dollar Trans-Mississippi Issue "
Cattle in the Storm" - widely considered to be America's Most Beautiful Stamp
* The
Treskilling Yellow
The "Treskilling" Yellow, or three schilling banco error of color ( sv, Gul tre skilling banco, literally "yellow three skilling banco"), is a Sweden, Swedish postage stamp of which only one example is known to exist. This stamp was cancellation ( ...
* The
Mauritius "Post Office" stamps
* The
British Penny Red plate 77
Early stamps of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
are known as classics. Collectors are able to establish the exact position of a stamp on the original sheet of 200 stamps. Rare stamps are often
expertized.
[''A Sharp Eye on collecting US Classics'' (Sharp Photography Publications, 2021) ASIN B091MBTGJ7 (read online)]
Some of the most valuable stamps in the world
File:Gul tre skilling banco.jpg, The Three-Skilling Yellow of Sweden was sold for CHF 2.88 million (then about $2,300,000) in 1996 and again for an undisclosed amount in 2010.
File:Modry mauritius.jpg, David Feldman sold this Blue Mauritius stamp for CHF 1,610,000 (approx. $1.1 million) in 1993.
File:Mauritius stamp.jpg, One of the first two Mauritius Post Office stamps. This orange stamp was sold for CHF 1,725,000 (approx $1.2 million) in 1993.
Catalogues
Stamp catalogues are the primary tool used by serious collectors to organize their collections, and for the identification and valuation of stamps. Most stamp shops have stamp catalogues available for purchase. A few catalogues are offered online, either free or for a fee. There are hundreds of different catalogues, most specializing in particular countries or periods. Collector clubs tend to provide free catalogues to their members.
Notable collectors
The stamp collection assembled by French-Austrian aristocrat
Philipp von Ferrary
Philip Ferrari de La Renotière (January 11, 1850 – May 20, 1917) was a noted French-born stamp collector, assembling probably the most complete worldwide collection that ever existed, or is likely to exist. Amongst his extremely rare stamps w ...
(1850–1917) at the beginning of the 20th century is widely considered the most complete stamp collection ever formed (or likely to be formed). It included, for example, all of the rare stamps described above that had been issued by 1917. However, as Ferrary was an Austrian citizen, the collection was broken up and sold by the French government after the First World War, as war reparations.
The Tapling Collection of
postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the ...
s was donated to the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docume ...
from the estate of
Thomas Tapling
Thomas Keay Tapling (30 October 1855 – 11 April 1891) was an English businessman and politician. He played first-class cricket and was also an eminent philatelist who formed one of the greatest stamp collections of his era.
Early life
Taplin ...
in 1891. It currently forms the
Tapling Collection in the
Philatelic Collections of the British Library.
Several European monarchs were keen stamp collectors, including
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Q ...
of the United Kingdom and King
Carol II of Romania
Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. The eldest son of Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I in 1914. He was the first of th ...
. King George V possessed one of the most valuable stamp collections in the world and became President of the
Royal Philatelic Society. His collection was passed on to
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
who, while not a serious philatelist, has a collection of British and Commonwealth first day covers which she started in 1952.
[Courtney, Nicholas. ''The Queen's Stamps – The Authorised History of the Royal Philatelic Collection''. London: Methuen, 2004, p.303. ]
U.S. President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
was a stamp collector; he designed several American commemorative stamps during his term. Late in life
Ayn Rand
Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum;, . Most sources transliterate her given name as either ''Alisa'' or ''Alissa''. , 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and p ...
renewed her childhood interest in stamps and became an enthusiastic collector. Several entertainment and sport personalities have been known to be collectors.
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in th ...
, lead singer of the band
Queen, collected stamps as a child. His childhood stamp album is in the collection of the
British Postal Museum & Archive
The Postal Museum (formerly the British Postal Museum & Archive) is a postal museum run by the Postal Heritage Trust. It began in 2004 as The British Postal Museum & Archive and opened in Central London as The Postal Museum on 28 July 2017.
Si ...
.
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
of
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
was a childhood stamp collector. His stamp album is held by the
National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum, located opposite Union Station in Washington, D.C., United States, covers large portions of the Postal history of the United States and other countries. It was established through joint agreement between the United ...
.
Former
world chess champion Anatoly Karpov has amassed a huge stamp collection over the decades, led by stamps from
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
and
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964.
Colo ...
, that has been estimated to be worth $15 million.
Anatoly Karpov Belgian stamp collection offered at David Feldman
justcollecting.com, 2015.
See also
* The WikiBooks Worldwide Stamp Catalogue
* ''''
References
Sources
*
*
Free download here.
Further reading
*Klug, Janet. ''Guide to Stamp Collecting''. Smithsonian/Collins. (Children's/Young Adult)
*Watson, James. ''How to start Stamp Collecting''. London; Stanley Gibbons. (Adult beginner)
* Phillips, Stanley. ''Stamp Collecting: A guide to modern philately''. Revised edition. London: Stanley Gibbons
The Stanley Gibbons Group plc is a company quoted on the London Stock Exchange specialising in the retailing of collectable postage stamps and similar products. The group is incorporated in London. The company is a major stamp dealer and phi ...
, 1983. (Adult beginner, more detailed but a little out of date)
External links
LearnAboutStamps.com
A resource for stamp collectors
Stamp Community
A stamp collector forum
Caring for stamps and postal history
British Postal Museum & Archive
The Postal Museum (formerly the British Postal Museum & Archive) is a postal museum run by the Postal Heritage Trust. It began in 2004 as The British Postal Museum & Archive and opened in Central London as The Postal Museum on 28 July 2017.
Si ...
Information Sheet
Philatelic Dictionary
English – German – French
StampNews.com
Provides updates on new stamp issues and stamp collecting from around the world.
''Stamp Story'', a 1955 information film about stamp collecting.
{{Authority control
Philatelic terminology