Topical or thematic

stamp collecting Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...

is the collecting 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 fa ...

s relating to a particular subject or concept. Topics can be almost anything, from stamps on stamps, birds, trains and poets on stamps, to famous physicians and scientists, along with historical people and events on stamps, which is often a standard theme for many stamp issuing countries.

Background

USS Constitution 150 Anniversary Issue of 1947-3c

The earliest stamps simply depicted busts of reigning monarchs, important figures, or coats of arms, but as time went on stamps started to have a wider range of designs. Bears appeared on provisional stamps of St. Louis in 1845, while the beaver was featured on the earliest stamps of Canada. More than 150 years later, the variety of designs on stamps is enormous, giving topical collectors plenty of scope to find stamps for their chosen theme. In fact, so many stamps have been issued that some popular themes, such as ships or birds, have become nearly impossible to complete, and topical collectors may specialize further, such as by looking for only square-rigged sailing ships, or only flightless birds.

Collecting

Since most types of stamp designs are commonly available and inexpensive, acquiring them is mostly a matter of poring over the

stamp catalog A stamp catalog (or stamp catalogue) is a catalog of postage stamp types with descriptions and prices. The stamp catalog is an essential tool of philately and stamp collecting. Stamp catalogs are part of philatelic literature. Similar catalog ...

looking for relevant types, and learning enough about the topic to recognize subtle connections. The

American Topical Association The American Topical Association (ATA) is a US-based philatelic 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 m ...

and others have published handbooks and lists of larger topics. Online marketplaces and trade platforms are the most common way of collecting new stamps.

Competitions

Topical collecting is a recognized category for competitive exhibitions and has its own Commission with the FIP (

Fédération Internationale de Philatélie The Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) was founded on 18 June 1926, and is the world federation for philately based in Zürich, Switzerland. Aims The primary aims of the FIP are: *To promote stamp collecting and philately. *To mai ...

Topics

Teddy and his Friends topical thematic stamp display at London 2022 International Stamp Exhibition

Some topics include: *

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 th ...

Bicycles on stamps
* Fish on stamps *

Insects on stamps Many countries have featured insects on stamps. Insect related topics such as the mosquito eradication (anti malaria) programme of the 1960s as well as graphic designs based on insects have also appeared. Many stamps also feature butterflies. Ins ...

Dinosaurs on stamps Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

People on stamps Since 1840, when the Penny Black featured a profile of Queen Victoria, it has been a tradition worldwide for nations to honor individuals on their postage stamps. Typical choices include monarchs, important figures of history, politicians, cultura ...

* Presidents on stamps * Ships on stamps *

U.S. space exploration history on U.S. stamps With the advent of robotic spaceflight, robotic and human spaceflight a new era of History of the United States, American history had presented itself. Keeping with the tradition of honoring the country's history on U.S. postage stamps, the U.S. ...

Soviet space exploration history on Soviet stamps Soviet space exploration history has been well documented on Soviet stamps. These Soviet stamps cover a broad spectrum of subjects related to the Soviet space program. While much of the focus has been placed on the nation's notable "firsts" ...

Stamps on stamps Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...

Stamps with an anarchist theme were issued during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

by the

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( en, National Confederation of Labor; CNT) is a Spanish confederation of anarcho-syndicalist labor unions, which was long affiliated with the International Workers' Association (AIT). When working wi ...

References

External links

*
American Topical AssociationLearnAboutStamps.com
A resource for stamp collectors ;Websites for particular themes
CatstampsScouts on Stamps Society InternationalStamps on Stamps Collectors ClubBird stamps by country
{{DEFAULTSORT:Topical Stamp Collecting Stamp collecting Philatelic terminology Stamp collections