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ABOUT STAMP
COLLECTING |
| Stamp collecting is considered among one of the most popular
hobbies taken up by people around the world. Many collect postage
stamps while others will pick up covers, which would be any
envelope or package with stamps. There are a reported number of
around twenty million stamp collectors just in the United States.
Imagine how many there must be worldwide! |
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PHILATELIC FORGERIES |
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One of the most difficult areas of philately is learning how to
detect fakes or fraudulent stamps. The first forged stamp emerged
twenty years after the very first stamp was issued by Great
Britain in 1840. This was a stamp that was put out on the market
with the intent to defraud collectors and philatelists into
believing it was a real one. |
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FORGERY METHODS |
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With so many stamp collectors around, it’s no wonder some find
forging stamps to be a profitable business. Some stamps are in
high demand and if a successful forger were to be able to
reproduce it in such a way that it couldn’t be detectable, then
he’s in for a cash windfall. Many of your philatelists work at
studying forgeries and fakes to prevent this from happening. |
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ABOUT PHILATELY |
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Philately is a term applied to the study of and about postage
stamps. Not all collectors are Philatelists. Many people collect
just for the enjoyment of it without really knowing the history,
origin or value of a stamp. |
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MORE ABOUT PHILATELY |
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While Philately includes the study of both technical and topical
aspects of stamps, it can extend to much more than that. Some
concentrate their studies on the history of the postal system and
still others may study only “Cinderella” stamps, which are
basically stickers that look like stamps but aren’t. Some examples
of Cinderella stamps would be the Easter Seal stamps or Christmas
stamps. |
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HISTORY OF STAMP COLLECTING |
| The first stamp was issued in Britain back in the early 1800’s.
Sir Rowland Hill was the man who first came up with the idea of
using postage stamps to prepay for postal mail. It was called the
Penny Black, a picture of Queen Victoria. One had to use scissors
to cut each individual square from the sheet. The next country to
follow suit in using stamps to pay for postage was Brazil. |
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FAMOUS
STAMPS |
| Over the years a certain few stamps have emerged as the most
sought after objects by stamp collectors. They are… |
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FAMOUS
STAMPS 2
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| The Inverted Jenny. This
stamp may very well be the most prized find for philatelists. Due
to an increase in postage rates, the post office decided to rush
out a new stamp especially for this price increase. This was a
stamp that shows a Curtiss Jenny, which is the name of a biplane
used to transport the mail. |
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BEGINNING A STAMP COLLECTION |
| Many people consider stamp collecting a fun and interesting hobby.
There is some basic information for one to know and understand
before beginning a stamp collection. Understanding classification
of stamps is one way to begin. |
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STAMP
COLLECTING TIPS |
| Now that you’ve decided what type of stamps you want to collect,
here are some tips on the best way to keep these stamps in good
condition. You may end up with one that is worth a lot of money
someday and you’ll want it to be in the best possible condition. |
