Stamp Collection for Beginners – 02. Types of Stamps

As there are many types of stamps it is necessary that a collector knows about them and is liable to distinguish them. The most important being the definitives, commemoratives and airmails.

The definitives are stamps intended for ordinary use over a period of several years and are available in each and every post office counter of the country. Although these stamps are printed in large number still reprinting is done as and when required to replenish the stocks and maintain the regular supplies.

Commemoratives are those issued to commemorate important events to celebrate historic anniversaries or to honour famous people. These stamps are available for a limited period of time at the post offices. Their print order is also limited and printed only once.

The airmails are issued for use on letters and packets carried by some form of aerial transport. It is in the form of additional charge. These can be further classified into commemorative and definitive issues.

In addition, there exist other types of stamps, some of which are mentioned below.

Charity stamps are those which serve two purposes at the same time, one being the fund collected for some philanthropic object and the other being the postal purpose. These are denoted by the values set apart from each other with (+) sign or if not available for postal purpose then such items are labels and not stamps.

Express stamps are specially issued to speed up the delivery of letters and other mail.

Newspaper stamps are exclusively used for the prepayment of postage on newspapers.

Fiscal or revenue stamps are meant for the purpose of collecting taxes or fees for non-postal purpose.

Official stamps are those, which are issued or over­ printed to be, used by the government departments.

Postage due are the ones which denote the sum to be collected on the delivery of letters from the addressee either for unstamped letters or those which are insufficiently stamped. These are affixed by the postal staff, which is usually double the amount of deficiency.

Parcel post stamps are issued for use on parcels sent through the post

Registration stamps are issued to denote extra fee payable for registration of letters.

Unissued stamps are those that were prepared for use but could not be issued.

War Tax stamps are stamps which are over­ printed to raise funds during war times usually over and above the cost of postage.