Stamp Collecting Terms Defined

The hobby of stamp collecting is full of unusual names and terms. The name of the hobby itself 'philately' would sound strange to most people's ears if they were not familiar with it already. In this article I would like to discuss some of the most unusual stamp terms and their meanings.

1. Philately G I Joe Adventure Team Is the study and collection of postage stamps and other philatelic material.

2. Back of the Book - a term that is Bakugan reference to postage stamps that are of special varieties. Generally these stamps are listed in catalogues after the most common postal issues. This is what brings about its name.

3. First Day Covers (FDC's) - Refers to an envelope which has a postage stamp that has been cancelled on its first day of issue. In recent times first day covers have become more decorative and are highly sought after by specialized collectors. There are also unofficial first day of buy Enzyte postmarks that occur when a stamp collector purchases the stamps from a post office in the first day of issue city and then takes them the same day to a post office in another city to have them canceled.

4. Mint - A mint stamp is a stamp that has never been canceled or put through postage.

5. Overprint - An overprint is the addition of text and/or and sometimes graphics to the Barbie and Ken of a postage stamp after it has been printed. Overprints have been used for many purposes over the years. They have been used as surcharges, commemorations, and control marks.

To learn more about philatelic terms and great deals on philatelic material visit http://www.canadianphilatelist.ca