A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
L: 1: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Luxembourg, such as Bridel, L-8133 Luxembourg. 2: Scott Catalogue number prefix for Local. 3: auction catalog abbreviation for Literature. 4: auction catalog abbreviation for currency, Lira; (Italy, San Marino, Turkey, Vatican), Lek (Albania), Leone (Sierra Leone), Lempira (Honduras), Leu (Moldavia, Romania), Lari (Georgia), Litas (Lithuania) Lilangeni (Swaziland). 5: Left (side). 6: with eagle and United States of America: Rhode Island Custom House revenue seal. 8: used as a pre-adhesive postmark from Lendinara (Venetian province); Lerida (Spain); Limoges (France); Lubline; Lyon, (France). 9. Colombia overprint for Lineas Aéreas Nacionales S.A., Lansa Airlines. June 22, 1950, merged with Avianca in 1952. 10. (in circle) Sunday delivery frank in use at Lombard St. (London) post office
$L: auction catalog abbreviation for Dollar, currency unit in Liberia
L A: 1: USPS abbreviation for Louisiana 2: label addressed
L.A.: Lunatic Asylum, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74
La Agüera: part of Spanish Sahara, Africa; 1920, June: first stamps used were Spanish Rio de Oro stamps overprinted La Agüera, 1920, Nov.: occupied by Spain, 1922: stamps of Spanish Sahara, 1924: incorporated into Spanish Sahara
Laasaland: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book, Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers
L A B: 1: Labrador, when used in a postmark. 2: with wings, emblem of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, air mail, Bolivia
Label: 1: a stamp-like adhesive that may be blank, attached to a commemorative or semi-postal stamp with description, used in stamp booklets, advertising labels attached to stamps, war propaganda labels, etc; by themselves, may be considered cinderellas. 2: Great Britain calls postage due stamps labels. 3: earliest name for postage stamp as shown in the margin of the first British sheets, but not used any longer. 4: bogus stamp of non-existent issue
Label address: address on a label that is affixed to a cover
Label cachet: design on a label that is affixed to a cover
Label, commemorative: carries description of stamp design
Label, dominical: Dominical label
Labeled stamps: stamps with labels attached
Label, fiscal: label valid for fiscal usage
La Belle France: cinderella issues from France used to promote tourism
Label, semi-postal: with description of charity
Label stain (LS): blemish from a peelable label on a cover
La Bisbal: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
Labrador USA Post Office: 1908; bogus stamps for Labrador, Canada
Labuan: island off northeast coast of Borneo; 1846: ceded to Britain by the Sultan of Brunei, 1848: became British Crown Colony, stamps of India used, 1867: stamps of Straits Settlements, 1879, May: first stamps issued; stamps of Hong Kong used until 1879, 1889: British North Borneo Company took over administration in 1889, joined the UPU, 1890, Jan.1; placed under North Borneo, 1894-1901: overprint on stamps of North Borneo by British North Borneo Company, 1896; first commemorative stamp, 1901: first postage due stamp, 1906, Oct.30: transferred to the Straits Settlements, used their stamps, 1941, Dec.-June 1945; Japanese-occupied, military administration, 1946, July 15: incorporated into North Borneo; 1963, Sept. 16: part of the Federation of Malaysia, changed its name to Sabah
L A C: Liga Antituberculosos Colombiana, Colombian Anti-Tuberculosis League
La Canea: overprint on stamps of Italy; Offices in Crete, 1900-14
La Canonja: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
La Carolina: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican,1937
La Charite sur Loire: French local provisional, 1944
Lacour’s Matches: Private die match proprietary stamps
Lacquer bars: lines of lacquer applied to the face side of sheets of stamps to make it difficult to remove postal cancellations fo reuse; used by Austria
La Cruz Roja Espanola: inscription for Spanish Red Cross semi-postal
La Cruz Roja Paraguay: inscription for Paraguay Red Cross semi-postal
Ladies envelope: small sized envelope with embossing or ornaments used by 19th century female writers
Lado: (Sp.) side
Ladrone Islands: Mariana Islands
Lady McLeod: 1: first British colonial issue, April 1847, depicting a steam ship on a local stamp of the British colony of Trinidad; carried mail between San Fernando and Port of Spain.. 2: label printed by Cadillac Local Post, 1967
Lady of Fatima: common design issued by Portugal and Colonies, 1948-49
LA+F: La Croix Freres (Fr.) watermark of French firm that made the paper
La Flota Santa Fe: local post, Colombia Express Companies
Lager-komitee: (Ger.) camp committee marking on German displaced persons camp
La Georgie: inscription on first issue of Georgia,1919 before becoming part of the Soviet Union
Lagos: West Africa; former British colony and protectorate, 1861: administered from Sierra Leone, British Crown Colony, 1874, June 10: issued first stamp, as part of the Gold Coast Colony, 1886: Protectorate of Lagos, 1889: Lagos and Royal Niger Company territories formed into the Northern and Southern Nigeria Protectorates, 1906, Feb. 16: Lagos and Southern Nigeria formed the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria
Lagos: 1: Nigeria, British 1874-1905, 2: Egypt, Interpostal Seals, 1868
Lagrange, Bouillon: invented Dextrin gum in 1804 by roasting starch; Dextrin
La Grange, Tex Paid 10: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
La Guai(y)ra: 1863: Blohm, Nolting & Co., a German shipping company carried mail between La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, St. Thomas (Danish Antilles) and Curazao (Curacao), 1864-73: non-governmental stamps issued, stamps with same face value but in different colors for sale in Venezuelan ports and in St. Thomas and the two currencies, both reals, had different values. 1865-80: stamps of Britain used at La Guaira, 1866-79: stamps of France used at La Guaira and Porto Caballo
La Guera: Aguera, La
Lahat: Sumatra local overprint for Palembang district, 1942-45, Japanese occupation
Lahishef: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1896-1904
Lahtis: (Fin.) local post for use on steamships carrying mail, Finland, 1890s
Laibach, Provinz: (Ger.) overprint on stamps of Italy, used by Germans for Province of Ljubljana, northeastern end of the Adriatic Sea, now central portion of Slovenia, 1941 – 43: first semi-postal, air mail, postage due stamps. 1943, Sept. 9, – 1945: German occupation, occupied by Italy; Ljubljana
Laid Bâtonné: paper which has the spaces between the watermarked filled with laid paper design
Laid paper: a paper showing lines of varying thickness when held to the light or put in watermark fluid
Laird, George W.: U.S. private die perfumery proprietary stamp
Laisa/Alsedzia/ 24-VI-41: overprint, Aledschen
Lajta bansag: unissued Western Hungary labels
Lake Lefroy: local post, Australia, 1897
La Legion des Volontaires Française: (Fr.) French Foreign Legion, military stamps issued by the German occupation forces in Russia, 1942
Les Lignes Aeriennes Latecoere: (Fr.) firm that flew mail from Natal to Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and Buenos Aires, 1925, became Aeropostale and then Air France
La Ley: The Law, Bolivia, 1878
L’Alsazia: (It.) Alsace
La Jonquera: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican,1937
LAJTA BANSAG: Western Hungary Unrecognized stamps
Lake City, Fla. Paid 10: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Lake Copper Syndicate: mining company paper money that looks like stamps
Lake Drive School for the Hearing-Impaired: Mountain Lakes, N.J.; issued self-adhesive stamps in American Sign Language with slogan cancel “Wee Deliver Stamp out Illiteracy.”
Lake Lefroy: local post, Western Australia, April 1897- June 1897; Australian Post office started an official mail service
La Legion des volontaires Française: (Fr.) French Foreign Legion, military stamps issued by the German occupation forces in Russia, 1942.La Linea de la Concepcion: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican and Nationalist, 1937
La Luisana: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937
Lambda philately: study and collecting of stamps related to gay and lesbians
Lampong: local overprint, Sumatra, 1942-45, Japanese occupation
Lamu: East Africa; German local post in Wituland. 1888, Nov. 22: German postal administration established, used stamps of Germany, 1890, May: IBEA Co. opened their own post office, 1891, March 31: German office closed
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway: British railway local post
Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway: British railway local post
Lancaster: Barr’s Penny Dispatch, 1855, US local post
Lancha Torpedera: (Sp.) torpedo boat; found on Civil War naval marks
Land: (Ger.) country
Landesname: (Ger.) country name
Landespost Berlin: name of the Berlin state or province postal administration
Landesverband: (Ger.) regional group of stamp clubs belonging to the German Stamp Collectors’ Association
Landfall of Columbus 1492/1942: overprint on Bahamas 1942 issue
Landkarte: (Ger.) map (thematic)
Landmarks: U.S. scenic series of airmail stamps changed the name to Landscapes in May 2001
Land-Post Porte-Marke: rural post-postage due, German States, Baden, 1862
L & S Post: Land and Sea Post, overprint on air mail stamps of Newfoundland, for regular use, 1931
Landscapes: Landmarks
Landstormen Frimarke: Military Reserves Stamp; 1916 overprint with value, surtax and three crowns for Sweden, semi-postal for funds to equip soldiers
Landstormfrimärke(n) : (Swed.) territorial defence stamp(s); valid only on domestic Mails
Landstormmærke(n): (Dan.) territorial defence stamp(s)
Landveg: (Ice.) marking indicating that sender asked that the parcel be carried by rural postman
Langnau: local airmail, Switzerland, 1913
Langton & Bro’s Express: private mail an parcel firm serviced Central California and Nevada; used corner cards; 1854
Langton & Co.: Humboldt Express
Langton & Co’s Express: bogus labels
Langton’s Pioneer Express: private mail firm serviced central Calif. And Nevada; used a label, 1863; bogus labels also exist
Language of stamps: angle of placement of stamp on a letter may indicate a message of intrigue or romance; for example, upside down indicates “Do you remember me?” while a stamp in the correct position means”Write soon.”
Lanjaron: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937
Lanman & Kemp: U.S. private die perfumery proprietary stamp
Lansa: Lineas Aereos Nacionales S.A., Colombia air mail issue. 1950, June 22-1952: private air firms under government contract had their own stamps to illustrate the airmail fee paid
Lansing Spider: US precanceled stamp for Lansing, Michigan showing the city as the hub of radiating railroad lines, 1902
Lantbrevbäraren: (Fin.) Finnish rural postal carrier, pre-1960s
Lao, Postes: Laos
Laos: located between Burma, China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia; 1949-pre: used stamps of French Indo-China, 1949, July 19: became independent, used stamps of French Indo-China until 1951, member of French Union, 1950s: stamps of India overprinted for use of Indian forces as part of an international commission, 1951, Nov.13: first commemorative issues, 1952, April 13: first air mail stamps, 1952, May 20: joined the UPU, first postage due stamps, 1953, July 14: first postage due stamps 1953, Oct. 22: fully independent, first semi-postal, air mail stamps, 1954-57: Indo-China, Kingdom, 1956, Dec. 7; left French Union, 1975, Dec. 3: became Laos People’s Democratic Republic
Laos, Royaume du: Laos
La Palma del Condado: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937-38
La Palmas: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937-38
Lapland: Punch magazine spoof issues for Finland
La Pobla de Montornes: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
L.A.R. (Libyan Arab Republic): Libya, 1969-77
Laree: unit of currency in the Maldive Islands
Larg: (Rom.) wide
Large Bank Notes: postage stamps produced from 1870-1888 by the National, Continental and American Bank Note Companies
Large die proof: produced to test the die prior to making the plate, usually on India paper about 2 x 3 inches
Large Queens of Canada: nickname based on saize of images of monarch as appeared on the stamps
Lari: currency unit in Georgia
La Riba: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican,1937
Larques Centenario de S. Antonio: 1895 overprint on stamps of Lourenco Marques for Saint Anthony of Padua
La-Sa: also known as Lhasa, Tibet, People’s Republic of China
Las Bela: India Feudatory State; 1897: first local stamps, 1907, Mar.: local stamps discontinued, used stamps of British India, uses stamps of Republic of India; now in Pakistan
La Selva del Camp: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
Laser era: US postcard from 1980s on, with vivid, lifelike illustrations
Las Malvinas son Argentinas: overprint on stamps of Argentina for Falkland Islands
Las Palmas: stamplike Spanish charity issue from Canary Islands
Lassithi: (Creta): Italian/Greek bilingual overprint on stamps of Rhodes, may be bogus
Last day: final day of a postal rate, post office operation, etc
Last day cancellation: the last day of use of a postmark or the last day cancel of a post office which is being closed
Last day cover: cover with postage stamps postmarked on the last day on which the stamps were valid for postage
Last Day of Sale: the last day that a stamp is on sale before being removed from sale
Lat: unit of currency in Latvia
Latachia: Egypt, Interpostal Seals, 1868-71
Latakia: city in Syrian district of Alaouites under French mandate; 1930: name changed to Latakia, 1931, July: first stamps, air mail, postage due, overprint “Lattaquie” on stamps of Syria 1937, Feb. 28: stamps withdrawn; became part of Syria. Alaquites, Alaouites French 1931-35 Latvia 2N1-2N36 West Russia
Late fee: postal marking or stamp indicating payment of a special fee for forwarding a mail piece after the regular mail has been closed; also known as supplementary mail
Lateral philately: the study and comparison of the development of postal services in different countries in a particular year or period
Lathework: the engine turning design on the sheet margins and elsewhere, such as with some of Canada’s Admiral series, prevented paper flutter which improved the quality of the stamp impression
Lathrop & Howe’s Express: private parcel firm serviced Boston and Auburndale, Mass., used a label, year unknown
Lathrop’s Albany Bank Express: S. Allen Taylor fantasy label
Latinsk: (Nor.) Latin (adj.)
Lato: (It.) side
La Torrasa: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican,1937
Lats: currency unit in Latvia
Lätt: (Swed.) light, slight
Lattaquie: (Fr.) 1931-33: overprint on stamps of Syria, for Latakia, 1937: became part of Syria
Latvia: Northern Europe, on Baltic Sea, formerly Russian areas of Kurland and Livonia; 1916-pre: part of Russia, Russian stamps, 1916-18: Control of German Eastern Military Command, 1918, Nov. 18: became republic, 1918, Dec.18: issued first stamps, sheets of 228, printed on backs of German military maps, 1919: STAMPS OF lATVIA OVERPRINTED “z.a.” (Zapadnaya Army) Western Army for Russian Occupation, 1919: German occupation, stamps of Germany handstamped “Libay,” 1919: November 18, first stmap of independence, 1920: first semi-postal stamp, 1920: named a republic, 1921, July 30: first air mail stamp, 1921, Oct.1: joined the UPU, 1939: Soviet occupation, 1940, June: annexed into the Soviet Union, Russian stamps inscribed “Latvijas PSR,” then regular Russian issues, 1941, June: German occupation, used Soviet stamps overprinted “Latvija 1941. I. VII,” 1941, Oct.: German stamps overprinted, “Ostland,” 1941, November: Ostland issue, 1944: became part of the Soviet Union, used stamps of Russia, 1945, April: stamps of Germany surcharged “Kurland,” 1945: German stamps replaced by stamps of Russia, 1991, August 11, independence from the Soviet Union, 1991, Sept. 6: became republic, 1992, June 17: rejoined the UPU; Kurland
Latvija, Latwija: inscription for Latvia, 1918-40, 1992
Latvija 1941.1.V11: 1941 overprint on stamps of Latvia while occupied by Germany July- Sept., 1941
Latvija-Afrika: 1933 overprint on Latvia air mail issue to finance a flight from Riga to Gambia, Africa; plane crashed in Germany
Latvija P.S.R.: inscription for Russian occupation of Latvia
Latwija Pasta (y): inscription for Latvia, 1919-21
Latvijas Aizsargi: 1931 surcharge on Latvian air mail issue for Latvian Home Guards
Laufen: local airmail, Switzerland, 1913
Laufzahl: (Ger.) number found in rotary printings on left sheet margin, usually from 1-11
Laundry tags: two-sided address cards for college students to mail dirty laundry home to be cleaned and returned
Laurania: fantasies created by John de Treville with countries taken from Winston Churchill’s book, Savrola
Lauranstein: fantasies created by John de Treville with countries taken from Winston Churchill’s book, Savrola
Laureated issue: stamp where the portrait has a laurel wreath around the head
Laurens Court House, S. C. Paid 5: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Laurentide Air Service: local, Canada, 1924
Lauritzen & Thaulow Local Post: Copenhagen – Lauritzen & Thaulow Local Post
Lauterbach: local post, Germany, 1945-48
Lavaca: typeset adhesive for Port Lavaca, Texas, Confederate States
Lavage (d’obliteration): (Fr.) cancellation removed
Lavanda: (It.) lavender (color)
La Vanguardia Liberal: local, Colombia Express Companies, 1934
La Vela: town in Venezuela had a private postal service operating by rail between Coro and La Vela about 1867; Correo de Coro a la Vela y viceversa
Lavendel: (Ger.) lavender (color)
Lawinenopfer 1954: Avalanche relief; overprint on stamps of Austria, Feb. 1954
Lawn crossing: the letter carrier’s practice of taking a shortcut across the customer’s lawn during delivery; it is permitted unless it is hazardous or the customer objects
Lawrence & Cohen: U.S. private die playing card stamp
Lawrence & Martin: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Law’s Express: private mail delivery firm serviced Boston and Portsmouth, Mass., used a label; 1864
Lay-Out lines: applied to help in guidance of transfer rolls
La Zubia: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937
LB: 1: Scott Catalogue Number prefix U.S. Carriers’ Semi-official. 2: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Local Semi-postal (Yugoslavia, Spain)
L B B Y: USPS abbreviation in address for lobby
L.B. Hagen Local Post: Drammen – I. B. Hagen Local Post
L C: 1: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Local Airmail (Spain). 2: topical association abbreviation for letter card. 3: (Fr.) lettres et cartes; letters and cards. 4: Large Crown (British watermark). 5: Lower Canada, when used in a pre-adhesive postmark
L. C.: 1: Legislative Council, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 2: Lettres et cartes postales (Fr.) letters and postal cards
L/CB: Lazzeretto Contumacia Brescello (It.) Cholera Infection Hospital, Brescello
L.C.O.: Letter Carrier’s Office, British, 1833-43
L.C.R.: Lancaster & Carlisle Railway, British
LD: USPS term for large date
LE: 1: Line Engraved (Victorian-era postage stamps, Great Britain). 2: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Local Special delivery (Spain, Yugoslavia). 3: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for U.S. Local Special Delivery
Leader strip: the unprinted initial portion of a coil strip
Lead seal: Seal, lead
League of Nations: first international organization to issue its own stamps; 1922-44: used stamps of Switzerland overprinted “Société des Nations” in 1922, 1932: first commemorative stamp, 1969, Oct.: stamps withdrawn after postal agreement between Switzerland and the United Nations
League of Nations: labels printed by the British Poster Stamp Association
Leap Day Cancel: postal cancel for Feb. 29 leap year date
Leather postcard: Heal Co., of New York produced a series of comic postcards made from leather in the early 1900s
Leavitt, Thomas and Martin: 1876; granted patent for “Improvement in Rotary Postmarking and Canceling Presses.”
L E B: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Local Semi-postal Special Delivery (Spanish Morocco)
Lebanon: on Mediterranean Sea north of Israel; 1883: stamps of Turkey, 1918: placed under French military administration, 1919-24: occupation issues with French stamps overprinted “T.E.O.”, “O.M.F.” or “Syrie-Grand Liban,” 1920: became autonomous, 1923, Sept. 29: Known as “Grand Liban,” Greater Lebanon, 1924, Jan. 1: issued its first commemorative, airmail, postage due stamps, “Grand Liban” overprint, 1926, May 23: became republic, issued its first semi-postal stamps, 1931, May 12: joined the UPU, 1941, Nov, 26: gained its independence on ending of French mandate, 1946, May 15: rejoined the UPU, 1975: civil war brought in Syrians, pre-war stamp stocks overprinted with security net designs. Beirut: British, French Russian Post Offices
Le Beau: bogus label, S. Allan Taylor
Lebedian: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1872-1909
Lebedin: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1884-1916
Lebhaft: (Ger.) bright color
Le bon pain: (Fr.) Belgian bakery label for discount on future purchases
Lecocq Press: French machine that printed stamps in a continuous strip, then the stamps were either cut up or issued in lengths after being rouletted, used in Peru
Lecrin: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
Leczyca: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20
Leda, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1850s, for middle Danube lines, built around 1850s
Leden: (Czech.) January
Ledger Dispatch: U.S. local post, Brooklyn, N. Y., 1882
Led Zeppelin – Touva: no currency unit, considered a cinderella, no postal validity
Lee & Osgood: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Leeds: (Leeds Educational Mail) local post, Great Britain, Benjamin Gott School, 1971
Leeds & Bradford: (Astron Emergency Postal Service) local post, Great Britain, 1971
Leeds, Robinson & Co.: Private die match proprietary stamps
Lee’s Dispatch: San Francisco local post
Leeward Islands: in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies; consisted of Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Montserrat, Nevis, Redonda, St. Kitts and Sombrero, 1890, Feb. 25: used a common key type design, Leeward Islands inscription, replacing individual issues, 1897, July 22: first commemorative stamp, 1899-pre: only stamps available in the Virgin Islands, 1903-pre: only stamps available in the other islands, 1903: individual islands each had their own stamp issue, except for Leeward Islands, 1940: Dominica left group to become one of the Windward Islands, 1956, July 1: Leeward Islands stamps withdrawn from use
Leewardöarna: (Swed.) the Leeward Islands
Leeward Øerne: (Dan.) Leeward Islands
Leewärts-Inseln: (Ger.) Leeward Islands
Le familistère: (Fr.) French grocery store trading stamp, 1980
Legacy Project: all-volunteer organization that encourages preservation of letters written during any military action
Légende: (Fr.) inscription printed on a stamp
Legends of Hollywood: series of commemorative US stamps depicting famous personalities
Legends of the West: a pane of U.S. stamps that was recalled because an incorrect picture was used for Bill Pickett with a number of recalled panes sold by public lottery; after a corrected version was printed and issued
Legionárské: (Czech.) refers to the Czechoslovakia 1919 regular semipostal issues sold sold for the benefit of Legionnaires’ orphans. seeCelistvosti – Legionárské
Legion des Volontaires Français: (Fr.) French Anti-Bolshevik Volunteer Legion, inscription on labels sold to raise funds for volunteers to fight with the Germans on the Eastern Front
Legiposta: (Hung,) airmail
Legiposta-boriték: (Hung.) air-letter, aerogram(me)
Legitime: (Fr.) genuine
Legs: the short rows of stamp perforation holes at right angles to the line
Lei: currency unit in Austria, Romania, Austrian Occupation, 1917-18
Leid: Leiden, the Netherlands, pre-adhesive postmark
Leigh & Palmer: Private die match proprietary stamps
Leigh, H.: Private die match proprietary stamps
Leihaberstuck: (Ger.): condition of perfection; a “connoisseur’s item.”
Leipzig: local post, Germany, 1: Courier, 1892-93. 2: Courier H. B. 1893-94. 3: Express-Packet-Verkehr/Leipziger Paketfahrt Albert Meyer, 1886-1922. 4: Leipziger Verkehrsanstalt, 1903-06. 5: Packet-Express-Verkehr der Mitglieder des Transport-Contor, 1887-1900. 6: Privat-Brief-Verkehr, 1886-87. 7: Stadtbriefbeförderung Lipsia, 1893-1900
Leitstrich: (Ger.) line in color of stamp on sheet margin for electronic positioning in printing and perforation process
Lek: currency unit in Albania
Lemnos: Aegean Sea off the east coast of Turkey; 1912, Oct. 7: captured by Greece from Turkey, 1912-13: stamps of Greece overprinted, now uses stamps of Greece
Lempira: currency unit in Honduras
Length Register Mark (LRM): all U.S. panes printed for booklet assembly on the Goebel machine contain two registry marks; cross and length; usually placed vertically above the right hand (or top) stamp on the pane
Lengyel: (Hung) Polish
Lengyelország: (Hung) Poland
Leningrad: formerly St. Petersburg, USSR
Lenoir, N.C. Paid 5: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Lente de aumento: (Sp.) magnifying glass
Lente d’ingrandimento: (It.) magnifying glass
Leon: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1936-38; De Leon
Leonard Express: private mail delivery firm serviced Boston, Aston and West Newton, Mass.; used labels; year unknown
Leone: currency unit in Sierra Leone
Leopards: Nyasaland Protectorate designs of 1934 and 1938
Lep: (Czech.) gum
Lepem: (Czech.) gum
Lepidlo: (Czech.) glue, adhesive, paste
Leporello: term for accordian-style folded picture postcards
Le Premier Jour Enveloppe: (Fr.) first day cover, a newly issued stamp affixed to an envelope and postmarked on the first day of sale at a city designated by the post office
Lepta: 1: currency unit in Greece. 2: currency unit in Crete
Lepu: (Czech.) gum;
Lerida: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1938
Lero(s): island off the coast of Turkey, now part of Greece and uses Greek stamps; 1912-pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912-22: overprint “Egeos” on stamps of Italy, followed by name of island, 1916: first stamps without overprints, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1920-32: overprint “Egeo” on stamps of Italy, followed by name of island, 1943, Sept.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by allied forces, 1945-47: stamps of Britain overprinted MEF (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1947: stamps of Greece overprinted SDD (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1947, summer: stamps of Greece used
Lesbos, island of: island in Aegean Sea off west coast of Turkey; 1912, Nov.-13: Greek occupation stamps issued, now Lesvos; also known as Mytilene, Mitilini, or Netelin
Leschelles: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book, Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers
Les Ecrehous: labels for an uninhabited reef off Jersey in the Channel Islands
Leskly: (Czech.) shiny, glittering
Les Minquiers: labels for an uninhabited reef off Jersey in the Channel Islands
Lesotho: enclave within Republic of South Africa; 1871-1910: part of the Cape Colony, used Cape of Good Hope stamps, 1883: Britain made it a Crown Colony named Basutoland, 1910-33: used stamps of the Union of South Africa, 1933, Dec. 1: stamps of Basutoland, 1966, Oct. 4: Basutoland became independent as Kingdom of Lesotho; first commemorative, overprint on stamps of Basutoland, 1966, Nov. 1: first postage due stamps, 1967, Sept. 6: joined the UPU
Lesser Antilles: Poltroon Island inscription, sent of three; unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001
Lesser Sundas Islands: islands stretching east from Bali; 1942-45: Japanese occupation; Japanese Naval Control Area local post
Les Timbres et Leurs Secrets: (Fr.) (Postage Stamps and Their Secrets) inscription on a French postcard shows a French stamp in different positions, each with its own meaning
Lesvos: Lesbos
Letadlem: (Czech.) via air mail
L’Etat de Katanga: inscription on stamps of Katanga; Congo unrecognized state
Letecka Posta: (Czech.) airmail, airpost
Letecka Známka: (Czech.) airmail stamp, airpost stamp
Letecky Dopis: (Czech.) airmail letter, airpost letter
Le timbre imperial: (Fr.) stamped paper revenue issue
Letiste: (Czech.) airport
Letland: (Dan., Nor.) Latvia
Lett: (Hung.) Latvian
Letter: a message directed to a specific person or an address and recorded in or on a tangible object
Lettera: (It.) letter
Lettera Aerea: (It.) official U.P.U. name for airletter sheet; lightweight paper with gummed flaps, usually with a stamp printed on them and carried by air
Lettera di primo giorno: (It.) first day cover
Lettera di primo volo: (It.) first flight cover
Lettera foto: (It.) special letter form used by British forces during WWII which were then microfilmed
Lettera per via Aerea: (It.) cover carried by air and postmarked at point of origin, departure or intermediate points on the route
Letteratura: (It.) literature
Letter card: postal stationery consisting of cards folded over and sealed on the outer edges by perforated strips, first letter card in Belgium
Letter Dispatch: Prince’s Letter Dispatch
Lettere in Ritardo: (It.) late fee, postal marking or stamp indicating payment of a special fee for forwarding a mail piece after the regular mail has been closed; also known as supplementary mail
Letter Express: 1: U.S. local post handstamp, San Francisco, Calif., 1865-66. 2: U.S. local post, Western N. Y., to Duluth, Minnesota, 1844
Letter package: UPU term for oversize letter mail fee to pay customs clearance
Letterpress: another name for typography or surface printing when a stamp is printed by letterpress, it implies that the work is done from line or halftone plates by ordinary typesetting methods of machinery and printing with only the raised part of the plate being inked
Letter sheet: postal stationery with a preprinted stamp or postage amount which is then folded and sealed to resemble a standard envelope; early usage did not have the preprinted stamp
Letticia: postmark from Colombia’s only port on the Amazon River
Lettisk: (Swed.) Latvian
Lettland: (Ger., Swed.) Latvia
Lettonia: (It.) Latvia
Lettonie: (Fr.) Latvia
Lettország: (Hung.) Latvia
Lettre Poste Aerienne: (Fr.) cover carried by air and postmarked at point of origin, departure or intermediate points on the route
Lettres de Voiture: (Fr.) freight bills; French Colonies revenue inscription
Lettres en retard (timbres pour): (Fr.) stamps issued for late mail, to be handled after normal post office hours
Lettres par avion: (Fr.) air mail postal stationary, air letter sheets
Letztstempel: (Ger.) latest postmark or marking of a given type
Leu (plural Lei): currency unit in Moldova, Romania
Leumb: Luxembourg pre-adhesive postmark
Leva: currency unit in Bulgaria
Levanger: Town in Nord-Trøndelag county, N central Norway, at the head of the Trondheim Fjord ca. 280 mile N of Oslo. Local post established by W. B. Bogh, with set-of-4 “Levanger / Bypost” lithographed local stamps depicting a heroic figure issued 20 July 1888. The post ceased operations effective 31 December 1888
Levanger Bypost: Norway local post, 1888
Levant: name applied to the Eastern Mediterranean and the coastal areas of the former Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. 1: overprint on stamps of Great Britain; Offices, Turkish Empire, 1905-06. 2: overprint on stamps of Poland for Offices, Turkish Empire, 1919-21. 3: overprint with “Poste Française,” Levant, French Offices in Turkey, 1902-23. 4: overprint on stamps of Italy, Offices in Turkey
Levant, Austrian: Austria, Levant
Levant, British: British Offices in the Turkish Empire:
Levante: (Ger.) the East, the Orient
Levante: Italy overprint, Offices in Turkish Empire
Levant; Free French Forces: 1942: first airmail stamp issued, 1943: first semi-postal stamp issued
Levant, French: French post offices in the Ottoman Empire; 1812-27: French post office opened in Constantinople, 1857-85: used stamps of France, 1885, Aug. 5: first stamps issued, 1885-1923: stamps of France with surcharge in Piastres denomination, used in French offices at Harar and Diredawa; Ethiopia; Port said and Djubouti stamps also used, 1893-1914: offices at Cavalle and Dedeagh issued, 1893-98: offices at Port Lagos, 1893-1902: offices at Vathy, 1921-1923, July: Constantinople and Smyrna reopened, French stamps surcharged in Turkish currency used, 1942-46: Levant issues by Free French Forces in the Middle East
Levant, Italian Post Offices: 1874: Italy issued stamps overprinted “Estero” and surcharged for use in the Levant
Levant, Polish: 1919: Polish stamps overprinted “Levant” and P.P.C. (Poste Polonaise Constantinople)
Levant, Romanian: 1896: Romanian stamps surcharged in paras for use Levant, 1919: “Posta Romana Constantinopol” overprint on stamps of Romania
Levant, Russian: 1863: issues especially designed for use in the Levant, 1900-14: stamps of Russia surcharged and overprinted with names of various cities; “Beyrouth,” “Constantinople,” “Dardanelles,” “Ierusalem,” “Jaffe,” “Kerassunde,” “Metelin,” “Mont Athos,” “Rizeh,” “Salonique,” “Smyrne,” and “Trebizonde.”
Levant, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1830s, for passenger and mail service between Constantinople and Smyrna
Levee: (Fr.) collection
Levél: (Hung,) letter (mail)
Levélbélyeg: (Hung.) (postage) stamp
Levéldarab : (Hung.) postage stamp(s) on piece of paper or envelope
Levélen (also küldemény): (Hung.) cover, a stamp on a cover
Leverkusen: German local post, 1918-23
Levy: (Czech.) left (side)
Levy Dolní Roh: (Czech.) left lower corner
Levy, Jn. J.: U.S. private die playing card stamp
Lewis & Clark Exposition: cinderella poster stamp promoting “The Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair” held June 1-Oct. 15, 1905
Lexington, Miss Paid 5: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Lexington, Va. Paid 10: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Lexnt.: Lexington, Kentucky, pre-adhesive postmark
Ley 8310: Law 8310, overprint on stamps of Peru, postal tax
Leyd: Leiden, The Netherlands, pre-adhesive postmark
Ley Nacional de Sello: National Stamp Law, Argentina, postal fiscal stamps
Lezmy: (Czech.) horizontal
Lezmy Hreben: (Czech.) horizontal comb perforation
Lgof: local post, Russian zemstvo, 1884-1902
LF: low fluorescence
L.F.: (Fr.) Lettere Française (French Mail) pre-adhesive postmark
L F: 1: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Department (local) registration. 2: auction catalog abbreviation for Franc
L.F.F.: Liberian Frontier Force; military mail overprint on 1916 issue of Liberia
L F F: overprint for Liberian Frontier Force used against a native uprising in 1915
L.G.: (Fr.) Lettere Genevoise (Geneva Mail) pre-adhesive postmark
L H: Lightly hinged
L H: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Department Acknowledgment of Receipt
Lhasa: also known as La-Sa, Tibet, People’s Republic of China
L.I.: Lettre Italienne (Fr.) letter from Italy
Lianos and Company: local, Constantinople, 1865-66
Liao Ning: Liao Ning Post, Northeast China, 1946-48
Liban: (Fr.) Lebanon
Libanaise, Republique: inscription/ overprint for Lebanon 1927-47
Libano: (Sp.) Lebanon
Libau: overprint on stamps of Germany for occupation of Latvia, 1919
Libbey & Co.’s City Post: U.S. local post handstamp, Boston, Mass., 1852
Libbey & Co’s Express: private mail delivery firm serviced Boston, Mass. and Bangor, Maine; used a label; 1848
Libbey’s Express: private mail delivery firm serviced Boston, and Bangor, Maine; used labels; 1853
Liberation: World War II; common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1954
Liberations: judicial release; French Colonies revenue inscription
Liberia: West coast of Africa; 1821: created by the National Colonization Society of America, 1824: capitol named Monrovia for US President James Monroe, 1847, July 26: proclaimed an independent republic, 1860: stamps first issued, 1879, April 1: joined the UPU, 1892: first official, postage due stamps, 1915: first semi-postal stamp, 1918: first commemorative stamp, 1936, Feb. 28: first air mail stamp
Libertad, 15 de Setiembre: Liberty, September 15, Guatamala, 1886-94
Libertad y Orden: Liberty and Order, Colombia
Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité: (Fr.) liberty, equality, fraternity; French revolutionists’ motto in 1789
Liberty line pair: coil pair from the U S Liberty stamp series of 1954
Libia: (Fr., Sp.) 1: Libya. 2: overprint on stamps of Italy for Libya, 1912-41
Libia-Colonie Italiane Poste: inscription on stamps of Libya
Library Mail Rate: special rate for mailing specific materials (books, videos, etc.) to or from non-profit organizations
Liberty Series: sheet stamps, coils an booklets series appearing in 1954; also known as the Sixth Bureau Issue
Liberty, Va. Paid 5 cts.: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Libra: (Sp.) official usage represents weight for a specific stamp
Libranza: (Sp.) money order
Libre: (Fr.) free
Libre: inscription Free French Administration, Syria, military air mail, 1942
Libreta: (Sp.) approval book
Libretto: (It.) booklet
Libretto di francobolli: (It.) stamp booklet that contains one or more panes of stamps
Libros de Comercio: (Sp.) commercial books; used on fiscals of 1852/1869
Libya: North African territory formerly part of the Ottoman Empire; Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cirenaica; 1911, Nov. 5: annexed to Italy, stamps of Italy overprinted “Bengasi,” and “Tripoli/ di Barberia,” for use in the two cities, 1912, Oct. 18: ceded to Italy, stamps of Italy overprinted “Libia,” 1915: first semi-postal; “Libia” overprint on stamps of Italy, 1921: Libia inscription used, 1923: stamps of Italy overprinted “Tripolitania,” 1923: stamps of Italy overprinted “Cirenaica,” and some inscribed “Cirenaica,” 1927, June 26: divided into two colonies, 1928: “Libia” overprint on stamps of Italy, 1934, Dec. 3: two colonies, Tripolitania and Cyrenaica united as colony of Libya, 1943-51: British occupation, British stamps overprinted “M.E.F.,” 1948: British stamps overprinted “B.M.A./Tripolitania,” 1950: stamps of Cyrenaica, 1951, Dec. 24: first stamps as Kingdom of Libya, 1952: stamps of Cyrenaica overprinted “Libya” and surcharged in three currencies for use in Tripolitania, Fezzan and Cyrenaica, first stamps of Libya, 1952, June 4: joined the UPU 1969: named Libyan Arab Republic, 1976: Libyan Arab People’s Republic
Libya, British Occupation: British Occupation of Libya
Libya; Fezzan: 1950: occupation semi-postal issue
Libya; Fezzan-Ghadmes: southern regions of former Italian colony of Libya; 1915: first semi-postal, postage due stamps, 1922: first commemorative stamp, 1928: first air mail stamp, 1942-43: occupied by Free French Forces, 1943: overprint on stamps of Libya, and Italy, first airmail and postage due stamps issued, 1946: pictorial definitives, 1948: stamps for Fezzan issued, 1949: stamps for Ghadames issued, 1950: first semi-postal stamp issued, 1951: stamps of Libya used, part of Libya, 1952: first official stamp,
Libya; Fezzan, Territoire Militaire du: 1948: first air post stamps issued, French Occupation, 1950: first postage due stamp issued
Libya, Ghadames: 1949: occupation stamps issued, 1949: occupation air post stamps issued
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Socialist People’s: Libya 1977
Libye: Libya
Libyen: (Swed.) Libya
Libyenne: (Fr.) Libyan
License stamps: stamp that indicates a license or royalty fee has been paid, may or my not be denominated; may be considered a cinderella, 1860-70
Lichaam en Geest: (Body and Soul) Donald Evans issue, Northern Europe
Lichtenstejnsko: (Czech.) Liechtenstein
Lichtenstejnsky: (Czech.) Lichtensteinian
Licitación: (Sp.) (auction) bid
Licitación mínima: (Sp.) minimum bid (auction)
Licitación sugerida: (Sp.) suggested bid (auction)
Lick and stick: term for stamps with adhesive requiring moisture application so that stamps adhere to the item being mailed
Lié: (Fr.) tied
Liechtenstein: located between Switzerland and Austria; 15th century: on mail route between Milan and Lindau, 1770: state post established in Tyrol and Vorarlburg, 1819-21: Austrian postal collecting office, 1850, June1-1912: stamps of Austria, 1866: became independent, 1912, Feb. 1-1918: Austrian postal administration, stamps of Austria, printed for Liechtenstein used until end of WW I, 1920, March 1: Austrian stamps invalid, 1920, July: first postage due stamp, 1921: post office administered by Switzerland, 1925, Oct. 5: first semi-postal stamp, 1930, Aug. 12: first air mail stamp, 1932: first official stamp, 1962, April 13: joined the UPU
Liegend: (Ger.) horizontal or sideways
Liegerland: bogus republic on western coast of New Vinland
Liegnitz: (Express Stadtbriefbeförderung) German local post, 1896-1900
Liestal: local airmail, Switzerland, 1913
Lietor: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
Lietuva, Lietuvos: (Lith.) Lithuania
Lietuva: overprint on stamps of Russia in 1919 for occupation of Lithuania
Lietuvos Pasta: Lithuania Post
Lieu de distination: (Fr.) place of destination
Life Insurance: inscription on stamps of New Zealand, postal use of the Government Life Insurance Department
Lift: to remove an adhesive from a cover or any other item
Liggende: (Nor.) horizontal
Lighter-than-air ( LTA): all air means of transportation including balloons and airships
Lightly canceled: used stamps canceled lightly but legibly
Lightly hinged (LH): unused with full gum original gum, showing some evidence of a previous hinge, which may be present in part or entirely removed
Lightning Del. Gosforth: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Lightning Del. Ripley: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Lignan: portion of plant cell wall used in paper production that reverts to its natural brown color upon exposure to light
Ligne: (Fr.) line
Ligne Coloniale: steamer run by Messageries Maritimes between Mauritius and Mozambique
Lignes Aerienne F.A.F.L.: Free French Administration in the Levant; overprint on stamps of Syria with Cross of Lorraine for military air mail, 1942
Lignes Aeriennes de la France Libre: inscription Free French Administration, Syria, military air mail, 1942
Lignieres de Touraine: French local provisional, 1944
Lihou: Great Britain local carriage label, 1966
Liknende: (Nor.) similar
Li-Kuta: unit of currency in Zaire
Lila: 1. (Ger., Sp., Swed.) lilac. 2. (Hung,) lilac, violet, purple
Lila-blåakt lila: (Swed.) lilac – bluish-lilac (color)
Lilangeni: currency unit in Swaziland
Lilaockra: (Swed.) lilac-ochre (color)
Lilas: (Fr.) lilac
Lila: (Rom.) lilac (color)
Lila-brun: (Rom.) lilac-brown (color)
Lila-rosu: (Rom.) lilac-red (color)
Li-Ling: central Chinese local post, Hupeh-Hunan, 1949
Lilla: (Dan., It., Nor.) lilac
Lillabrun: (Dan., Nor.) lilac-brown (color)
Lillagrå: (Dan., Nor.) lilac-gray (color)
Lillakarmin: (Dan., Nor.) lilac-carmine (color)
Lillaoker: (Nor.) lilac-ochre (color)
Lillaokker: (Dan.) lilac-ochre (color)
Lillapurpur: (Dan., Nor.) lilac-purple (color)
Lillard (J.B.) Express: used a label; may be a phantom issue
Lillarød: (Dan., Nor.) lilac-red (color)
Lillarosa: (Nor.) lilac-rose (color)
Lille: 1. French local provisional, 1944. 2. (Dan.) small
Lilleasia: (Nor.) Asia Minor
Lilliput Mail: children’s stamps; Toy stamps
Lima: capital of Peru; 1871: name appears and may be world’s first commemorative stamp, 1873: Lima inscription for local letter rate, 1881-89: Peru overprint on stamps of Chile, Chilean Occupation
Limbach: (Express-Packet-Verkehr) German local post, 1891
Limbagan-1593-1943: overprint on stamps of the Philippines, Japanese Occupation, 1943, commemorates 350th anniversary of the printing press
Lime House School: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Limestone Springs, S.C. 5: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Limitato: (It.) definitive
Limit Bids: maximum amount of money a bidder is willing to spend at any one specific auction
Limnos: Lemnos
Limpio: (Sp.) clean (postmark)
Linares: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
Lincoln, Abraham: postmaster at New Salem, Ill., May 7, 1833-May 30, 1836
Lincoln Isles: Donald Evans issue, capital is Moorestown
Lincoln Subscription: labels sold by Lincoln supporters, 1864
Lindbergh, Charles A.: flew inaugural flight of Contract Air Mail (CAM) Route 2, between St. Louis, Mo. and Chicago, Ill. 1926
Lindbergh Enero 1928: Lindberg 1928; overprint on stamps of Costa Rica for Lindbergh issue
Lindholm (Gus.) City Express: parcel delivery firm, serviced an unknown area; used a stamp, year unknown
Lindsay’s Mail and Express Delivery: 1879-82, local post at Huntington, Penna
Lineas Aerea Nacional: National Air Lines; inscription on stamps of Chile for air mail
Lineas Aereas del Estado: State Air Lines; inscription on stamps of Argentina for air mail
Lineas Aéreas Nacionales S.A.: Lanza
Lineas Cruzadas: (Sp.) crossed lines, watermark of the 1856 issue
Lineas de Fondo: (Sp.) background lines
Lineas onduladas: (Sp.) wavy lines, as in postmarks
Line block: block of stamps with either a horizontal or vertical printed line running between the rows of stamps; this line forms the guides for color registry, perforating or cutting of the full press run sheets
Line engraved: the process that ends up in a stamp design where the lines, dots and other areas of color show up in relief
Line gap: a colored line between a pair of coil stamps caused by a gap in the printing plate joint
Linen era: US postcards on high content rag paper that felt like “linen, issued between 1920 to 1960
Line pair (LP): a coil pair of stamps with a vertical printed ink line running between two stamps
Line perforation: perforation of a sheet stamp one line at a time in each direction, creates perforation at the intersection of the stamps that intersect; the two sets of perforations are not required to register at the corners of the stamps
Liner: coated paper used as self-adhesive stamps backing
Linerless: experimental form of a self-adhesive stamp that required no liner; the mint stamps were rolled upon each other similar to adhesive tape
Line roulette: slits appear to be a row of short dashes
Liner paper: Liner
Line stamp: rubber stamp used by railway mail clerks to indicate R.P.O., train number and date
Linguella: (It.) (Stamp) hinge
Linguellato: (It.) (Stamp) hinged
Linia Autorahti Bussfrakt: parcel post of Finland
Linienzahung: (Ger.) line perforation
Linietakning: (Dan.) line perforation, Perforering – Linie
Linjetandning: (Swed.) line perforation
Linn’s: Linn’s Stamp News / Linn’s Stamp Weekly
Lion: heraldic, crowned facing left; overprint on stamps of Eastern Rumelia for South Bulgaria
Lip: light impression of Plate No. (on U.S.A. Plate No. Blocks)
Lippman, Jacob & Bro.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Lipsia: German catalogue issued in Leipzig, ended when DDR ended
Lipso, Lisso: overprint on stamps of Italy for island of Lisso; Dodecanese Island, Aegean Sea; 1912-pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: overprint “Egeo” on stamps of Italy, followed by name of island, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1943, Sept.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by allied forces, 1945-47: stamps of Britain overprinted MEF (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1947: stamps of Greece overprinted SDD (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1947, summer: stamps of Greece used;
Liquidacion: (Sp.) settling of account
Liquor: federal license provisional revenue, Sep. 30, 1794-June 30, 1802; 1/1/1814-12/31/1817
Liquor still: federal license provisional revenue, Jan. 1, 1914-Dec. 31, 1917
Lira: currency unit in Italy, Austrian Offices in Lombardy-Veneti, Malta, Tukey
Lire: Italy overprint on stamps of Austria, currency for Austrian Occupation, 1918
Lire 1.20 di Corona: currency overprint on stamps of Italy for occupation of Dalmatia, special delivery
Liria: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
Lisboa: inscription on stamps of Portugal for Red Cross (1913) or franchise stamps (1903-38), for use in Lisbon
Lisbon-Rio de Janeiro Flight: common design on stamps of Portugal and Colonies, 1972
Lisse: (Fr.) smooth. Lista de precios: (Sp.) price list
Lisso: 1930 overprint on stamps of Italy used on the Dodecanese Island, Aegean Islands, now part of Greece,1912-40; Lipso
Listado: (Sp.) striped; laid, as in laid paper
Liste de pointage: (Fr.) checklist
Liste de prix: (Fr.) price list
Listinoi prezzi: (It.) price list
Listonos: (Czech.) mailman, postman
Listopad: (Czech.) November
Litas: currency unit in Lithuania, 1922-40
Litauen: (Ger., Nor., Swed.) Lithuania
Litauisk: (Nor., Swed..) Lithuanian
Literacy Fund: stamps issued to raise funds to combat illiteracy such as those issued in Haiti and Mexico
Literary Arts Series: US commemorative stamps honoring important American writers
Literatura: (Sp.) literature
Litevsky: (Czech.) Lithuanian
Lithauen: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Lithuania (adj.)
Lithauensk: (Dan.) Lithuanian (adj.)
Litauisk: (Nor., Swed..) Lithuanian
Litho: auction catalog abbreviation for lithography
Lithographié: (Fr.) lithography
Lithography: 1: a surface printing method where the image is photographically printed on a zinc or aluminum plate. 2: a method or printing stamps and cachets where the design is transferred from a smooth plate by selective inks which then wet only the design portion of the printing plate
Litholand: spoof from American Philatelist
Lithuania: Baltic Sea state; 1916-pre: part of Russia, Russian stamps, 1916-17: control of German Eastern Military Command, stamps of Germany overprinted Postgebiet Ob. Ost, for use in provinces of Estland, Kaunas, Kurland, Lifland, Suvalki, and Vilnius, 1918, Nov. 18: became independent, 1918, Dec. 27: became a republic, first stamps inscribed “Lietuvos,” 1920, Feb. 16: first commemorative stamp, inscribed “Lietuva,” 1921: first air mail stamp, 1922, Jan. 1: joined the UPU, 1924, Feb.: first semi-postal stamp, 1940, July 21: annexed into the Soviet Union, Soviet occupation overprinted “LTSR/1940 VII 21,” (Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic), 1941: German occupation, stamps of Russia overprinted “Vilnius,” German stamps overprinted “Ostland,” 1944: formed part of the Soviet Union, stamps of USSR used, 1990, March 11: declared its independence, 1992, Jan. 10: rejoined the UPU
Lithuania, Central: area between Lithuania, Russia and Poland; 1919, Jan. 5: Russian troops occupied Vilna, overprinted (100 skatiku=1 aukinsas) stamps of Russia, 1919, April 20: Polish forces under General Zeligowski occupied province and its capital, Vilnius, 1920, Oct. 20: stamps (100 fenigi=1 mark) issued after Polish Army seized Vilna, 1922, April 8: incorporated into Poland, 1939, Oct.: Russia returned area to Lithuania, 1940, Aug.: incorporated into the Soviet Union
Lithuanian Community: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Lithuania, South: 1919: stamps of Russia overprint/surcharge “Lietuva” for use in the Grodno District of South Lithuania
Litografie: (Rom.) lithography
Litorale Sloveno: (It.) Slovenian Coast
Lithuanie Centrale: (Fr.) Central Lithuania
Litterature: (Fr.) literature
Littlefield, Alvah: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Little Persian Rug: nickname for the $200 revenue stamps due to its intricate design
Lituania: (It., Sp.) Lithuania
Lituanicos Laimejimas Tegul Striprina Lietuvos Sunu Dvasia Naujiems Zygiams: Lithuania, May Lithuania’s Victory Inspire the Sons of Lithuania to New Ventures, 1933
Litva: (Czech.) Lithuania
Litva Centralni: (Czech.) Central Lithuania
Litvan: (Hung.) Lithuanian
Litvánia: (Hung.) Lithuania
Litwa: Lithuania. Litwa Srodkowa (ej): Central Lithuania, 1920-22
Liu-an: east Chinese local, 1949
Liverpool: (Liverpool Circular Delivery Co.), Great Britain, 1866
Liverpool to Dublin: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Livingston, Ala. Paid 5 Post Office: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Livingston (Wm. A.) & Co.: private mail delivery firm serviced New York City and eastern Penn.; used labels; year unknown
Livingston & Fargo’s Express: private mail deliver firm serviced major cities between upstate New York and St. Louis, Mo.; used labels; 1846-50
Livingston & Wells Express: private mail deliver firm serviced New York City and upstate New York; used labels; 1845
Livingston, Howard & Co’s Express: private mail deliver firm serviced eastern Penn.; used a label; year unknown
Livingston, Wells & Pomeroy’s Express: private mail deliver firm serviced upstate New York; used labels, 1844-45
Livlig: (Dan.) bright (as referencing the color of a postage stamp)
Livligblå: (Dan.) bright blue (color)
Livliggrøn: (Dan.) bright green (color)
Livliggrønblå: (Dan.) bright green-blue (color)
Livliggrøngul: (Dan.) bright green-yellow (color)
Livliggul: (Dan.) yellow (color)
Livliggulorange: (Dan.) bright yellow-orange(color)
Livliglilla: (Dan.) bright lilac(color)
Livligorangerød: (Dan.) bright orange-red (color)
Livligpurpur: (Dan.) bright purple (color)
Livligrød: (Dan.) bright red (color)
Livligrødorange: (Dan.) bright red-orange (color)
Livligrosa: (Dan.) bright rose (color)
Livligrosarød: (Dan.) bright rose-red (color)
Livligulgrøon: (Dan.) bright yellow-green (color)
Livligviolet: (Dan.) bright violet (color)
Livny: local post, Russian zemstvo, 1871-1903
Livonia: province of the Russian Empire became part of Latvia as Vidzeme; Wenden
Livre: (Fr.) book
Livreti: (Port.) stamp booklet that contains one or more panes of unused stamps
L J: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Local Postage Due (Saudi Arabia, etc.)
Ljubljana: (Slovene) Laibach (Ger.), Lubiana (It.), capital of Slovenia, Yugoslavia; 1941- 43: Italian occupation, 1941: stamps of Yugoslavia overprinted, “C. Ci.” (Commisariato Civile) and “R. Commissariato / Civile / Territori Sloveni / occupati / Lubiana,” (Royal Civil Commision’ Slovene occupied Territories), 1943 – 45: German occupation, 1944: stamps of Italy overprinted with a stylized eagle and inscribed, “Ljubljanska Pokrajina / Provinze Laibach,”semipostal, air mail, special delivery and postage due labels issued
Ljubljanska Pokrajina / Provinz Laibach: (Slo.) overprint on stamps of Italy for German occupation of Laibach / Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, 1944-45; Ljubljana
Ljusblå: (Swed.) light blue (color)
Ljusbrun: (Swed.) light brown (color)
Ljusgrå: (Swed.) light grey (color)
Ljusgrön: (Swed.) light green (color)
Ljusgrönt påtryck: (Swed.) light green surcharge
Ljust: (Swed.) light (as referencing the color of a postage stamp)
Ljust äpplegrön: (Swed.) light apple-green (color)
Ljust blåakt grön: (Swed.) light bluish-green (color)
Ljust blåakt grön – matt blåakt grön : (Swed.) light bluish-green – dull bluish-green (color)
Ljust blåviolett: (Swed.) light blue-violet (color)
Ljust gråblå: (Swed.) light grey-blue (color)
Ljust gulgrün: (Swed.) light yellow-green (color)
Ljust kastanjebrun: (Swed.) light chestnut brown, light maroon (color)
Ljust mattblå: (Swed.) light dull blue (color)
Ljust mjölklikblå: (Swed.) light milky blue (color)
Ljust mjölklikorange: (Swed.) light milky orange (color)
Ljust ockra: (Swed.) light ochre (color)
Ljust ockragul: (Swed.) light ochre-yellow (color)
Ljust orange: (Swed.) light orange (color)
Ljust orangegul: (Swed.) light orange-yellow (color)
Ljust orangeröd: (Swed.) light orange-red (color)
Ljust rosaakt rödbrun: (Swed.) light rose-tinged red-brown (color)
Ljust ultramarinakt blå: (Swed.) light ultramarinish-blue (color)
Ljust violett: (Swed.) light violet (color)
Ljust violettröd: (Swed.) light violet-red (color)
L K T: (with C, C/P) local issue for British port of Wei-Hai, Wei, China, Jan.-April 1891
L K U: latest known use
L L: lower left position for plate number blocks
L.L.: Legislative Library, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74
Llacova: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican,1937
Llegada: (Sp.) Arrival
Lleida: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
Llerena: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1936-37
L.L.L.R.: Georgia
Llorens: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
Lloyd’s List: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1984
Lloyd’s of London: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1986
LM: Leigh-Mardon Pty Ltd. (Australia)
L.M.: (It.) pre-adhesive postmark for 1: Lago Maggiore lake mail. 2: Lettera da Mare (sea mail)
“L” mail: May 14, 1873; experimental mail carried on New York City elevated train lines to test delivery times vs horse-drawn vehicles
L. Mc. L.: Lady McLeod, Trinidad, private issue for steamship, 1847
LM: The Lowe-Mardton Group
L.M.M.: abbreviation for Light Mounted Mint
L. Murcia: (Sp.) León Murcia pre-adhesive postmark
L N: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Occupation Postage (Italy)
L N C: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Occupation Airmail (Italy)
L N E: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Occupation Special Delivery (Italy)
L N O: (Sp.) Logroño, pre-adhesive postmark
L N Rioja, Lno Rioxa: (Sp.) Logroño Rioja pre-adhesive postmark
L O: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for U.S. Carriers’ Official and Local Official (Nicaragua)
Loadrunner’s Postal Sv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Loanda: also known as Luanda, Angola
Lobau: German local post, 1945-48
Lobby: the public area for conducting postal business in a post office
Local: 1: any private mail-carrying entity, many issued their own adhesives. 2: a postage stamp authorized for use within a limited territory or area
Local & Middlesbrough: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Local cancel: cancel applied by someone other than a government postal employee, usually refers to local post items
Local carriage label: local labels used by British offshore islands
Local collection box: a street letterbox where local mail can be deposited for local delivery with the local postmark
Locality covers: covers with postmarks of a specific state, country or city; usually used for the collection of such covers
Local letter: prior to 1863, local letters are those that were mailed and addressed locally, delivered by carrier service
Local Mail Calder Val.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Localnic: (Rom.) local
Local post: service performed by a non-official body and used to carry mail within a certain area
Local post stamp: inscription on a local post of England, with Royal Arms as the design
Local postage stamps: term used for Government local issues where the post office is operated by the government
Local post, earliest: Paris Petite Post, founded by Renouard de Villayer in 1653
Local precancel: stamp overprinted locally with name of city and state
Local prints: term refers to Confederate State stamps printed by Archer & Daly, Richmond
Local provisionals: stamps, surcharges, overprints or bisects, prepared in locality where they will be used, during temporary shortages vs produced by the central postal administration for the same reason
Local revenue stamps: issued to pay fees at the county, city or municipal level of government, may be used alone or with other revenue issues
Local Scooter Mail: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Local stamps: 1: stamps that pays postage within a certain area only, includes private issues or government produced; a regular postage stamps must be affixed to the mail pieces if it is to travel outside the local area. 2: some may be used for certain types of transport such as railway or rocket mail. 3: may be considered a cinderella. 4: inter-city services. 5: inscription on a local stamp of Thailand or Siam, pre-1883
Local-Taxe: inscription for Swiss cantonal stamp, 1843-46
Locaux: (Fr.) Local stamps
Loches: French provisional local post, 1944
Lockport Postmasters’ Provisional: stamp may have bene issued by the postmaster, Lockport, N.Y. to prepay postage
Lock seals: seals used by the IRS to ensure payment of fees at distilleries and warehouses through a specially constructed padlock containing the local seal
Locomotive: world’s first stamp to picture a locomotive is New Brunswick’s 1¢ value, (Sc. 6)
Locomotive Express Post: U.S. local post, about 1854
Locust campaign: with Arabic inscription on Trans-Jordan as a semi-postal
Locy: a system of postmark classification for U.S. Navy postmarks
Loddrett: (Nor.) vertical
Lodrät: (Swed.) vertical
Lodrät veck: (Swed.) vertical crease
Lodret: (Dan.) vertical
Lodret fold: (Dan.) vertical crease
Lodz Jewish mail: “Litzmannstadt, Judenpost,” 1944
Loeboeklinggau: Palembang, Sumatra local overprint, Japanese occupation, 1942-45
Loehr, John: Private die match proprietary stamps
Loehr, Joseph: Private die match proprietary stamps
L.O.F.: London-Orient Flight, overprint of stamps of Philippines, 1928
LOG.: Logistics
Logoro: (It.) worn
Logrono: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican and Nationalist, 1936-37
Lohjan Höyrypursi Oy: (Fin.) local post for use on steamships carrying mail, Finland, 1890s
Lohne: Oldenburg / Westfalen, German local post, 1945-48
Loja: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937
Loja Franca: overprint on stamps of Ecuador for province of Loja, 1902-03; control overprint; to prevent stolen stamps that may have been taken after a fire at Guayaquil, July 1902, from being used
Lokala expressbrev: (Swed.) local express letters
Lokala Expressposten: Hälsingborg – A. Bergqvist Lokala Expressposten
Lokala postförskottsbrev: (Swed.) local cash-on-delivery letters
Lokala postförskottstrycksaker: (Swed.) local cash-on-delivery printed matter
Lokalaufdruck: (Ger.) local overprint or surcharge
Lokalausgabe: (Ger.) local issue
Lokalbrev: inscription for local letter stamp; 1856-85, Stockholm, Sweden city postage
Lokalmärke: (Swed.) local stamp
Lokaloverstempel: (Dan.) local overprint, local surcharge, Distriktsovertryk, Lokalovertryk
Lokalovertryk: (Dan.) local overprint, local surcharge, Distriktsovertryk, Lokaloverstempel
Lokalpost: (Swed.) local post
Lokalpostsamlingar: (Swed.) local post collections
Lokaludgaver: (Dan.) local issues
Lokhvitza: local post, Russian zemstvo, 1899-1916
Lo-Kiang: southwest China local post, 1950
Lokoja: company handstamp used on stamps of Great Britain from 1895 to 1900 by the Royal Niger Company in Southern Nigeria
Lombardo-Veneto: (It.) Lombardy and Venetia
Lombardy-Venetia: former kingdom in what is now Italy, 1815: ceded to Austria by Napoleon; became linked with Venetia, 1850, June 1: Austrian kingdom, first stamps for Lombardy-Venetia, L-V required different stamps than Austria because their currency was based on silver while Austria based on paper currency, 1858: stamps inscribed “Soldi,” 1859, July 11: Lombardy united with Kingdom of Sardinia from France after war, 1860: became part of the Kingdom of Italy, 1866: Venetia annexed to Italy, Austrian Italy
Lombok: Japanese Naval Control Area, local overprint for Japanese occupation, 1942-45
London: 1: (Court Bureau) local post, 1890. 2: (London Circular Delivery Co.) local post, 1866-67. 3: (Poste haste) local post, 1972. 4: (W.E. Mail Service) Canada strike local bicycle delivery, 1968
London & Lough Swilly Railway: Ireland railway local post
London & Northwestern Railway Company: British railway local post
London & South Western Railway: British railway local post
London-Athens: (Hellenic Service) local strike post, Great Britain, 1971
London-Athens E.D.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London Bicycle Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London, Brighton & South Coast Railway: British railway local post
London, Chatham & Dover Railway: British railway local post
London-Continent-London: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London Delivery Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London Despatch: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London Express Benson: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London Express Purnell: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London Local Package S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London Mail: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London-New York Delivery: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London Parcel Delivery Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London Parcels Delivery Co.: local post, London, Great Britain, 1846
London Penny Post: formed by the General Post Office in London, Nov. 1682 to replace the Dockwra local post operation; Dockwra, William
London Post Delivery: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
London prints: 1: six distinct values of the A.M.G. issue for Germany printed in the U.S. and in London. 2: 1913-19; stamps of China printed by Waterlow & Sons, London. 3: Civil War, confederate five cents issue printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co, London for the Confederate States of America. 4: stamps printed in London from plates made by a London firm vs stamps printed locally from the same plates
London, Tilbury & South End Railway: British railway local post
London Views: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Long Island: Turkish island of Uzun, in inlet to port city of Smyrna, now Izmir; 1916, May 7-26: overprint “G.R.I. Long Island” on local revenue stamps of Turkey after British occupation forces; followed by typewritten stamps inscribed “G.R.I. Postage” in various typed ribbon colors, stamps initialed by the Civil Administrator
Long Island: banned Irish local post issue
Long Island Express: private railroad parcel firm that serviced stations along the Long Island Railroad; used labels; year unknown
Long Lawford Taxis: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Long-life vehicle (LLV): a USPS city delivery van with an aluminum body that can carry 1,000 pounds of cargo; designed to last 24 years
Longley & Co’s Express: private mail delivery firm serviced Boston, Mass., and Portland, Maine; used labels; 1848-50
London to London: local, Canada, 1927
Look coil: U.S. Liberty coil stamp printed in 1966 for use by Look magazine in a promotional campaign
Look Coil Reprint: special printing of the Look coil for collectors, with tagging by metal plates that glows duller and grainier under ultraviolet light than the original
Loomis Letter Express: U.S. local post, San Francisco, Calif., 1868
Loose ship letter: mail arriving in port without any cancel or mark of origin
L.O.P.P.: Liga Obrony Powietrznej Panstwa: (Pol.) National Air Defense League, label to finance development of aviation in Poland, 1922-late 1930s
Lora del Rio: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1936-38
Lorca: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937
Lørdag: (Dan., Nor.) Saturday
Lördag: (Swed.) Saturday
Lord Howe Island: island in the Tasman Sea; 1878: postmaster appointed; used stamps of Australia and New South Wales, c1930: “P.M.L.H.I.”(Postmaster Lord Howe Island) on Australian stamps, not recognized as valid by Australian postal authorities
Lorient: French local provisional issue, 1944
Lorient Fortress: “Festung Lorient,” German occupation, 1944
Lorraine: France, German occupation, 1940-41. Scott France N43-58
Los: (Ger.) (auction) lot
Losange: (Fr.) diamond, lozenge
Los Angeles Special Del’y Co.: private parcel delivery firm serviced the Los Angeles area; used a label; year unknown
Lösen: redemption money; inscription on stamps of Sweden for postage due, 1874-86
Lösenförsändelser: (Swed.) postage due covers
Lösenfrimärken: (Swed.) postage due stamps
Lo-shan: southwest China local post, 1949
Los Juegos Olimpicos: (Sp.) olympic games
Lo spazio: (It.) space (thematic)
Los Rios: Ecuador provincial control overprint, 1902-03
Lo Stato di Mangiare: Donald Evans fantasy; reissue of dirigible II Cetriolo, Evans, Donald
Lost Colony: labels produced in Germany as a protest against the Versailles Treaty where they had to give up colonies
Lost stamps: stamps which may have once existed, but are not now known
Lot: auction term for an item offered for sale with a number assigned by the auction firm
Lot description: auctioneer’s identification of the material being offered at auction
Lote: (Sp., Port.) (auction) lot
Lothian Strike Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Lothringen: overprint on stamps of Germany for occupation of Lorraine, 1940; France
Lotnicza: overprint and inscription on stamps of Poland for air mail
Lottery stamp: Norway, franking value of 50 ore, sold for 2.50 kroner, with each stamp bearing a serial number, June 1, 1964
Lotto: (It.) (auction) lot
Lotyssko: (Czech.) Latvia,
Lotyssky: (Czech.) Latvian
Loughbrough Liberal: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Louise, Ky.: Louisville, Kentucky pre-adhesive postmark
Louisiana: U.S. state May 1, 1812; created from Orleans territory
Louisiana, District of: U.S. territory Oct. 1, 1804; created from Louisiana Purchase, except Orleans territory
Louisiana, Territory of: U.S. territory July 4, 1805; formerly District of Louisiana
Louisville: Kentucky, carrier posts, (Wharton’s and Brown & McGill’s Posts), 1857-58. US 5LB
Loupe: (Fr.) magnifying glass
Lourenco Marques: Portuguese colony of Mozambique, now called Maputo; 1893, July 28: inscribed keytypes,1895: first commemorative stamp, 1918: first semi-postal stamp, 1920: replaced by stamps of Mozambique
Lourenco Marques: inscription on stamps of Portugal, newspaper stamps, July 28, 1893
Lovejoy & Co’s Express: private mail delivery firm serviced towns in Mass., used a label; year unknown
Lovejoy-Paul Express Co.: private mail delivery firm serviced Boston and surrounding area; used a label, 1890
Loveland: stamplike stickers produced for greeting card company for Valentine’s Day
Love stamps: a series of U.S. stamps initiated in 1973 used primarily for greetings cards, wedding invitations, etc
Love 1995: cherub design, U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value 32¢, issued Feb.1, 1995
Lovett’s Express: private mail and parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Newburyport, Mass., used labels, year unknown
Lovisa: (Fin.) local post for use on steamships carrying mail, Finland, 1890s
Lowenberg essays: Henry Lowenberg held patents for producing postage and revenue stamps that could not be re-used; National Bank Note Company’s designs of the 1861-66 series were printed on fragile transparent paper (goldbeater’s skin)
Lowe, Prof.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Lower Austria: German stamps overprinted diagonally in1945 “Osterreich” for use in Lower Austria, Vienna, and Burgenland
Lower case type: small letters as distinct from capital letters
Low gloss gum: water activated stamp adhesive that shows a moderate amount of light reflection aka Semi-gloss or Satin gum
Lowicz: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20
Low Transfer: a low positioned stamp on a strip, resulting from an improperly positioned transfer roller; aka a Dropped transfer
LOX: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for U.S. typeset post office seals
Loya: Spain, local charity label, 1930s
Loyal Mail: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Lo-Yang: central China local post; 1948
Loyers: tax on rents; French Colonies revenue inscription
Lozenge perforation: diamond-shaped perforation as used for the Bulgarian postage due stamp
Lozenges: diamond shaped imprints; may be used in border designs of aerograms
L P: 1: Latvija Pawalda overprint with St. Andrew’s cross on stamps of Russia for occupation of Mitau and Schaulen, Latvia, 1919. 2: Line pair. 3: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Local Newspaper (Yugoslavia). 4: London Philatelist
L.P.B.: Lettre Pays Bas (Dut.) letter from Belgium
L-Perforator: two rotary perforating machines working at right-angles to each other
LPO: Local Post Office
L’press: letterpress
L Q: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for Local Parcel Post (PRC)
L R: 1: lower right position for plate number blocks. 2: Letters Radius 1; pre-adhesive postmark
L.R.I.: Lettre du Royamme d’Italie (Fr.) letter from the Kingdom of Italy
LRM: Laurence R. Murray, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; Plate Finisher, Siderographer
L S: Letter Sheet
LSG: Leroy S. Goldsworthy, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; Plate Finisher, Siderographer
Lt.: Lat, currency unit in Latvia
L T: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Lithuania, such as A-1172 Wien
LT: 1: Lettera Toscana (It.) pre-adhesive postmark. 2: auction catalog abbreviation for left (side). 3. international postal code for Lithuania. 4. letter transit. 5. Land Titles, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 6. (in circle) Lettera Turchia (It.) on disinfected letter to Genoa
LTA: Lighter than air
LTSR/1940 VII 21: Lietuvos Tarbu Socialistine Respublika (Lith.) Lithuanian Socialistic Soviet Republic; overprint on stamps of Lithuania, Russian occupation
L U: Scott Catalogue number prefix for Local Envelope (U.S. Switzerland)
Luanda: also known as Loanda, Angola
Lubbenau: German Democratic republic local issue, 1946
Lubeck: German State, located on Baltic Sea; now in West Germany; 1859, Jan. 1: first stamps, 1868, Jan. 1: stamps of the North German Confederation, 1872: stamps of the German Empire
Lübeck: 1: German displaced persons camp, local post, 1945. 2: (Free City) German States, 1859-68. 3: Hansa, German local post, 1897-1900. 4: (Local-Verkehr) German local post, 1888-1890
Lubiana: (It.) capital of Slovenia, Yugoslavia; within Province of Ljubljana, aka Ljubljana (Slov.), Laibach (Ger.); 1941: Italy overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia, Italian occupation of Ljubljana; Ljubljanska
Lublin, City of: Polish city; WW I: Austrian-Hungarian forces occupation, 1918: city in new state of Poland, 1918: stamps issued prior to release of Polish stamps, 1939: occupied by Germans, 1944: occupied by Soviet Union
Lubny: local post, Russian zemstvo, 1879-1903
Lubomi: Polish local post
Lucconia, Republic: bogus issue
Lucembursko: (Czech.) Luxembourg
Lucembursky: (Czech.) Luxembourgian
Lucent, Royal Kingdom of: prison artist stamp
Lucerne: also known as Luzern, Switzerland
Lucha Contra el Cancer: Fight Against Cancer; overprint and inscription on stamps of Panama for semi-postal
Luchtposte Poste Aerienne: overprint / inscription on stamps of Belgium and colonies for air mail and air mail semipostal stamps.l
Luchtpostzegel: inscription on 1933 stamp of Netherlands for air mail
Luckenfuller: (Ger.) space filler
Ludiente: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican,1937
Ludwigshafen: (Privat-Stadtpost) German local post, 1895-98
Luebeck: German State, 1863-67
Lufkin’s Express: private mail delivery firm serviced Boston and surrounding towns; used a label; year unknown
Luftfartyg: (Swed.) aircraft, airplane
Luftfeldpost: inscription for Germany military air mail, 1942-43
Lufthavn: (Dan., Nor.) airport
Luftpost: (Dan., Ger., Nor., Swed.) 1: airmail. 2: the carriage of mail by air. 3: Danzig, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Saar, Switzerland air mail issue
Luftpostbrev: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) airmail letters
Luftpostbrief: (Ger.) official U.P.U. name for airletter sheet; lightweight paper with gummed flaps, usually with a stamp printed on them and carried by air
Luftpostmarken: (Ger.) air mail, cancel
Luftpostphilatelie: (Ger.) aerophilately
Luftputefartøypost: (Nor.) hovercraft mail
Luftschiff: (Ger.) airship, dirigible blimp
Luga: local post, Russian zemstvo, 1869-1918
Lugano: local airmail, Switzerland, 1913
Lugo: 1: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937-38. 2: (Sp.) a superb item
Lugpost: inscription on stamps of South Africa, South West Africa for air mail
Lu-kiang: east China local post, 1949
Luków: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20
Luluabourg: now Kananga
Luma: currency unit in Armenia
Luminescence: a coating applied to stamps that emits a glow when viewed with an ultraviolet lamp
Luminescent: condition of a stamp which has been treated with chemicals which are sensitive to, and glow when exposed to ultraviolet light
Luminescent indicia detector (LID): a device on the facer-canceler that detects luminescent material in the ink on postage stamps and meter stamps, permits automated facing and canceling of mail
Luminescent tagging: application of a substance that phosphoresces when put in front of an ultraviolet light
Lumogen: (Ger.) German term for luminescent coating and inks
Luna: (Rom.) month
Lunar New Year: series of 12 US stamps depicting the Chinese New Year, first stamp issued in 1992
Lundy: Great Britain local carriage label, 1929 to current
L U P: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for U.S. Local Wrapper
Lupa: (Sp.) magnifying glass
Lupenrand: (Ger.) very close margin
Luposta, Luftpostausstellung: (Ger.) airmail exhibition
Lu-shun: China; formerly Port Arthur; overprinted stamps of Japan and Manchukuo; China, Regional Issues
Lussemburgo: (It., Sp.) Luxembourg
Lu-Ta (Lien): formerly Dairen, People’s Republic of China
Lutjenburg: German local post, 1945-48
Luxembourg: located on borders of France, Belgium, and Germany; 1852, Sept. 15: first stamps, centimes in Belgian currency, groschen in Prussian currency, 1867: became an independent grand duchy, 1875: first official stamp, 1875, July 1: joined the UPU, 1907: first postage due stamp, 1914-1918: occupied by Germany, 1921: first commemorative, 1921, Aug. 2: first semi-postal stamp, 1931: first air mail stamp, 1940, Oct. 1: German occupation, stamps of Germany overprinted “Luxemburg,” 1940, Dec.: stamps of Luxembourg overprinted in German currency, 1941, May: incorporated into German province of Moselland, 1942, Jan.: stamps of Germany used, 1944, Nov. 6: stamps of Luxembourg reissued in Belgian currency, 2002: stamps denominated in Luxembourg francs valid through June 30, 2002
Luxor: Egypt, Interpostal Seals, 1872-84
Luxustück: (Ger.) suberb (condition)
Luzern: also known as Lucerne, Switzerland
LV: international postal code for Latvia
L V: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Latvia, such as LV-1039
L.V.: 1: Vaud mail, Switzerland, pre-adhesive postmark. 2: auction catalog abbreviation for Lev, currency unit in Bulgaria
Lvél: (Hung,) letter (mail)
L.V.F.: (Fr.) Légion des Volontaires Français Legion of Volunteers (against Bolshevism)
LVOV: formerly Lemberg (Ger.), Lwow (Pol.)
Lweys: currency unit in Angola
L X: Scott Catalogue Number prefix for City Postage (Colombia, Sweden)
Lyao-Tung: eastern China maritime province, main post office was Port Arthur; 1895-1905: stamps of Russia, 1905-45: stamps of Japan, 1945-1955, May 26: leased to Russia, 1946, March 15: stamps of Japan overprinted, 1950: used stamps of Chinese People’s Republic
Lybbria: fantasy issue created by Stamps Magazine
Lydenburg, Town of: located in Transvaal, Republic of South Africa (Transvaal); 1900, Sept. 6: stamps of South Africa overprinted “V.R.I.” during second British occupation
Lykkebrevet: (Nor.) “good luck” letter. 1964 lottery ticket issued by Norway to support refugees which included a stamp valid for domestic potage; not Scott listed
Lymington Postal Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Lynchburg, Va. Paid 5: Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Lyngby-Naerum Baner: local, Denmark railway parcel
Lyon: France, liberation overprint, 1945
Lyon Manufg. Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Lys: 1. (Dan., Nor.) bright color
Lysæblegrøn: (Dan.) light apple-green (color)
Lysblå: (Nor.) light blue (color)
Lysbrun: (Nor.) light brown (color)
Lysbrunkarmin: (Nor.) light brown-carmine (color)
Lyseblå: (Dan.) light blue (color)
Lyseblåfiolett: (Dan., Nor.) light blue-violet (color)
Lyseblåviolet: (Dan.) light blue-violet (color)
Lysebrun: (Dan.) light brown (color)
Lysefiolett: (Nor.) light violet (color)
Lysefiolettrød: (Nor.) light violet-red (color)
Lysegrå: (Dan.) light grey (color)
Lysegrøn: (Dan.) light green (color)
Lysegrønn: (Dan., Nor.) light green (color)
Lysegul: (Dan., Nor.) light yellow (color)
Lysegulbrun: (Dan., Nor.) light yellow-brown (color)
Lysegulgrøn: (Dan.) light yellow-green (color)
Lysegulgrønn: (Nor.) light yellow-green (color)
Lysekastanniebrun: (Dan., Nor.) light chestnut brown (color)
Lysekil Lokalpost: (Swed.) Swedish town local post
Lysemælkeblå: (Dan.) light milky-blue (color)
Lysemelkeblå: (Nor.) light milky-blue (color)
Lysemelkoransje: (Nor.) light milky-orange (color)
Lysemyrtegrøn: (Dan.) light myrtle-green (color)
Lysemyrtegrønn: (Nor.) light myrtle-green (color)
Lysende (Nor.) bright (as referencing the color of a postage stamp)
Lysende Blå (Nor.) bright blue
Lyseplegrønn: (Nor.) light apple-green (color)
Lysepurpur: (Dan., Nor.) light purple (color)
Lysepurpurrød: (Dan., Nor.) light purple-red (color)
Lyserosa: (Dan.) light rose, pink (color)
Lyserosarød: (Dan., Nor.) light rose-red (color)
Lysgrå: (Dan,. Nor.) light grey (color)
Lysgrønnblå: (Nor.) light green-blue (color)
Lysgrønnoliven: (Nor.) light green-olive (color)
Lyslilla: (Dan., Nor.) light violet (color)
Lyslillarød: (Dan., Nor.) light lilac-red (color)
Lysoker: (Nor.) light ochre (color)
Lysokergul: (Nor.) light ochre-yellow (color)
Lysokker: (Dan.) light ochre (color)
Lysokkergul: (Dan.) light ochre-yellow (color)
Lysolivenbrun: (Nor.) pale olive-brown, light olive-brown (color)
Lysolivengrønn: (Nor.) pale olive-green, light olive-green (color)
Lysømfintlig: (Nor.) photosensitive, sensitive to light
Lysorange: (Dan.) light orange (color)
Lysorangerød: (Dan.) light orange-red (color)
Lysoransje: (Nor.) light orange (color)
Lysoransjerød: (Nor.) light orange-red (color)
Lysrosa: (Nor.) light rose (color)
Lysultramarin (Nor.) light ultramarine (color)
Lysviolet: (Dan.) light violet (color)
Lysvioletrød: (Dan.) light violet-red (color)
L.Z.: Zurich Mail, Switzerland pre-adhesive postmark.