Glossary – P

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

P: 1: Scott Catalog number prefix for Newspaper. 2: proof. 3: auction term for Poor quality. 4: international postal code for Portugal. 5: pre-adhesive postmark; Paris (France), Pennsylvania (USA), Philadelphia, (Penn.) Poland, Prague (Bohemia), 6: (With no country name, with value and Queen’s cameo) Great Britain. 7: with eagle and United States of America: Kentucky Custom House revenue, seal. 8: perforation for Canal Zone on U.S. stamps, perforator was formally a Panama Railroad perforator with “rPr” modified to a “P.” 9: Plattendruck: (Ger.) flat plate printing 10: papier (Ger.) paper 11: P, Pt, Pta, Ptas, Pts abbreviations for Peseta(s).12: (Ger.) Pfennig, unit of currency. 13: Pula: currency unit in Botswana 14: Punt: currency unit in Ireland 15: Peso, currency unit in Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Dominican republic, Mexico, Philippines, Uruguay. 16: The Philatelist (Great Britain). 17: (With star and crescent in circle) Straits Settlements, Malaya overprint for Perak. 18: with Arabic between; overprint on British stamps for official. 19: with crescent and star in oval, overprint on Straits for Perak. 20: Police, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 21: Colombia-Scadta consular overprint for being sold in Panama, 1921-23. 22. in oval, paid (British, Ger.). 23. Preussen; found on letters from Russia to France, followed by a number which refers to the frontier office, 1830-69. 24. Ashton-Potter prefix used in front of the plate number in its stamp production. 25. in a box, plate block
(P), PH, Photo: auction term that a lot or portion of a lot is photographed
P (in a box): auction abbreviation for plate block
P.A.: Protector of Aborigines, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74
Pa: 1: Padova (Italy), Pennsylvania (USA) pre-adhesive postmark. 2: para, currency unit in Turkey and Eastern Europe
På: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) ion
PA: 1: USPS abbreviation for Pennsylvania. 2: pencil addressed. 3: Postamt (Ger.) post office
PAA: Pan American Airways (USA)
Pa’anga: currency unit in Tonga
Paar: (Dut., Ger.) two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated, pair
På bagsiden: (Dan.) on the reverse
Pabay: Great Britain local post carriage label, Priest Island, Scotland,1962
Pabellon Postal: (Sp.) postal sorting room; on postmarks of Alicante used at the Madrid (M.Z.A.) railway station
Pacchi postali: (It.) inscription; 1: parcel post, postal package; Italy. 2: (With “Sul Bolletti no Sull Ricevuta”) Italy. 3: (With “Bolleta Ricevuta”) San Marino. 4: (With star and crescent) Somalia
Pacco: (It.) package
Pacem in Terris: (Latin) Peace on Earth inscription on 1964 stamp of Canada
Pachuca: district in Mexico, overprint, 1856-1883
Pacific ’97: international stamp exhibition held in San Francisco, 1997
Pacific Express Co.: private mail and parcel delivery firm serviced area west of the Mississippi River; used corner card, complimentary franks and passes, labels, and a range of stamps; 1879-1911
Pacific mailboats: 1864: French line Messageries Maritimes operated in the Indian Ocean, 1867, Jan.1: Pacific Mail Steam Navigation Company (PMSNC) made first voyage from San Francisco to Hong Kong via Hawaii, following ship cancels have been recorded: America, Arizona, China, Great Republic, Henry Chauncey, Japan, Ocean Queen, Rising Star, Constitution, Golden City, Montana, Sacramento, Alaska, Colorado, Costa Rica, and Oregonian. 1868: became Ligne T extended to Australia and New Caledonia, 1868: PMSNC established 10¢ rate between USA and Hong Kong; extended service to Japan and Shanghai, 1877: Oriental and Oceanic Steamship Co. started alternate service competing with PMSNC, 1886: Bremen’s Norddeutscher Lloyd added service to Australia, Singapore and China, 1892: Canadian Pacific Railway started service Vancouver to Hong Kong, 1893: Australia link closed due to being unprofitable, 1900: Norddeutsche Lloyd extended to Japan, 1901: Jaluit Company began service to Marshall Islands from Australia, 1914: French and German line service ended with outbreak of war, 1920: French line “Transpacific” service reopened, 1940: French line service stopped due to war
Pacific Mail Express Co.: Phantom post; bears California city
Pacific Mutual Telegraph Company: U. S. telegraph stamps issued for use on own firm’s telegrams, 1883
Pacific Postal Telegraph-Cable Company: U. S. telegraph stamps issued for use on own firm’s telegrams, 1886
Pacific Steam Navigation Company: stamps, donated to Peru for trial of prepayment of postage, Dec. 1,1857-March 1958; see Pacific mailboats
Pacific Stage and Express Co.: private firm serviced area between San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif., used a label, 1860-64
Pacific Union Express Co.: private parcel delivery firm operated by the Central Pacific Railroad in California and Nevada; used labels, 1869-69
Package box mail: marking applied to letters dropped into a New York street box marked for parcels only
Package Service: USPS mail service, formerly known as Fourth Class
Päckchen: (Ger.) small package
Packenmarke: inscription 4-kopeck for parcel stamp, Wenden-Livonia, Russia 1863
Packet: 1: an assortment of stamps made up in an envelope or package form. 2: fast mailboat on a stated schedule. 3: term used for booklets circulated by exchange clubs
Packet boat: a passenger boat carrying mail and cargo on a regular schedule
Packet-Brief-Verkehr: city of Cologne, Germany, local post, 1886-1900
Packet cancel: a postmark applied to mail carried in ships maintained by a government
Packet Forgery: a reproduction of genuine stamp that is intended to fool beginning stamp collectors
Packet letter: mail carried by a ship under contract by a post office to carry mail, started 1840s
Packet postage: that portion of the rate used to pay the ship that carried the item
Packet-ship letter: mail arriving in port without any cancel or mark of origin
Packhoi, Pakhoi: treaty port in Kwantung province, China; overprint on stamps of Indo-China, French offices in China, 1903-22
P.a D.: paid to destination, pre-adhesive postmark
Padding: commercial mailer’s term for adding names to a mailing list to compensate for undeliverable mail; bounce-back
Padelany: (Czech.) false
Padelky: (Czech.) forgery
Padroes de Grande Guerra: “Comrades of the Great War” overprint on stamps of Portugal for postal tax
Paese: (It.) country
PAG: auction abbreviation term for Paper Adheres to Gum
Pagamento alla consegna: (It.) cash on delivery (C.O.D.)
Pagaralam: local overprint for district in Palembang, Sumatra, 1942-45
Page & Co.s Express: private parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Gloucester, Mass., used labels; 1875
Page & Keyes City Letter Express: S. Allan Taylor label
Page & Saville Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Gloucester, Mass., used labels; 1882-88
Page de carnet: (Fr.) booklet pane; uncut block of stamps especially printed and cut for use in booklets
Pagina del Libretto: (It.) booklet pane; uncut block of stamps especially printed and cut for use in booklets
Pagina do Livreto: (Port.) booklet pane; uncut block of stamps especially printed and cut for use in booklets
Paginacion del cuadernillo: (Sp.) booklet pane; uncut block of stamps especially printed and cut for use in booklets
Pago contra reemolso: (Sp.) cash on delivery, C.O.D
Pago deficiente: (Sp.) insufficiently stamped
Pahang: on east coast of Malay Peninsula; Malaysian state – south east Asia; 1889, Jan.: No.1, 2¢ rose, first stamps “Pahang” overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements, 1890: definitives issued, 1900: stamps of Federated Malay States used, 1935, Dec. 2: name Pahang inscribed on stamps; 1942: issued under Japanese occupation, Japanese characters and “Dai Nippon 2602 Malaya” Japanese Postal Service 1942 Malaya) overprint; 1948, Dec. 1: first stamp issued, 1950, June 1: stamps of Pehang have the word “Malaya” as the English-language inscription, 1957: stamps of Malayan Federation and stamps of Pahang used, 1963, Sep.: became part of the Federation of Malaysia, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Pahang, stamps of Malaysia; Pulau
Paid: indicating regular postage has been prepaid by the sender
Paid all: 1: July 22, 1868; handstamp applied to letters between the North German Postal Union and the U.S. to indicate prepaid mail matter and office of origin. 2: pre-1891, UPU treaty between U.S. and British Australian colonies specified use of straight line marking on front of the cover
Paid Permits: Oct. 1, 1904; a system for mailing identical pieces in quantity without stamps
Paid Reply Postal Cards: two postal cards that are attached to each other; one for sending a message, the other is for the recipient to detach for the reply
Paidstempel: (Ger.) cancel for “paid”
Paid to destination: prior to postal agreements between countries, the total postage on a piece of mail from one country to another was made up of two parts, revenue to the country of origin and the other to the country of destination. If partially unpaid, the balance would be collected as postage due from addressee
Paid to lines : 1840-60; handstamp on letters from Canada to the U.S. indicating correct prepayment
Paid postmark: a postmark indicating prepayment of postage in cash, and not in postage stamps
Paiement contre remboursement: (Fr.) cash on delivery (C.O.D.)
Päijänteen Laiva Oy: (Fin.) local post for use on steamships carrying mail, Finland, 1890s
Paine & Cobb’s Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Campbello, Mass.; used a label; year unknown
Paine’s Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Marblehead; used labels; 1891
Paine’s Package Delivery: parcel delivery firm serviced an unknown area; used a label; year unknown
Painted cachet: hand drawn or hand made cachet to which hand painting of any nature has been applied
Paio: (It.) two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated, pair
Pair: 1: two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated, two attached stamps. 2: paar: (Ger.); paire (Fr.); coppia, paio (It.); pareja (Sp.) 3: two se-tenant postage stamps; understood to be se-tenant horizontally
Pair of full stamps with interpane gutter between: stamps printed in large formats and then incorrectly cut into panes; considered an error
Paire: (Fr.) two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated, two attached stamps
País: (Port., Sp.) country
Paisa, Paise: currency unit in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan, Ajman, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan
Países bajos: (Sp.) lower countries, Netherlands, Holland
Paisley Penny Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Paita: city and province in Peru; overprint on stamps of Peru for provisional issue of town during occupation by Chile, 1884
Paket: (Ger., Swed.) parcel
Paketaufgabezettel: (Ger.) a two piece label, with larger part affixed to the parcel, smaller part affixed to accompanying letter, used by the Prussian post office in 1854
Paketmarken: (Ger., Swed.) parcel post stamps
Paketpost: (Ger.) parcel post
Pakhoi: city in province of Kwangtung, China; 1877: became a treaty port, 1902, Feb.1: post office opened, 1903, Apr.-, Indo-Chinese post office, stamps of Indo-China overprinted “Packhoi” or “Pack-Hoi” for use at a French post office, with denomination shown in Chinese characters; now named Pei Hai 1922, Dec. 31: post office closed; China; Indo-China, French Offices
Pakistan: southern, central Asia; official name of postal administration: Pakistan Post Office currency: 12 pies = 1 anna, 16 annas = 1 rupee, 100 paisa =1 rupee (1961) 1947-pre: used stamps of India, 1947, Aug. 15: Pakistan formed into Dominions of India and Pakistan, 1947, Oct. 1: No.1, 3 pence slate, stamps of India overprinted “Pakistan,” stamps of India without this overprint were not accepted for mail, 1947, Nov. 10: joined the U.P.U., 1947, Dec. 1: Pakistan issued its own stamps. 1947: official stamps of India, overprinted “Pakistan,” 1948: first definitives, 1948, Aug. 14: regular issue overprinted “Service” making them Officials, 1956, Mar. 23: became a republic, 1962: first air mail stamp, 1971, Dec.: East Pakistan became Bangladesh
Pákistán: (Czech.) Pakistan
Pakistansk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Pakistani (adj.)
Pákistánsky: (Czech.) Pakistani
Pakisztán: (Hung.) Pakistan
Pakke(r): (Dan., Nor.) package(s)
Pakkeporto: inscription on Parcel post stamps of the Royal Greenland Trading Company, 1905-38
Pakkepost: (Den., Nor.) parcel post
Pakkepostmærke: (Dan.) parcel post stamp
PAL: Parcel Air Lift
Palacio de Communicaciones: inscription on Colombia and Cuba for postal tax
Palatinate: region of Germany west of the River Rhine, 1947-49: part of the French Zone of Occupation inscribed Rhineland-Pfalz; see Rhineland Pfalz
Palau: western Pacific Ocean, aka Pelew Islands, former U.S. Trust Territory, 1983 currency: 100 cents = 1 U.S. dollar 1899, Oct. 1: first stamps under Caroline Islands, 1901: regular mail service started by Jaluit Company, (see Pacific Mail Steamboats) 1914-45: Japanese stamps used, Pacific Mail Steamboats. 1945: American stamps used, U.S. carried mail to and from the island, 1947: part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific, 1983, Mar.10: No.1, 20¢ multicolor, first stamp, 1984, June 12: first air mail issue, 1986, Jan. 10: became a federation as a Sovereign State in Compact of Free Association with the U.S., 1988, Aug. 8: first semipostal stamp
Palazöld: (Hung.) slate-green (color)
Palembang: local overprint in Sumatra, Japanese Occupation 1942-45
Palencia: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, Nationalist, 1937
Palästina: (Ger., Swed.) Palestine
Palestine: southeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea, currency: 10 milliemes = 1 piaster, 1,000 milliemes = 1 Egyptian pound, 1,000 mils = 1 Palestine pound (1928), 100 fils = 1 Jordanian dinar. 1840s: weekly Turkish courier service between Beirut and Jerusalem, 1863-1917: stamps of Turkey used, 1918, Feb.10: No.1, 1 piaster deep blue, first stamps of Palestine with inscription E.E.F. (Egyptian Expeditionary Forces) issue for British military occupation of Palestine, stamps also valid in Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, parts of Cilicia, 1920, Sept. 1: civil British administration overprinted “Palestine” in Hebrew, Arabic and English, 1921: “Palestine” overprinted on E.E.F. British stamps, 1923: mandated to Great Britain, first postage due stamp, 1922, July 22: Great Britain ran mandated area until May 14, 1948, 1927: first definitives, 1948, Dec. 2-Apr. 24, 1950: Jordan occupation, overprint “Palestine” in English and Arabic on stamps of Jordan, 1948, May-June 6, 1967: Egyptian occupation, overprint “Palestine” on stamps of Egypt, 1948, May 14: British terminated the mandate, Jewish National Fund issued local provisional stamps, 1967, June 6: stamps of Israel
Palestinian Authority: part of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, currency: 1,000 fils = 5 Israeli shekels, 1,000 fils = 1 Jordanian dinar (1998) 1994: No.1, 5 mils multicolor, first stamp, 1994, Aug. 15: first official stamp, could also be used by the general public, 1994, Oct. 7: first semipostal
Palid: (Rom.) pale (as referencing the color of a postage stamp)
Palimpsest: papers originally printed on for some other purpose before being used for postage stamps, such as the early stamps of Latvia printed on the backs of German military maps; commonly used where part of a design was erased to install a new value or inscription
Palma de Mallorca: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1936
Palmenstempel: (Ger.) palm marking on German field post mail during WW II, used by the German Afrika Corps
Palmer, Frederick N.: 1845-48; postmaster, Brattleboro, Vt., issued Postmaster’s Provisional stamp
Palmerston Garage: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Palm stamps: common design featuring palm trees for colonies in French West Africa, 1906
Paludismo: (Sp.) malaria on 1947 Mosquito Tax stamp must be affixed to all letters in addition to regular postage
Pålydende Værdi: (Dan.) nominal value, face value
Pålydende verdi: (Nor.) nominal value, face value (of stamps)
Pamiut: now named Frederikshaab, Greenland
Pamplona: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1936-37
Pamphlets & Newspaper: British revenue stamps for use in America, 1765-66
Panad: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Panagra: Pan American-Grace Airways, overprint on various stamps of South American countries
Panalpina Ltd.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Panama: links North and Central America to South America; currency: 100 centavos = 1 peso, 100 centesimos = 1 balboa (1904) 1859-1903: former Department of Republic of Colombia, 1863-84: British stamps used on overseas mail from Panama City, 1870-81: British stamps used on overseas mail from Colon, 1878: No.1, 5 centavos gray green, first issues for Panama along with those of “Estados Unidos de Colombia,” 1887: Colombia issues for use in the Department of Panama, 1903, Nov. 3: Panama declared its independence; 1903, Nov. 16: first stamp issue, “Republica de Panama” provisionals issued in Colon, Bocas del Toro and Panama City, 1904, June 11: Canal Zone had its own stamps, joined the U.P.U., 1905, Feb. 4: first inscription “Republica de Panama,” 1915: first postage due stamp, 1921, Feb.: U.S. forces intervene in clash with Costa Rica, 1929, Feb. 8: first air mail stamp, special delivery issue overprinted “Correo Aereo,” 1941: first semipostal stamp; A.R. Colon Colombia
Panama Canal Int-Ocean: inscription on label supposedly sold, 1880s, for mail on ships going through the canal
Panama Canal Zone: overprint on stamps of Panama
Panama Köztársaság: (Hung.) Republic of Panama
Pan-American Exposition: poster stamp advertising areas thought to be part of the Pan-American organization
Pan-American Postal Union: 1890; agreement made by countries in North and South America, except Canada and the European colonies, to charge domestic rates of postage for mail to other countries in the Union
Pan-Am inverts: U.S. postage stamps issued for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, on sale from May 1 through Oct. 31, 1901; the 1¢, 2¢ and 4¢ stamps were printed with inverted centers
Pantone Color System: a standardized system of blended colors, each with their own Pantone Matching System (PMS) number
Pandemonia: spoof stamps created for 1936 stamp exhibition
Pane: 1: stamps as sold by the post office; usually a commemorative pane consists of 50 stamps; four panes of 50 stamps make up a “sheet” of stamps as printed; more recently panes consist of 20 stamps. 2:Grupe (Ger.) Panneau (Fr.) Gruppo (It.) Grupo (Sp.) 3: page of booklet postage stamps
Paneless: used to describe a sheet of stamps in a single group without division into panes
Panneau: (Fr.) pane (of stamps)
Pantograph: a engraving instrument used to reproduce an enlarged, reduced or exact size plane figure
Panzacola: (Sp.) Pensacola, postal marking used in 1787
Paositra Malagasy: inscription on illegal issue, reported to the UPU Sept. 24, 2001, by the postal administration of Madascar; not valid for postage
Pao Tzu Ku: “Bandit Post” local, China, 1923
Papal States: located in central Italy; made up of Rome and surrounding area, provinces of Romagna and the Marches and Umbria; 1870-pre: governed by the See of Rome, 1852, Jan.1: issued their own stamps as Papal States, 1859: Romagna separated and joined Sardinia, to become Kingdom of Italy, 1870: became part of the Kingdom of Italy; see Roman States
Papel: (Sp.) paper
Papel avitelado: (Sp.) wove paper
Papel con filametos: (Sp.) granite paper
Papel Delmeina: (Sp.) paper, invented by a Belgian engineer, made in Spain and used for Civil War postal tax and charity issues; paper has a clear white color while the stamp back has a chalky appearance caused by the adhesive material
Papel estucado: (Sp.) chalky paper; stamp paper which has a coating of chalk or clay on the surface
Papel giz-aplainado: (Port.) chalk paper; stamp paper which has a coating of chalk or clay on the surface
Papel Sellado: (Sp.) security paper watermark, 1872
Papel tiza: (Sp.) chalky paper
Papel verjurado: (Sp.) laid paper
Paper: see Various papers under name or type of paper; 1: since most stamps are printed on paper, faults in the paper are sought by collectors as freaks or oddities, in some cases, the type of paper is important in the identification of some stamps. 2: first used as writing material by the Chinese, 2nd century BC. 3: papier (Dut., Fr., Ger.); carta (It.); papel (Sp.)
Paper crease: aka crease, crease that developed during the printing process
Paper curl: usually caused by paper being coated on one side which causes the sheet of gummed paper, especially in dry heat and atmosphere, to roll itself in a cylinder form
Paper Fabrique Company: U.S. private die playing card stamp
Paper fault: visible paper irregularity prior to stamp printing
Paper fold: aka fold, a corner becomes folded over either the front or the back during the stamp’s production, but after the printing process and before being perforated
Paper-maker’s watermark: watermark appearing as initials, design, device or name of the manufacturer of the paper
Papermark: original term for a watermark
Papier: (Fr., Ger.) paper
Papier couché: (Fr.) chalky paper; stamp paper which has a coating of chalk or clay on the surface
Papier mélangé de fils de soie: (Fr.) granite paper
Papier uni: (Fr.) wove paper
Papier vergé: (Fr.) laid paper
Papillons: (Fr.) 1: slip of paper bearing messages carried by balloon out of Metz during the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71; known as Papillons de Metz. 2: butterfly (topic)
Papouasie Nouvelle Guinee: (Fr.) Papua New Guinea. Papua eastern part of New Guinea
Papir: (Czech., Dan., Hung., Nor.) paper
Papir, Almindeligt: (Dan., Nor.) ordinary paper
Papir, Batonne: (Dan., Nor.) batonne paper
Papir, Bily: (Czech.) white paper
Papir, Blånet: (Dan.) blued paper
Papir, Cigaret: (Dan.) cigarette paper
Papir, Fluoriserende: (Dan.) fluorescent paper
Papirfold : (Dan., Nor.) paper crease
Papir, Fosforiserende: (Dan., Nor.) phosphorescent paper
Papir, Fotografisk: (Dan.) photographic paper
Papir, Gennemfarvet: (Dan.) paper colored throughout
Papir, Getontes: (Dan.) tinted paper
Papir, Glans: (Dan., Nor.) surface-glazed paper
Papir, Granit: (Dan.) granite paper
Papir, Håndgjort: (Dan.) handmade paper
Papir, Hårdt: (Dan.) hard paper
Papir, Hladky: (Czech.) plain paper, smooth paper
Papir, Hvit: (Nor.) white paper
Papir, Karton: (Dan.) carton paper, thick paper
Papir, Kartong: (Nor.) carton paper
Papir, Krideret: (Dan.) chalky paper, coated paper
Papir, Krídovy: (Czech.) chalky paper
Papir, Kridt: (Dan.) chalky paper, coated paper
Papir, Leskly: (Czech.) shiny paper, glazed paper
Papir, Linieret: (Dan., Nor.) paper ruled by vertical, horizontal, or cross-hatched lines
Papir, Maskin: (Dan., Nor.) machine-made paper
Papir, Obycejny: (Czech.) ordinary paper
Papíron: (Hung.) (on) paper
Papir, Pergamenovy: (Czech.) parchment paper
Papir, Pøros: (Nor.) porous paper
Papir, Pruhovany: (Czech.) laid paper, striped paper
Papir, s Prusvitkou: (Czech.) paper with a watermark
Papir, Riflet: (Dan.) ribbed paper
Papir, Sigarett: (Nor.) cigarette paper
Papir, Silketråd: (Dan., Nor.) paper imbedded with a silk thread
Papir, Stribet: (Dan.) laid paper
Papir, Stripet: (Nor.) laid paper
Papir, Tenky: (Czech.) thin paper
Papir, Tlusty: (Czech.) thick paper
Papir, Tykk: (Nor.) thick paper
Papir, Tykt: (Dan.) thick paper
Papir, Tyndt: (Dan.) thin paper
Papir, Tynn: (Nor.) thin paper
Papir, Vanlig: (Nor.) customary paper
Papir, Velin: (Dan.) wove paper
Papir, Weiches: (Dan.) soft paper
Papir, Weiss: (Dan.) white paper
Papper, Bestruket: (Swed.) coated paper
Papper, Blåaktig: (Swed.) bluish paper
Papper, Efterglättat: (Swed.) re-calendered paper
Papper, Färgat: (Swed.) colored paper
Papper, Fluorescerande: (Swed.) fluorescent paper
Papper, Fosforescerande: (Swed.) phosphorescent paper
Papper, Gråakt: (Swed.) greyish paper
Papper, Grönakt: (Swed.) greenish paper
Papper, Gulakt: (Swed.) yellowish paper
Papper, Handgjort: (Swed.) handmade paper
Papper, Kartong: (Swed.) carton paper
Papper, Krit: (Swed.) chalky paper
Papper, Luminiscerande: (Swed.) luminescent paper
Papper, Maskingjort: (Swed.) machine-made paper
Papper, Medeltjockt: (Swed.) medium-thick paper
Papper, Mjukt: (Swed.) soft paper
Papper, Räfflat: (Swed.) ribbed paper
Papper, Randigt: (Swed.) laid paper
Papper, Rödakt: (Swed.) reddish paper
Papperstyper: (Swed.) paper types
Papper, Tunt: (Swed.) thin paper (up to 0.06 mm thickness)
Papper, Vanligt: (Swed.) ordinary paper
Papua (New Guinea): divided between a Dutch in the western half and the eastern half divided between German colonies in the north, and British colonies in the south; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1966), 100 toea = 1 kina (1975) 1880s: German New Guinea Company issued prepaid parcel post cards for use between its colonies in the area, 1883: Queensland annexed southwestern part of island, 1884-pre: Dutch area administered as part of Dutch East Indies until Indonesia became independent in 1949, 1884: British Protectorate, named British New Guinea, 1888, Feb.: German New Guinea opened post offices using German stamps, 1897: stamps of Germany overprinted “Deutsch-Neu-Guinea,” 1898-1901: stamps of Queensland and British New Guinea used, 1901, Jan.1: German stamps in the Imperial Hohenzollern yacht design issued for area inscribed “Deutsch-Neuguinea,” 1901, July 1: No.1, ½ penny yellow green, first stamps as British New Guinea, 1905: administration transferred to Australia, renamed Papua, 1906, Nov. 8: No.1, ½ penny yellow green, Papua as overprint on stamps of British New Guinea 1914, Oct. British troops occupied German area, overprinted stamps “G.R.I.” with a surcharge in British currency, 1915: Mar.: overprinted German colonial stamps replaced by Australian stamps overprinted “O.S.”(Official Stamps) and “North West Pacific Islands,” 1925: Territory of New Guinea created, issued first stamps, 1929: first air mail stamp, 1931: first official stamp, 1942: Japanese invasion of New Guinea, Papua stamps withdrawn, 1945-46: used stamps of Australia, 1949: Indonesia became independent, Dutch New Guinea had separate stamps, 1949: administration of Papua and New Guinea unified, 1952: Oct. 30: first stamps as Australian Trust Territory, 1952: Papua and (&) New Guinea stamps issued 1960: first postage due stamp, overprinted / inscribed “Postal Charges,” 1962, Oct.: stamps of Dutch New Guinea overprinted UNTEA; 1963, May 1: stamps of Indonesia overprinted “Irian Barat” or “I.B.” as administrator of the area; Irian is the Indonesian name for Papua, 1971, June 1: stamps of Indonesia used in the western half of Papua, 1972: name changed to Papua New Guinea, 1973, Dec. 5: first stamp as self-governing territory, 1975, Sept. 10: No.1, 7 toea red & multi, first stamp as independent country, 1976, June 4: joined the U.P.U.; New Guinea, British; German New Guinea
Papua Merdeka: organization for Free Papua Movement
Papua New Guinea: see Papua
Papyrus: a paper-like substance made from thin sections of a reed that had been pressed together, used by Egyptians 3000 BC
Paquebot (Paq.): (Fr.) 1: (packet boat) steamer, mail boat. 2: cancellation on a parcel or letter indicating that the article was mailed aboard a ship where there is no official post office aboard; they are delivered to a post office port of call where they enter the mail, first used in 1894. 3: pacchibot (It.); paketboot (Dut.); paquete (Port.); paquetboat (Amer.).
Paquete postal: (Sp.) parcel post
Paquete: (Port.) paquebot
Paquete Postal: (Sp.) parcel post
Par: 1: (Dan., Nor., Port., Sp., Swed.) pair. 2: Paris (France), Parma (Italy) pre-adhesive postmark. 3.(Dan.) pair
PAR: international postal code for Paraguay
Para: 1: numerals spelled out in French for Turkey. 2: currency unit in Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Romania, Russia- all Offices in Turkey, Turkey, Egypt, Montenegro, Turkey
Para: 1: surcharge of stamps of Great Britain for Turkish Empire, 1885-1921. 2: overprint on Britain, France, Romania, Russia Italy for Offices in Turkey. 3: inscription with an Arabic design or Sphinx and Pyramids for Egypt. 4. numerals spelled out in French for Turkey. 5. currency units in Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Romania, Rusasia-all Offices in Turkey, Turkey, Egypt, Montenegro, Servia and occupied states, commonly known as Yugoslavia, Turkey. 6. when written in Serbian Cyrillic resembles “Napa”; letter “P” is written by two vertical lines and a horizontal stroke on top of them; the letters “ara” are written “apa” in Cyrillic
Para, Pare: currency in Serbia and occupied states, commonly known as Yugoslavia
Para Censurar en Destino: (Sp.) to be censored at destination
Parachute mail: form of air mail whereby mail is delivered by free-fall parachute from an airplane; usually where a plane can not land; zeppelin mails were usually dropped by parachute, either prior to landing to expedite mail transmission, or over an air field to avoid the delay and expense of a landing
Paraguay: South America, bordered by Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; currency: 10 reales = 100 centavos = 1 peso, 100 centimos = 1 guarani (1944) 1868: bogus stamp by S. Allan Taylor, 1865-70: unofficial reprints used by Argentine forces occupying Hamaita during war, 1870, Aug.1: No.1, 1 real rose, first stamp, 1881, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1886, Aug. 20: first official stamp issued, 1904: first postage due stamp issued, 1922: “campana” overprint sold by Postal Agents for use in rural districts, 1929, Jan. 1: first air mail stamp issued, 1930, July 22: first semipostal issued; Ayuda al Ecuador
Paraitre: (Fr.) to be issued
Parale: currency in Romania to 1868
Paralysis of the Arm: floor bidder whereby the participant never lowers the bidding paddle during the entire calling of the bidding increments; also known Statue of Liberty
Para os Pobres: For the Poor, Portugal and Azores, postal tax stamps, 1915
Paraph(e): a complicated flourish that dips back and under the signature; used as an overprint on some of the early issues of Puerto Rico
Paraphilatelic: post office announcements of a new stamp, first day of issue ceremony programs, souvenir pages, etc
Parauta: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
Par Avion: (Fr.) By Airplane, international term for airmail
Par Balloon Monté: (Fr.) by piloted balloon, postal marking used on balloon mail from Paris when under siege during the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71
Parbold Private Mail: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Parcel Post: colis-postaux (Fr.); paketpost (Ger.); pacchi postali (It.); paquet postal (Sp.)
Pardoes da Grand Guerra: (Port.) Comrades of the Great War, Portugal and Azores, postal tax due stamps
Pareja: (Sp.) pair
Pareja sin Dentar en Medio: (Sp.) pair imperforate between
Parcel airlift (PAL): a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis to or from military post offices outside the contiguous 48 states
Parcel cards: postal patrons filled out the parcel card at the sending post office; one section retained by the post office, other section delivered to the recipient to pick up the parcel at the post office
Parcel Express: parcel delivery firm serviced New York City; used a label and stamps; 1891-92
Parcel marking: some post offices have used a different parcel post handstamp than one used for letters
Parcel post: 1: 1912; mail classification for specific purpose of mailing parcels; USPS renamed to Package Services as of Jan. 7, 2001. 2: Paketpost (Ger.) Colis-Posteaux (Fr.) Servizio Pacchi Postali (It.) Paquete Postal (Sp.)
Parcel Post Corporation: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston, Mass., used a stamp; 1899
Parcel post postage due stamps: stamp issued to pay unpaid parcel post fees
Parcel post stamps: stamp issued to prepay parcel post fees; U.S. issued such stamps in 1913
Parcel post tax: a tax applied in the U.S. in 1917 on all mail sent by parcel post with postage exceeding 25¢ ; the tax was levied at the rate of 1¢ for each 25¢ above the first 25¢, which was paid by affixing a revenue stamp along with the postage
Parcel Return Services: USPS program that offers merchants a method of retrieving items that their customers want to return
Parcel stamps, government: Belgium, inscribed Chemins de Fer; Belgian state railways, May 1879
Parcel stamps, private: Great Britain, postage prepayment on packages used by private freight firms, 1821; railway companies were next to use this type stamp, 1846
Parcel stamps, US: government package service started 1912
Parchment paper: hard, tough paper which is also glossy and transparent
Pardoes da Grand Guerra: inscription on Portugal and Azores for postal tax
Pareja: (Sp.) two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated
Par Exprès Dépêches: (Fr.) express mail, expedited delivery
Parfait: (Fr.) perfect, no flaws
Paris Postal Conference: forerunner: General Postal Union, Universal Postal Union
Paris: 1: local provisional, France, 1944 2: local post, l’Agencie Lorin, 1871 3: local post, Moreau’s Post, 1871
Paris 1937: with no colony name, France
Paris International Exposition: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1937
Paris prints: term for early Greek issues, identifying stamps printed locally and in Paris, 1861
Park City Match Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps
Parker Post Worcester: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Parker’s Express Company: parcel delivery firm serviced Mid-western states; used labels, 1865?
Par L’Etat: (Fr.) By the State; overprint on Belgium 1912 issues; Railway Parcel validation from a private line (le Compagnie du Nord Belge) to the State-owned rail system
Parm: Parma, Italian States, 1852-55
Parma: provinces of Parma, Piacenza. Northern Italy,1545; currency: 100 centesimi = 1 lira 1545: Italian state established, 1852, June 1: No.1, 5 centesimi black on yellow, imperforate stamps issued for Duchy of Parma, 1853: newspaper tax stamps issued, 1859, Aug.: provisional government; stamps of Sardinia used, 1860, March 18: became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, 1862: became part of the Kingdom of Italy
Parmensi: Parma
Parník: (Czech.) steamship, steamboat, steamer
Paro, Paro Obrero: (Sp.) unemployment, used on postal tax stamps of the Spanish Civil War period
Par Poste Aerienne: inscription for “Via Air Mail” on etiquettes of Switzerland
Parti: 1. (Fr.) left, moved away. 2. (Dan.) lot (of stamps)
Partially separated perfs: when a number of perforations are detached between two or more multiple stamps
Partial original gum: unused with some original gum
Partial perfs: stamps that are perforated in one direction only, vertically or horizontally; collected in multiples
Particular: overprint on official stamps of Nicaragua to validate for ordinary use
Partida: (Sp.) parcel, lot, collection
Partido em Dois: (Port.) bisected; stamp cut in half which is valid for postage at half the face value of the original stamp
Partido en dos: (Sp.) bisected; stamp cut in half that is valid for postage at half the face value of the original stamp
Part original gum: a stamp with noticeable gum missing
Part perforated: a stamp that is not perforated on any one or more of the sides; these stamps usually come from sheets where some of the perforating lines have been omitted
Part time dealer: a dealer whose primary income is from another job
Pasadena Electric Express: parcel delivery firm operated via electric trolleys, serviced Pasadena, Calif.; used a label; year unknown
Pasco: department in Peru, local provisional overprint on stamps of Peru due to stamp shortage, during occupation by Chile, 1884
Pasillo: (Sp.) gutter
Pasing paper: silk thread paper made at Beck Mills, Pasing, Bavaria between 1849 and 1868
Pass: auction term meaning that a lot is unsold because the final bid did not reach the Hidden Reserve
Passeports: (Fr.) passports
Pasta: Donald Evans issue, Italy; see Evans, Donald
Paste up: the juncture where the ends of rolls of coiled stamps are pasted together to make a continuous roll
Paste-up pair: a pair of coil stamps where one stamp overlaps the other stamp
Pastrana: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pata: (Rom.) blemish, blot, spot
Pataca: currency unit in Macao and Timor
Patacconi: (It.) rubbish, nickname given to Second Exhibition of Colonial Art stamps from Somalia, 1934
Patch insert: design insert placed in the space prepared for it in the indicia corner of U.S. stamped envelopes; first issued in 1989 for the shuttle hologram. Originally used because holograms could not be printed easily on the envelope; last used in 1996 for the Save Our Environment issue
Pátek: (Czech.) Friday
Patent cancel: devices that permanently defaced the stamp to prevent fraudulent reuse
Paterna del Campo: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
Patiala: India Convention State, central Punjab; 1884: No.1, 1/2 anna green, first stamps with Patiala (Puttialla) overprint valid throughout Indian Empire, 1884: first official stamps issued, 1950, Apr.1: Republic of India stamps used, 1950, Dec. 31: convention states’ stamps no longer valid, 1951, Jan.1: overprint on stamps of British India for use to any point in British India
Patmo(s): Dodecanese island, Aegean Sea 1912-pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, overprint “Patmos ” on stamps of Italy, 1916: first stamps without overprints, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1922: overprint changed to “Patmo,” 1943, Sep.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by Allied forces, 1945, June 18: stamps of Britain overprinted “M.E.F.” (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1947, Mar. 22: British post offices closed, stamps of Greece overprinted “S.D.D.” (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1974-summer: stamps of Greece used
Patricia Airways & Exploration Co.: local post, Canada 1926-28
Patriotbrev: (Swed.) patriotic cover
Patriot Challenge: board game that uses 300 different U.S. stamps
Patriotic cover: envelope decorated with pictures or slogans of a patriotic nature such as those used during wartime
Patriotic Fund: inscription on stamps of Queensland for semi-postal
Patrioti Valle Bormida: (It.) overprint/inscription; see C.L.N
Patru: (Hung.) four (number)
Patrusprezece: (Hung.) fourteen (number)
Patruzeci: (Hung.) forty (number)
Påtryck: (Swed.) surcharge
Patte (d”enveloppe): (Fr.) flap (of an envelope.)
Patterson, D. C.: oval handstamps for Boise and Salt Lake City Express, 1863
Patzcuaro: city in Mexico, inscription as provisional local issue, bogus
Paulding’s Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and New Bedford, Mass., used labels; year unknown
Pava: (It.) Pavia, Italy, pre-adhesive postmark
Pavlovograd: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1869-84
Paxos: stamps of Greece with Italian overprint for island of Paxos is fraudulent
Paye: (Fr.) paid
Pays: (Fr.) country
Pays-Bas: (Fr.) Holland, the Netherlands
Pays de Galles: (Fr.) Wales
Paz y Justicia: Peace and Justice inscription on stamps of Paraguay
PB: 1: Perkins Bacon, Ltd. (Stamp Printers, Great Britain). 2: Paris balloon posts. 3: Plate block
P.B.G.: Postes Bureau du Gourvernement (Fr.), Government Post Office, 1793-98
PC: 1: auction abbreviation for postal card. 2: Postal Card, Post Card. 3: pioneer airpost covers. 4: Passed Censor
P.C.C.P.: (Cyrillic letters) Russia Socialist Soviet Republic
PCCR: Pacific Confederation of City Republics; cinderella
PCE: Used Stamp on Piece
PCFT: Pacific Confederation of Federal Territories
P.C.G.B.: Philatelic Congress of Great Britain
PCL: see Precancel
P.c.p.: progressive color proofs
PC Postage: postage purchased and printed using personal computers and the Internet
PCS Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
P.D.: 1: Personnel Depot, 2: and numeral St. Pierre and Miquelon overprint on stamps of French Colonies. 3: (Fr.) Payé à destination see Paid to Destination
PE: 1: abbreviation of piastre, early Egypt currency, 2: Canadian postal code for Prince Edward Island, 3: perforated edge, 4: Colombia-Scadta consular overprint for Peru
Peace: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1945
Peace and Commerce: design of French stamps issued in 1876 that depict theseated figures of “peace” and “Commerce,” engraved by E.L.Mouchon, designed by J.A. Sage; aka the “Sage” type
Peace and Navigation: used for French overseas possessions from1892;engraved by E.L.Mouchon; aka the “Tablet”
Peace issues: British Commonwealth countries issues to commemorate the end of the 1939-45 war
Peace Paque Mir: inscription on stamps of the U.N. Interim Administration in Kosovo, issued March 14, 2000
Peacock: royal emblem of Burma used as overprint on stamps of Burma during Japanese occupation of Burma, 1942
Pearls: motive on stamps showing circles, with or without shading
Peary Land: North Pole Post issue, cinderella
Peck & Co.: local delivery service, Newark, N.J.,1856
Peak (P): part of the serpentine die cut that protrudes from the side of a stamp; it alternates with a corresponding “valley” or inward curve, to form a serpentine shape; peak and valley are abbreviated as P and V
Peal de Becerro: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pearls: a circle, with or without semi-circular shading inside
Pear’s Soap: first advertisement on stamps by Great Britain in 1881
Pechino: overprint on stamps of Italy for Peking, Italian post office in China,1918-19; aka Pei-Ching
Peck: Clarrie Peck Postmark Catalogue
Pecliv Tarzitkujte: “Philatelic handling label” for careful canceling and handling of mail, supplied by postal authority, Czechoslovakia
P.E. Co.: Pacific Express Co. handstamp, Mokelumne Hill, Calif., 1851
Pécule: savings plan for contract workers; French Colonies revenue inscription
Pécule de Guerre: mustering plan (soldiers’) pay; French Colonies revenue inscription
Pécule Travailleurs: imported workers savings; French Colonies revenue inscription
Pedone: (It.) foot messenger
Peelable label: an address label that can be removed from a cover
Peel-and-stick: self-adhesive stamps
Pegar: (Sp.) to mount stamps on a sheet
Pegasus Postal Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Pegau: city in Germany, local post, Courier, 1893
Pego: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
PEH: Phillip E. Hardie, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; Plate Finisher, Siderographer
Pei-Mu-Chen: local post, Southwest China, 1950
Peking: (Beijing) District, now named Beijing; 1917, Sep.-Dec. 31, 1922, Treaty Port, stamps of Italy overprinted
“Pechino”for use at Italian post office, see China, Italian Post Offices
Peladita: (Sp.) small thin spot
Példányszám: (Hung.) quantity (of stamps) printed
Pelita: overprint on Netherlands Indies for semi-postal, 1948
Pelones: (Sp.) nickname for the “baby head” Alfonso XIII stamps of 1889
Peltonen: specialized catalogue of Finland, Aland and Estonia
Pelure paper: a strong thin semi-transparent paper that looks like a slightly dark onion-skin paper
Pembina Twins: nickname for pair of Canadian 7 1/2d. stamps of 1857 postmarked at Pembina, North Dakota in Nov. 1858; off cover and separated, re-united with consent of owners
Pembroke & Tennby Railway: Wales railway local post
Pen: Penni, currency unit in Finland
Pen address: an address on a cover made by using a pen, whether ink, felt tip, etc
Penalty envelope: 1: term applied to stamps and stationery for use on official correspondence with warning “Penalty for Private Use $300.” 2: penalty envelope term originated from government regulation “penalty for unlawful use of such envelopes” (Official)
Penalty For Private Use $300: government business mail, to be sent by government officials without postage prepayment; see Penalty Envelope
Penang: island off west side of Malay Peninsula; Malaya; 1854-67: stamps of India used, 1867: stamps of Straits Settlements used, 1942: issued under Japanese occupation; “Dai Nippon 2602 Penang” (Japanese Postal Service 1942) and Japanese characters in oval circle, 1945: stamps of B.M.A. Malaysia, 1948, Dec.1: No.1, 10¢ purple, “Malaya Penang” inscription, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Pulau Pinang, on stamps of Malaya; Pulau Pinang
Penaranda de Bracamonte: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
Penarroya-Puebloneuvo: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1936-38
Penarrubia: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
Pen cancel: usage of a pen or felt tip marker to cancel or deface a stamp
Pen cancellation: cancellation marking on a stamp that has been appliedwith a pen and ink, usually done by a carrier prior to delivery of mail that has not been previously canceled.; 1847 regulations state, “the stamps must be canceled by making a cross (X) with a pen.”
Pence: currency unit in many countries
Pence Issue covers: nickname given to first issues of Canada, issued from 1851 to 1859
Pencil address: an address made on a cover with a pencil; also known as manuscript address
Pendiente de Censura: (Sp.) pending censorship on arrival
Pengebrev: (Dan.) registered letter with banknote enclosures
Peng-Ki: local post, Southwest China, 1949
Pengo: currency unit in Hungary
Peninsula: (Sp.) refers to the Iberian Peninsula; the mainland of Spain and Portugal
Penitentiary philately: stamp clubs inside prisons
Penmark: defacing a stamp by pen for other than postal purposes; such as fiscal use, receipts, documents, etc
Penni: currency unit in Estonia, Finland and North Ingermanland
Penn Match Co. Limited: see Private die match proprietary stamps
Penn post: mail route operated by Henry Waldy, July 1763 from Philadelphia to New Castle to the Falls of Delaware
Pennsylvania: 1: first federal issue revenue of US, July 1, 1798-Feb. 28, 1801. 2: supervisors’ seal revenue, March 2, 1799
Penny: currency unit in Britain and British Commonwealth
Penny Black: nickname for the world’s first adhesive postage stamp, 1-penny black Queen Victoria stamp, issued in Great Britain on May 6,1840
Penny Blue: blue trial sheets of Great Britain’s 1d stamp, Dec. 1840, so that Rowland Hill could make a shading decision for the 2d forthcoming stamp
Pennycabs Postal Deliv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Penny Express Co.: U. S. local post, western U. S.; 1866
Penny-in-the-slot perforation: nickname for automatic vending machine perforation in New Zealand 1905-06
Penny Lilac: nickname for the 1d Great Britain issue printed in various shades of lilac and purple, 1881-1902
Penny magenta: unique stamp from British Guiana, the 1856 1 penny
Penny Post: 1: B. Franklin, as postmaster of Philadelphia started “the penny post;” letters which were not called for on the day the post arrived, were sent the next day by a postman for local delivery, who was paid one penny. 2: William Dockwra initiated this service in London in 1680, spread to Dublin in 1773 and Edinburgh in 1774. 3: 1848-51, Boston, Mass.; see Carriers’ Stamps.
Penny Postage Jubilee Card: made by De La Rue Co. to mark the 50th anniversary of the Penny post in 1890
Penny Post, London: 1801, became Twopenny Post when rates doubled overnight
Penny Red: term for the one penny red Queen Victoria stamps of 1864, successor of the Penny Black
Penny Post Paid: 1: postmark by Dockwra; see Dockwra’s Post. 2: label, Boston
Penobscot River Express: private mail and parcel delivery firm serviced Boston, Mass. and towns in Maine; used labels, 1868
Penrhyn (Island): aka Northern Cook Islands, aka Tongareva; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1973) 1901, June 11: annexed to New Zealand, 1902: No.1, ½ penny green, overprint / surcharge on stamps of New Zealand “Penhyrn Island,” 1920: stamps inscribed “Penrhyn,” 1932, Mar. 15:stamps of Cook Island used for Aitutaki, Rarotonga and Penrhyn, 1973, Nov. 14: first stamps, “Penhyrn Northern” overprinted on stamps of Cook Islands, includes Manihiki, Nassau, Palmerstown, Pukapuka, Rakahanga and Suwarrow, 1974: inscribed “Penrhyn Northern Cook Islands,” 1978, Apr. 17: first semipostal stamps, 1978, Nov.14: official stamps O.H.M.S. overprint on stamps of Penhyrn; New Zealand. 1983: error inscription, “Northern Cook Islans.”
Penoe: error for Pence on 2d Mauritius
Pensa.F.: Pensacola (florida) pre-adhesive postmark
Pensacola, Fla. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Péntek: (Hung.) Friday
Pentru Sinistrati: (Rom.) For Disasters, Romanian charity label
Penza: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1901-14
People’s Art: labels designed to simulate stamps
People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen: Yemen
People’s Democratic Republic of Benin: new name of Dahomey as of Nov. 30, 1975; first stamps issued Dec. 8, 1975
People’s Democratic Republic of Southern Yemen: overprint on stamps of South Arabia, 1968
People’s Dispatch Company: parcel delivery firm serviced Washington, D.C. to Boston, Mass., used a label; year unknown
People’s Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Orange, N.J. and New York City; used a label; year unknown
People’s Express Co.: mail delivery firm serviced central Calif., Orange, N.J., and New York City; used a label; 1903
People’s Express Company: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston, and areas of Mass., used a label; year unknown
People’s League: stamps for the People’s League for the Defence of Freedom; an emergency mail service during strike by British Post office employees in Jan.1962, and again in July 1964
People’s Line Steamboat Express: parcel delivery firm serviced New York City in conjunction with steamboats; used a label; year unknown
People’s Republic of Southern Yemen: Yemen, People’s Democratic Republic of
Pepys’ Island: figment of imagination to honor author
PER: international postal code for Peru
Perak: west coast of Malay Peninsula; Malaya, Malaysia; 1878-pre: stamps of Straits Settlements used, overseas mail used until 1895, 1878: first stamp, “P” overprint with a circle containing crescent and star on stamps of Straits Settlements, later issues overprinted “Perak” 1878: No.1, 2¢ brown, first stamp, 1889: first official stamp, 1890: first official stamp, “P.G.S.” (Perak Government Service) overprint, 1892: Perak inscribed on stamp, 1900-35: stamps of Federated Malay States used, 1935, Dec. 2: name Perak / Malaya used on stamps; 1942-45: Japanese occupation stamps, “Dai Nippon 2062 Malaya” (Japanese Postal Service 1942 Malaya) and “Dai Nippon Yubin” overprints, stamps of Straits Settlements overprinted “P.G.S.” Perak Government Service, for official use, 1950: “Malaysia” inscription, 1963, Oct. 26: although part of Malaysia, it issued its own stamps, 1957: stamps of Malayan federation used with those of Perak, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Perak, stamps of Malaysia
Percé: (Fr.) perforated, rouletted
Percé en Arc: (Fr.) form of perforation characterized by curved cuts; see Arc roulette
Percé en Lignes: (Fr.) line roulette
Percé en Lignes de Couleur: (Fr.) rouletted in color
Percé en Lignes Obliques: (Fr.) oblique roulette
Percé en Losanges: (Fr.) lozenge, diamond roulette
Percé en Points: (Fr.) pin perforation
Percé en Scie: (Fr.) saw tooth roulette
Percé en Serpentin: (Fr.) serpentine roulette
Percevoir: (Fr.) inscription on French area postage due labels
Perçue: (Fr.) tax collected, postage prepaid
Percussion à Froid: (Fr.) cold pressing used at the Paris Mint for making the printing plates for stamps of France and Greece
Pereche, perechi: (Rom.) pair
Pereche orizontala: (Rom.) horizontal pair
Pereche verticala: (Rom.) vertical pair
Perechi nedantelate vertical: (Rom.) pair imperforate vertically (horizontal imperforate pair)
Perechi nedantelate orizontal: (Rom.) pair imperforate horizontally (vertical imperforate pair)
Pereslaf: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1874-81
Pereyaslaf: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1871-1915
Perf: see perforated or perforations
Perfecting: the printing of text or images on the back of a stamp; either above or below the gum; the best known example is the printing on the backs of duck stamps
Perfecto: (Sp.) perfect, no flaws
Perfins: perforated initials; private or official perforated initials or designs punched into stamps to prevent misuse of stamps; these are known in Great Britain as “Spifs.”
Perforacion: (Sp.) perforation
Perforacion Combinada: (Sp.) compound perforation
Perforado, Dentado: (Sp.) perforated
Perforated: see Perforation
Perforated horizontally: stamps with perforations on top and bottom only.
Perforated initials: usually a private nature, but sometimes applied officially; such as “O.S.” applied by the Australian Colonies and the Sudan
Perforated margin copy stamps: a normal blank selvage is attached, but some countries have printed designs or information on the selvage, which are collectible
Perforated vertically: stamps with perforations on the side only
Perforation: rows of holes punched into the stamp paper between rows of stamps to permit easy separation of the stamps; perf 11 x 13 means that the top and bottom are perforated 11 and both sides 13
Perforation combs: printing equipment used in the process of producing stamps that makes the separation holes in stamp paper
Perforation disc indent: a depression in a stamp caused by a punched paper disc from a perforation hole
Perforation error: stamps, designed for perforating, that entirely lack perforations in one or more die cuts
Perforation gauge: an instrument designed to measure the number of perf. holes or teeth within a two centimeter length
Perforation guide: plate marking printed a sheet to help registrations during the printing process
Perforations (Perf.): lines of small holes placed around stamps to provide an easier means of separation
Perforation shift: may remove a portion of the design from a finished stamp, usually on a row of stamps at the edge of the stamp pane
Perforations intended to separate panes are shifted within a pane: caused by a major paper fold before perforating; considered an error
Perforations of the wrong gauge: due to improper repair to the imperforating equipment, considered an error
Perforato a zig-zag: (It.) zig-zag roulette
Perforazione: (It.) perforation
Perforera: (Swed.) perforate
Perforere: (Dan. Nor.) perforate
Perforering: (Dan., Swed.) perforation
Perforering – Ark: (Dan.) harrow perforation, Arktakning
Perforering – Kam: (Dan.) comb perforation, Kamtakning
Perforering – Linie: (Dan.) line perforation, Linietakning
Perfumed: marking on mail that has been fumigated so that the letter will not be a carrier of disease
Perfumeria: (Sp.) perfumes, used on revenues
Pergamentpapier: (Ger.) parchment paper
Pergamynbriefumschlag: (Ger.) glassine envelope
Pergo et perago: “I undertake and I achieve” on stamps of North Borneo
Periana: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
Periciado: (Sp.) see Expertised
Perim Island: off coast of Aden; 1854, Oct.1 -: used stamps of Aden, 1937, Mar. 31: Aden made a crown colony, 1965, Mar. 31; all Aden stamps withdrawn, became Yemen Republic Periodicals: consists of magazines, newspapers and other publications, published at least four times a year.
Periodicals: as defined by the USPS, consists of magazines, newspapers and other publications, published at least four times a year, formerly called second-class mail
Periodico: (Sp.) periodical, newspaper
Peritación: (Sp.) the work and study involved to become an expert for authenticity and conservation of philatelic material
Periziata: (It.) see Expertized
Perkins Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston, Bridgewater and Exeter, Mass., used labels; 1875-76
Perkins paper: an azure safety paper invented by Dr. Perkins and used on the 1855-56 Great Britain issues
Perl, Dr. M. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Perleberg: city in Germany, local post, 1945-47
Perlis: west coast of Malay Peninsula; 1909-pre: used stamps of Siam, 1909: Britain took control from Thailand, used stamps of Federated Malay States, 1912: used stamps of Kedah to 1948, 1942: Japan permitted Thailand to control area, 1943, Oct. 19: ceded to Thailand by Japan, area named Syburi by Thais, 1945, Sept.: Britain regained control, used B.M.A. Malaya stamps, 1948, Dec.1: No.1, 10¢ purple, first stamps inscribed “Malaya Perlis,” Malaya, 1951, Mar. 26: first stamps for Perlis, 1957: stamps of Malayan Federation were used along with those of Perlis, 1963: Malaysia, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Perlis, stamps of Malaysia
Per Lugpos: (Afrikaans) inscription on air mail etiquettes for South and,South West Africa
Perm: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1872-1920
Permanent paper: paper manufactured to meet standard requirements; such papers are alkaline and very durable
Permis de Chasse: (Fr.) hunting licenses; French Colonies revenue inscription
Permis Militaires: military travel permits; French Colonies revenue inscription
Permit: a permit is actually a license number that is printed in the upper right hand corner of the mailing piece; many large firms use this method of mailing in order to eliminate the need for affixing and canceling stamps on large mailings
Permit mail: U.S. term for third and fourth class bulk printed matter mail with markings indicating prepayment of postage
Perna: (Fin.) local post via steamship, Finland 1890s
Pernau: overprint on stamps of Russia for German occupation of Estonia
Pernay: city in France, local provisional, 1944
Perot Postmaster’s Provisional: Hamilton’s postmaster William Bennett Perot issued the first provisional stamps in Bermuda, 1848-1861
Perou: (Fr.) Peru
Per Pacchi: overprint on stamps of Vatican City for parcel post
Perper: currency unit in Montenegro
Perro: (It.) dog (thematic)
Perry’s Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Newtonville, Mass., used a stamp; year unknown
Persan: (Rom) Persian (Iranian) (adj.)
Persane(s): Iran (Persia)
Perse: with “A Percevoir” Iran, unissued postage due
Persekutuan Tanah Melayu: inscription on Federation of Malaya stamps, 1950s; see Malaya, Federation, of
Persia: (Empire); 1935: officially named Iran; see Iran, Bushire, British Occupation
Persian Empire: originated the oldest postal relay service in the world, 539 BC
Persian Gulf Agencies: group of British postal agencies on the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman; Indian and British stamps used, usually with special overprint, in these locations
Persian Rug: nickname for the 1871 U.S. $500 Internal Revenue stamp; received its name from its intricately engraved artwork, resembling a Persian rug
Persien: (Dan., Ger.) Persia
Persiensk: (Dan.) Persian (Iranian)
Persisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Persian (Iranian) (adj.)
Personajes: (Sp.) personalities, refers to sets depicting Spanish celebrities in1931 and after
Personal delivery stamps: Czechoslovakia, (1937, 1946), and Bohemia and Moravia (1939) prepayment of an additional fee for mail to be personally delivered to the recipient
Personalized Stamps: stamps with labels attached that are customized by artwork or a personal photograph printed on the label; Australia Post introduced the concept in 1999
Personnages illustres: (Fr.) celebrities, famous people
Peru: west coast of South America; official name of postal administration: Ministerio de Transportes, Comunicaciones, Vivienda y Construcción currency: 8 reales = 1 peso (1857), 100 centimos = 8 dineros = 4 pesetas = 1 peso (1858), 100 centavos = 1 sol (1874), 100 centimos = 1 inti (1985),100 centimos = 1 sol (1991) 1857, Dec.1: No.1, 1 real blue, first stamps supplied by the Pacific Steam Navigation Co. as an adhesive stamp trial, 1858, Mar.1: first regular stamps, 1871, Apr.: a stamp depicting a railway engine on the 20th anniversary of the first South American Railway is generally considered the world’s first commemorative stamp, 1874: first postage due stamp, 1879, April 1: joined the U.P.U. 1879, Apr. 5-Oct. 11, 1883: areas of Ancachs, Chachapoyas, Chala, Chiclayo, Huacho, Paita, Pasco, Piura and Yca, issued postage stamps due to stamp shortage caused by the Chilean occupation of Lima and Callao during a war between Chile and Peru. 1890, Feb. 2: first official stamp, 1927, Dec.10: first air mail stamp with “Servicio Aereo” overprint, 1966, Aug.16: first semipostal stamp, A Certa , Ancachs, Ayachucho
Peruana: Peru
Peruánsky: (Czech.) Peruvian
Perv-Aereo: Peru, air mails
Per Vliegtuig: Belgium, airmails
Pesa: currency unit overprint on stamps of Germany for use in German East Africa
Peseta(s): 1: (coat of arms) Peru; (no coat of arms) Spain. 2: currency unit in several Spanish-language countries
Pesewa: currency in Ghana
Peso: currency unit in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines, and Uruguay
Petards: fireworks; French Colonies revenue inscription
Petersburg, Va.: occupied by British May 20, 1781 until Dec. 1781
Petersburg, Virginia, 5: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Peters’ Express: parcel delivery firm serviced cities in Mass., used a label; year unknown
Petersfield & District: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Peterson’s Express: private mail delivery firm serviced California; used a label, 1862
Petersport: Antarctic fantasy issue
Pete’s Post: private post operator in New Zealand who uses own postage stamps
Peticion de Devolucion: (Sp.) request for return of a postal item that has not reached its destination and can be recalled by the sender subject to certain conditions
Petite feuille: (Fr.) miniature sheet
Petite Post: town post; see Villayer, Renuard
Petit St. Vincent: St. Vincent Grenadines island, stamps first issued 1970s
Petlura: city in Ukraine Peoples Republic, local post, 1919
Petrel: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Petrofilia: country created in 1977 for “Fun and Fact Calendar” by Erbe Publications
Petrozavodsk: 1. local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1901-16. 2. local overprint, Karelia, 1993
Peutinger Tables: oldest know postal map, 4th century AD
Pezzo di Lusso: (It.) condition of complete excellence
PF: 1: Philatelic Foundation (New York) 2: (Fr.) port payé jusqu’à la frontière paid to the frontier. 3: pfenning. 4: Germany overprint, Offices in China. 5: Estonia overprint on stamps of Russia, German Occupation. 6: Philatelic Foundation (certificate)
Pfenning: currency unit in Allenstein, Germany, Hanover, Prussia, Saxony, Wurttemburg
Pforzheim: city in Germany, local post, Stadt-Briefverkehr, 1896-1900
P.g.: auction abbreviation for part gum
P.G.S.: overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements for Perak Government Service officials
pH: numbers below 7.0 are acidic, above alkaline and pH 7.0 is neutral. However, pH 4 is ten times more acidic than pH 5 and 100 times more acidic than pH 6. The acid in an acidic album page may migrate to a stamp or cover mounted on it
PH: 1: USPS abbreviation in address for penthouse. 2: Photo, Photocopy
Phantasy: a bogus stamp with no postal value
Phantom philately: the collecting of fake or bogus stamps; the name came from author Fred Melville’s work Phantom Philately
Phantom plate numbers: occurs during the printing process when offset plate numbers re-offsets onto the adjoining plate to offset on the next sheet of stamps
Phi: Philadelphia, pre-adhesive postmark
Phil: Philadelphia town mark, used about 1826-27
Philadelpia: misspelling of Philadelphia on cancellation of first day cover for “Honoring the Teachers of America” issue, July 1, 1957
Philadelphia Despatch Post: see Blood, D. O. & Co
Philadelphia, Pa.: occupied by British from Sept. 26, 1777 until June 18, 1778
Philadephia: local post 1: Auner’s Despatch Post, 1851 2: Brigg’s Despatch, 1848 3: City Dispatch, 1860 4: City Express Post, 1840s 5: Clinton’s Penny post 6: Cressman & Co.’s Penny Post, 1856 7: D.O. Blood & Co., Phila. Despatch Post, 1841-43 8: Eagle City Post, 1848-50 9: G. Carters’ Despatch, 1849-51 10: Guy’s City Despatch, 1879 11: Hampton’s City Despatch Post, 1847 12: Harris’s City Despatch Post, 1847 13: J. A. Howell’s City Despatch, 1840s 14: Philadelphia Express Post, Spence & Brown, 1848 15: Priest’s Despatch, 1851 16: Teese & Co. Penny post, 1852 17: Telegraph Despatch P.O., 1848
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad: parcel delivery firm operated by the railroad; used labels; 1880s
Philadelphia Local Express Co.: parcel delivery firm serviced the Philadelphia area; used a corner card and label; year unknown
Philarule: gauge used for measuring postmarks, overprints, etc
Philatector: watermark detector that utilizes electrically lighted color filters
Philatelic: (Fil-a-tel-ic) 1: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1963-64. 2: the adjective for philately. 3: Briefmarken (Ger.) Philatélique (Fr.) Filatelico (It.) Filatelico (Sp.)
Philatelic agency: 1: firm maintained by a government which sells stamps to collectors; some may also aid in the design and production of these stamps. 2: established 1921 in Washington, D.C. to sell new issues to dealers and collectors; part of the U.S. Post Office Department
Philatelic auction: sales event where philatelic material is sold to the highest bidder
Philatelic bureau: government agency that handles sales of philatelic items
Philatelic center: a retail outlet in a postal lobby that sells stamp stock of various plate number positions and a complete line of philatelic products for stamp collectors
Philatelic Congress stamp: commemorative stamp issued on the occasion of a special philatelic meeting
Philatelic cover: a cover specifically made to be a collectible item
Philatelic exhibition: stamp show open to the public, sponsored by stamp clubs, dealers or the postal administration
Philatelic exhibition seal: label produced in connection with a stamp exhibition
Philatelic exhibition stamp: postage stamp issued to commemorate a stamp exhibition
Philatelic Foundation: organization that expertises philatelic material
Philatelic Fulfillment Service Center: Kansas City, Mo. postal unit that supplies all philatelic products by mail or telephone order; applies first-day of issue cancel and additional special cancellations
Philatelic Handling Labels: postal instructional label requesting careful postmarking and handling in transit; issued by Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, etc
Philatelic Plate Number Association: predecessor group to the Bureau Issues Association and the United States Stamp Society
Philatelic president: term used for a well-publicized stamp collector, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Philatelic salvage: takes place when a philatelic item has condition problems that may require a change to preserve, save or enhance its appearance or value
Philatelic Sons of America: formed after the election of officers at the August 1893 convention of the Sons of Philatelia
Philatelic station cancel: slogan cancellation used at philatelic exhibitions
Philatelic truck: vehicle, sponsored by the U.S.P.O. department, traveled around the U. S. from 1939 to 1941 spreading knowledge about stamp collecting; a souvenir sheet was given away at no charge at each stop
Philatélie: (Fr.) philately
Philatelist: a student of stamp collecting, one who collects stamps
Philatelistentag: (Ger.) Philatelist’s Day, celebrated in Germany every year
Philately: 1: taken from the Greek “philos,” loving + “ateleia,” exemption from (further) tax, understood as equivalent of “postage paid.” 2: the collection and study of postage stamps, postmarks, stamped envelopes, etc.
Philexafrique: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1969, 1978-79
Philippinerna: (also Filippinerna) (Nor., Swed.) the Philippines
Philippinerne: (Dan.) see Filipperne
Philippines: located in the Malay Archipelago; group of app. 7,000 islands, currency: 20 cuartos = 1 real, 100 centavos de peso = 1 peso (1864), 100 centimes de escudo = 1 escudo (1871), 100 centimes de peseta = 1 peseta (1872), 1,000 milesimas de peso = 100 centimos = 1 peso (1878), 100 cents = 1 dollar (1899), 100 centimos = 1 peso (1906), 100 centavos = 1 peso (1946) 1854, Feb.1: No.1, 5 cuartos orange, first stamps under Spanish rule, inscribed “Correos 1854 Y 55” 1854: stamps of India available in Manila and used to pre-pay postage by merrhants, 1855: stamps of Cuba also used in the Philippines, 1863: stamps of India replaced by those of Hong Kong, 1870: stamps inscribed “Filipinas,” 1873: stamps of Straits Settlements used except for mail to USA where stamps of Hong Kong used, 1877: Spanish colonies joined the U.P.U. and foreign stamps stopped being used, 1898, May 1: ceded to the U.S. by Spain, American occupation of the Philippines, 1899, Mar.: U.S. stamps used with “Philippines” overprint, Spanish stamps also accepted, 1899, June 23: Filipino Republic revolutionary government established, issued own stamps, 1899, July 30: branch of San Francisco post office established at Cavite, 1899, May 1: Philippine postal service separated from San Francisco, 1899, June 30: diagonal overprint on U.S. stamps for when territory was ceded to the U.S. following Spanish-American war; diagonal overprint “Philippines,” first postage due stamp, 1899, Aug. 16: first postage due stamp, 1901, Mar. 23: Filipino Republic ended when their general arrested by U.S. forces, 1906: inscribed “Philippine Islands / United States of America,” 1922, Jan. 1: joined the U.P.U., 1926, May 13: first air mail stamps, 1926, Dec. 20: first official stamps, 1935, Nov. 15: independence inscription “Commonwealth of the Philippines” 1942, Mar. 4-Jan. 12, 1945: Japanese occupation, overprint of black bars and surcharge, 1942, May 18: overprint “Congratulations / Fall of Bataan and / Corregidor” 1944: American forces retook island, 1946, July 4: became Republic of the Philippines, 1949, Apr. 1: first semipostal stamp
Philippinernsk: (also Filippinernsk) (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Phillipine
Philippine Station/San Francisco: first cancellation of U.S. post office at Cavite, 1898, during occupation of Philippines Islands during the Spanish-American War
Philmark: a system of codes to designate the design center within a stamp’s perforations
Philography: term for autographed first day covers
Philometry: the study and collection of metered mail
PHJ: Postal History Journal (USA)
Phoenix Island: bogus issue using frame of a St. Vincent stamp
Phonopost: Universal Postal Union mail classification for Gramophone records, approved 1939
Phosphor (Phos): a chemical printed on stamps in order to help automated machines process the mail by reacting to the phosphor under ultraviolet lights. It started in Great Britain in 1959, and many countries now use a phosphor “tagging” on their stamps
Phosphor dots: dot design made of phosphor substances as a postcode which can be read by automatic sorting equipment
Phosphorescence: the property of a luminescent material, after being activated by exposure to ultraviolet light, to continue to glow for a period of time after the UV light has been extinguished
Phosphor-Graphite: graphite lines on back and phosphor lines on front of stamps of Great Britain, 1959
Photo: photogravure
Photobrief: (Ger.) letter form used by British forces during WWII which were then microfilmed
Photo cachet: a cachet that consists in part, or all, of a photograph
Photo card: a personal photograph printed on the back of a postcard
Photo-Engraving: photo-mechanical process of making line and half-tone blocks, used for typographic printing
Photography: used to print some stamps issued during the Siege of Mafeking; blue-prints made by sunlight through a negative design in contact with blue-print paper
Photogravure: printing process where the design is photographed on the printing plate through a fine screen which breaks the copy up into very fine dots which are square in shape; the depressions formed around the squares hold the ink, also known as gravure
Photo Lettre: (Fr.) letter form used by British forces during WWII which were then microfilmed
Photomail: see V-Mail
Photomosaics: combination of hundreds or thousands of small photographs or works of art arranged to forma complete image of a subject
PhotoStamp: stamp size photographs that are perforated and gummed like stamps, considered a cinderella
PHQ: Postal Headquarters cards reproducing commemorative and special issues, made by the British Post Office since 1973
Pi: piastre, currency unit in North Africa, Turkey and Europe
PI: 1:auction abbreviation for perforated initial(s). 2: (With Arabic writing) overprint on stamps of Turkey for Thrace. 3: auction abbreviation for poorly inked
Pia Canza: local post, Allied Occupation, Italian liberation, 1944
Piacenza: town and province in Northern Italy; local post, Italy, 1944
Piasgua: overprint on stamps of Chile, Chilean Occupation, Peru
Piaster: overprint for currency, Austria, Germany-Offices in Turkey
Piastra: overprint for currency, France, Great Britain, Italy, Romania, Russia-Offices in Turkey
Piastres: currency surcharge on stamps of Great Britain for Turkish Empire, 1885-1921
Piastro: overprint on stamps of Italy, Offices in Turkey
Picadura: (Sp.) roulette
Pice: currency unit in Nepal, and used in conjunction with the anna
Pichincha: province in Ecuador used a control overprint, 1902
Pichi Richi Railway: local post, Australia, about 1988
Pick boxes: dealer boxes with misc. stamps where the customer can “pick” whatever they want
Pickup airmail: airmail picked up by a passing aircraft without landing
Pictorial: stamps that bear an illustration of any decorative theme such as a landscape, work of art, flowers, etc. that are different than portraits or symbols
Pictorial cachet: cachet design which uses images to depict theme
Pictorial cancel: cancellation with an image in the design elements
Pictorial permit: business bulk rate permit that features a design
Pictorial postmarks: postal markings which include a design
Pictorial slogans: postmarks with a picture, emblem, symbol or other type of design
Picture postal cards: cards produced for the USPS with a stamped imprint prepaying the postage with a color illustration on the reverse of the card
Pi de Llobregat: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pidgeon Is.: bogus issue
Pie: currency unit in India and states
Piece: a remaining part of a mailed item showing the stamps and sometimes the address or postmark
Pièce exposee: (Fr.) exhibit
Pièce le Haut Plus Degré de Perfection: (Fr.) condition of complete excellence
Piece moyenne: (Fr.) average condition
Pie de Imprenta: (Sp.) imprint in the bottom margin of a stamp
Piegato: (It.) creased
Pierce Match Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps
Pierce, R. V.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Piercys Express Company, Limited: parcel delivery firm serviced New York City; used stamps; year unknown
Pies: currency unit in Aden, Bahrain, Burma, India
Pieters, Bennett & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp
Pietersburg: town in Transvaal, Republic of South Africa; 1901, Mar.20-April 9, 1901: provisional stamps issued as Boer headquarters during Anglo-Boer War
Pieza de Perfección: (Sp.) condition of complete excellence
Pigeon Blood Pink: color variety on US 1861 stamp
Pigeongram: Auckland to Okupu, labels used on specially constructed light-weight envelopes,1899; see Great Barrier Island
Pigeon mail: mail carried by pigeon, either on microfilm or a very light-weight letter sheet carried in a pellicule attached to the leg of the bird for flight
Pigeon Post: 1: first recorded use was during the siege of Leiden in the Netherlands in 1575. 2: stamps issued to pay postage on letters carried by pigeons. 3: Great Barrier Islands, 1897 4: Franco-Prussian war, 1870-71. 4. United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Pigeon voyageur: (Fr.) carrier pigeon
Pigment: coloring matter or dye combined to produce printer ink
Pigmented ink taggant: phosphorescent tagging mixed with one or more printing ink colors; used only with lightly colored stamps; most postal stationery and postal cards in the 1970s were made with pigmented ink taggant
Pike’s Peak Express Company: 1858; William H. Russell, William B. Waddell and Alexander Majors formed the Leavenworth and Pike’s Peak Express Company
Pilas: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
Pilgrim Tercentenary: inscription on U.S. issue with no country name
Pilipinas: overprint/inscription on stamps of Japan for Japanese Occupation of Philippines; current inscription on Philippines stamps
Pillar: repetitive design printed in the pane margins of watermarked paper, between the panes, to ensure that it won’t be counterfeited
Pillar box: name used for a standing box used for the collection of mail
Pilsen: now named Plzen, Czech Republic
Pinatar: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pince: (Fr.) tweezers, tongs
Pinckney’s Express Post: U. S. local post, New York, N.Y., 1851
Pinedes de Llobregat: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Ping-Siang: local post, Kiangsi, Central Chinese, 1949
Pin-hole: 1: a tiny hole in the fibers of a stamp through which one can see light. 2: Nadelloch (Ger.) Trou d’Epingle (Fr.) Foro di Spillo (It.) Punto de Aguja (Sp.)
Pink Backs: nickname for Washington-Franklin stamps that bleed a pink color when placed in water
Pin perforating (roulette): holes are pricked into the paper, without any paper being cut out
Pins des Valles: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pinsin(e): currency unit in Ireland
Pinyan: official Chinese spelling system
Pinzas: (Sp.) tongs
Pinzette: (Ger.) tongs, tweezers
Pioneer: postcard with instructions stating that messages must appear on the front
Pioneer flight: flight from the period starting with the initial experimental flights and ending with the beginning of regular air services; for the U.S., this period is1910-1916
Pioneer King’s Langley: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Pioneer stamps: youth program in communist nations designed to counter the Scouting movement
Piora-tal: Switzerland hotel post, 1882-87
PIP: Partial Impression of Plate No. (on U.S.A. Plate No. Blocks)
Piper file: research index of philatelic literature; available from APRL; see: APRL
Pipmail: inscription on bulk rate used in a bulk-mail service by PIP Printing Corp
Pips Daily Mail: U. S. local post, Brooklyn, N.Y., about 1862
Piquage: (Fr.) perforation
Piqué a zig-zag: (Fr.) zig-zag roulette perforation
Pira: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pirate Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Piriatin: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1868-69
Pirie paper: Alex. Pirie & Co., made the paper for New Zealand issues between 1899 and 1902
Pirmasens: city in Germany, local post, Private-Post, 1894-1900
Piros: (Hung.) red (color)
Pirosas: (Hung.) reddish (color)
Piroscafi Ottoman: local post, Levant, aka Turkish Admiralty SS Co., 1859
Pisagua: postal cancel on stamps of Chile, Chilean occupation of Peru
Pisa-Provisorium: (Ger.) emergency postage on board the transport ship Pisa in 1902, China
Pisco: overprint on stamps of town in Peru; provisional issue during occupation by Chile,1884
Piscopi: overprint on stamps of Italy for offices in Piscopi, Aegean islands. 1912-pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, overprint “Piscopi” on stamps of Italy,
1916: first stamps without overprints, 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
Piso Company (E.T. Hazletine): inscription on Medicine stamp; Private die proprietary stamps
Pitcairn Islands: South Pacific Ocean; official name of postal administration: Pitcairn Islands Mail currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 100 cents = 1 NZ dollar (1967) 1921: internal mail was free, with special handstamp, “Posted at Pitcairn Island-No stamps available,” 1927, June: New Zealand postal agency opened, free postage discontinued, 1940, Oct. 15: No.1, ½ penny blue-green and orange, first stamps, 1986: Frama machine set up at stamp show in Australia, never used in Pitcairn, but labels valid for postage
Piszkosfehér: (Hung.) off-white (color)
Pitcairn Islands: 1: The Coconut Bar, Oranges, Senior Service inscriptions, unissued Great Britain cinderellas by David Horry, 2001. 2: Hanging Mutineers inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001
Pitney-Bowes Corp.: commercial firm selling computer-generated postage
Pitt & Scott, Inc.: private delivery firm that serviced parcel throughout the world; used a corner card; 1876?
Pittsburgh: local post, Zieber’s Dispatch, 1852
Pittsburgh Local Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Pittsburgh area; used a stamp; year unknown
Pittsylvania Court House, Va. Paid 5 cents: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Piura (Piyra): overprint on stamps for town in Peru for provisional issue during occupation by Chile,1879-84
Pizarra: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist,1937
Pizze: (It.) Pizzighettone (Lombardy) pre-adhesive postmark
PJGB: Philatelic Journal of Great Britain
Pjon, Pjonustumerki: overprint/inscription on stamps of Iceland for official use
PK: international postal code for Pakistan
P.K.W.N.: (Pol.) Polskie Komitet Wolnosci Narodowei; Polish National Liberation Committee
P.K.Zl.Gr.: Porto Krajowe, Zloty, Groszy (Pol.) inland charge in zloty and groszy, 1810-17
PL: 1: abbreviation for plate 2: auction abbreviation for political (topic).3: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Poland, such as PL-00391, Warsaw
PL # BLK: Plate Number Block
Plade Besos: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Pladefejl: (Dan.) plate error, plate fault, plate flaw
Pladenummer: (Dan.) plate number
Plagiarism: postal designs used in one country being used in another country, may have minor changes
Planche (numéro de): (Fr.) plate number
Planet: Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique; USPS code place on mailing pieces to track processing and delivery of mail pieces through existing mail processing equipment; Confirm
PL&R: Postal Laws and Regulations, U.S
Plan sur de Valencia: (Sp.) inscription on postal tax stamps for funding of project to prevent flooding in the city of Valencia, compulsory on all mail from Valencia since 1963
Planned Investments: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Planty Catalogue: catalog of U. S. cachets assembled by Earl Planty
Plaquette de présentation: (Fr.) presentation pack
Plastic sleeve: plastic envelope used to store covers or stamps
Plast: Ukrainain scouting movement labels to raise funds
Plata: (Sp.) silver, overprint on stamps of Peru, 1880-81 that could only be bought for silver, see Metal currency stamps
Plate: a flat piece of metal (usually copper, zinc or steel) on which an image has been photoengraved, hand engraved or etched; the stamps are then printed from this object; it is the basic printing unit on a press
Plate block (PB): see Plate number block
Plate crack: flaw in the surface of the steel printing plate usually caused by the hardened plate cracking under wear or pressure
Platefeil: (Nor.) plate error, plate fault, plate flaw
Plate Finisher: an employee of the BEP who removed extra lines or dots from an engraved plate after the siderographer has finished his job
Plate Finisher Initials: initials punched into a plate, usually in lower right corner, 1908-1928
Plate flaw: damage to one specific stamp image on one specific printing plate
Plate gap: ink appearing through perforation holes on coil stamps
Plate interval: number of stamps on a coil between plate numbers
Plate marking: all forms of marks printed on the sheet regardless of why they were put there
Platen: in printing, the flat plate which receives or provides the necesssary resistance as the image is imprinted on the paper
Plate number: 1: the serial number engraved on a plate which usually appears in a corner of a sheet of stamps; this number is used to keep the plates from getting mixed up at the printing plant. 2: single digit suffix numbers are printed on the coils, instead of the whole serial number
Plate number block: a block of stamps with the sheet margin attached showing the plate number used in printing that sheet, also known as plate block; usually block of four stamps or more
Plate number coil (PNC): U.S. coil stamps produced since 1981 with a representative plate number appearing at the bottom of the stamp at certain intervals
Plate numbers: numbers in the margin of plates
Plate Number Strip: three or more marginal stamps with the full selvedge and plate number at the center
Plate pairings: some of the early Transportation Series coils were printed on the Cotrell presses, which used two plates in tandem to print the stamps; two different plate numbers would be paired, resulting in coils of stamps showing both plate numbers, 48 stamps apart
Plate position: position of a pane of stamps in relation to the whole press sheet
Plate proof: an impression taken from a whole or part of a plate before actual printing is started
Plate scratch: caused by an object cutting into the plate
Plate strip: (PS) joined coil stamps, one of which bears a plate number within its design area, usually collected with the plate number on the center stamp
Plate variety: any variety in a stamp that had its origin in the plate from which the stamp was printed
Plåtfel: (Swed.) plate error, plate fault, plate flaw
Platform tickets: sold by British railways allowing persons who were not traveling access to the station platforms; tickets had stamps with amount paid
Plating: the reconstruction of a sheet of stamps by the placement of individual stamps representing the various positions
Platnost: (Czech.) validity, date(s) of postal validity for a stamp issue
Plåtskada: (Swed.) plate crack
Platte: (Ger.) die, plate
Plattendruck: (Ger.) flat bed press printing
Plauen: 1: city in Germany, local post, Briefbeförderung, 1890-97 2: city in Germany, local post, Courier, 1893-96 3: city in Germany, local post, Express-Packet-Verkehr, 1891 4: city in Germany, local post, Stadt-Briefbeförderung Marquardt & co., 1890-1900 5: town in Saxony, Germany, local post, 1945
Playing cards: British revenue stamps for use in America, 1765-66
Playing card stamps: conventional revenue stamps denominated in currency, 1894-1940
Playing card U.S. revenue stamps: five different denomination printed since the amount of tax depended of the purchase price of the deck of cards, up to 5¢ per pack, 1862-1965; usually destroyed when deck of cards were opened
Plaza Mayor: (Sp.) Central Plaza, Madrid, stamp bourses held every Sunday morning
Pleasant Shade, Va. 5: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Plebisicite, Memel, Saar Study Group: study group of the German Philatelic Society specializing in the stamps and postal history of the areas involved
Plebiscite Olzstyn Allenstein: overprint on stamps of Germany, see Allenstein
Plebiscite stamps: temporary stamps issued by a town or district while their national or political future is being determined by a vote of the people
Plebiscit Slesvig: Schleswig plebiscite, 1919
Pleskau: town and Russian district near Leningrad; German occupation forces issued overprint and special stamps in 1941-42
Plet: (Dan.) spot, blemish
Pli (enveloppe): (Fr.) cover, envelope
Plic: (Rom.) cover, envelope
Plic prima zi: (Rom.) first day cover, FDC
Pliegue: (Sp.) crease, fold
Plimpton envelopes: The Plimpton Mfg. Co. printed U.S. envelopes from 1874 until 1903
Plissé: (Fr.) creased
Pliure: (Fr.) crease
Plonsk: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20
PLR: Philatelic Literature Review (USA)
P.L. Teheran: Post Locale Teheran; overprint on stamps of Iran
Plug: a part of the printing plate that is literally plugged into the main design; such as value, etc
Plug cancel: round, double circle marking, officially known as a validator stamp; used on postal receipts and registered envelopes
Plum Creek, Texas 10c: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Plumer & Foff’s Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Newburyport, Mass.; used labels, late 1880s
Plurinvest: labels produced by the Bolaffi Co. of Turin, Italy; each label is a certificate representing a small ownership of the item shown on the label; usually a philatelic rarity or a work of art. The symbol £ stands for Italian lira and not for Pounds
P M: 1: postmaster, postmark. 2: Philatelic Magazine (Great Britain). 3: Posta Militare, “Military Stamps” overprint on stamps of Italy, used for ordinary usage during stamp shortage, 1944-45
PMC: purple machine cancel
PMCC: Post Mark Collector’s Club
P.M. Co.: (Portland M. Co.) see Private die match proprietary stamps
PMG: abbreviation for Postmaster General
Pmk: postmark
PMOG: Pencil Mark On Gum
PMR: see Transnistrian Moldavian Republic
PMS: Pantone Matching System used by the USPS since 1987 to assign stamp color specifications; however, the color may vary depending if the stamps were printed by offset or intaglio presses
PN: Scott Catalog number prefix for U.S. Postal Note
P.N.B.: Postal Notes Business; to mark mail with postal notes with sums of less than $5
PNC: 1: philatelic numismatic combination, a stamped envelope, card or mounting device created to commemorate an event; numismatic may be a stamp coin, medal, token or encased stamp. 2: Plate number coil
PNC3: Plate Number Coil Collectors Club
Pneumatic Mail: mail sent between U.S. post offices and railroad stations by pneumatic tubes, 1893-June 30, 1918
Pneumatic post: distribution of mail through air tubes below ground using compressed air
Pneumatic tube stamps: issued only by Italy
Pneumatic tube stationery: issued by three nations; Austria, France, and Germany
Pneumatischer Brief: (Ger.) Pneumatic letter, inscription on Austrian letter sheet
Pneumatische Expressbeförderung: (Ger.) pneumatic mail post express cards used by Austria
Pneumatiskpost: (Swed.) pneumatic post, pneumatic mail
Pneumatiskpostpostkort: (Swed.) pneumatic post postal card, pneumatic mail postal card
Pneumatiskpostmärke: (Swed.) pneumatic post stamp, pneumatic mail stamp
PNG: Papua New Guinea
PNS: plate numbered strip, see Plate strip
PNT: Plate No. Trimmed
PNTA: Pakistan National Tuberculosis Association
PO: 1: auction abbreviation for polar (topic). 2: abbreviation for post office. 3: Post Office, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74
P.O.1: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
P.O.A.: Post Office Agency
Poached Egg: nickname for British green vending machine test label, center illustrates a dark green oval
Poblact na Heireann: (Irish) Republic of Ireland; Republican Army issues
POCCIR: (Cyrillic) Russia, South Russia
Pochette-cadeau: (Fr.) gift-pack
Pochetten: (Ger.) small stamp pockets with see-thru fronts and black backing
Pocket-shaped envelope: an envelope that has the flap at one end instead of at the top
Pocyzta: (Pol.) Poland
Poczta: (Pol.) 1: on stamps of Italy; Poland inscription / overprint for Polish Second Corps serving in Italy during WW II; cinderella, produced to raise funds for charity, but used on mail without additional postage through agreement with Italy. 2: (Pol.) Post, Polish occupation overprint on stamps of Lithuania, 1920
Poczta Dylizansowa Szlakiem Kopernika: (Pol.) stage-coach mail “On Copernicus route,” May 8th – June 16th, 1973, 35 various labels (cinderellas)
Poczta Harczerska: (Pol.) Scout Post postmark applied during Warsaw ghetto uprising in 1944, scouts delivered the mail within the ghetto; Scout Post in general, after 1945
Poczta Litwa Srodkowa: (Pol.) Central Lithuania
Poczta Oflag: (Pol.) stamps and cancels for a German prisoner of war camp for Polish military officers in Gross-Born, Neubrandenburg, Murnau, Woldenberg, Poland
Poczta Osiedli Polskich Itali: (Pol.) post World War II for the Polish Corps and Refugees in Italy
Poczta Pol. Korp: (Pol.) overprint of stamps of Russia for Polish Expeditionary Force, 1918
Poczta Polowa II Korpusu: (Pol.) fieldpost of 2nd Corps [in Italy 1943-1946]
Poczta Polska: (Polish Post) 1: overprint on stamps of Austria for Poland Newspaper, 1916. 2: (lower case) overprint on stamps of Germany during Polish occupation, 1919. 3: inscription for Poland, except between 1944-45 and 1948 when Poczta was omitted
Poczta Polska Port Gdansk: Polish Post in Free City Danzig (1920-1939); Danzig
POD: Post Office Department, predecessor of the USPS; also known as USPOD
Podací Lístek: (Czech.) receipt
Podací Lístek na Telegram: (Czech.) telegram(me) registration receipt
Podatelna: (Czech.) mail room
Poddebice: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20
Podkarpatská Rus: Celistvosti – Podkarpatská Rus.
Podolsk: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1871-9569-84
Podradny: (Czech.) inferior
POFIS: Philatelic Office of the Slovak Post
Pofis: specialized catalogue of Czechoslovakia
P.O.G.: auction abbreviation for Part Original Gum, with 50% or more of the original gum being intact
Pohjois Inkeri: (Fin.) inscription during short revolt, 1930. North Intermanland
Pohlednice: (Czech.) postcard, picture postcard
Poinçon: (Fr.) die
Pointing finger: symbol used as a marking on undeliverable mail that has been returned to sender; usually includes text indicating why the mailpiece is being returned
Points down (Up): the direction in which the points face on grills
Poisson: (Fr.) fish (topic)
Poitiers: city in France, local provisional, 1944
Pokutia issue: Western Ukraine, occupied by Romania, “C.M.T.” on stamps of Austria in 1920; see Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
POL: (Ger.) Polizei; perforated initials on stamps of Germany used as Police Officials
Polaire Internationale: international polar; inscription on stamps of USSR, air mail, 1932
Poland: located in Europe between Germany and Russia; official name of postal administration: Poczta Polska currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble, 100 fenigi = 1 marka (1918), 100 halerzy = 1 koruna (1918), 100 grozy = 1 zloty (1924) 1850: parts of Poland absorbed by Austria and Prussia used stamps of these territories. 1856: Russia stamps recognized by Poland, 1858: separate postal service created, 1860, Jan.1: No.1, 10 kopecks blue and rose, first stamp; used six concentric circles as cancel, under Russian kingdom, stamps valid within Poland and for mail to Russia, 1860-63: used four concentric circles as cancel, 1863: stamps of Russia used again due to revolt by Poles, 1914: Poland invaded by Germany and Austria-Hungary, German occupation stamps overprinted “Poczta Polska” for local usage, two stamps issued for Polish Legion, 1915, May 12: German stamps overprinted “Russisch-Polen” for use in Poland, 1916: German stamps overprinted “General Governement-Warsaw” used, as well as overprinted stamps of the German Eastern Military Command, 1918, regional stamps issued in cities / regions of Cracow, Lublin, Posen, Warsaw, North Poland and South Poland, Polish Expeditionary Forces used surcharged Russian stamps, 1918, Nov. 3: Polish republic proclaimed, 1919, Jan. 10; first stamps, first postage due stamp, 1919, May 1: joined the U.P.U. 1919, May 3: first semi-postal, 1919, May-1923: Polish consulate in Constantinople (Levant) operated a post office, 1919, Nov.: a post office opened in Odessa during Russian Civil War, 1920, Feb.1: first official stamp, 1925, Jan. 25: “Port Gdansk” overprint for Offices in Danzig, 1925, Sept.10: first air mail stamp, 1939, Sept.1: German occupation “Deutsche Post Osten” overprint on stamps of Germany, 1939, Dec.1-1941: stamps inscribed / overprinted “General Government of Poland,” stamps of Russia used east of the River Bug, 1941, Oct. 26: German General Government stamps inscribed “Deutsches Reich General Government,” 1943, Aug.: Deutsches Reich General Government’ changed to ‘Gross Deutsches’, 1941, Dec. 15-46: Polish Government in Exile, Great Britain, issued stamps for use on Polish ships and military camps, 1944, Sep. 7: regular stamp issues inscribed “Poczta Polska.”
Poland: local post, Solidarity underground movement, 1988
Polarfahrt: (Ger.) polar flight
Polar Post: created by Capt. W. Bade in 1897-98 for Spitzbergen
Polar stamps, government: New Zealand, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition in the Antarctic, 1908
Polar stamps: local post for service in Spitzbergen, 1897
Polecat Local post: local post fantasy, c1989
Polecona: 1: Poland Officials. 2: (Pol.) registered letter / mail
Pole du Nord: inscription on stamps of USSR, air mail, 1931
Polen: (Dan., Ger., Nor., Swed.) Poland
Polensk: (Dan.) Polish
Polensk Post i Tyrkiet: (Dan.) Polish Post Offices in the Turkish Empire (Levant)
Polish Antarctic Territory: bogus antarctic issue
Polish Offices in Danzig: see Port Gdansk; 1938: first commemorative stamp
Polish People’s Republic: see Poland
Polish Post Offices Abroad: 1: “Levant” overprint on stamps of Poland to frank mail from the Polish Consulate in Constantinople. 2: Stamps of Poland overprinted”Port Gdnask” for use at the Polish port of Danzig from 1925-37
Political stamps: Venezuela, illustrated a map showing Venezuela’s claim to British Guianese territory, 1896
Polizas de Bolsa: (Sp.) inscription on Spanish fiscals for Stock Exchange contracts, etc
Polní Posta: (Czech.) field post
Pologne: (Fr.) Poland
Polonez: (Rom.) Polish (adj.)
Polonia: (It., Sp.) Poland
Polop: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Polsk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Polish
Polska: (Pol.) Poland
Polska Poczta: overprint on stamps of 1903-1916
Polske Post på Tyrkia: (Nor.) Polish Post Offices in the Turkish Empire (Levant)
Polske skeppspost: (Swed.) Polish ship mail (ship post)
Polske skibspost: (Dan.) Polish ship mail (ship post)
Polske skipspost: (Swed.) Polish ship mail (ship post)
Polsko: (Czech.) Poland
Polsky: (Czech.) Polish
Poluchen: (Rus.) received
Polvora Caza, Mina, Explosivas: (Sp.) inscription on fiscals for gunpowder, various uses
Polychrome: (Fr.) multicolored
Polyester: very clear, fairly rigid material that is chemically inert, used by the National Postal Museum for exhibits and storage of the collections; also known as Mylar(r)
Polyethylene: soft, clear inert plastic used in sleeves for photographs, usually comes in rolls or sheets
Polynésie Française: (Fr.) French Polynesia
Polypropylene: inert plastic, similar to polyethylene, used for sleeve pages
Polysleeve: clear plastic sleeves, usually closed on two or three sides, to hold covers, so that they won’t get damaged in handling
Polyvinyl alcohol: an adhesive product used instead of gum arabic and other adhesives for stamps
Pombal: inscription on 1925 stamps of Portugal and Colonies for postal tax; Sebastiao Jose de Carvalho e Mello, Marquis de Pombal, rebuilt Lisbon after earthquake
Pomeroy’s Letter Express: U. S. local post, New York State, 1844
Pommare: South Pacific Kingdom issued in 1800s; stamps usually classified as Haiti because inscription reads Haitji
Ponce: local post for town in Puerto Rico, American Dominion, 1898
Pondelí: (Czech.) Monday
Ponferrada: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
Pons: local provisional post, France, 1944
Ponsanooth Village Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Ponta Delgada: Azores, a district of Portugal; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis 1892: No.1, 5 reis yellow, inscription for the Azores district, 1905: replaced by stamps of the Azores. 1931: stamps of Portugal used
Pontevedra: local post, Spanish province, Civil War, Nationalist, Republican, 1937-38
Pontianak: local overprint for Japanese Naval Control Area, 1942-45
Pony Express: established in 1859 to carry mail between St. Joseph, MO and San Francisco, CA with 190 relay stations, 500 horses and 80 riders; took ten days, term “Pony Express” was invented by Wells Fargo
Pony Express: U.S. local post handstamp, 1853-61
Pony Express Mail D.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Pony Express (Nottingham): United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Poon: currency unit in Korea
Poona: now named Pune, India
Poonch: Kashmir, India Feudatory State; 1876: No.1, 6 pies red, first local stamps, individually handstamped, Jammu and Kashmir cancellations, 1888: first official stamps, 1894: stamps discontinued, uses stamps of Republic of India
Poor: (P) refers to stamp description as being in bad condition
Popalania: country created for the comic strip character Popeye
Pope and King: two Spanish sets issued Dec, 23, 1928 to raise funds for catacomb excavation; one depicted King Alfonso XIII and the other, the Pope
Popis: (Czech.) description
POR: Price On Request
Por Aviáo: (Port.) by airmail
Por Avion: “by air” etiquettes
Por Carecer de Sellos en Admon. y Estancos: (Sp.) lack of stamps, on covers with emergency franking
Por Correo Aereo: “by air mail” inscription on Venezuela etiquettes
Por favor no Doblar: (Sp.) please do not fold or bend
Porkala-Långuiken: (Fin.) local post via steamship, Finland 1890s
Porkhof: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1876-1905
Porkkala Langviken: local post, Finland, 1898
Porous paper: an absorbent type of paper used in stamp production, usually unglazed
Portaláda: (Hung.) mail box, letter box
Port Arthur: now known as Lu-shun, China; overprinted stamps of Japan and Manchukuo; see China, Regional Issues
Port Arthur & Darien: China People’s Republic issue for Port Arthur & Darien Post Telegraph Administration, 1946-50
Port Cantonal: cantonal stamp of Geneva; Switzerland envelope used as adhesive, 1843-50
Port. Companhia de Mocambique: see Mozambique Company
Porteado: overprint on Azores; inscription on Portugal for postage due
Porteado a receber: “Postage to Be Received”; overprint on Azores; inscription on Portugal for postage due
Porte de Conduccion: (Sp.) inscription for parcel post stamps of Peru
Porte de correos: (Sp.) postage
Porte de Mar: (Sp.) “Carried by Sea,” inscription on labels issued by Mexico; indicated the amount to be paid to sea captains for carrying outgoing foreign mail, 1875-79
Porte Franco (Correos): Peru; Portugal Franchaise stamp inscription
Porte Libre: private stamp used by merchants in Curaçao to indicate postage paid for postage from Coro to Curaçao; 1890’s
Porte pagado: (Sp.) postage paid, used by Cuban military personnel in Angola, 1985
Porte timbre: (Sp.) cinderella labels that contains a box within the design of a box for the regular postage stamp
Port Fouad: overprint on stamps of Egypt to commemorate the new port, 1926
Port Gdansk: overprint on stamps of Poland for the Poland-Offices in Danzig, 1925-38; see Danzig
Port Gibson, Miss. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Port Hood Provisionals : Canadian Post Office reduced the domestic letter rate on Dec. 29, 1898 from 3¢ to 2¢, leaving the Port Hood, Nova Scotia postmaster without correct rate stamps. Without official authorization, h-e cut 3¢ stamps vertically into two-thirds and one-thirds; surcharged the 2/3 pieces “2¢” and the one-third pieces “1¢” to meet the new rate; used for one day only
Port Lagos: overprint on stamps of France, used by French post office in town,1893-98; previously used stamps of France 1874-93; see France Offices, Turkey, French Offices
Portland Match Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps
Port Lavaca, Tex 10 cents postage: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals
Portmanteaux issues: multiple sets of stamps of the same, or similar, design for many territories; aka Omnibus issues
Port Maria: Antarctic fantasy
Port Maud: Antarctic fantasy
Porto: (Ger.) 1. postage. (Ger.) 2: inscription on postage due labels of Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Jugoslavia, Liechtenstein, Poland, and Slovenia. 3: overprint on stamps of Denmark, Hungary, etc. for postage due. 4. (Dan., Nor., Swed.) postage rates
Porto Betalt Lykkebrevet: (Nor.) “postage paid – (Good Luck) letter” postage stamp combined with a lottery coupon, issued June 1, 1964
Portocaliu: (Rom.) orange (color)
Portocaliu-brun: (Rom.) orange-brown (color)
Portocaliu-roz: (Rom.) orange-rose (color)
Portoetiketter: (Nor.) postage due etiquettes, postage due labels
Porto Franco: franchaise stamps with company name, Portugal
Porto Franco: “postage free” inscription on stamps of Peru
Portofrei: (Ger.) free of postage
Portofreiheitsmarke: (Ger.) free frank stamp
Portogallo: (It.) Portugal
Porto Gazetei: (Rom.) newspaper stamp inscription on stamps of Moldavia, Romania, 1858
Porto kradi adresát: (Czech.) mail postage due
Portom(a)erke: (Dan.) postage due
Porto Marka: Croatia, postage due
Portomarke: 1: (Ger.) postage due stamp. 2: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway Postage Due
Portomærke: (Dan.) postage due stamp
Portomerke: (Nor.) postage due stamp
Porto Pagato: (It.) postage paid
Porto Pflichtige Dienst Sache: “Service Matter Liable for Postage” inscription for communal officials, Wurttemberg
Porto Rico: overprint on stamps of United States, American Dominion, Puerto Rico, 1899. 1898: first semi-postal stamp, 1899: first postage due stamp, 1932: name officially changed to Puerto Rico; see Puerto Rico
Port Paye: (Fr.) first handstamp marking used in France
Port payé: (Fr.) Anne Genevieve, Mistress Fouquet, 1653, suggested slips of paper, affixed with a solution of isinglass, known as billets de port payé (postage paid), with room for date and year, sold in monasteries, courthouses, colleges and prisons; sender filled in date and posted in street corner boxes, no example of these stamps have been discovered, but described in literature of the period
Port payé / Post Suède: (Fr., Swed.) inscription used on Swedish vacation stamps; Vacation stamps
Porto Scrisori: (Rom.) letter stamp inscription on stamps of Moldavia, Romania, 1858
Portpatrick & Wigtownshire Railway: British railway local post
Port Said: French Post Office in Egypt; 1867, June: post office opened, 1867-99: used stamps of France, 1899-1937: stamps of France overprint for use at the French post office, 1902: changed to inscription, but not used until 1937, Port Said cancels found on British stamps for mail on British ships placed into the Egyptian mail system at Port Said, 1931, Mar.31: post office closed, see Interpostal seals, 1867-84; Egypt, French Offices
Port Talbot Railway & Docks Company: Wales railway local post
Portugal: west coast of the Iberian Peninsula; official name of postal administration: CTT Correios currency: 1,000 resi = 1 milreis, 10 reis = 1 centimo, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1912), 100 cents = 1 Euro (2002) 1853, July: No.1, 5 reis reddish brown, first stamp, used horizontal bars as cancel, 1875, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1892: “Provisorio” overprint 1898, May 1: first postage due stamp, 1910: republic established, “Republica” overprint diagonally, 1911: overprint “Republica,” first semipostal stamp, 1936: first air mail stamp, 1938: first official stamp; Africa Correios, Amsterdao, Azores, Madeira
Portugal: 1. see Africa Correios, Amsterdao. 2. (Hung.) Portuguese
Portugália: (Hung.) Portugal
Portugalsko: (Czech.) Portugal
Portugalsky: (Czech.) Portuguese
Portughez: (Rom) Portuguese (adj.)
Portugisisk: (Dan., Nor.) Portuguese
Portugisiska Guinea: (Swed.) Portuguese Guinea
Portugisiska Indien: (Swed.) Portuguese India
Portugisiska Kongo: (Swed.) Portuguese Congo
Portugisiske skeppspost: (Swed.) Portuguese ship mail (ship post)
Portugisiske skibspost: (Dan.) Portuguese ship mail (ship post)
Portugisiske skipspost: (Nor.) Portuguese ship mail (ship post)
Portugisisk Guinea: (Dan., Nor.) Portuguese Guinea
Portugisisk India: (Nor.) Portuguese India
Portugisisk Indien: (Dan.) Portuguese India
Portuguese Africa: stamps used in all Portuguese possessions in Africa; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1913) 1898, April 1: No.1, 2 ½ reis blue green, stamps of Portugal overprinted “Africa-Correios” first stamps, 1919: Portuguese colonial revenue stamps overprinted “Taxa de Guerra” as war tax stamp, 1945: first postage due stamp, 1974: Portugal withdrew from its African colonies
Portuguese Congo: northern district of the Portuguese Angola Colony, on SW coast of Africa; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1913) 1894, Aug. 5: No.1, 5 reis yellow, first stamp, first newspaper stamp, 1911: stamps of Angola overprinted / surcharged, 1913: Macao, Portuguese Africa, Timor stamps surcharged “Republica Congo,” 1920: replaced by stamps of Angola, 1975: occupied by Angolan military forces; Angola, Cabinda
Portuguese Colonies: 1877, July 1: became members of the UPU, 1907: changed UPU affiliation to include Portuguese African Colonies, 1922, Jan. 1: UPU affiliation with additional Portuguese Colonies
Portuguese East Africa: see Mozambique
Portuguese Guinea: African west coast between Senegal and Guinea; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1913) 1881: No.1, 5 reis black, first stamps were overprints on stamps of Cape Verde, 1886: Portuguese Colonial keytypes, 1893: first newspaper stamp, 1904: first postage due stamp, 1919, May 20: war tax stamp, 1925: first postal tax stamp, 1938, Sep. 19: first air mail stamp, 1974, Sept. 10: became independent as Guinea-Bissau; Guinea-Bissau
Portuguese India: west coast of the Indian peninsula; consisted of Damao, Diu, and Gao; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis, 12 reis = 1 tanga (1881), 16tangas = 1 rupia, 100 centavos = 1 escudo (1959) 1871, Oct.1: No.1, 10 reis black, first stamps inscribed “Servico Postal India Port,” 1871-77: regular Portuguese colonial design used in combination with stamps of British India, 1904: first postage due stamp, 1919, Apr. 15: War Tax stamp, 1925: first postal tax, postal tax due stamps, 1938, Sept. 1: first air mail stamp, 1961, Dec. 18: annexed to India; Portuguese India stamps valid until Jan. 5, 1962; then stamps of India used
Portuguese Timor: portion of the island of Timor; 1885: first stamps of Macao overprinted “Timor” WW 2: occupied by Japan, 1976, May 3: annexed to Indonesia
Portuguese West Africa: see Angola
Portzegel: inscription on Netherlands postage due labels
Por Vapor: (Sp.) by steamer; handstamp from Bilbao while under siege during Spanish Carlist War in 1873
Pos: position
P.O.S. Local Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Posen: city in Germany, 1896-1900: local post, Hansa, 1919, Aug. 5: made part of Poland, stamps of Germany overprinted “Poczta Polska” when this former German province was occupied by the Poles, given to it by the Treaty of Versailles, 1920s: mourning label issued by German stamp dealer Sigmund Hartig, 1939: occupied by Germany, WW 2-post: given Polish name of Poznan
Posesiones Espanoles del Sahara Occidental: inscription on first stamps of Spanish Sahara, Spanish possessions, 1924
POS(H)TA: overprint on fiscal stamps of Tannu Tuva for postage
Position: a coil stamp’s position is given in relation to the joint line; 1R is the stamp to the right of the line, 1L is the numbered stamp; if no joint line exists, an imaginary line is used as a reference point
Position block: four or more stamps that have marking on attached selvage; may include plate numbers, inscription, slogans or positioning guides for cutting
Positional piece: part of a sheet of stamp, usually containing a variety or other unusual feature, with marks that will identify the exact location of the variety, to confirm that the variety is genuine
Position plate block: four plate blocks with the exact same plate number in four positions
POSS: Possessions (USA)
Posseel-Postage: (Afrikaans) “postage” inscription on stamps of South Africa, South West Africa
Possession Island: local post
Possessions and Administrated Areas: foreign territories owned or administrated by a nation for which that nation issued stamps; US included Canal Zone, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Ryukyu Islands
Post: 1: a method of sending intelligence, to and from appointed sites at regular intervals, or whenever such a service may be required. 2: one who traveled with messages, letters, packages, etc, as a courier. 3: a series of stations for keeping horses used in the delivery of posts for relays. 4: to travel with haste via a post horse. 5: to mail. 6. (Dan., Nor., Swed.) mail
Posta: 1. overprint on fiscals of Tannu Tuva for validation as ordinary postage. 2. (Czech., Hung., Rom.) post office. 3. (Rom.) mail
Posta 15 or 35: overprint on Tannu Tuva revenue stamps
Posta aerea: (It.) the carriage of mail by air, airmail
Posta Aeriana: (Rom.) inscription on air mail stamps of Romania
Posta Ajrore (Aerore): (Alb.) overprint on stamps of 1962 Albanian for air mail, 1962, 1919
Post-A-Book: British Post Office 1983 scheme of distinctive labels, stationery and postage stamps to encourage mailing books by mail
Posta Austr: Austria, Offices in Turkey
Posta Austriaca: (Rom.) Austrian post, Austrian mails
Posta Bulgara: (Rom.) Bulgarian post
Posta Ceskoslovenská: (Czech.) Czechoslovakian posts
Posta Ceskoslovenske Armady Sibirske: Siberia (Czechoslovak Legion Post)
Posta consulare: (Rom.) consular mail
Posta da Campo: (It.) field post
Posta dei piroscafi Ottomania: (It.) Ottoman Steamship Post; Turkish Steamship Company, 1840-62
Posta di bordo: (It.) ships mail
Posta di Campo militare: (It.) military post
Post aérienne: (Fr.) the carriage of mail by air
Posta ferroviaria: (It.) railway mail
Postafiók: (Hung.) post office box
Posta Fiume: inscription on triangular stamp of Fiume for newspaper issue
Posta Franceza: (Rom.) French post
Postage: 1: price established to be paid for the carrying of mailable matter by the post. 2: Grenada overprint on bisected stamps with Queen’s head. 3: India with inscribed value in annas; Hyderabad. 4: Frankatur (Ger.) Affranchissement (Fr.) Affreancatura (It.) Franqueo (Sp.)
Postage & Revenue: 1: with denominations in d (pence), Great Britain to pay taxes and fees normally paid by revenue stamps. 2: with denominations in annas, India-Kishengarh 3: inscription on stamps of Britain and colonies for uses in both areas. 4: overprint on stamps of Saurashtra for the United State of Saurashtra, India, 1949-51
Postage Camb aus Sigillun Nov: New South Wales, 1850-51
Postage correos: Ponce issue of Puerto Rico
Postage currency: when change was scarce during the Civil War, U.S. postage stamps were pasted on Treasury paper, using these for fractional silver. Postage Due: 1: stamp issued to collect unpaid postage, collectible on final delivery, usually not valid for payment of original postage. 2: deficiency in the original payment 3: amount to be collected from the addressee; also known as double deficiency in many countries. 4: Gebührenpflichtig, Strafporto (Ger.) Port Supplementaire (Fr.) Segnatasse (It.) Franqueo Deficiente (Sp.) 5: common design on stamps of Portugal and Colonies, 1952 6: with denominations in d (pence), Australia, Great Britain 7: known as “To Pay” labels in Great Britain
Postage Due stamp: stamp used to collect fees in letters that have been underpaid due to destination, weight, service, etc
Postage I.E.F. ‘D’: overprint on stamps of Turkey for British occupation of Mosul (Iraq)
Postage meter: a mechanical or digital device that creates a valid denominated postage imprint of an authorized postage indicia.Postage meter, first: invented in Paris, 1884, but was never used
Postage Paid Cairns Australia: resort stamp inscription to prepay postage from resort to destination
Postage Paid Impression (PPI): imprint used by private firms in Great Britain to frank mail
Postage Paye: Postage Paid overprint on stamps of Haiti, 1904
Postage Plus: a postage imprint produced by Neopost
Postage Rate: the amount of money charged for postage
Postage rate, increase: London 1801, the Penny Post became the Twopenny Post when the lowest rate doubled overnight
Postage/Revenue stamp: British nations’ stamp which can be used either for postage or for revenue purposes
Posta Germana: (Rom.) German post
Postages Correos 5 cts: Puerto Rico; U.S. dominion
Postage stamp: 1: an officially authorized gummed or self-adhesive paper stamp to be affixed to a letter, embossed on an envelope for mail sent through the Postal Service. 2: timbre post (Fr.); briefmarke (Ger.); francobollo postale (It.); sello de correos (Sp.)
Postage stamp envelope: unofficial envelope used to hold loose unused postage stamps, the face values added up to the amount printed on the envelope, along with a mention of a business
Postage stamp missing (removed): marking on incoming foreign mail, 1887 to indicate mailing office had applied necessary postage so the mailing piece could be processed for delivery without any postage due being assessed
Postage tax: inscription on stamps of Sudan for postage due
Postage two cents: with portrait of Andrew Jackson, initials C.S. for Confederate States, United States
Postage validation imprinter (PVI): a computerized printing device that attaches to an integrated retail terminal to produce a postage label that is similar to a meter stamp strip; may contain a barcoded destination
Postage verified: USPS term for the mail piece examined to have the correct postage, or the postage is valid, such as suspected re-used stamps
Posta Greaca: (Rom.) Greek post
Postai Ajánlási Díj: (Hung.) (postal) registration fee
Postai Árusitás Idotartama: (Hung.) period of time of postal sales
Postai Dijszabas: (Hung.) postage rates, postal rates
Posta Imperiala Rusa: (Rom.) Imperial Russia post
Posta închisoara: (Rom.) prison mail
Postai Irányitószám: (Hung.) postal code, zip code
Post Ajrore: air mail inscription on stamps of Albania, World War II
Posták: (Czech.) mailman, postman. see Listonos
Postalari Takse Pulu: Turkey postage due
Postal: used for postcard instead of “Tarjeta Postal”
Postal: 1. overprint on various special service stamps of Ecuador validating for ordinary use. 2. postcard with a preprinted stamp
Postal agency Siberia: marking in a circle used by the U.S.P.O. in 1919
Postalari: “postage” inscription on modern stamps of Turkey
Postal blankett: (Swed.) postal form, postal document
Postal Buddy: automated printed-on-demand postal stationery; started July 5, 1990, ceased operation on Sept. 17, 1993
Postal cancellation: a postmark that shows that the stamp has been used for postal purposes and not for revenue use
Postal card: government produced card with special imprinted stamps which don’t exist as adhesive postage stamps, often confused with postcards
Postal card, first: first government issued postal card was by Austria on Oct. 1, 1869
Postal card, first U.S.: issued May 13, 1873 with a 1¢ stamp imprinted in brown on buff paper
Postal charges: 1: Toulouse-Paris messengers, in 1588, had to endorse on each wrapper amount paid or due, with charges shown in numerals in black or red ink. 2: overprint on stamps of Papua New Guinea as a surcharge to change it to a postage due stamp
Postal code: is used in a foreign country to deliver the mail; see Country code; Post code.Postal codes, established: Algeria 1980; Argentina 1976; Austria 1967; Australia 1967; Belarus 1964; Belgium 1969; Brazil 1970; Brunei 1987; Bulgaria 1975; Canada 1971; China 1979; Croatia 1967; Cyprus 1994; Czechoslovakia 1973; Denmark 1968; Egypt 1980; Estonia 1970; Finland 1971; France 1974; Georgia 1971; Great Britain 1966; Greece 1983; Guernsey 1966; Guinea 1996; Guinea-Bissau 1990; Haiti 2000; Hungary 1973; Ile of Man 1966; India 1972; Israel 1973; Italy 1967; Japan 1968; Jersey 1966; Jordan 1994; Kenya 2001; Kirghizistan 1975; Korea (Republic) 1970; Laos 1987; Lesotho 1978; Lithuania 1971; Malasay 1974; Maldives 1982; Malta 1988; Marocco 1988; Mexico 1981; Moldova 1995; Mongolia 1983; Nigeria 2002; Norway 1968; New Zealand 1983; Pakistan 1988, Paraguay 1988; Netherlands 1976; Philippines 1987; Poland 1972; Portugal 1978; Russia 1969; Saudi Arabia 1983; Singapore 1950; Slovakia 1974; Sudan 1966; Spain 1984; Tadjikistan 1971; Thailand 1982; Turkey 1985; Ukraine 1999; United States 1963; Venezuela 1992
Postal Codes, Germany, 1944: 1: Berlin 2: Mark Brandenburg, Ostmark 3: Mecklenburg 4: Pomerania. 5a: Danzig-West Prussia. 5b: East Prussia, Bialystok. 5c: Ostland Reich administrative district. 6: Wartheland, Polish territory. 7a: General Government, Polish territory. 7b: Ukraine Reich administrative district. 8: Lower Silesia. 9a: Upper Silesia. 9b: East Sudetenland. 10: Saxony. 11a: West Sudentenland. 11b: Bohemia and Moravia Reich protectorate. 12a: Vienna, Lower Donau, Styria. 12b: Carinthia, Upper Donau, Salzburg, Tyrol-Vorarlberg. 13a: Bayreuth, Franconia, Mainfranken. 13b: Munich, Upper Bavaria, Swabia. 14: Wurttemburg-Hohenzollern. 15: Thuringia. 16: Hessen-Nassau. 17a: Baden. 17b: Markgraflerland. 18: Westmark (Saarland & Rheinpfalz) 19: Magdeburg-Anhalt. 20: East Hanover, South Hanover, Brunswick 21: Westphalia. 22: Dusseldorf, Essen, Cologne-Aachen, Koblenz-Trier. 23: Weser-Ems. 24: Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein
Postal Commission: Ceylon overprint on the 4-cent stamps of 1883, used to denote the extra commission charged by the post office on money orders which had not been cashed within three months of issue
Postal Concentration Center: WWII term for a postal facility at which all mail for an overseas force is brought for separation
Postal Convention: treaty between countries that set direct mail rates fordelivery between the two countries
Postal currency: started when merchants issued notes when small coins disappeared from circulation in 1861-62, the U.S. Treasurer affixed postage stamps to Treasury paper, then stamps were printed on Treasury paper, evolved into fractional currency
Postal Division: APS term for exhibition classification to include traditional, postal history, aerophilately, astrophilately, postal stationery and special studies
Postale Italiano: “Postage of Italy” inscription on stamps of Italy
Postale Espresso: (It.) express mail, expedited delivery
Postale tubo: (It.) pneumatic mail
Postal Fee: the amount of money charged for a postal service
Postal-Feril Est. Otavalo: overprint on consular fee stamp of Ecuador to honor a new railway service, 1928
Postal fiscal stamps: fiscal or revenue stamps that have been authorized for use as postage stamps
Postal forgery: a counterfeit stamp made especially to defraud postal authorities
Postal frank: labels used by British Consulate in Antananarivo, Madagascar to rush handling of mail via Consular post; not considered postage stamps; although they confirmed payment of postage, since stamps of Mauritius or Reunion were also applied
Postal guide: oldest was found in Rome, 1852, engraved on sides of the Apollinaire Vases, with names of the relay stations between Cadiz and Rome, and distances between each station
Postal history: study of any mail piece that went through the mail steam with the purpose of conveying a message
Postal Inspection Service: The U.S. Postal Service investigative arm responsible for internal audits and investigating criminal acts involving the mails
Postal insurance stamps: nondenominated stamps, issued in single-stamp booklets in 1967, with the denomination printed on the cover to prepay insurance on domestic mail
Postalize: make a building ready to comply with postal regulations
Postally used: stamps and covers that actually went through the mail
Postal map: dates from 4th century AD shows Roman postal routes from the Indus Valley to Britain with post and relay stations marked
Postal markings: markings or manuscript applied by machine or hand on a item.Postal markings, earliest: letters of court officials in Egypt during the Third Dynasty (about 3000 BC), have the legend, “In the name of the living king, speed!” In the 14th century Tasso couriers used a embossed stamp indicting routing and source of the letter, may be the forerunner of our current registration stamps; see Tasso, Amadeo
Postal markings, U.S.: Colonial period, 1691, the Massachusetts Bay Colony specified that each letter showing the date the overseas letter was received
Postal maxi: (Sp.) maximum cards
Postal mechanisation: relatively new branch of philately that studies the development of postal handling by mechanical and electronic means
Postal Notes: postal method of transmitting money, adopted in the U.S. in 1883, replaced by money orders.
Postal note stamp: U.S. 1945-51 issue to place on money orders to make up odd amounts
Posta locale: (It.) local post
Postal Order: postal financial instrument such as postal checks, international reply coupons, etc
Postal Rate Commission (PRC): an independent federal agency that makes recommendations concerning USPS requests for changes in postal rates and mail classification
Postal razzo: (It.) rocket mail
Postal receipt: issued, at first, for a 1¢ fee, for any mailing piece
Postal regulations: date from 4th century AD describing the Roman imperial postal system
Postal rocket: missile used to carry mail; first tried in Austria, 1928
Postal Savings Stamps: 1: if in Russian Cyrillic alphabet, with double-headed Russian eagle in design, brown in color, it is a postal savings stamps of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic issued in 1918, and sometimes, unofficially used for postage 2: U. S. Postal Savings Stamps
Postal scrip: inscription on Canadian stamps, 1932, for remitting small amounts of money
Postal seal: label, usually circular, used to seal the flaps of official covers to indicate that they are exempt from postal charges
Postal Service: 1. the carriage of letters, printed matter or mailable packages, including acceptance, collection, processing, delivery, or other services supportive or ancillary thereto: U.S. House of Representatives Government Reform Committee; May 24, 2004. 2. overprint on stamps of India indicate a revenue usage since stamps show amount of duty due
Postal Service in America, first: established Nov. 5, 1639 in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony
Postal Service in British Commonwealth, first: Venetians in Cyprus, 1487, for use by merchants
Postal stationery: 1: envelopes, air letter sheets, postal cards, etc. that have government imprinted or embossed stamps. 2: entier postal (Fr.), ganzsache (Ger.), intero postale (It.), entero postal (Sp.)
Postal stationery, first: the Venice Council of the Doges, the governing body, authorized the issue of prepaid letter sheets for all official letters, 1608
Postal store: a USPS retail unit that offers customers self-service selections as well as counter assistance
Postal Strike March 1970: local post, Canada postal strike, 1970
Postal surcharge: overprint with surcharge on stamps of Cyprus for internal acacoutning use within the postal service
Postal tax: stamps used on mail, for a specific period of time, in addition to regular stamps
Postal tax stamp: a revenue stamp required during certain calendar periods with proceeds going for a specific purpose or charity
Postal Telegraph Company: U. S. telegraph stamps issued for use on own firm’s telegrams, 1885-42
Postal telegraph stamps: stamps that were originally issued for use on telegrams but later permitted to be used as postage stamps
Postal Transportation Service: successor to the US Railway Mail Service, 1949
Postal Union: agreement between the postal administrations of countries, 1874
Postal Union colors: standard colors adapted as international printed rate in green, postcard rate in basic red and international letter rate in dark blue
Postal Union Congress London 1929: held in Great Britain
Postal union, international: organized between Austria and several German states in 1850; stamps of participating nations were standardized by definite color for each rate
Postal zone numbering system: two digit number, forerunner of the Zip code; started May 1, 1943, provided for the inclusion in mail address, immediately following the name of the city
Posta militara: (Rom.) military mail
Posta militara Austriaca: (Rom.) Austrian military mail
Posta militara Rusa: (Rom.) Russian military mail
Posta militare: (It.) military post
Posta Moldova: Moldova, former republic of the U.S.S.R
Posta Napoletana: partial inscription on stamps of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies
Posta naufragiata: (Rom.) shipwreck mail
Postångare: (Swed.) ocean-going mail steamboat, ocean-going mail steamer, ocean-going mail steamship
Postångbåten: (Swed.) mail steamboat, mail, steamer, mail steamship
Postanvisning: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) postal money order
Postanweisung: (Ger.) postal money transfer
Postanweisungsmarken: (Ger.) postal money stamp, used for postal money orders and postal money transfers
Posta Otomana: (Rom.) Ottoman (Empire) post
Posta Pneumatica: (It.) pneumatic tube post, Italy
Posta prigioniere di guerra: (It.) prisoner of war mail
Postaprioritaria: (It.) Priority Mail
Posta Prisionero de Guerra: (Sp.) prisoner of war mail
Posta prizoniera: (Rom.) prisoner mail
Posta prizoniera de razboi: (Rom.) prisoner-of-war mail
Postára: (Hung.) post office
Post & Receipt: India with value in annas, Hyderabad
Posta refugiata: (Rom.) refugee post
Posta Romana: Romania
Posta Româna în Constantinopol: (Rom.) Romanian post in Constantinople
Posta Româna în Turcia: (Rom.) Romanian post in Turkey
Posta Romana Constantinople: Romania overprint, Offices in Turkish Empire, 1919
Postas: 1. (Sp.) private mail carriers in late 1700s. 2. (Rom.) mailman, postman
Postás: (Hung.) mail man
Postas le Nioc: (Gaelic) Ireland postage due
Postas le Hioc(nioc): Ireland Postage Due
Postat Ajrore: inscription on stamps of Albania for air mail
Postat Expres: inscription on stamps of Albania for special delivery
Postatiszta: (Hung.) mint, never hinged, erediti gumizással
Postatörténet: (Hung.) postal history
Posta Touva (Tuba): inscription on stamps of Tannu Tuva
Postat Shqiptare: Albania
Postauftrags-Portomarke: (Ger.) cash on delivery stamp, postage due stamp money order
Posta ügynökség: (Hung.) Postal agency
Posta Ukr. N. Rep. Schagiw: (Ukrainian People’s Republic Schagiw) surcharge on stamps of Austria, Stanislau local post for Western Ukraine
Posta Veteke Verria e Mird Ities: 1921 Albania unauthorized issue
Postazsák: (Hung.) mail bag
Postbåd: (Dan., Nor.) mail boat
Postbags: Royal Mail name for a stamp collecting kit that appeals to children
Postbåt: (Swed.) mail boat
Postbil: (Dan., Nor.) mail truck
Postboks: (Dan., Nor.) post office box, P.O. Box
Postbote: (Ger.) postman
Postbox: (Eng.) 1: mail box. 2: machine-denominated and vended postage stamps, started in Europe to commence with Euro currency. 3. (Swed.) post office box, P.O. Box
Post Box W. 13: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Postbud: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) letter carrier, mail carrier, postman
Postbus: (Swed.) mail bus
Postbus ticket: distinctive tickets which may require adhesive postage stamps which are cancelled
Post canceled: 1: stamps canceled after their period of validity; usually more desirable if canceled during period of validity. 2: a cover which has been cancelled on a date later than indicated in the postmark; also known as post dated, back dated
Postcard: privately produced small card without an imprinted stamp, often with a picture on one side and a space for a written message on the reverse; often confused with postal card
Postcard Grading: Mint: card off the printing press with no marks of any kind. Near Mint: a mint card with slight color aging. Excellent: card with no faults, may be mint or used. Very Good: corners may be slightly rounded with a slight crease that does not affect the image. Good: Corners blunt or rounded with noticeable creases. Fair: intact postcard with heavy creases, heavy postmark, some tears or damage
Postcard Presort Rate: discounted cost of bulk mailing of presorted and bundled postcards
Postcard stamps: stamps affixed to postcards; then overprinted; Orange Free State, 1889
Postcards with Paid Reply: authorized at 10-cents by the UPU in 1886
Postcard tax stamp: overprinted “Controle” stamp used in Persia, 1922, to collect a tax on picture postcards and used in addition to normal postage
Post Code: a group of numbers, or combination of letters and numbers, established to translate an address into a code used by automatic sorting machines
Postcodes, first: Germany and some of the occupied territories on July 25, 1941 used number 1 to 24; 1 figure to 4 figure codes started in West Germany November 1961; the United States started in 1963; the United Germany converted to 5-figure codes in 1993
Postcollo: (Bel.) overprint for parcel stamps of Belgium
PostCom: Association for Postal Commerce, Arlington, VA
Postdampfer: (Dan.) mail steamship, mail steamer
Postdampskip: (Ger., Nor.) steamer post
Post del ferrocarril: (Sp.) railway mail
Post del urbana: (It.) local town stamps
Poste Aerienne: (Fr.) airmail
Poste Aérienne Luchtpost: surcharge on Belgium semi-postals for air mail use
Poste Aérienne, Semi-Officiel: (Fr.) issued privately, but accepted by the postal agency. “Buffalo Balloon” stamp is an example
Poste Aerieo, Aerienne: overprint on stamps of Iran for air mail
Poste A Erore: Albania airmail
Poste ambulante: (Fr.) inscription on stamps of Belgium and France used for a mobile post office
Poste Centime: (With fine line network in background) France, Alsace and Lorraine, German Occupation
Poste Colonial/Coloniali: overprint on stamps of Tripoli for Libya, Feb. 17, 1934
Poste Coloniali Italiane: overprint on stamps of Italy for Italian Colonies, 1932-34; see Italian Colonies
Post ECS: internet-based document delivery service developed by USPS, Canada Post and France’s La Poste
Posted Aboard the RMS Titanic: National Postal Museum exhibit detailing story of three American and two British postal clerks trying to save the mail as the ship sank
Posted at sea: maritime marking for mail posted while ship was at sea
Poste d’Campagne: (Fr.) field post
Poste de Geneve: with Port local or Port Cantonal; inscription on stamps of Switzerland, Canton of Geneva
Poste de Paquet: (Fr.) parcel post
Poste de prissoniers: (Fr.) prisoner of war (mail)
Poste di Fiume: Fiume
Posted on board: marking from the West Indies
Posted on Steamer: mark from Freetown, West Africa
Poste émigrée: (Fr.) expatriate post
Poste Estensi: inscription on first stamps of Modena, 1852, for family name of its ducal rulers; see Italian States
Post (Eiooa): with posthorns in the four corners; Germany, Russian issue for East Saxony
Poste/Italiane/Imperia/Liberata/24-2-45: post World War 2 overprint, see C.L.N. Italy
Poste Khedivie Egiziane: (It.) “Khedive Egyptian Post”, Egyptian stamps with values in paras used for British mail from Egypt to India, for territories occupied by Italy
Postele locale turistice: (Rom.) tourist local posts
Postele straine in România: (Rom.) foreign posts in Romania
Poste local: (Fr.) local post
Poste Locale: 1: Switzerland Canton of Geneva, 1850. 2: Turkey (Liannos’s Local Post), 1865
Poste maritime: (Fr.) ship’s mail
Poste militaire: (Fr.) field post
Posten: (Ger.) (auction) lot
Post Enfantine: (Fr.) see Toy stamps
Poste par ballon: (Fr.) balloon mail
Poste par fusees: (Fr.) rocket mail
Poste par piéton: (Fr.) mail by foot messenger
Poste par Zeppelin: (Fr.) Zeppelin mail
Poste Persane, Postes Persanes: inscription on stamps of Iran (Persia), 1881-98
Poste pneumatique: (Fr.) pneumatic mail
Postera: (Swed.) mail station
Poste Repubblica Sociale Italiana (RSI): (It.) Italian Social Republic Mail, created by Hitler after he rescued Benito Mussolini when he was placed under arrest by King Victor Emmanuel III; Posta Aerea overprint is bogus
Poste restante: (Fr.) 1: mail addressed to a person, town, a specific post office, but without a street address or box number is held at the post office until called for by the addressee. 2: general delivery; used in Canada during WW II to hold mail until notified when service personnel arrived at a new address. 3: In Great Britain, a department of the post office in charge of letters waiting to be picked up
Poster stamps: a non-denominated stamp created to advertise or commemorate a product or event
Postes: (With red crescent and 1954) Afghanistan Tax Stamp
Postes Aeriennes: overprint/inscription on stamps of Persia for air mail, 1930
Postes Afghanes: Afghanistan after 1928
Postes Atlas: children’s stamps; Toy stamps
Postes Atsoc: Artistamp, Costa reversed; see Republique du Semaj, by James Costa
Postes de Coree: inscription on stamps of Korea, 1902
Postes (denomination) centimes: Stamps issued in 1870 during German occupation of Alsace and Lorraine
Postes Egyptiennes: “Egyptian Posts” inscription on stamps of Egypt, 1879-96
Postes Expres: inscription on stamps of Egypt, special delivery
Postes France (or Paris) 1922: on stamps of France, are precancels
Postes Hedjaz & Nedjde: inscription on stamps of Hedjaz and Nejd, Saudi Arabia, 1930-32
Postes Imperiales de Coree: Korea, 1903
Postes Iraniennes: inscription on stamps of Iran, 1935
Postes Ottomanes: inscription on stamps of Turkey, Mesopotamia 1913-22
Postes Paye: Haiti provisional overprint
Postes Persanes: inscription for mail on stamps of Iran (Persia)
Postes Serbes: overprint on stamps of France in pairs, Serbia-Corfu, 1916-18, applied after stamps were affixed to letters
PostEurop: an affiliate of the Association of European Public Postal Operators, establishes theme for the Europa series of stamps
Poste Vaticane: inscription on stamps of Vatican City
Poste Vice-Realiegiziane: (It.) marking of private Italian firm bought by Egyptian government that used Italian cancellers “Poste Vice-Realiegiziane,”1865
Postexpedition: (Swed.) branch post office
Postexpeditör: (Swed.) sub-postmaster
Postfack: (Swed.) letter box, mail box, mail drop, post box; Brevlåda
Postfærge: (Dan.) “Postal ferry” overprint for Denmark parcel post, carried on Esbjerg-Fano, 1919-77, and Løgstør-Aggersund, 1919-42, ferry service
Postfærgemærke(r): (Dan.) mail ferry stamp(s)
Postfälschung: (Ger.) postal forgery
Postforfalskning: (Dan.) postal forgery (to defraud the post office)
Postfärja: (Swed.) mail ferry
Postfärjemärke(n): (Swed.) mail ferry stamp(s)
Postferje: (Nor.) mail ferry
Postförande: (Swed.) mail carrying
Postförbindelse: (Swed.) postal communication
Postföreståndare: (Swed.) postmaster, Postmästare
Postföring: (Swed.) conveyance of the mails
Postförskott: (Swed.) cash-on-delivery, C.O.D
Postförskottstrycksaker: (Swed.) cash-on-delivery printed matter
Postfreiheiten: (Ger.) free franking privildges
Postfreistempel: (Ger.) meter stamp
Postfrim: (Dan.) (Postfrimaerki -Free Postage Stamp) Denmark, Norway
Postfrisch: (Ger.) mint
Postfrisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) mint, never hinged
Postfriskt: (Swed.) mint, never hinged
Postgäng: (Swed.) postal service
Postgebiet Ober-Ost: (Postal Area of the Eastern Command) overprint on stamps of Germany, Eastern postal areas, Lithuania, German occupation, 1916-18
Postgebühr: (Ger.) postage
Postgiro: (Swed.) postal check (cheque) service
Postgiroinbetalningskort: (Swed.) Giro-bank payment orders
Post Great Britain: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Posthaltpunkten: (Fin.) postal halt or rural post office in Finland, mostly established pre-World War I
Post Haste: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Posthorn: originated as a curved horn used by the traveling butchers of Germany in 12th Century to announce arrival of mail courier; often found on stamps and watermarks of European stamps. Mail coach drivers used to blow this instrument upon approaching their stations
Posthumous proof: die or plate proof of a stamp printed after the stamp has been released; usually produced for exhibitions
Posthus: (Dan., Nor.) post office
Posthuset: (Swed.) post office
Postiljon(en): (Swed.) post boy(s), mail boy(s)
Postino: (It.) postman
Postique: a location within a post office where collectors may obtain currently available stamps; each office may have its own pictorial cancellation
Postkarte: (Ger.) postcard
Postkasse: (Dan., Nor.) letter box, mail box, mail drop, post box
Postkode: (Den., Nor., Swed.) postal code, zip code; Postnummer
Postkonto: (Swed.) postal check (cheque) account
Postkontor: (Nor., Swed.) post office, Posthus
Postkort: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) postcard
Postkupé: (Swed.) mail coach
Postkupéexpeditioner (PKXP): (Swed.) Post office on board ships
Posti: logo of the Finland Post Corporation, 2002
Postino: (It.) mail man
Postkasse: (Dan.) mail box, letter box
Postkort: (Dan.) postcard
Postlagernd: (Ger.) Poste Restante
PostLink: small, digital postal meter, made by the Ascom Hasler division of the Neopost Co., stamps are printed on self-adhesive labels
Post Luchtdienst: inscription on air mail stamps of Belgian Congo
Postman: (Swed.) post office official, post office clerk
Postman Pat: British Royal mail character to improve its image among children, started in the 1980s, dropped in 2000
Postmark (Pm, Pmk.): 1: any marking applied to a letter or parcel indicating the name of the post office and date of mailing. 2: obliteration postale: (Fr.) poststempel (Ger.), bollo (It.) matasello (Sp.)
Postmarke: with crown and 1/4 Gutegr.; German States, Brunswick
Postmark, earliest: the Latin “Cito, citissime, volantissme” (quickly, very quickly, very fleetingly) was used in Venice in the 14th century, French mail was endorsed staring the 16th century with “en diligence” (with speed and care); U.S. Act of June 3, 1638 required postmasters to mark incoming mail
Postmark, longest name: Llanfairpwllgwngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Anglesey, Wales, U.K
Postmark, multi-colored, first: used on Oct. 28, 1935, Prague, Czechoslovakia on Independence Day souvenir mail
Postmark, pictorial, first: heraldic types used in the Italian city states starting in the 15th century
Postmästare: (Swed.) postmaster, Postföreståndare
Postmaster (PM): manger in charge of a post office
Postmaster General (PMG): chief executive officer of the U.S. Postal Service, appointed by, and serving at the pleasure of the Board of Governors
Postmaster Provisionals: stamps issued by postmasters before the general issue of stamps by the government, in US, the first was created in New York City in 1845
Postmaster’s stamp: provisional stamps issued by local postmaster in cities in the U.S. and Bermuda before governmental issues appeared
Postmester: (Dan.) postmaster
Post, municipal: organized by Hanseatic League, Bremen, 12th century
Postmusei: (Swed.) postal museum
Postnote: British Post Office postal stationery, 1982, for internal first class mail with an undenominated impressed stamps, sold at the current first class rate
Postnummer: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) postal code, zip code
Postnumret: (Swed.) post code
Post Obitum: inscription on U.S. Post office seals used by Dead Letters Office to seal opened letters, 1877
Post office: 1: place for reception of mail for delivery to addressee. 2: inscription on first stamps of Mauritius, issued Sept. 21, 1847; should have read “Post Paid.” 3: 1600s, coffee houses were recipients of mail to betaken by the addressees. 4: 1639, first legislation in the General Court of Mass. 5: Postamt (Ger.) Bureau d’Poste (Fr.) Posta (It.) Oficina de Correos (Sp.)
Post office, automatic: a pay telephone in Bath, England, 1924, was integrated with a posting box and a stamp-vending machine
Post office branch: a unit of the main post office that is outside the corporate limits of the city or town of the main post office
Post Office Dept.: U.S. Officials
Post Office Despatch: 1850-55, Baltimore, Md; see Carriers’ Stamps
Post office, highest: permanently located at Cerro de Pasco, Peru at an altitude of 14,385 feet, China announced, 2001, that one will be open on Mount Everest, Tibet
Post Office Licensed: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Post Office Maritime Mail: British handstamp for letters posted on board ships that were not previously cancelled
Post office Monopoly: The U.S. Constitution (Art. 1, Sec. 8) Congress vested in the Post Office Department an absolute monopoly for the transportation of first-class mail
Post office, northern: located at Ny Ålesund, Spitzbergen, Norway
Post Office One Cent Despatch: Baltimore, Md., see Carriers’ Stamps
Post office pane: a sheet of stamps as sold by the post office
Post office parcel card mixture: usually include on-paper stamps, usually collected by governments from parcel cards on packages, and sold to collectors and dealers by the kilogram
Post Offices Abroad: post offices staffed and operated by one country but located in another country
Post office seals: affixed to prevent tampering in 1872, then in1877 used to repair damaged letters, and reseal mail opened by mistake; seals have no value and no franking power; also known as Official seals
Post offices, foreign in one city: Constantinople had eight foreign post office operating at various times between 1799 and 1923
Post office, smallest population: Suwarrow, Cook Islands atoll, where postmaster is the only resident as of 1969, it is reserved as a sanctuary for wildlife
Post office, southern: located at the South Pole and operated by the U.S
Post office stones: stones, located in Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, where sailors left messages under stones for outward and homeward bound ships, late1400s
Post offices, world: last complete listing was in the three-volume Nomenclature des Bureaux de Poste. published by the Universal Postal Union in 1968
Post office, tree: Mossel Bay, Cape of Good Hope tree where messages were left from one vessel’s crew to another, post-1601
Post office, underseas: established off the Bahamas in 1939 as part of the Williamson Photosphere
Post-og Simakalastjornin Reykjavik: (Ice.) postal seal used to seal official correspondence or repair damaged mail for the city of Reykjavik
Postovné: (Czech.) postage
Postovní Brasna: (Czech.) mail bag
Postovní Prihrádka: (Czech.) post office box
Postovní Príkazní Arch: (Czech.) postal order sheet
Postovní Pytel: (Czech.) mail bag
Postovní Schránka (shránky): (Czech.) mail box(es), post box(es)
Postovní Vyberka: (Czech.) delivery receipt card
Postovní Známka: (Czech.) postage stamp
Post paid: when payment of postage by sender was optional, in cases where prepayment was made, postal handstamp indicated with word “Paid.”
Postpaket: 1. (Ger.) parcel. 2. (Swed.) parcel post
Post Par: private delivery service labels, might have done postal duty, Montreal, Canada
Post pay’d, P Pd: manuscript marking in 1600s England indicating that postage was paid
Post Plan: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Post Restante: “General Delivery” to be held until picked up by addressee at the post office
Post rider: originated as a post office symbol in1 837 by PMG Amos Kendall, design supposedly inspired by Benjamin Franklin, changed in1970; see: Eagle, Mercury
Post road: a public highway whose use is authorized by law
Post Route Bill: March 4, 1847, Act of Congress authorizing the Postmaster General to contract for mail transportation from Charleston, S. C. to Colon, Isthmus of Panama to Astoria, Oregon
Postrute: (Dan.) mail delivery route
Posts: 1: during the Middle Ages, term connected with the carrying of mail. 2: place where horses kept along a mail courier route. 3: men who rode the horses and carried the mail. 4: form of transport carrying the letters.5: the dispatch of the mail itself
Postsæk: (Dan.) mail bag
Postsache: (Ger.) postal matter
Postsaker och postsakskort: (Swed.) internal (post office) postal stationery
Post Schilling: (with no country name) currency unit in German States, Schleswig Holstein
Posts French-Jerusalem: obliteration on mail deposited with French consulate in Jerusalem; then taken to Jaffa for routing to final destination, 1852-1879
Postsparbank: (Swed.) post office savings bank
Post Stamp: inscription in annas-Hyderabad, India
Poststampel: (Ger.) postmark
Poststation: (Swed.) sub-post office, rural post office
Poststämpel: (Swed.) postmark, cancellation
Poststempel: (Nor.) postmark, cancellation
Poststöld: (Swed.) mail robbery
Posttåg: (Swed.) mail train
Posttaxa: (Swed.) postal rates schedule
Posttaxe Bayer: inscription on stamps of Bavaria for postage due
Posttidning: (Swed.) (official) postal gazette
Posttog: (Dan., Nor.) mail train
Postur og Simi: (Ice.) postal seal used to seal official correspondence or repair damaged mail
Post USSR: octagonal design in Russian on stamped envelopes; applied in Kiev post office
Pos Udara: (Indonesian) airpost
Postvagn: (Swed.) mail coach
Postväsen: (Swed.) postal system
Postväska: (Swed.) mail bag, post bag
Postverk: (Swed.) post office department, post office establishment
Postverwaltung: (Ger.) postal administrations
Postvogn: (Nor.) mail coach
Postwertzeichen ist ungültig: (Ger.) postage is invalid
Post Zegel: 1: overprint on stamps of Transvaal, authorizing revenue stamps for postage. 2: inscription on stamps of Netherlands postage due (with no country name), 1852-67. 3. surcharge on stamps of Netherlands postage due, 1907
Potato postmark: potato cut in half and engraved with fleur-de-lis emblem of the Scout movement used on mail of the Scout Post during Warsaw ghetto uprising in1944
Potato Tax stamps: conventional revenue stamps denominated in currency, unknown if ever used; 1935
Potiquet, Alfred: 1861: created the world’s first stamp catalog in France
Potravní Dane: (Czech.) consumption tax
Potries: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Potsage: error on stamps of Tibet, 1912-50
Poul(s): currency unit in Afghanistan
POUNC: Post Office Users’ National Council, Great Britain
Pound: currency unit in many nations
Pound Sterling: currency unit in Alderney, Ascension, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean territory, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, South Georgia and Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha,
Pour approbation: (Fr.) on approval
Pour les expresses affaires du Roy: manuscript endorsement on French government correspondence in 1692-93, using the franking privilege
Pour le Stade Municipal de Port-au-Prince: Haiti, semi-postal
Povstání: (Czech.) uprising
P.O.W.: see Prisoner of war (mail)
Powell, V. R.: see Private die match proprietary stamps
Po-yang: local post, North China, 1949
Pozcta Polska Port Gdansk: inscription on stamps of Poland for 20th anniversary of Polish independence
Pozo-Alcon: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pozoblanco: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
P.P.: overprint on stamps of France postage due conversion to postage, Offices in Morocco. 1: postal permit marking on prepaid mail. 2: auction abbreviation term for private perforations. 3: penny post. 4: Port Paye; postage paid. 5: abbreviation for Pulled Perforation
P (number) P: Switzerland inscription
PPC: abbreviation for Picture Post Card
P.P.C.: (Poste Polonaise Constantinople) Poland overprint, Offices in Constantinople, Turkey
P.P.C.: China overprint on stamps of Wuhu Treaty Port stamps
PPCL1: Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry; battle group that was part of the Canadian mission in Kosovo
PPD: topical association abbreviation for prepaid (no value in indicia)
PPI: see Postage Paid Impression
PPM: Pencil Mark(s) in Margin(s) on complete stamp sheets
P.P.R.I.: (Pemerintah Revolusioner Republik Indonesia): Revoluntionary government of the Republic of Indonesia, 1958
PR: 1: USPS abbreviation for Puerto Rico. 2: auction abbreviation for precancel. 3: pair. 4: prices realized. 5: (It.) Posta da Roma (mail for Rome) pre-adhesive postmark. 6. Scott Catalog number prefix for Newspaper Tax (Hungary) Newspaper (U.S.)
Prachtblock: (Ger.) very fine block
Prachstück: (Ger.) superb copy
Prades: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Præget: (Dan.) embossed
Prägedruck: (Ger.) embossed printing
Prägling: (Swed.) impression
Pragteks: (Dan.) superb (quality)
Prague: also called Praha, Czech Republic
Prägung: (Ger.) embossing
Praha: also called Prague, Czech Republic
Prairie dog: flaw on 5-cent Aeronautics, Scott 650, shows a tiny object taking a ride on the plane; only on lower right corner stamp, plate no. 19658
Prakt: (Swed.) superb (quality)
Prakteksemplar: (Nor.) superb example
Praktexemplar: (Swed.) superb example
Prangko Taboengau Pos: Indonesia overprint, Japanese Occupation (savings stamps)
Prangli: bogus Russia stamp, not valid for postage
Prats de Llucanes: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Pravy: (Czech.) right (side)
Pravy Dolní Roh: (Czech.) right lower corner
PRC: People’s Republic of China (mainland China)
Pre-adhesive: a postal item dating from a period prior to the use of adhesive stamps by a given country
Pre-cancel (PCL): special cancel applied to stamps before being affixed to mail matter; in the U.S., there are two categories of precancels: Bureau, where the precancel is applied by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; Local, where the precancel is applied by the local city or town post office
Precancel gap pair: point of uneven meeting of two precanceling devices, such as straight lines which do not exactly meet
Precancel, rarest: Orangeburg Coil, only one coil of 500 stamps was made
Precanceled stamps: stamps with postmark applied prior to the mailing of the article being prepaid
Precancelado: (Sp.) precancel
Precancel User’s Permit: a free permit authorizing a mailer to buy and use precancel stamps
Precio: (Sp.) price
Précurseur: (Fr.) forerunner
Precursore: (It.) forerunner
Predate: a cover with a stamp cancelled earlier than the officially designated First Day of sale; term only used for issues with a designated First Day date
Prednestrova: cinderella local for Moldova as a seceding state, 1993
Predznámkové Dopisy: (Czech.) pre-adhesive letters, stampless covers; Celistvosti – Predznamkove Dopisy
Prefecture issues: stamps of Japan available only in the prefecture (one of Japan’s subdivisions) for which they were issued, but the stamps were valid for postage throughout Japan
Pregiato: (It.) scarce, rare
Preis: (Ger.) price
Preisliste: (Ger.) price list
Prekomurje: overprint on stamps of Hungary for Yugoslav occupation of Transmuria, 1919
Premia de Mar: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Premiére date connue: (Fr.) first known (recorded) date
Premièr gravures: (Fr.) term used to describe the first designs of the 1861 series of stamps
Premier jour: (Fr.) first day
Premier tirage: (Fr.) first printing
Premier vol: (Fr.) first flight
Prensa: overprint on stamps of Uruguay for newspapers
Pre-obliteration: ordinary stamps that are cancelled in advance by the printer, to be sold in large quantities
Préoblitéré: (Fr.) precancellation
Prepaid postage, first handstamp: invented by William Dockwra, 1680, for the London Penny Post, a private service
Prepázkovy List: (Czech.) sheet, printing sheet
Prephosphored Paper: paper with taggant added prior to printing
Préposé: (Fr.) postman, mailman
Pre-printing paper crease: a white unprinted area in the folds of a crease that occurred as the paper was traveling through the printing press; usually caused by improper tension
Pre-printing paper fold: a fold in the paper which leaves an unprinted area during the printing process
Pre-released stamps: stamps sold to the public prior to their official release date
Pres.: abbreviation for president
Presbyter Cocidus: “Cooked missionary,” made by G. Collingridge, 1903, and sold to New Hebrides as a postally valid stamp
Presentation: term used in judging an exhibit to determine general layout and clarity
Presentation album: album containing a pane of a newly issued stamp which is distributed to dignitaries at a First Day dedication ceremony; the President of the U.S. always receives the first album.
Presentation folders: made up by USPS for distribution to officials at various events
Presentation Pack: British Post Office term for a philatelic souvenir with stamps and descriptive text
Presidentials: the 1938 series of stamps featuring the Presidents of the U.S
Presorted Standard: lion, U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value 10¢, issued Nov. 9, 2000
Presorted Std: bicycle design, U. S. non-denominated stamp, value 10¢, issued Aug. 14, 1998
Presorted first class: juke box design, U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value 25¢, issued Mar. 17, 1995
Presorted first class: diner design, U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value 25¢, issued June 5, 1998
Presorted First-Class Mail U.S. Postage Paid: may be a label or printed directly on an envelope to indicate that standard mail (also known as junk mail)postage has been paid
Presorted Std: Atlas design; U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value10¢, issued June 29, 2001
Pressburg: now called Bratislava, Slovakia
Presse à plat: (Fr.) flat-bed press
Pressed out crease: application of heat, moisture or pressure to conceal a crease
Pressed Out Grill: done to imitate a reissue on an 1869 US stamp
Presse en relief: (Fr.) embossed
Presson’s Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Gloucester, Mass., used labels; 1865-90
Press sheet: a full sheet of stamps as ir was originally printed
Press sheets, uncut: large sheets of two or more panes of stamps that represent one turn, or half turn of the printing press
Pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA): see: Self-adhesives
Pre-stamp cover: mail before the introduction of postage stamps in the place of origin
Prestige booklet: contains panes of stamps in addition to descriptive information and illustrations about the specific topic
Pretisk: (Czech.) overprint
Preto: (Port.) Black color
Pretoria: local post, South Africa, 1887
Preussen: (Ger.) Prussia
Preusserblå: (Dan.) Prussian blue (color)
Preussish-Gladbach: local post, Germany, 1918-23
Previously hinged: a stamp with original gum that shows evidence of hinging
Prevráceny: (Czech.) inverted
Prexies: nickname given the U.S. Presidential series of definitive stamps of 1938
Prezzo: (It.) price
Prf: auction abbreviation term for proof
Priamur and Maritime Provinces: part of Siberia, Russia; currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble 1917: Bolshevist government established, 1919: anti-Bolshevist government by Adm. Aleksandr V. Kolchak at Omsk, 1921, July: stamps issued by a Japanese-backed White Russian government inPriamur, Russian words say “Nikolaevsk on Amur Priamur Provisional Government,” 1922, Nov.: Soviet troops regained control, Siberia
Prices realized: results of a auction
Price’s City Express: 1: U. S. local post, New York, N.Y., 1857-58. 2: S. Allan Taylor label
Price’s 8th Ave. Post Office: U. S. local post, New York, N.Y., 1854
Price on request: used in non-U.S. auctions to indicate that a prospective bidder can contact the auctioneer for the estimated price
Pridnestrovie: bogus issue from Moldova, USSR, not valid for postage
Priest’s Despatch: U. S. local post, Philadelphia, Pa., 1851
Priluky: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1879-93
Prima Valores Declarados: inscription/overprint on stamps of Dominican Republic for insured letter
Primer dia: (Sp.) first day
Primer dia de Circulacion: (Sp.) first day of issue
Primer’s Presentation Card: when the master proof is cut down to stamp size in the final stage of production, and affixed to a card bearing the name of the primer
Primer Viaje del Vapor: (Sp.) First Voyage of the Steamship, used on first or maiden voyages
Prime Minister commemoratives: refers to the Canadian series of stamps started in 1951 to honor former Prime Ministers who have not been previously depicted on Canada’s stamps
Prime rate: refers philatelically to the current postage cost to mail a domestic letter weighing one ounce or less
Primer Tren Aereo/Internacional 1935/O’Meara y DuPont + 10 cts: overprint/surcharge on stamps of Cuba for glider mail flight Havana to Miami
Primer Vol: (Fr.) first flight
Primer Vuelo: (Sp.) first flight
Primitives: nickname for successors to British Penny Black; 1847-49 Mauritius, 1850-51 New South Wales, 1850-52 Victoria, 1853 Tasmania, and 1854 India
Primo Giorno: (It.) first day
Primorje: Jugoslavia cinderella
Primo Volo: (It.) first flight
Prince Consort Essay: proposed 1851 stamp essay, to be letterpress printed, with profile of Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, husband of Queen Victoria, never printed
Prince Edward Island: Prince Edward Island: Canadian province, Gulf of St. Lawrence; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1872) 1705: French governor’s couriers carried mail for a fee, 1769-1873: separated from Nova Scotia, and became separate colony, 1816: postmaster of Nova Scotia ran post office, 1851: islanders ran own post office, 1861, Jan.1: No.1, 2 pence dull rose, first stamp issued, 1873, July 1: joined Canadian Confederation, Canada, Nova Scotia
Prince Farouk: Egypt
Prince of Wales Hospital Fund: commemorative label with a replica signature of Albert Edward,, the prince, 2002
Prince’s Letter Dispatch: U. S. local post, Portland, Maine, 1860s
Princess Anne’s Wedding: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1973
Prince’s Express: private mail and parcel firm serviced Boston, Mass., and Portland, Maine; used labels; year unknown
Princess Diana: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1982
Princeton, N.J.: occupied by British until Jan. 1776
Princeton issue: the 3¢ Nassau Hall stamp on Princeton University grounds, is the first modern U. S. colored-paper stamp; produced to use the school colors, orange and black
Prince Williams of Wales: 1982 Aitutaki overprint
Principality of Thomond: bogus label
Principat: (Rom.) principality
Principat d’ Andorra: (Fr.) Andorra
Principaute de Monaco: Principality of Monaco
Principaute de Trinidad: Brazil, bogus private issue, 1894
Principato di Seborga: declared independence from Italy, near San Remo, cinderella
Principato di San Rigolo: parody of Swiss origin, cinderella
P.R. in R.: (It.) Posta Toscana in Roma, (Tuscany Post in Rome) pre-adhesive postmark
Prins: (Nor., Swed.) prince
Prins Edwardöarna: (Swed.) Prince Edward Island
Prinsesse: (Nor.) princess
Printed cachet: cachet design applied by any printing method
Printed matter stamps: used on unsealed or left open printed matter such as circulars, periodicals and newspapers
Printed on back: some type of printing on back of a stamp as a security measure
Printed on both sides: an error that occurs when a sheet of stamps is turned over and printed again on the reverse side
Printed-on Cancellation: placement of an envelope with a stamp already affixed into a printer where the cachet and cancellation would be applied at the same time
Printed on gum: stamp design printed on the gummed side of the sheet
Printed signature: printed reproduction of a signature
Printed-to-private-order envelopes: (PTPO) British Post offered stationery embossed with any combination of denominations of available dies for a premium and a minium quantity, Oct. 8, 1855-Dec. 31, 1973
Printed watermark: imitation watermark as an experimental measure or shortage of watermarked paper
Printer imprints: usually in margins; can include logos, initials or other markings that identify the stamp printer
Printer’s die proof: die proof signed by the artist, common in French-area countries; aka artist’s die proof
Printer’s Initials: marking in the margin of US stamps, made of printer’s initials, punched into an engraved plate each time a printer printed from that plate, 1894 – 1912
Printer’s waste: stamps that are spoiled during the printing process, or misperfed and should have been destroyed by the printer
Printing: 1: an edition of stamps, such as first printing. 2: direct is plate-to-paper 3: indirect is the process that utilizes a blanket or roller to transfer the image from the plate to the paper. 4: turage (Fr.), auflage (Ger.), tiratura (It.) tirada (Sp.)
Printing flaw: an inconstant variety with color missing where it should have been, or color in part of the design that should not have the color
Printing presses: A Press: a three and five-color Intaglio Giori webfed combination press used by the BEP starting in the early 1970s; officially called Press 702. B Press: a three-color Intaglio Giori webfed combination press used by the BEP starting about 1976; officially called Press 701. C Press: a three-color Intaglio Giori webfed combination press used by the BEP starting about 1982; officially called Press 901. D Press: a six-color offset and three-color Intaglio Goebel webfed combination press used by the BEP starting about 1984; officially called Press 902. Andreotti Gravure Press: used by the BEP for commemorative and coil stamps, starting in the 1980s; officially known as Press 601. Champlain Press: used by J.W. Fergusson & Sons, a subcontractor for Stamp Venturers, prints using a layout of 13 rows of 33 stamps. Cottrell Press: single-color webfed Intaglio press used at the BEP startingin 1956; officially known as Presses 801, 802, 803, 804 and 805. Optiforma Press: six-color webfed Goebel offset press put in service for coils about 1985; officially known as presses 42 and 43. Schiavi Press: Multi-Color Corp., subcontractor for American Bank Note Co., prints 19 rows of 36 stamps
Priority Mail: USPS service, includes First Class mail weighing more than 13 ounces with two to three day delivery service
Príplatek: (Czech.) surcharge, surtax
Prir: “Three” Iceland overprint/surcharge
Prisoner of war mail: mail sent to or from internees or prisoner of war detention centers
Prisoner of War stamps: local post stamps printed by prisoners in camps
Prisoners Letter, Examined: censor marking for mail sent from Southerners in Northern prison camps addressed to the South during the American Civil War
Prisonnier de guerre: (Fr.) prisoner of war (POW)
Pristina: town in Macedonia; 1911, overprint on stamps of Pristina, Turkey for Sultan’s visit to Macedonia, 1911
Privata skeppspostmärken: (Swed.) private ship letter stamps
Privat-Beforderung: local post, Darmstadt, Germany, 1895-1900
Privat-Brief & Circular-Beförderung: Frankfurt, Germany local post, 1894-96
Privat-Briefbeförderung Courier: local post, Essen, Germany, 1897-98
Privat-Brief-Verkehr: Freiburg, Germany local post, 1886-1887
Privat-Brief-Verkehr I: Frankfurt, Germany local post, 1886-1900
Privat-Brief-Verkehr II: Frankfurt, Germany local post, 1886-1900
Private Contractor Printers: the USPS began using private printing firms, instead of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, for the production of US stamps
Private die proprietary stamps: created by individual firms to indicate prepayment of taxes on several items; many companies produced their own stamps because they were able to use the stamps for advertising their products; also known as Match and Medicine stamps; 1864-83
Private Express Transl.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Privately perforated: perforations applied by private individuals and not done to defraud collectors such as the Schermack Mailing Machine Co
Private mailing card: U.S. authorized, in 1898, the use of postcards with postage affixed; government printed postcards, with postage preprinted on the card, have been in use since 1873
Private mailing card: inscription on privately printed postcards; UPU regulations required first class letter rate if mailed out of country of origin, since they did not have the official inscription
Private overprints: a form of precancel on several types of revenues; many firms precanceled their proprietary stamps before placing them on their product
Private perforations: any type of perforation applied by a private firm; usually used on stamps that were sold to private vending firms who applied perforations based on what worked best for their equipment
Private postage: 1: nondenominated stamps with inscription “Postage Paid” valid for postage within the Australia and sold by some hotels in Australia for convenience of guests. 2: stamps issued by a government for use of private individuals, usually for large mailings or for mail deemed to be of great benefit to the public; Spain 1869 and 1881 for pamphlet to schools, Portugal rifle club. 3: hotel stamps, Lundy stamps
Private Post office: inscription on US local posts issued 1864 in San Francisco for a city mail service
Privatganzsache: (Ger.) private postal stationery
Privat-Stadtbrief-Beförderung: local post, Erfurt, Germany, 1888-95
Privat-Stadt-Brief-Verkehr: Fürth, Germany local post, 1896-1900
Privat-Stadt-Post: local post, Essen, Germany, 1887-88
Private Post Office: U. S. local post, envelopes, San Francisco, Calif. 1864
Private Die Proprietary Stamps: issued in 1862 to raise funds for the Civil War, the stamps paid the U. S. revenue tax on products of private firms; manufacturers were permitted to have the dies engraved and plates made for their exclusive use; the tax was repealed effective July 1, 1883
Private Supplemental Posts: carried mail to and from post offices where government service was erratic or non-existent
Privatepost: Sweden, discount postage
Privilege envelope: wartime mail, carried by British military, that does not have to be opened for censor, also known as Honour or Green envelope
Prix: (Fr.) price
Prix courant: (Fr.) price list
Prizonier: (Rom.) prisoner
Prizonier de razboi: (Rom.) prisoner-of-war, P.O.W
Pro Aero: Switzerland inscription or overprint used in connection with special flights between 1938 and 1949
Pro Assistenza Egeo: overprint on stamps of Italy for Rhodes, semi-postal for general relief, 1943
Pro-Aviacion Militar-1913: propaganda label to promote the establishment of an Argentine aviation fleet; sold in Argentine post offices with no franking power
Proba: (Rom.) proof
Probe: (Ger.) proof
Probeauflage: (Ger.) trial printing
Probedruck: (Ger.) proof; see Essay
Process colors: four primary colors; yellow, magenta (red), cyan (blue), and black, which are combined to achieve the look of any color combination
Processing: steps that finish a printed stamp sheet; includes perforation, trimming, dividing into panes, and packing for distribution
Pro Com: local post, courier mail, Montreal, Canada
Pro Combattenti: “For theTroops” overprint on stamps of San Marino, semi-postal
Pro Desocupados: ‘For Unemployed” inscription/overprint on stamps of Peru for postal tax, 1931-36
Pro Educacion Fiscia: “For Physical Education” Panama, postal tax
Profumata in (city): (It.) perfumed in (name of city) to indicate letter had been put through disinfection process
Pro Fundazione Studio Lire 5: “Benefit of Education Fund” Fiume, semi-postal
Program folders: USPS give-away for attendees at first day ceremonies
Progressive Proof: a trial essay that is an incomplete engraving of the finished accepted die
Prohibited stamps: U.S. Treasury Department regulations prohibit the importation into the U.S. of stamps of certain countries
Pro Infancia: “For Children’s Welfare” overprint on stamps of Mexico, postaltax stamp
Projet: (Fr.) design
Pro Juventute: children’s charity semi-postal stamps used in Switzerland since 1913
Prominent Americans: series of US postage stamps, 1965 – 1981
Pro Multilados: (Sp.) for disabled soldiers; Spanish Morocco revenue inscription
Pronautica P.C.S.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Proof of mailing: postal receipt stating that an article was mailed from a postal facility
Proof: a trial printing, known as a strike, taken from a new printing plate for inspection purposes; this can be used to inspect for defects, or to see which ink color looks best for that particular stamp
Proof paper: thick, handmade white rice paper
Propaganda forgery: 1: an imitation of a stamp prepared by a government for use by its agents operating in enemy territory. 2: caricatures of enemy stamps. 3: may be done for political purposes with minor design changes intended to influence opinions
Propaganda label: a stamp-like label that promotes a specific cause
Propaganda leaflets: first recorded use was in1807 when leaflets were dropped over the French lines during the Peninsular campaign, they were used extensively during World War II by both sides in the conflict
Propagandamärke: (Ger.) propaganda stamp
Propaganda stamp: a regular issued stamp which purposely shows written or pictorial allegations intended to damage a cause
Pro Patria: “For the Country” Switzerland semi-postal, issued from 1952 for national culture funding
Pro Patrioti Piacenza: town and province in Northern Italy; stamps of Italy overprint for local use, 1944
Propre: (Fr.) clean
Proprietary stamp: revenue stamp for a range of items to indicate a tax was paid; 1862-1919 became specific-use stamp in 1871 when second issue of documentary stamps released
Pro Seminario: (Sp.) labels issued in Zaragoza by the Rev. Father Sancho to raise funds
Prosines: (Czech.) December
Pro Sinistrati di Guerra: overprint on stamps of Italy for Rhodes, semi-postal for war victims, 1943
Prospect News Agency: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Prospectus: details of a forthcoming philatelic exhibition, usually contains information for potential exhibitors
Prospektkort: (Dan.) picture postcard, photo postcard
Pro Tacna y Arica: Peru postal tax
Protectorad Cote de Somalis: (Fr.) stamps of French Somali Coast Protectorate: 1: a nation governed, guided or protected by another nation. 2: overprint for Bechuanaland; see Bechuanaland Protectorate
Protectorado Espanol en Marruecos: overprint/inscription for Spanish Protectorate, Morocco
Protectorat Cote des Somalis: (Fr.) inscription on stamps of Djibouti; see Somali Coast
Protectorate Francais: overprint on stamps of France inscribed “Chiffre Taxe”, Offices in Morocco, 1914-22
Proteja a la Infancia: “For Children’s Protection” Mexico, postal tax stamp
Protektorát : (Czech.) protectorate
Protektorát Cechy a Moravia: (Czech.) Bohemia and Moravia. German Protectorate comprising the two W divisions of Czechoslovakia; established March 1939, dissolved in 1945; see Celistvosti – Protektorát Cechy a Moravia
Proto writing: first in time, original and primitive, carved symbols on shiny black stone, found in Central Asia, 2300 B.C
Pro Tuberculosos Pobres: “For the Poor with Tuberculosis” Spain, 1937-38
Pro Union Ibero Americana: (Spanish American Union), Spain
Prova: (It.) proof
Provenance: a listing of former and present owners of any philatelic item
Prøvet: (Dan.) expertised
Provtryck: (Swed.) proof
Prøvetrykk: (Nor.) printing proof, proof
Prøvetryk: (Dan.) printing proof, proof
Providence Despatch: U. S. local post, Providence, R.I., 1849
Provincia de Cabo Verde: Cape Verde
Provincia de Macao: Macao
Provincie Franco Bollo Modonesi: Modena
Provincia di Lubiana: (It.) province of Ljubljana, Ljubljana
Provincial Airways Westcountry Air Service: London-Southampton-Plymouth air local post
Provincie Modones: (It.) Modena Province; inscription on stamps of Modena, 1859
Provinz Laibach / Pokraiina Ljubljanska: (Ger./Slovene) overprint/surcharge on stamps of Italy during German occupation of Laibach, Sept. 8, 1943-1945; see Lubiana
Provinz Sachsen: Germany WWII local post issue
Provis Government of Free India: Indian National Army, Japanese occupation, c1944
Provisional 1881-1882: overprint on stamps of Peru, Arequipa provisional
Provisionales: (Sp.) provisional stamps; temporary use of postage stamps
Provisional Government of Ireland: overprint on stamps of Great Britain for Ireland
Provisional Govt. 1893: overprint on stamps of Hawaii, April 1893 to recognize the new government which overthrew Queen Liliuokalani
Provisional issue: 1: stamp issued for a local area pending availability of a regular issue. 2: value or purpose has been changed by a surcharge or overprint. Provisional label: parcel or registration labels produced by hand stamps or manuscript endorsement during shortages or special events. Provisional stamps: postage stamps whose value has been changed after printing; usually by use of an overprint or surcharge
Provisional Meter: a meter with a surcharge insert to meet a temporary need
Provisional overprint: 1: includes printed name or initial overprints on first issue of medicine stamp revenues, until own stamps printed;1862-70. 2: “I.R.” overprint on U.S. Postage stamps to be used as temporary revenue stamps
Provisoire: (Fr.) provisional, a stamp issued for a local area pending availability of a regular issue
Provisorie(r): (Dan., Nor.) provisional (stamp[s])
Provisorio: 1. (It.) provisional. 2. overprint on 1892-93 stamps of Portugal
Provisorisch Wert in Schweiz Franc: “Temporary Value in Swiss Francs” overprint on stamps of Liechtenstein
Provisorisk: (Dan., Nor.) provisional
Provisorisk udgave: (Dan.) provisional issue
Provisorni Ceskoslovenska Vlada: overprint on stamps of Austria, private issue
Proxy bidding: a mechanism to automatically enter their maximum bids and the system automatically updates as other bidders place rival bids; also used to place last minute bids toward the end of an Internet conducted auction
Prøyssisk blå: (Nor.) Prussian blue (color)
Prozatimní: (Czech.) provisional
P.R.R.I.: (Indon.) Pemerintah Revolusioner Republik Indonesia (Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia); various labels, printed in1958
PRS: Postal Regulating Station, or Section, wartime postal facility
Prueba: (Sp.) proof
Prueba Apocrifas: (Sp.) bogus proofs made after date of issue of a stamp
Prueba de color: (Sp.) trial color proof
Prüfer: see Bundesprufer
Prüfung: (Ger.) expertization
Prune Island: St. Vincent Grenadines island; stamps first issued 1976
Prussia: most of northern Germany, German State, Kingdom of Prussia; currency: 12 pfennigs = 1 silbergroschen, 60 kreuzer = 1 gulden (1867) 1850, Nov. 15: first stamps as founder of postal union that included other German States, 1850-59: used concentric circles as cancel, 1856: No.1, 4 pfennings yellow green, 1868, Jan.1: stamps of the German Confederation, 1872: stamps of the German Empire 1918: Prussia became part of the Weimar Republic, 1947, Mar.1: formally abolished as a separate state
Prusvitka: (Czech.) watermark
Prusvitka Nahoru, Dolu, Vlevo, Vpravo: (Czech.) watermark up, down, left, right
Pruta: currency unit in Israel
Przedborz: city in Poland, local post, 1917-18
Przemysl: city in former Austrian-occupied Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20
Przestlka Urzedowa: (Pol.) inscription for official stamps of Poland
PS: 1: Colombia, (Script letters) Cauca. 2: Postal stationery. 3: Scott Catalog number prefix for Postal Savings. 4: Plate strip.
5. Monogram overprint on Native Feudatory States of India issued for reprint of remainder stamps. 6. Private Secretary, South Australia officialoverprint, 1868-74. 7. intertwined as a monogram, Colombia, Cauca Department. Perforation Shift. 8. postal stationery; a philatelic discipline recognized for FIP exhibitions.PS/3: plate (number) strip of 3 coil stamps with the plate number on the center stamp
PS/5: plate (number) strip of 5 coil stamps with the plate number on the center stamp
PSa: Postal Stationery
PSA: pressure sensitive adhesive (self-adhesive)
P.S.B.: posted by steamboat, pre-adhesive postmark
PSE: Professional Stamp Expertiser
PSE: 1: Pre-Stamped Envelope. 2: Postal Stationery Entire
P/SET: abbreviation for Part Set, incomplete set of an issue
Pseudo postmark: a simulated cancel designed to look like a true postmark, but not applied to cancel the stamp
Pseudo stamps: meter stamp designed with false perforations to look like adhesive stamps
Pseudo watermark: a device applied to simulate a true watermark
P.S.I.: Philatelic Society of India
Pskof: 1: local post, Russian Zenmstvo,1871-1910 2: aka Pleskau, Russia, German occupation, 1941-42
PSMK: abbreviation for postmark
P.S.N.C.: (One letter in each corner of stamp) Pacific Steam Navigation Co., Peru, 1857
PSRE: Postal Stationery Registered Envelope
PSS: PreCancel Stamp Society, Inc.PSS: PreCancel Stamp Society, Inc
P-Stamps: personalized stamps where an individual’s picture is on a postage stamp
Psx: Plate number strip of x, which is usually expressed as 3 or 5
PT: 1: postal tax. 2: Pataca, currency unit in Macao
Pta: Peseta; currency unit in Spain
PTA: Post und Telekom Austria AG: (Ger.) Post and Telephone Company of Austria
Pte.Rt.: (Fr.) poste restante (general delivery), pre-adhesive postmark
ptg: printing
P.T.M.: watermark on stamps of Malaya, Nov. 1961
Pto. Rico: Puerto Rico overprint on stamps of United States, American Dominion
PTS: 1: Philatelic Traders Society (England). 2: pesetas, Spanish unit of currency. 3: Potosi (Bolivia) pre-adhesive postmark. 4: Postal Transportation Service, formerly the Railroad Mail Service
PTT: abbreviation for post, telephone and telegraph
PUASP: Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal
Publicity envelope stamps: stamps sold at a discount to veteran’s groups for use to gain funds or disabled servicemen
Publicity Slogan: machine cancel to publicize an industry, tourist attraction, town, city
Public Letter Office: U. S. local post, envelopes, San Francisco, Calif., 1864
Public Mail Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971
Publipostage: (Fr.) bulk mailing, bulk rate
Publisher’s Paid Stamp: United States, Wells Fargo local post
Pubs: (Fr.) Timbres de Publicité, Belgian and French booklets in which there are advertising labels se tenant
P.U.C.: Postal Union Congress
Pudoch: local post, Russian Zemstvo,1903-13
Puebla: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883
Puebla de Almoradiel: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puerto Lumbreras: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puerto Principe: city in Cuba, now Camaguey; 1898, Dec.-99: local surcharges during U.S. Administration of Cuba
Puerto Rico: island of the West Indies, aka Porto Rico; currency: 100 centimes = 1 peseta, 1,000 milesimas = 100 centavos = 1 peso (1881), 100 cents = 1 dollar (1898) 1844: British Postal Agencies established at San Juan and eight other cities, 1855-56: stamps issued jointly with Cuba, but not used until July 25, 1856, 1865: French postal agency opened at San Juan, 1873-pre: stamps of Cuba used, 1873: No.1, 25 centimes gray, first stamps of Cuba overprinted with manuscript initials, May 1, 1877: Puerto Rico joined the UPU as a Spanish colony, 1877: stamps overprinted “Pto-Rico,” 1898, Dec. 10: ceded to U.S. administration; U.S. started provisional mail service, war tax stamp, 1899: first postage due stamp, U.S. issue overprinted “Porto Rico” diagonally, inhabitants insisted on original spelling of Puerto Rico, 1900, Apr.12: stamps of Puerto Rico replaced by those of the United States, 1907: admitted to the UPU as a member country with “The Whole of the US Island Possessions” along with Guam, Danish Colonies and Samoa, under the name “Porto Rico.”1917, Mar.2: became a U.S. territory, 1932, May 17: name officially changed to Puerto Rico, 1952, July 25: became a U.S. Commonwealth, July 1, 1953, admitted to the UPU as a member country, this time as “Puerto Rico”; Porto Rico
Puerto Rico provisionals: put on sale early August, 1898, after U.S. forces landed on the south coast, and the Spanish withdrew towards San Juan on the north coast
Puffins: nickname for stamps of Lundy Island featuring the native bird
Puig-Alt de Ter: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puigcerda: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puig-Reig: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican,1937
Puja: (Sp.) (auction) bid
Pujerra: local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist, 1937
Pul: currency unit in Afghanistan
Pula: currency unit in Botswana
Pulau Bidong: Malaysia-Selangor stamps overprinted, bogus
Pulau Pinang, (Penang): one of the Straits Settlements; Malaysia (State); 1948, Dec.1: first stamps, 1957: stamps for the Malayan Federation used with those of Penang, 1965, Nov. 18: first issue after joining, wording changed to “Pulau Pinang.”
Pull: another term for a print made from the original die that is the master from which printing plates are created
Pulled perfs: paper has been removed below the base line of the perforation holes
Pullen & Co’s Express: mail and parcel delivery firm serviced New York City and upstate New York; used labels; 1846-5-47
Pullen & Copp’s Express: mail delivery firm serviced New York City and upstate New York; used a label; 1843
Pullen’s Express: parcel delivery firm that operated via the New York and Harlem Railroad; used a label; year unknown
Pullen, Virgil & Co’s Express: mail and parcel delivery firm serviced New York City and Canada; used a corner card and labels; 1852-53
Pulling: term used when a proof or other print is “pulled” from a die or a plate
Pultusk: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20
Punch: children’s stamps; Toy stamps
Punch cancel: a cancel that consists of a hole punched in the stamp as a form of defacement; found on revenue stamps and telegraph stamps, plus mint stamps sold to the stamp collecting hobby as remainders
Punched: see Perforations
Punctuated stamps: stamps that are punch-cancelled with small round or oval holes
Punkt: (Swed.) (a) blemish, blot, spot
Puno: town in Peru; 1879-84: overprint on stamps of Peru for provisional issue during occupation by Chile
Punt: currency unit in Ireland
Punto delgado: (Sp.) thin spot
Puolustusvoimat Kentta Postia: “Military stamps” inscription on stamps of Finland
Pup: British word for sleeper, a stamp in a dealer’s inventory that is worth more than charged
Purifie au (city): purified at (city); to indicate mail had gone through disinfection process
Purified: marking on mail that has been fumigated so that the letter will not be a carrier of disease
Purjolökgrön: (Swed.) leek-green (color)
Purpur: (Czech., Dan., Nor., Swed.) purple (color)
Purpura: (Rom.) purple (color)
Purpurbrun: (Dan., Nor.) purple-brown (color)
Purpurrød: 1. (Dan.) purple-red (color). ), 2. (Nor.) scarlet (color)
Purregrønn: (Nor.) leek-green (color)
Purser markings: 1: markings applied on board ships that do not have shp post offices; to avoid postage due charges since this mail is usually ranked with stamps foreign to the point of landing. 2: originated as “way” letter on a private mail route by water. 3:indication on mail carried “outside the bags” on an official mail route
Purvis Printing Co.: overprinted of US revenue stamps, 1898
PUS: Indonesia Postage Due
Putter-oner: worker at Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the 1930s who put on a single sheet of dampened paper on top of the inked press plate; see taker-offer
Puttialia State: overprint for State of Patiala, India
Putt’s envelopes: railroad propaganda envelopes used with a 1857 stamp
Puzol: local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican, 1937
Puzzle Cards: postcard with a jigsaw or other puzzle to be solved by addressee
P.V.A.: Polyvinyl Alcohol gum
P.W.: Public Works, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74
PW: 1: USPS abbreviation for Palau. 2: Printer’s waste
PVI: postal validation imprint, computer generated postage
PYAS: currency unit in Burma
PYB: Finland, Russia, South Russia