0_Wizard
Stamp collecting is a really good hobby. There's also Philately which is the study of stamps.
It is related to philately which is the study of stamps.
chosen_Stamp_collecting_0
Stamp collecting
chosen_topic_0_Stamp_collecting
Stamp collecting
Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is related to philately which is the study of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth century with the rapid growth of the postal service. Stamp collecting proved to be an almost perfect hobby for collectors because there was a never ending stream of new stamps as each country sought to advertise its distinctiveness through its stamps. Stamp collecting is generally accepted as one of the areas that make up the wider subject of philately, which is the study of stamps. A philatelist may, but does not have to, collect stamps.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are printed on special custom-made paper, show a national designation and a denomination (value) on the front, and have an adhesive gum on the back or are self-adhesive. Postage stamps are purchased from a postal administration (post office) or other authorized vendor, and are used to pay for the costs involved in moving mail, as well as other business necessities such as insurance and registration. They are sometimes a source of net profit to the issuing agency, especially when sold to collectors who will not actually use them for postage.
Philately
Philately ( ) is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. It also refers to the collection, appreciation and research activities on stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps. For instance, the stamps being studied may be very rare, or reside only in museums. The word "philately" is the English version of the French word "philatélie", coined by Georges Herpin in 1864. Herpin stated that stamps had been collected and studied for the previous six or seven years and a better name was required for the new hobby than "timbromanie", which was disliked.
Fred Melville
Frederick John Melville (25 February 1882 – 12 January 1940) was a British philatelist, prolific philatelic author and founder of "The Junior Philatelic Society". He was also a founder in 1907 of the Philatelic Literature Society. Melville is a member of the American Philatelic Society's Hall of Fame and was a signatory to "The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists" in 1921. Melville was born in Edinburgh to Thomas J. Melville and Annie Melville but moved to London at the age of two when his father, who was a journalist, became the House of Commons correspondent for The Scotsman. Fred had brothers Cecil Balfour, Thomas B. and William.
Philatelic fakes and forgeries
In general, philatelic fakes and forgeries refers to labels that look like postage stamps but are not. Most have been produced to deceive or defraud. Learning to identify these can be a challenging branch of philately. To a large extent the definitions below are consistent with those given in the introduction to various recent editions of the "Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue". "We use the term ""forgery"" to indicate stamps produced to defraud collectors (properly known as forgeries) and to defraud stamp-issuing governments (properly known as counterfeits). ""Fake"" is used to indicate the alteration of a genuine stamp to make it appear as something else.
Index of philatelic articles
This is a list of philatelic topics. Acknowledgement of receipt – Adhesive (stamp gum) – Admirals – Aerogram – Aerophilately – Affixing machine – Airmail – Airmail etiquette – Airmail stamp – Alexandria "Blue Boy" Postmaster's Provisional – Arrow block – Asian philately – Astrophilately – Auction (Philatelic) – Asian Pacific Postal Union  Balloon mail – Bicycle mail – Bisect – Bogus postal markings – Bogus stamp issue – Booklet – British Guiana 1c magenta – Bulk mail  Cachet – Camel mail – Cancellation – Cancelled to order – Caribou mail – Carrier's stamp – Censored mail – Center line block – Certified mail – Charity stamp – Chinese new year stamps – Christmas seal – Christmas stamp – Cigarette tax stamp – Cinderella stamp – Circular delivery mail – Classic stamp – Coil stamp - Coil waste – Color guide – Color trial – Combination cover – Commemorative issue – Commemorative stamp – Concentration camp mail – Control mark – Counterfeit stamps – Courier mail – Cover – Crash cover – Crown Agents Philatelic and Security Printing Archive – Cut square  Damaged mail – Dead letter mail – Definitive issue – Definitive series – Delayed mail – Design error – Die proof – Diplomatic pouch mail – Dirigible mail – Disinfected mail – Dog mail – Dogsled mail – Dummy stamp  Earliest known use (EKU) – Embossing – Engraver's mark – Engraving – Entire – Envelope – Errors and varieties – Errors, freaks, and oddities (EFO) – Essay – Expert – Europa postage stamp – Expertization – Express company – Express mail  Famous stamps – Fancy cancel – Favor cancel – Favor sheet – Fee paid mail – Field post office – First day ceremony – First day cover – First day of issue – First flight cover – First issue – Fiscal cancel – Fiscal issue – Flat plate press – Floor sweepings – Forerunner – Forged stamps – Forwarding agent – Fractional currency – Franchise stamp – Franking privilege – Free frank – Fumigated mail  Graphite lined stamp – Grill – Guide line – Guide line pair – Gum – Gutter block – Gutter pair  Handstruck stamp – Health stamp – Highway post office – History of philately – Hotel post – Hovercraft mail  Illegal stamps – Illustration law – Imitation stamp – Imperforate – Imprint block – Imprinted stamp – Postage stamp ink – Inscription – Inscription block – Institutional collection – Insured mail – International mail – International reply coupon – Inverted Jenny – Inverted Swan – Philatelic investment – Irradiated mail – Interrupted mail - Italian Philatelic Press Association  James Chalmers – Joint issue – Joint line – Joint line pair  Killer – Kiloware  Label – Late fee stamp – Letter carrier – Letterpress – Letter sheet – Line pair – Linn's Stamp News – List of entities that have issued postage stamps – List of philatelic topics (deliberate self-link) – List of philatelists – List of notable postage stamps – List of stamp catalogues – List of stamp collectors – List of stamp dealers – List of United States airmail stamps – Lithography – Local post – Luminescent issue  Mail delivery by animal – Mail fraud – Mail robbery – Mailman – Marcophily – Marginal marking – Marine insurance stamp – Maritime mail – Maximaphily – Maximum Card – Metered mail – Michel catalog – Military mail – Millennium stamp – Miniature sheet – Minipack – Mixed franking – Mobile post office – Money order – Mr. Zip  Nassau Street (Manhattan) – Naval cover – Naval mail – Navigation and Commerce issue – New issue – Newspaper stamp – Newspaper wrapper – Nicholas F. Seebeck  Occupation stamp – Offices abroad – Official mail – Offset printing – Overprint  Packet letter – Packet mark – Postage stamp paper – Paquebot – Parcel post – Paste-up pair – Penalty mail – Pen cancel – Penny post – Perfin – Perforation - Perforation gauge – Permit mail – Phantom issue – Philatelic agency – Philatelic cover – Philatelic literature – Philatelic museums – Philately – PHQ Cards – Picture post card – Pigeon mail – Pillar box – Plate block – Plate marking – Plate number coil – Printing plate – Plating – Plebiscite issue – Pneumatic mail – Postage due – Postage stamp booklet – Postage stamp color – Postage stamp reuse – Postage stamp separation – Postal card – Postal convention – Postal history – Postal laws and regulations – Postal marking – Postal route – Postal savings – Postal slogan – Postal stationery – Postal tax – Postal treaty – Postcard – Post office – Post Office Cards – Post Office circulars – Post road – Precancel – Presentation album – Presentation book – Price list – Postage stamp printing – Postal relation – Prisoner-of-war mail – Private cancellation – Private carrier – Private overprint – Stamp proof – Provisional stamp  Railway post office –  – Ration stamp – Receiving mark – Red Cross label – Registered mail – Regummed stamp – Reissue – Reprint – Remainder – Reperforation – Reply card – Reply coupon – Revenue cancellation – Revenue stamp – Rocket mail – Rotary press – Rouletting – Rowland Hill  Savings issue – Scott catalog – Se-tenant – Semi-official – Semi-postal – Separation – Siege mail - Siderography – Slogan cancellation – Socked on the nose (SON) – Souvenir card – Souvenir sheet – Space cover – Space mail – Special delivery – Special handling – Specimen stamp – Stamp album – Stamp catalog – Stamp collecting – Stamp condition – Stamp design – Stamp exhibition – Stamp finder – Stamp gum – Stamp hinge – Stamp mounting – Stamp separation – Stanley Gibbons – Steamship issue – Streetcar mail – Strike mail – Study circle – Surcharge  Tax stamp – Telegraph stamp – Test stamp – Tete-beche – Thematic collecting – Tin Can Mail – Topical collecting – Training stamp – Transatlantic mail – Transoceanic mail – Treaty port – Treskilling Yellow – Triptych  Unaccepted design – Undeliverable mail – Undesirable issue – Uniform Fourpenny Post – Uniform Penny Post – Universal Postal Union – Untagged – Used abroad  Valentine cover – Varnish bars – Stamp vending machine – View card  Want list – War cover – War issue – War savings issue – War tax stamp – Watermark – Wrapper (philately) – Wreck cover  Yvert catalog  Z Grill – Zeppelin mail – Zip block
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 geese. It is also used to gain entrance to National Wildlife Refuges that normally charge for admission. It is widely seen as a collectable and a means to raise funds for wetland conservation, with 98% of the proceeds of each sale going to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. President Herbert Hoover signed the Migratory Bird Conservation Act in 1929 to authorize the acquisition and preservation of wetlands as waterfowl habitat.