The Stamp Cataloguedownloads.philatelie.de/Einleitung_Englisch.pdf · 2008. 3. 13. · work and...

The

Stamp CatalogueAn Introduction for English-Speaking Readers

Schwaneberger Verlag · www.michel.de

Contents

1 Introduction

2 The MICHEL Stamp Catalogues2.1 Basic Catalogues2.2 Other MICHEL Catalogues2.3 How to Find the Country You Want

3 Basic German

4 Principles of Cataloguing4.1 Country Chapters4.2 Stamp Listings4.3 The Front and Back of the Catalogue

5 Glossary of Colours5.1 Stamp Colours5.2 The MICHEL Colour Guide5.3 List of Colours

6 Glossary of Country Names

7 Glossary of Philatelic Terms, Symbols and Abbreviations

Compiled by Martyn Yeo

© 2007, Schwaneberger Verlag GmbH, Ohmstr. 1, D–85716 Unterschleißheim, www.michel.dePrinted in Germany

An Introduction for English-Speaking Readers 5

1 Introduction

Hugo Michel’s first stamp catalogue was published inApolda, a town some 10 miles north-east of Weimar,in 1910. By today’s standards it was a slim volume –its 112 pages listed the stamps of European countriesand their post offices abroad.

The MICHEL catalogue rapidly became a standardwork of reference, used by dealers to identify theirstock, by philatelists to check their collections and asa reference for buying and exchanging stamps. HugoMichel subsequently sold the rights to his catalogueto the stamp album publishers Schwaneberger Ver-lag, who still retain them.

The basic catalogue now occupies 18 volumes cover-ing the stamps of all countries – despite its vastincrease in size its basic structure has never beenaltered. Over the years it has won more than 200medals at national and international stamp exhibi-tions, including 20 gold medals. More than 200,000MICHEL catalogues are printed every year, and theyfind their way to collectors all over the world.

MICHEL catalogue numbers are used by most collec-tors in German-speaking countries and in eastern Eu-rope, and they are the standard reference numbersfor stamps of these countries. Because of the clearand authoritative listings which they provide, MICHELcatalogues are gaining in popularity in many othercountries too. New editions appear regularly, andeach one includes detailed editorial changes, em-bracing new philatelic research, newly listed errorsand varieties, revised catalogue prices and newissues.

The MICHEL catalogue is published in German bySchwaneberger Verlag GmbH, whose offices are atOhmstraße 1, D-85716 Unterschleißheim, Germany.All the volumes and other MICHEL products areavailable from good stamp dealers or, in case ofdifficulty, direct by mail order from the followingMICHEL agents:

United Kingdom: Prinz Publications UK Ltd, Unit 3a,Hayle Industrial Park, Hayle Cornwall TR 27 5JR,Great Britain, Phone: (0 17 36) 75 19 10, Fax: (0 17 36)75 19 11, E-mail: [email protected].

United States: Lighthouse Publications Inc., P.O. Box705, Hackensack NJ 07602-0705, Phone: (201) 342-1513, E-mail: [email protected].

or

LINDNER Publications Inc., P.O. Box 5056, Syracuse,NY 13220, Mrs. Tina Heitmann, Phone: (315) 437-0463, Fax: (315) 437-4832, E-mail: [email protected].

The MICHEL catalogue is supplemented by themonthly publication MICHEL-Rundschau. It con-tains useful articles on collecting, but for English-speaking catalogue users the more important part isits listing of new issues, presented in a matching style.

2 The MICHEL Stamp Catalogues

2.1 Basic Catalogues

The 18 volumes of the main MICHEL stamp cata-logue are as follows:

GERMANY (MICHEL-Deutschland-Katalog) cover-ing all German stamp issues. These include GermanStates, colonies, mandated territories, protectorates,post offices abroad, occupation issues, Danzig, Saar,and the former postal adminstrations of West Berlinand East Germany. Published with colour illustrationsthroughout.

CENTRAL EUROPE (MICHEL-Europa-Katalog,Volume 1: Mitteleuropa) Liechtenstein, Austria,Switzerland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Czechoslova-kia, Hungary, UN Geneva, UN Vienna, West Hungary.

SOUTH-WEST EUROPE (MICHEL-Europa-Katalog,Volume 2: Südwesteuropa) Andorra (French), An-dorra (Spanish), France, Gibraltar, Monaco, Portugal,Spain.

SOUTHERN EUROPE (MICHEL-Europa-Katalog,Volume 3: Südeuropa) Albania, Bosnia-Herzegov-ina, Fiume, Italy, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Macedonia,Malta, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Tri-este, Vatican.

SOUTH-EAST EUROPE (MICHEL-Europa-Katalog,Volume 4: Südosteuropa) Aegean Islands, Bulgaria,Epirus, Greece, Icaria, Ionian Islands, Crete, EasternRumelia, Romania, Samos, Thrace, Turkey, TurkishCyprus, Cyprus.

NORTHERN EUROPE (MICHEL-Europa-Katalog,Volume 5: Nordeuropa) Denmark, Estonia, Finland,Iceland, Karelia, Latvia, Lithuania, Central Lithuania,North Ingria, Norway, Sweden.

WESTERN EUROPE (MICHEL-Europa-Katalog,Volume 6: Westeuropa) Belgium, Great Britain,Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands.

EASTERN EUROPE (MICHEL-Europa-Katalog,Volume 7: Osteuropa) Carpathian Ruthenia, Re-public of Moldova, Poland, Russia, Soviet Union,Ukraine, Belarus, Western Ukraine.NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA (MICHEL-

6 An Introduction for English-Speaking Readers

Übersee-Katalog, Volume 1: Nord- und Mitte-lamerika) covering continental countries fromPanama north-wards.

CARIBBEAN ISLANDS (MICHEL-Übersee-Katalog,Volume 2: Karibische Inseln) covering the islandsround the Caribbean Sea as well as the Bahamas andthe Bermudas.

SOUTH AMERICA (MICHEL-Übersee-Katalog,Volume 3: Südamerika) does not include the Falk-land Islands and Antarctic territories.

NORTH AND EAST AFRICA (MICHEL-Übersee-Kat-alog, Volume 4: Nord- und Ostafrika) coveringAfrica north of the Sahara and the east coast coun-tries from Egypt to Tansania.

WEST AFRICA (MICHEL-Übersee-Katalog,Volume 5: Westafrika) covering Africa south of theSahara from Cape Verde to the former French Congo.

SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA (MICHEL-Übersee-Katalog, Volume 6: Süd- und Zentral-afrika). The remaining countries of Africa as well asthe islands in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean and theGulf of Guinea.

AUSTRALIA, OCEANIA, ANTARCTIC TERRITORIES(MICHEL-Übersee-Katalog, Volume 7: Australien,Ozeanien, Antarktis).

SOUTH AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA (MICHEL-Übersee-Katalog, Volume 8: Süd- und Südost-Asien) additionally covering Indonesia and the Philip-pines.

CENTRAL AND EAST ASIA (MICHEL-Übersee-Kat-alog, Volume 9: Mittel- und Ostasien) covering Asianorth of the Himalaya, also including Iran,Afghanistan and Japan.

MIDDLE EAST (MICHEL-Übersee-Katalog:Volume 10, Naher Osten).

2.2 Other MICHEL Catalogues

Apart from the main catalogue, MICHEL publishesover forty other philatelic titles. There is a range ofspecialized catalogues and other books coveringspecific subjects, ranging from postal stationery tominiature sheets. They include the following collect-ing areas:Germany Junior Catalogue (simplified version)Germany SpecializedEurope (CEPT)Austria SpecializedSwitzerland and Liechtenstein SpecializedGreat Britain SpecializedGuernsey, Man, Jersey Specialized

United States SpecializedUnited Nations SpecializedSoviet Union SpecializedRussia SpecializedPostal StationeryStamp BookletsVending Machine Stampset ceteraThe following catalogues are available in English lan-guage: Zeppelin Specialized, United Nations Spe-cialized, United States Specialized, Gulf States, Ger-many Specialized and Northern Europe.A full colour brochure showing the complete rangeof MICHEL publications is available from your localdealer or MICHEL agent.

2.3 How to Find the Country You Want

As you see from the list above, the arrangement of thevolumes is on a straightforward geographical basis.Thus you will find Belgium in the Western Europevolume, Chile in the South America volume, Japan inthe East Asia volume and so on. You should, however,keep the following in mind:

1 ) German spellings of country names result in an al-phabetical order which differs from the English or-der, so for example in the Central Europe volumeyou will find Czechoslovakia under T (for Tsche-choslowakei) and Hungary under U (for Ungarn).For more German country names look in the glos-sary.

2) The Azores, Canary Islands and Madeira are re-garded as part of South-West Europe andgrouped after Portugal or Spain as appropriate.

3) German colonies (for example Cameroon) and is-sues for territories occupied by Germany (such asBohemia and Moravia) are in the Germany vol-ume, irrespective of their geographical location.

4) Issues for “post offices abroad” follow the coun-try which ran the post offices, so that the sectionfor Spanish Post Offices in Morocco follows Spainin the South-West Europe volume.

3 Basic German

This introductory guide has been specially written forMICHEL and is designed to help English-speakingcollectors use the catalogue to the fullest extent, eventhose who have no knowledge of the German lan-guage.lf you do not read and understand German fluently,you will of course not be able to decipher every lastpiece of information presented in the MICHEL cata-


1979, 14. Nov./1987. Freimarke: Burgen und Schlös-ser (III). \ Schillinger; I = Bdr., II = Ldr.; Bogen (B)(10}10), Markenheftchen (MH) und Rollen (R); A =vierseitig, C und D = dreiseitig gez. K 14.

alc) Schloß Rheydt

; H

1028 60 (Pf) dunkelrosakarmin a . . . . alcA vierseitig gezähnt

I Bdr. (14. 11. 1979) (B) (R) . . . . –,80 –,20II Ldr. (1987) (R). . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,20 –,30

C I oben geschnitten, Bdr. (Okt. 1980) (MH) . . . . . . . 4,50 4,50

D I unten geschnitten, Bdr. (Okt. 1980) (MH) . . . . . . . 4,50 4,50

FDC (A I) 1,80ETB 23/1979 (mit MiNr. 1028 A I) –,50

Unterscheidungsmerkmale Bdr. und Ldr. siehe bei MiNr. 913–920!

Waagerechtes Paar (aus Bogen):; H

1028 A I/1028 A I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,80 1,80

Einzelmarke mit anhängendem Bogenrand 50% vorstehender Paarpreise

Senkrechtes Paar (C/D) siehe bei MH 23

Rollenmarken (R):Marke mit Nr. � Marke mit Nr.; H � ; H

1028 A I R . . . . 2,— –,30 � 1028 A II R . . . . 2,50 –,50

Auflagen: MiNr. 1028 A II = 89 500 000 Stück, ETB = 427 000 Stück

Weitere Werte siehe Zusammenfassung nach Blockaufstellung

Bildgleiche Marke mit zusätzlicher Inschrift „BERLIN“ siehe Berlin(West) MiNr. 611

TTyyppiiccaall sseett lliissttiinngg

Dates of issueDesigner

Stamp illustration

Illustration code lettersand description

Printing MethodsDescriptionof the issue

Different perforationsfrom stamp booklets

Face value

Horizontal pairfrom sheets

Vertical pair

Quantities

Cross-reference to otherstamps in the same series

Cross-reference to West Berlin

Price for a FirstDay Cover

Price for a FirstDay Sheet

Illustration code letters

Colour

Mint price

Currency unit

Perforation

MICHEL cataloguenumber

Basic stamp

Different printingmethods

Used price

Date of issue

Price for a usedpair of stamps


logues, which are the result of decades of editorialwork and philatelic research. Yet they are much eas-ier to understand than most German publications, be-cause of their clear layout, the widespread use ofsymbols and the frequent repetition of many commonwords, phrases and philatelic terms. Much of the textis devoted to stamp listings in a standard format.Persevere – do not be put off! Look up unfamiliarwords as you find them, and you will soon build up auseful vocabulary. Look first of all in the glossaries atthe end of this booklet, then in a German/English dic-tionary (just a pocket sized one will do).

A dictionary is necessary if, for example, you need totranslate the description of a stamp design. Use it forordinary German words and phrases not included inthe glossaries. Use a notebook to record those whichoften occur, to save you looking them up each time.You will be surprised how quickly you begin to makesense of the German text. lf you collect German orAustrian stamps the words and phrases you learn willalso be a great aid to deciphering stamp inscriptions.

The following clues will also help you:

1) All German nouns (not just proper names) startwith a capital letter. Other parts of speech – ad-jectives, pronouns, verbs and so on – start with asmall letter unless they begin a sentence. Wordsending in -ich or -ig are most likely adjectives.

2) Many words are inflected, that is they change theirending or add an ending depending on their con-text within a sentence. For example you may seethe word braun (brown) printed as braunen orbraunes, but the meaning is the same. Plurals areusually formed by adding -e or -en and some-times with the addition of an accent: the plural ofSatz (set) is Sätze (sets).

3) Ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th ... ) are indi-cated merely by a full stop (or period) after thenumber, so 1. means “1st”. In sentences contain-ing a lot of punctuation this is quite easy to miss.

4) Remember that long words are often made upfrom combinations of shorter words that you willrecognize more easily, for example Briefmarken-ausstellung (stamp exhibition), or Fußballwelt-meisterschaft (World Cup). Watch for abbrevia-tions, which in German are always punctuated.Commonly used abbreviations are MiNr. (MICHELcatalogue number), usw. (and so on) and z. B. (forexample).For more abbreviations and symbolslook in the glossary.

5) Always keep an eye open for Latin words (such asbird names) or other non-German words (likeforeign placenames) in the text. Your dictionarywill not be of much help here!

lf you wish to go further, the German-English Phila-telic Dictionary is published by the Germany Philatel-ic Society Inc. and is available at the GPS ServiceCenter, PO Box 779, Arnold, MD 21012, USA. Thiswould be invaluable for collectors researching intoGerman philately in some detail, and is particularlyhelpful on abbreviations and technical terms used bythe military and the postal services.

4 Principles of Cataloguing

4.1 Country Chapters

Each country section starts with certain general informa-tion: the country name in German; its location, historicaland political divisions, currency and date of membershipof the Universal Postal Union (Weltpostverein); clarifi-cation of how mounted (:) and unmounted (::) mintprices apply; and illustrations of all relevant watermarks,which are shown as seen when the stamp is face down.At the end of a country come an index showing where tofind each miniature sheet (Block), price lists for se-ten-ant combinations (Zusammendrucke), booklets(Heftchen) and booklet panes (Heftchenblätter).

Then, as in most catalogues, there will be listings of sub-sidiary groups such as official stamps (Dienstmarken),parcel post stamps (Paketmarken), postage due labels(Portomarken); also some localissues (Lokalaus-gaben) and occupation issues (Besetzungsausgaben).These are each listed in chronological order and havetheir own sequences of catalogue numbers and illustra-tion code letters. You may find that the text refers youback to the main stamp section (in the case of over-prints, for example).

4.2 Stamp Listings

A typical set listing is shown in the illustration onpage 7, where its structure is labelled in English. Itstarts with a bold heading, giving the date of issue;the purpose, for example the phrase for definitive set(Freimarken) or an indication of the event or anniver-sary commemorated; and the printing process,paper, watermark and perforation.Below this heading the stamp designs are illustrated.You will notice that these illustrations have code let-ters which start at the beginning of each country witha), b), c), and so on. When the letters reach z) theystart again with aa), ab). In some cases they reachthree letters: aaa), aab), aac).Once you get used to this code system you will findit very helpful, because you will not confuse the codeswith the catalogue numbers. Also, you will find thatmany more stamps are illustrated than in most othercatalogues, and generally every design in a set isshown, together with any accompanying printed label(Zierfeld) and the whole of each miniature sheet or


sheetlet. lf you collect by theme or topic you will findthis invaluable.

Next in the set listing comes the classification ofthe stamps: from left to right each has the uniqueMICHEL catalogue number, the face value with thecurrency unit (in brackets if not actually shown on thestamp), the colour or colours, the illustration code,the mint price and the used price.

The classification usually ends with prices for completesets and, for modern issues, a first day cover (FDC).Footnotes may follow, giving additional informationsuch as quantities issued (Auflagen), prices for stampswith printed labels attached, for imperforate stamps orerrors, and cross-references to other stamps in similardesigns (in ähnlichen Zeichnungen . . . ).

lf the issue is accompanied by miniature sheets orsheetlets the listing of these follows, under the sub-heading Blockausgabe.

4.3 The Front and Back of the Catalogue

At the front of each catalogue, after the title-page,comes a section headed Bewertungshinweise,which indicates which years unmounted or mountedmint prices apply to, and how to calculate prices forstamps on cover. Next is the foreword (Vorwort)written by the editor , followed by some advice for thecatalogue user and the introduction (Einführung). Allthe important points dealt with in the introduction arealso covered in this booklet. Following the introduc-tion is a page of abbreviations and symbols(Abkürzungen und Zeichenerklärungen). Again,the most important of these are covered in this book-let.At the back of the catalogue you will find a sectionheaded Prüfordnung, which explains in some detailthe system of authentication or expertization used inGermany and gives names and addresses for therecognized experts in different fields. There is also anindex (Inhalts- und Stichwortverzeichnis) to helpyou to find countries in the catalogue you have or inother volumes. Some of the specialized cataloguescontain a stamp design index as well.

5 Glossary of Colours

5.1 Stamp Colours

Every basic catalogue entry gives the colour or col-ours of the stamp, immediately following its facevalue (and currency).

Stamps printed in more than one colour have thecolours separated by an oblique stroke, for exampleschwarz/blau. Note that this means “black and

blue”, not “black on blue paper” as it might in somecatalogues; the German for the latter would beschwarz a. blau. Stamps printed in three or morecolours may simply be described as mehrfarbig(multicoloured).

You will find that you soon recognize most of thecommonly used colour descriptions. As all colournames are adjectives, they always start with a smallletter.

Compound colour names are formed in much thesame way as they are in English, but without hy-phens. Simple compounds are formed like this:graublau = grey-blue, olivgelb = olive-yellow.

To save space in the catalogue listings, colours areoften abbreviated. These abbreviations will include afull stop or an apostrophe. Abbreviations are alsoused for the colours of overprints and surcharges, butnote that these are always assumed to be black if nocolour is specified.

5.2 The MICHEL Colour Guide

The MICHEL Colour Guide (MICHEL-Farbenführer)has been published for many years, and is an essen-tial accessory to the MICHEL catalogues. The 36thand following editions are much improved andexpanded. This glossary and all references to stampcolours in this booklet are based on the 36th andfollowing editions.The MICHEL Colour Guide is available from goodstamp dealers or directly from your MICHEL agent. Itcontains more than 570 square patches of colour,similar in style to a paint chart. Each patch is caption-ed with the colour name in German and has a circu-lar hole in it, through which you can view the stampto get a good match.

The main list in this appendix shows the basic coloursincluded in the Colour Guide. In addition, a variety offurther colours are shown, and these are formed byadding one of the following four prefixes to a basiccolour:

hell- palemittel- midlebhaft- brightdunkel- dark

So, for example, based on olivbraun (olive-brown),the Colour Guide shows the following five colours,ranging from the palest to the deepest:

hellolivbraun pale olive-brownmittelolivbraun mid olive-brownlebhaftolivbraun bright olive-brownolivbraun olive-browndunkelolivbraun dark olive-brown


Note that hyphens are not used in the German com-pound colour names. These five colours will be arrangedin a single horizontal row on the Colour Guide (the palestat the left) so that you can compare them easily.

5.3 List of Colours

The following alphabetical list includes the basiccolours shown in the MICHEL Colour Guide, the ab-breviations used for colour names, and the abbrevia-tions used for the colours of overprints and sur-charges. All other colour names given in the MICHELcolour guide may be derived by combination of therespective colour designations given below.

Bl Blue overprint or surchargebl. Blue (abbreviation of blau)blau Bluebläulich Bluish (used in combination with

other colours)Br Brown overprint or surchargebr. Brown (abbreviation of braun)br’n Brown (abbreviation of braun)braun Brownbräunlich Brownish (used in combination with

other colours)bronze Bronze (used for an overprint or sur-

charge and usually shown as Bz)Bz Bronze overprint or surcharge

chromgelb Chrome yellowcyanblau Cyan blue

d’ Dark/deep (abbreviation of dunkel)dkl’ Dark/deep (abbreviation of dunkel)dunkel Dark/deep (used in combination with

ther colours)

G Gold overprint or surchargeGb Yellow overprint or surchargegelb Yellowgelblich Yellowish (used in combination with

other colours)glb. Yellow (abbreviation of gelb)gold Gold (used for an overprint or sur-

charge and usually shown as G)Gr Green overprint or surchargegr. Grey (abbreviation of grau)gr’n Green (abbreviation of grün)Gra Grey overprint or surchargegrau Greygrün Greengrünlich Greenish (used in combination with

other colours)

h’ Pale/light (abbreviation of hell)

hell Pale/light (used in combination withother colours)

K Carmine overprint or surchargekar. Carmine (abbreviation of karmin)karmin Carminekobalt CobaltKu Copper overprint of surchargekupfer Copper (used for an overprint or

surcharge and usually shown as Ku)

L Lilac overprint or surchargelebhaft Bright (used in combination with

other colours)lil. Lilac (abbreviation of lila)lila Lilac

magenta Magentamatt Dull (used in combination with

other colours)mehrfarbig Multicoloured (printed in three or

more colours)mfg. Multicoloured (abbreviation of

mehrfarbig)mittel Mid (used in combination with

other colours)

ocker Ochreol. Olive (abbreviation of oliv)oliv Oliveopalgrün Opal greenOr Orange overprint or surchargeor. Orange (abbreviation of orange)orange Orangepreußischblau Prussian bluepurpur Purple

R Red overprint or surchargeros. Pink (abbreviation of rosa)rosa Pinkrot Redrötlich Reddish (used in combination with

other colours)

S Black overprint or surchargeschw. Black (abbreviation of schwarz)schwärzlich Blackish (used in combination with

other colours)schwarz BlackSi Silver overprint or surchargesiena Siennasilber Silver (used for an overprint or sur-

charge and usually shown as Si)smaragdgrün Emerald green

türkis Turquoise


ultram. Ultramarine (abbreviation of ultra-marin)

ultramarin Ultramarine

V Violet overprint or surchargevio. Violet (abbreviation of violett)violett Violet

weiß White

zinnober Vermilion

6 Glossary of Country Names

The majority of country names in German are verysimilar to the English equivalents, for exampleLibanon (Lebanon), Mexiko (Mexico) and Schweden(Sweden). Because of this, they are easy to find in thecatalogues. First, find the correct geographical vol-ume, then look up the page number using the con-tents list on the outside back cover.

There are, however, a few common country nameswhere the German and English names are signifi-cantly different or where they start with a different let-ter of the alphabet. A selection of these is givenbelow. Unlike the other glossaries, the English namesare shown first.Aegean Islands Ägäische InselnAustria Österreich

Cambodia KambodschaCameroon KamerunCanada KanadaCayman Islands Kaiman-InselnCentral African Zentralafrikanische

Republic RepublikChad TschadChannel Islands KanalinselnChristmas Island Weihnachts-InselCocos Islands Kokos-InselnColombia KolumblenComoro Islands KomorenConfederate States Konföderierte Staaten

of America von AmerikaCongo KongoCrete KretaCuba KubaCroatia KroatienCyprus ZypernCzechoslovakia Tschechoslowakei

East Germany Deutsche DemokratischeRepublik

Egypt Ägypten

Equatorial Guinea Äquatorial-GuineaEstonia EstlandEthiopia Äthiopien

Fiji Fidschi-InselnFrance FrankreichFrench Polynesia Französisch-PolynesienFrench Southern and Französische Gebiete inAntarctic Territories der Antarktis

Germany DeutschlandGreat Britain GroßbritannienGreece Griechenland

Hungary UngarnIvory Coast ElfenbeinküsteKenya, Uganda Ostafrikanische Gemein-

and Tanganyika schaft

Latvia LettlandLithuania Litauen

New Zealand NeuseelandNova Scotia NeuschottlandRussia RußlandSoviet Union SowjetunionSwitzerland Schweiz

United States Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika

United Arab Emirates Vereinigte ArabischeEmirate

United Nations Vereinte NationenUpper Volta Obervolta

Virgin Islands Jungferninseln

West Germany Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Yemen JemenYugoslavia Jugoslawien

Zambia SambiaZimbabwe Simbabwe

7 Glossary of Philatelic Terms, Symbols and Abbreviations

This list contains the most frequent symbols, abbre-viations and philatelic terms from the MICHEL Cata-logues. For further symbols see introduction sectionof each catalogue.The English translations given are appropriate to thephilatelic usage of the German terms – some of thewords may have different meaning when used in anon-philatelic context.


s Colour which appears by use of aUV-Iamp

a the stamp picture is used identicallyon postal stationary

J Revenue cancellationL Cancellation by punchingI Cancellation by pen strokeM Other cancellationN Cancellation on occasion of a

special eventO Cancellation with datestamp

(regular cancellation)4 Roulettedâ Imperforate, cutf Airmail! Tête-bêche@ Normal overprint or surcharge (if

this symbol is doubled, invertedor sideways it refers to a double, inverted or sideways overprintor surcharge)

: Mounted mint:: Unmounted mint(:) Mint with only part of the original

gum intactH Postally usedK Cancelled to orderP On coverR On piece of coverS Bisect (the symbol is appropriately

altered for vertical or horizontalbisects)

Y Forgery, fake[ Postal forgeryZ Forged or faked postmark/

cancellationt “The other way around” (for

example, after a stamp de-scribed as gez. 14:13 (perf14x13) then if the next is givenas t it is perf 13x14 – this mayoccur where some stamps in aset are in a horizontal format andothers are vertical)

\ Designer] Engraver_ Official reprintd Block of four—,— No catalogue price quotation

possible

a. On (abbreviation of auf)Abart Varietyabgenutzt WornAbstimmung Plebisciteähnlich Similarallgemein Generalallseitig On all sidesAmt Office

amtlich OfficialAnhängsel Attached labelAufdruck Overprint or surcharge (sometimes

Wertaufdruck is used specifi-cally to indicate “surcharge”)

Aufdruckfarbe Colour of overprint (overprints andsurcharges are understood to bein black unless otherwiseindicated)

Aufdrucktype Type of overprintAuflage Quantity issuedAusführung StyleAusgabe Issue (set or single)Aushilfsmarke Provisional stampAusland Overseas, abroadAusschnitt Cut square or cutoutAusstellung ExhibitionAutomaten- Vending machine stamps

marken

B Sheet (abbreviation of Bogen)Bahnpost Railway postBalken Barbalkenförmiger Phosphor bars

Phosphor-aufdruck

Balkenstempel Bar cancellationBand A volume of the MICHEL-catalogueBdr. Letterpress (typography or surface-

printing)berichtigt Correctedbeschnitten Close cut (margins)Besetzung Occupation (as in military occupa-tion)Besetzungs- Occupation issue

ausgabeBild Image (used to denote the printed

area of a stamp)Bildgröße Image sizebilligst Cheapestbl. Blue (abbreviation of blau)Bl Blue overprint or surchargeBl. miniature sheet (abbreviation of

Block)Block This has two separate meanings,

which will usually be clear fromthe context. The more usualmeaning is miniature sheet orsouvenir sheet. However, it sometimes means block (a group of stamps joined together)

Blockform Miniature sheet formatBlockausgabe Issue in a miniature sheetBogenplatz Sheet positionBogen SheetBogenrand Sheet marginBogenwasser- Sheet watermark

zeichenbr. or br’n Brown (abbreviation of braun)breit Wide


Brief Letter, coverBriefmarke Postage stampBriefstück Piece of coverBriefumschlag Envelope / CoverBuchdruck Letterpress (typography or surface-

printing)Buchstabe Letter (of the alphabet)bzw. Respectively

d’ or dkl’ Dark (abbreviation of dunkel)Datum DateDatumsstempel DatestampDD Double Print (used as a suffix to

a catalogue number)Deckel Cover (as in booklet cover). Not as

in envelope.dick ThickDienstmarke Official stampDGK The German Postal Stationery

volume of the MICHEL catalogue(MICHEL-Deutschland-Ganz-sachen-Katalog)

DK This abbreviation has two uses.As a suffix to a catalogue num-ber it indicates printed twice,one impression inverted. Usedon its own it stands for the Germany volume of the MICHELcatalogue (MICHEL-Deutschland-Katalog)

DM DeutschmarkDoppeldruck Double printdoppelt Double or doubledDruck PrintingDruckabart Printing varietyDruckerei Printing worksDruckprobe ProofDruckvermerk Printer’s imprintDSK The Germany Specialized volume

of the MICHEL catalogue (MICHEL-Deutschland-Spezial-Katalog)

dunkel Darkdünn Thindurchsichtig TransparentDurchstich Roulettedurchstochen Rouletted

echt GenuineEckbuchstabe Corner letterEckrandstück Corner stamp with sheet margins

attachedEGK The European Postal Stationery

volumes of the MICHEL cata-logue (MICHEL-Europa-Ganzsachen-Katalog)

Eilmarke Express letter or special deliverystamp

einfarbig In one colour (also zweifarbig,dreifarbig)

Einheits- Omnibus designzeichnung

Einschreib- Registered letter stamp (also usedmarke for a registration label)

or Einschr.-Marke

einseitig ââ Imperf on one side (also zweiseitigââ, dreiseitig ââ )

einzeilig In one line (also zweizeilig, dreizeilig and so on)

Einzelmarke Single stampEisenbahnmarke Railway postage stampEisenbahn- Railway parcel stamp

paketmarkeEK The Europe volumes of the

MICHEL catalogue (MICHEL-Europa-Katalog)

Entwerfer Designerentwertet CancelledEntwertung CancellationEntwurf DesignErsttag First dayErsttagsbrief First day cover (usually abbreviated

to FDC, which avoids confusionwith ETB)

ETB First day sheet or first day card(abbreviation of Ersttagsblatt)

F Printing or colour error (used as asuffix to a catalogue number)

Fabrikwasser- Papermaker’s watermarkzeichen

falsch Forged, fakedFalschstempel Forged postmarkFälschung Forgery, fakeFalz Stamp hingefalzlos HingelessFarbänderung Change of colourFarbe ColourFarbenabart Colour varietyfarbig ColouredFarbwechsel Change of colourFaserpapier Paper with silk fibres (“granite

paper”)FDC First day coverFederstrich- Pen cancellation

entwertungFehldruck Printing errorfehlend Missing or omittedFehlfarbe Error of colourFeldpost- Military post stamp

markefiskalisch Fiscal (adjective)Flugpost AirmailFlugpostbrief Airmail letterFlugpost- Airmail stamp

markefluoreszierend FluorescentFormat Size or format


frankatur- Valid for postagegültig

Frankierung FrankingFreimarke Definitive

G Gold overprint or surcharge; if usedas a suffix to a catalogue num-ber it indicates a variety printedon the gummed side

ganzflächiger All-over phosphorPhosphor-aufdruck

Ganzsache Postal stationerygeänderte Changed colours

FarbenGebiet SubjectGeburtstag Birthday (100. Geburtstag =

birthcentenary)gebraucht Usedgedruckt Printedgefälligkeits- Cancelled to order

gestempeltgefärbt TintedGemälde PaintingGeschenk- Presentation pack

päckchengeschnitten Imperforate or cutgestempelt Postmarked, cancelledgestreift Laidgestreiftes Laid paper

Papiergestrichen Coatedgestrichenes Coated paper

Papiergetönt Tonedgezähnt or gez. Perforatedgez. K Comb perforationgez. Ks Harrow perforationgez. L Line perforationGlanzpapier Glossy paperglatt Smooth, shinyglb. Yellow (abbreviation of gelb)gleich Same (in gleicher Zeichnung =

in the same design)gr. Grey (abbreviation of grau)Gr Green overprint or surchargegraviert Engravedgr’n Green (abbreviation of grün)Großformat Large size or formatGrund BackgroundGSK The Great Britain Specialized

volume of the MICHELcatalogue (MICHEL-Groß-britannien-Spezial-Katalog)

gültig Validgültig bis Valid untilGummi GumGummi- Ribbed gum

riffelung

h’ Light (abbreviation of hell)Halb Halfhalbiert Bisectedhalbamtlich Semi-officialHAN Job number (Hausauftrags-

nummer)Handpapier Hand-made paperHandstempel HandstampH-Bl. Booklet pane (abbreviation of

Heftchenblatt)H-Blatt Booklet paneHeftchen Stamp bookletHeftchenblatt Booklet panehell Light or paleHochformat Vertical format

Inschrift Inscription

Jahr Year (also used for anniversary:25 Jahre = 25th anniversary)

Jahrestag Anniversary (100. Jahrestag =centenary)

Jahreszahl Date (the year only)Jahrgangs- List of year sets

werttabelle

K Comb (perforation); if used as asuffix to a catalogue number itindicates a tête-bêche variety

Kammzähnung Comb perforationkarm. Carmine (abbreviation of karmin)Kartonpapier Thick paper (“carton” paper)Kasten- Harrow perforation

zähnungKatalog- Catalogue number

nummerKehrdruck Tête-bêche (one stamp inverted in

relation to an adjacent one)Kenn-Nr. Identification numberKlb. sheetlet (abbreviation of

Kleinbogen)Kleinbogen Small sheet or sheetletKleinbogen- Set of sheetlets

satzKleinformat Small size or formatkomb. Combined (not comb perforated)Kontroll- Control mark

zeichenkopfstehend InvertedKopftype Head typeKreidepapier Chalk-surfaced paperKriegsdruck Wartime printingKriegsmarke War stampKriegssteuer- War tax stamp

markeKreisstempel Circular cancellationKs Harrow (perforation)


L Line perforation; if used as a suffixto a catalogue number itindicates a blank label

Landesname Country nameLdr. Letterset printingliegend Horizontal or sidewaysIil. Lilac (abbreviation of lila)Linie Line or strokeLinienzähnung Line perforationLokalaufdruck Local overprint or surchargeLokalausgabe Local issueLuftpost Airmail

Makulatur Printer’s wastemangelhaft DefectiveMarken- Stamp booklet

heftchenMarkenheftchen- Specially printed sheet, from which

bogen booklet panes are producedMarkenrand Stamp marginMarkenrolle Stamp roll or coilMaschinen- Machine-made paper

papiermatt DullMaximumkarte Maximum cardmehrfach Multiplemehrfarbig Multicoloured (three or more

colours)mfg. Multicoloured (abbreviation of

mehrfarbig)MH Stamp bookletMHB Booklet sheet (abbreviation for

Markenheftchenbogen)Militärpost- Military postage stamp

markeMiR The monthly MICHEL magazine,

MICHEL-RundschauMischzähnung Compound perforationMK Maximum cardMuster Specimen

NA New printing, reissueNachdruck Reprintnachgraviert Retouched or re-engravednachgummiert RegummedNetz Network (burélage)Neuauflage New printing, reissueNeudruck Reprintneugraviert Retouched or re-engravedNeuheiten New issuesNominale Face value (of a stamp)Notausgabe Emergency issueMiNr. MICHEL number or numbersMiNr. xxx fallen Catalogue Nos. xxx not assigned

ausMiNr. xxx stam- Catalogue Nos. xxx come from . . .

men aus . . .MiNr. xxx Catalogue No. xxx comes from . . .

stammtaus . . .

numeriert Numbered

Oberfläche Surface (the face of a stamp)Odr. Offset printingOffsetdruck Offset printingo.G. Unused, issued without gum

(abbreviation of ohne Gummi)ol. Olive (appreviation of oliv)or. Orange (abbreviation of orange)Originalgummi Original gumÖSK The Austria Specialized volume

of the MICHEL catalogue (MICHEL-Österreich-Spezial-Katalog)

oWz. No watermark (abbreviation ofohne Wasserzeichen). lf nowatermark is specified an issueis always assumed to beunwatermarked

P Plate printingPaar PairPaketmarke Parcel post stampPapier PaperPapier fl. Fluorescent paperPapier Ordinary paper

normalPapier ph. Phosphor paperPapiersorte Type of paperPdr. EmbossingPf. PfennigPhosphor Phosphor (noun)Phosphor- Phosphor bar

balkenphosphores- Phosphor (adjective)

zierendPhosphor- Phosphor band

streifenPl. or Platte PlatePlattennummer Plate numberPI.-Nr. Plate numberPortofreiheits- Franchise stamp

markePortomarke Postage due stamppostalisch PostalPostamt Post officepostfrisch Unmounted mintPostkarte PostcardPostpreis Post office pricePP Presentation packPrägedruck EmbossingPreis Catalogue priceProbedruck ProofPropaganda- Propaganda forgery

fälschungPrüfung Expertization

Querformat Horizontal format

R Red overprint or surcharge. Alsoused as an abbreviation of Rolle(coil)


Rabattmarke Stamp sold at a discountRand Border or marginRandbe- Printed border

druckungRastertiefdruck PhotogravureRaTdr. PhotogravureReihe Rowrepariert Repairedretuschiert RetouchedRolle CoilRollen- Coil perforation

zähnungros. Pink (abbreviation of rosa)rückseitig On the back/reverse

S Black overprint or surcharge (butnote that if no colour is specifiedan overprint or surcharge isassumed to be in black)

S. Pages. SeeSatz SetSatzpreis Price for a complete set. The

number of stamps in the set isusually shown:Satzpreis (6 W.) = set of 6

schw. Black (abbreviation of schwarz)Seite Pagesenkrecht VerticalSi Silver overprint or surchargesiehe nach See after catalogue No. xxx

MiNr. xxxSorte Type, kind of (typical usage: ver-

schiedene Papiersorten = various types of paper)

Spezial SpecializedSSK The Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Specialized volume of theMICHEL catalogue (MICHEL-Schweiz/Liechtenstein-Spezial-Katalog)

Staat StateStaats- State Printing Works

druckereiSteindruck LithographyStdr. Lithographystehend UprightStempel CancellationSteuermarke Tax or fiscal stamp, revenue stampStichtiefdruck EngravingStreifen StripStTdr. EngravingStück Copy, example or piece

T Type (abbreviation of Type)Tabelle List or tableteilgezähnt Partly perforatedTelegrafen- Telegraph stamp

marke

Telegrafen- Telegraph cancellationstempel

Todestag Death anniversary(100. Todestag = death centenary)

Ton ShadeType Type (variety or printer’s type)

U Imperforate variety (used as asuffix to a catalogue number. Ul = imperforate on the left, Ur = imperforate on the right, Uo = top imperforate, Uu = bottom imperforate, Us = vertically imperforate, Uw = horizontally imperforate,Uzw = imperforate on two sides,Udr = imperforate on three sides)

Übersichts- Checklist summarizing the stampstabelle in a series

Umschlag Envelope/Coverungebraucht Unusedungestempelt Unusedungezähnt Not perforatedungummlert Without gumunregelmäßig IrregularUnterdruck Underprint (burélage)USK The United States Specialized

volume of the MICHEL catalogue(MICHEL-USA-Spezial-Katalog)

ÜK The Overseas volumes of theMICHEL-catalogue (MICHEL-Übersee-Katalog)

V Printing EssayV Violet overprint or surchargeverfälscht Fakedverfärbt Discolouredvergrößert Enlargedverkehrt Invertedversch. Various or variously (abbreviation of

verschieden)Verzeichnis ChecklistViererblock Block of fourViertel Quartervio. Violet (abbreviation of violett)Voraus- Precancellation

entwertungVorläufer Precursor, forerunner

W Cylinder PrintingW. Value or valueswaagerecht HorizontalWährung Currency (monetary unit)Wappen Coat of armsWasserzeichen WatermarkWasser- Watermark variety

zeichenabartWeitere Werte Other similar values


Wellenlinien Wavy linesWeltpostverein Universal Postal UnionWert ValueWertangabe Face valueWertziffer Figure of valueWertaufdruck SurchargeWohltätigkeits- Charity stamp

markeWz. Watermark (if this abbreviation is

printed upside down or on itsside it refers to an inverted orsideways watermark)

Zahl Number, figureZähnung PerforationZd Se-tenantZeichnung DesignZeitungs- Newspaper stamp

markezentriert CentredZentrierung Centering (of a stamp picture)Zierfeld Printed label, ornamental fieldZiffer Number or numeralZufälligkeit IrregularityZusammen- Se-tenant

druckzusammen- Se-tenant

hängendZuschlags- Stamp with a charity or other

marke premiumZw. Gutter pair (used as a suffix to a

catalogue number)Zwangs- Compulsory surtax stamp

zuschlags-marke

zweifarbig Bi-colouredZwischensteg GutterZwischensteg- Gutter pair

paarZf Printed label, ornamental field

(used as a suffix to a catalogue number)


Introduction to the MICHEL Catalogues

General Information for the UserOrganization of the MICHEL CatalogsClassification of the Different Typesof Stamps

Within a country or territory those stamps which areused by the sender to prepay postal fees are numbe-red in chronological order without special headings;included are express mail stamps, airmail stamps(characterized by f), Registered, Newspaper, etc.Following are Official, Parcel, Postage Due, Compul-sory Surtax, etc. In addition special manufactureditems follow with their own heading and numbering;for example, stamp booklets with their booklet panesand se-tenants.

MICHEL Numbering

The stamps are numbered in chronological orderwithin their categories. Single stamps issued at a la-ter date are inserted with their year of issue. When ne-cessary, overview tables or information in italics areadded. In exceptional cases, major variations that areadded later, take on the numbers of the precedingstamps with the letters A, B, C, etc. in front of thenumber. The numbering of the blocks is in cursivetype font for the non-revised areas and semi-bold forinterim revised areas, while the main numbers are inthin font for the first instance and in semi-bold for thelatter.Within a collectible field, certain types of stamps re-ceive their own chronological numbering with pre-fixed letter combinations to distinguish them from re-gular issues.

The most important ones are:

D = Official stampH-Bl. = Stamp Booklet pageHz = Center piece (block of 4 to 9) of a booklet

sheetK = Tête-bêche (from stamp booklet sheet)KZ = Tête-bêche with gutter

(from stamp booklet sheet)MH = Stamp BookletMHB = Stamp Booklet sheetP = Postage Due stampS = vertical se-tenant (from stamp booklet

sheet)SZ = vertical se-tenant withgutter

(from stamp booklet sheet)SZd = vertical se-tenant (from counter sheet)

W = horizontal se-tenant (from stamp booklet sheet)

WZ = horizontal se-tenant withgutter from stamp booklet sheet)

WZd = horizontal se-tenant (from counter sheet)

Suffix Letters and Letter Combinationsused with Minor VarietiesA, B, C, D, E … (the first upper case letters of thealphabet) after the number indicate the perforationtype of the stamp.

a, b, c, d, e … (the first lower case letters of the alpha-bet) after the number indicate important color diffe-rences.

… V, W, X, Y, Z (the last upper case letters of thealphabet) after the number indicate the watermark va-rieties.

… v, w, x, y, z (the last lower case letters of the alpha-bet) after the number indicate differences in paperand gum.

I, II, III, IV, V … (Roman numerals after Arabic nume-rals) indicate printing and type differences.

L = Empty field in same size as stampP = Flat Plate printing (sheet printing) or ProofR = Coil stamp W = Rotary Press printing (Roller printing)Zf = empty spaces (sometimes with

ornamentation) in same size as stampZS = vertical gutter pairZW = horizontal gutter pair

Suffix Letters and Letter Combinationsused with VariationsDD = double (-image) -print or double overprintDK = double overprint, one invertedF = printing error or color errorG = printed on the gummed sideK = Tête-bêche or inverted overprintPa = on glued paper web (two pieces of paper

glued together to form continuous printingprocess)

U = imperforate (for Uo, etc., see abbreviation listing)


I, II, III, IV, V … (Roman numerals at the end of the MI-CHEL Number) number the plate flaws.

Stamps that were not issued for whatever reason, re-ceive Roman numerals without further additions.

From issue to issue, the sequence of sub-listings canbe different because in the cataloging process the ca-tegories are arranged in a way that is easiest to un-derstand. Variation designations are generally listedlast.

For example:Old Germany Bavaria MiNr. 25 X b U: 25 (major listingnumber) X (watermark) b (color) U (imperforate).

Denominations

Designations of face value for stamps are usually gi-ven in numbers. Units of currency designations areuniformly abbreviated within each listed area withoutconsidering what is actually printed on the stamp. Ifunit of currency is in parentheses, there is no designa-tion on the stamp itself. Denomination overprints areidentified in bold type.

Illustrations

Unless otherwise indicated, stamps are shown at z ori normal size (not yet revised sections) and blocks invarious size reductions. The block sizes given areaverage measurements because block sizes are notuniform. With varieties and peculiarities, the scale ofenlargement is chosen so the greatest practical cla-rity of detail can be achieved.Catalog illustrations should not be used as a compa-ritive guide for expertisation.

Cliché Symbols

Sequential letters (= cliché symbols) at the stampimage and at price listing make it very easy to relatethe illustrations to the MICHEL numbers.

Picture Descriptions

The picture descriptions are as informative as possi-ble, but they do not take the place of a lexicon, nor dothey claim to.

In philately, the words „right“ or „left“ always refer tothe face (image side) of the stamp as it appears to theobserver. This applies even if it seemingly contradictsthe facts; for example, the left eye of a person pictu-red on a stamp is physically that person's right eye.

Price Columns

In MICHEL Specialized catalogs, the prices in the left-hand column apply to unused items (:, (:), ::),while those in the right-hand column are for useditems (K, H, I,P). In some cases additional pricecolumns are added (for example for units and for spe-cial cancellations (or franking). These are clearly iden-tified by symbols explained in the List of Abbrevia-tions. The basis of valuation is given in the introduc-tion to each collecting area, and when necessary alsobefore individual issues.

A price in italics indicates that the supporting data arenot sufficient to establish a clear price for the item.The designation „—,—“ in the price columns meansthat the stamp exists but a value can not be determi-ned because there is insufficient information availa-ble. It does not necessarily mean that the stamp isvery expensive or rare.

If neither —,— nor the price are listed, either the itemdoes not exist or has not been presented for evalua-tion.

Pricing

All prices in the German language MICHEL Catalogare approximate values in Euros (E) and are forstamps with the quality described in each area. As arule, defects cause price reductions. Details and ex-ceptions are listed at the beginning of each chapteror with the specific issue. Unless otherwise speci-fied, prices for complete sets are based on the lowestpriced variety of the single stamps within the set. In-dividual stamps from sets can be more expensivethan the price shown in the catalog, and set pricescan be rounded off below the sum of the single stampprices. Price movements are based on supply anddemand and can move up or down. The MICHEL ca-talog considers the market situation for each printingand dramatic price adjustments are shown in themonthly MICHEL-Rundschau publication.

Pricing is determined by stamp trade documents,working papers from collectors as well as domesticand foreign study groups.

Cover Prices:P-prices are for properly franked items which havebeen legitimately carried through the postal system,and/or with additional postage applied to under-franked items.

Unless otherwise specified in the MICHEL GermanySpecialized Catalog, only the least expensivefranking is considered, however with issues of OldGerman States or German Empire special franking islisted separately.


For further information on single- multiple- andmixed-franking, see the MICHEL Germany Cover ca-talog.

While overfranking up to 10% for multiple frankingsgenerally cause small reductions in the P-price, as arule, single stamps and mixed frankings must be pro-perly franked on covers. Overfrankings (coverscarrying the complete set of an issue and such), arepriced at most 15% higher than the most expensiveH stamp when genuinely postally used (with the ex-ception of particularly rare stamps). In a few cases,where the proper franking rarely occurs, values are gi-ven for philatelically initiated covers with the com-plete set of an issue.

First Day CoversPricing for a First Day Cover (FDC) is for an item witha first day cancellation without considering the cor-rectness of postage.Legitimate covers on the first day of issue, with ap-propriate franking, often command considerableprice increases.

Stamp Condition

When judging stamp quality, the astute philatelist willalways begin with the condition of the stamp at thetime of issue and take into account the characteri-stics of its basic components (paper, colors, gum),the characteristics of production and its ability towithstand external influences and handling in the po-stal system (perforation, cancellation, etc.). Qualitydetermination is dependent on these prerequisites.For example, one can not expect wide margins on im-perforate stamps that were produced with thin bor-ders; nor can one expect perfect rouletting or perfo-rations on stamps that were produced on paper thatis difficult to tear.

Unless otherwise mentioned, perforated issues musthave full perforations on 4 sides, imperfor?atestamps should have four margins, post office freshitems should have perfect gum, hinged stampsshould have a single, clean hinge mark and cancelledstamps should exhibit clean and readable cancels.However, it should be consider?ed that quality is de-termined by age and the local conditions which canaffect color. For this reason blurry, lightly smudgedcancels from particular times and/or areas can beconsidered at full value. All stamps with less thanperfect quality should be discounted accordingly, de-pending on condition. Above average stamps, whichare rarer, should be priced higher.

Repairs are intended to stop any further deteri?ora-tion of a stamp that is still collectible. According to

philatelic definitions, repaired stamps are in a collec-tible condition if the intent of the repair is not a decep-tive change in the catalog number (for example, fal-sely inserted centerpieces). Since the drop in valuevaries according to the degree of improvement or re-pair, recognized expertisers should be consulted incases of doubt.

Please note that the publishers of the MICHEL catalog donot perform examinations of stamps.


Varieties

Printing errors, misprints, plate errors, etc., are ofcourse, unavoidable when printing stamps. For pre-cise descriptions and illustrations, see the MI-CHEL Variety Guide (MICHEL-Abartenführer). Va-rieties are cataloged according to the principlesdescribed there.

Overprint ErrorsEspecially in the case of overprints, a number of va-riations can be caused during production: an over-print on the wrong stamp or in the wrong color; mis-sing overprints (a pair, one with and one without over-print); typesetting errors or plate errors in overprints;overprints that are inverted, sideways, backwards,multiple overprints and much more.

Missed Printing OperationWhen a printing step is missed during production,stamps are printed short one color, so that part of thedesign is missing. This can also occur with stampsof a single color if they were printed in at least twoprinting steps.

Double ImpressionA true double impression requires that the printedsheet be run through the machine twice; in this waythe stamp design can be seen as a double image.

Only in offset printing does the so-called double de-sign impression occur, which because of its similarityto a double impression and its frequent occurrence,finds great interest among collectors. It occurs whenink from the printing cylinder gets onto the oppositecylinder and is picked up by the next sheet. It wouldonly be recognized when a second contour is clearlyoff center. Since this is really a case of a printing ac-cident, as of 1992 double design impressions are nolonger certified and since that time they are no longerlisted in MICHEL catalogs.

Color ErrorsA color error occurs when stamps, or parts of stamps,are printed in the wrong color, or on the wrong colo-red paper.

Glued Paper WebThis variation occurs when the end of one roll of pa-per is pasted to the beginning of another roll, or whenone roll which has been torn during the printing pro-cessis pasted back together.

Inverted Parts of a DesignThis error occurs when a stamp design is put to-gether from several printing blocks and one of themwas mounted upside down.

Printing on the Gummed SideThis happens when the gummed sheet or paper rollis placed in the printing machine incorrectly.

Plate FlawsThese are defects that occur in the printing form as aresult of duplication of the printing block or throughwear and tear during printing. They are unchangedthrough entire printing runs or large partial printingruns. Plate errors are only cataloged if official confir-mation is made that there is, indeed, a true plate er-ror and not a printing accident. Furthermore, theaberration must be easily recognizable.

Watermark VarietiesWhen a stamp is printed on watermarked paper thatwas not intended for this stamp, it is con?sidered awatermark variety. Incorrect positioning of water-marks by error are also recognized as variations.

Perforation VarietiesIf perforation machines break down totally or partially,this can result in sheets that are completely or par-tially imperforate. Due to the risk of counterfeit, suchstamps should be collected only as margin pieces orin pairs.

Overprints

Stamps are given overprints for various reasons:

A change in stamp classsification (for example, a re-gular issue becomes an Official or Postage Duestamp), a change in denomination or currency desi-gnation, a change in the reason for the issue, or desi-gnating the stamp for use in a different or new region.

In the case of overprinted stamps, numbers in pa-rentheses before the price column indicate the cata-log numbers of the original stamps; lower case lettersindicate the corresponding illustrations. The uppercase letters inserted after them are the abbreviationsfor the overprint colors. If none are given, then theoverprint is black.

Technical and Important Philatelic Definitions


TaggingChemicals are added to the paper pulp which causethe paper to appear whiter, and thus make the col-ors more brilliant. These stamps glow in a bluishcolor under a UV-lamp.

Sheet Position of a Stamp

Normally, when printing sheets, a full printed sheetconsists of several (usually four) counter-sheets. Inthe MICHEL Germany Specialized catalog the coun-ter-sheet size is indicated in par?entheses followingthe print method in the headings for revised sections.An example would be 10 x 5; the first number (10)means the number of stamps in a horizontal row, thesecond number (5) indicates the number of rows (ver-tical).

Aside from the margin (selvage), the normallypos?itioned stamp design is the basis for this phila-telic counting method. A philatelist counts horizon-tally from left to right as opposed to the post officemethod of counting (from top to bottom).

Printer's Symbols

On the sheet margin there are letters, numbers orsymbols that indicate the printer or the printing houseresponsible for that sheet.

Proofs

During production, trial printings are made to verifythat the printing machine is operating properly.

Printing Methods

There are several different printing methods: Letter-press (typography, flexographic, embossing), IndirectLetterpress (letterset), Offset (lithography, offset litho-graphy, photo lithography), Itaglio or Gravure (engra-ved, photogravure) and Screen printing.

Frequently you can find combinations of two differentprinting processes on the same stamp.

Typography Letterset

Letterpress Printing (or Relief Printing)Typography

In letterpress, the printing plate has raised (printed)parts and recessed (non-printed) parts. The raisedprinting elements are uniformly inked and then pres-sed against the paper with relatively strong pressure.This results in the following identifying characteri-stics:Squashed edges in lettering and linesColored surfaces appear uneven under magnificationand usually a light embossment is visible on the gum-med side.

EmbossingFor the stamp design that is to be produced, twocompatible printing forms are prepared; on one formthe embossed design is raised, on the other is it re-cessed. During the printing process, the paper liesbetween both forms which are pressed against oneanother with great pressure, resulting in the embos-sment being transferred onto the paper.

Embossing almost always occurs in combination withother printing methods. An identifying characteristic:on the front side there is positive relief, on the reverseside negative relief.

Indirect LetterpressLettersetIndirect letterpress is also called letterset or dry off-set. It differs from direct lithography in that printing isnot transferred directly from the printing form onto thepaper, but rather the lithography plate presses on acylinder covered with a rubber platen. From there,the print motif is transferred onto the paper. The typeon the printing plate has to be positive. This processof transferring is also common in the offset method.Identifying characteristics: the same as in offset prin-ting.

Offset

In offset printing, the printing and non-printing surfa-ces are situated at almost the same level. The prin-ting areas are prepared so that they repel water; indoing so they take on the oily printing ink while thenon-printing areas are water-friendly and repel theink. This offset printing process relies on this essen-tial contrast between oil and water. The more thiscontrast can be enhanced, the easier and better thefinal printed product will turn out.


PhotolithographyIn photolithography (also known as Phototype), theprinting form consists of a glass plate coated with agelatin-chrome layer which is exposed with a (posi-tive) halftone negative. Based on tonal qualities, thegelatin is hardened to varying degrees and then moi-stened so that a relief is formed on the plate. Theunexposed areas repel the ink while the exposedareas take it on. A characteristic of photolithography is the so-calledgrainy wrinkled effect visible under magnification thatreplaces the raster screen. Under magnification afuzzy picture emerges.

Photolithography Lithography Offset Lithography

LithographyLithography is the oldest offset printing process, andis no longer used for printing stamps today. Lime-stone or slate plates serve as the printing surfaces.The designs are transferred onto these plates ma-nually or by means of photolithography; in both casesthe images are reversed. The printing occurs directlyfrom the stone onto the paper. In contrast to offsetprinting, this is a direct printing process.

In lithography, the following identifying characteri-stics are evident:Unclear pictures, often with broken lines. Dull, soft colors (thin application of ink). Unclear contours.

Offset LithographyFlexible metal plates affixed to the printing cylinderare used as print carriers. Print is transferred to thepaper by means of rubber platen cylinders. Offsetprinting is an indirect printing process. The design onthe plate has to be positive.

combined engraved and combined engraved and offsetphotogravure lithography

Halftones have to be screened. The screen simu?la-tes various nuances of tone by means of different si-zed dots. Light spots in the picture (light nuances) arecreated by small dots; dark spots are created by largedots.

Because the offset process does not require any par-ticular quality of paper and because it is a fast pro-cess, it has replaced typography for large printingruns, especially when they entail multi-color printing.Identifying characteristics:Color surfaces are evenly inkedClean edges that are not squashed and do not looklike there are loose fibers sticking outNo embossment is visible on the gummed sideTone shading by means of screeningScreen dots of various sizes but with the same colorintensity

Itaglio or Gravure

In itaglio or gravure printing, the ink is transferred intothe recessed parts of the design by inking cylinders.In this process the ink remaining on the surface of thecylinder is removed by a wiping mechanism (scraper).The paper roll picks up the ink from the recesses inthe printing cylinder.

Engraved printing Photogravure

Engraved printingIn the process of copper plate printing – the oldest te-chnique in recess printing – the design is engravedinto a copper plate with an engraving tool; in the pro-cess of steel plate printing, it is done into a steel plate.

After the plate has been hardened, the recessed de-sign is transferred onto a steel transfer roll (molette).In this process, the design is impressed in relief. It isthen transferred from the molette onto a printing cy-linder which is lightly coated with a layer of copper,which has been hardened through the process of ch-rome plating. The image appears on the printing cy-linder recessed and in reverse.

During the printing process, thick ink is pressed ontomoist absorbent paper where it is mounted, and driesslightly raised. The drying paper shrinks, often resul-ting in measurable differences in the size of the design.


A scraping technique called mezzotint makes use ofa stylus to create additional small recesses in theplate; this was the first technique in halftone repro-ductions.

Engraving is preferred for stamp designs which re-quire very close work on every detail of the image; be-cause of its high cost, it is used mostly for the higherdenominations; of course it also provides the greatestpossible protection against counterfeiting to the de-triment of the post office. The identifying characteri-stics are:Ink application is discernible in reliefDesign consists of fine lines and dotsColored surfaces are achieved by means of lines run-ning very close together and/or crisscrossing lines,design is clear and rich in detail

PhotogravurePhotogravure is also called recess print or rotogra-vure. In contrast to engraving, the design is transfer-red onto a copper plate by means of photography.The oldest forms of recess print are heliogravure orphotogravure.

Before producing the negative design with pigmentpaper, a coating of asphalt or resin is glazed onto thecopper plate as screening. The plate is etched th-rough the pigment paper in several steps; in this wayrecesses are created.

Photogravure as it is used today is a further develop-ment of heliogravure. Here the screen and design aretransferred onto the pigment paper in two processesby means of exposure. The pigment is then develo-ped on the printing cylinder. The etching processwhich follows creates the recesses.

In heliogravure and photogravure, the actual printingprocesses are identical: the recesses are filled withthin ink and the excess ink is wiped away with scra-pers. The ink is pressed onto the paper where it driesevenly in contrast to engraving.

Since the paper is not as moist as it is in the engra-ving process, the differences in the size of the designare barely discernible.

Identifying characteristics of photogravure:Sawtooth effect in lines, type and edges of the image,screen dots are about the same size, often with thecolor toning down towards the middle of the scree-ned dotThe design appears out of focus under magnificationHigh intensity of color is possible, with a wide rangeof shadesPearly appearance in many areas (ink quality andblotting capacity)

Cancellations

Cancellations are accomplished by postmark, pen orpencil stroke and less frequently by overprint, pun-ching, scissor cut, official seal or similar means. Po-stally used is defined as canceled by postmark (incontrast with use for fiscal or taxing purposes).

Rare cancellations.Rare cancellations, cancella-tions that vary in form or color, or cancellations thatinfrequently occur for a variety of reasons, often com-mand very high premium prices, especially in thecase of older issues.

Cancellations for philatelic purposes are providedby postal authorities with unchanged or sometimesprivate cancels specifically for collectors. Sometimesspecial overprinted cancels were used during or afterthe validity period of the stamp. Both types are no-ted by K in the MICHEL catalog. Cancellations fromthe German Federal Mail (Deutschen Bundespost)Philatelic Agency are not valued separately.

Forged cancels are those which were applied byunauthorized persons, with the intent to defraud andto increase the value of less expensive, unusedstamps. Reference is made to the occurrence of for-ged postmarks in this catalog with the Z symbol.

Counterfeit postmarks are cancels which were ap-plied after the circulation period by private orunauthorized persons with genuine postmarks thathave been backdated.

The statement "without obligo" means that the post-mark can not be expertised, and is possibly forged orcounterfeit.

First Day Sheetlet (ETB)

These are sheets issued and sold by the post office,with a newly issued stamp and a first day postmark,as well as a description of the theme and technicaldata. Private ETB's are not listed.

First Day Covers (FDC)

These are envelopes or cards which were post-marked on the first day of issue of the stamp(s) affixedto them. Some postal services issue special envelo-pes (with cachets) often with special postmarks rela-ted to the occasion of the issue. Only in exceptionalcases do we differentiate between official and privatecovers.


Essays

In order to find the most appropriate format for astamp issue with regard to design, printing, color,etc., samples are requested by the postal service.Occasionally, proofs such as those that are not ac-cepted, find their way into the market. They are cal-led essays.

Forgeries

There are several types of forgeries:

1. Forgeries to the detriment of collectors anddealers Y

There can be total or partial forgeries, e. g. forged rou-letting, forged, falsified or removed perfor?ations, for-ged cancellations, forged overprints, chemical altera-tion of paper and color, falsely inserted center piecesin the course of repair work, etc. In addition, over-prints, postmarks and the like that have been chemi-cally or mechanically removed.

2. Forgeries to the detriment of the post office [

Only those forgeries that were produced during thestamp's circulation period to the detriment of the po-stal authorities.

3. Forgeries during wartime [ that were produ-ced by countries for the purpose of causing harm tothe enemy. We differentiate between wartime postalforgeries that are deceptive imitations of the originalstamps and propaganda forgeries where the originaldesign was changed but remained similar to the ori-ginal stamp.

Facsimile

These are privately produced imitations of rarestamps which deviate from the original in color, paperand/or printing process.

Determining the Field (or Position) ofa StampDetermining the field of a stamp can be important foridentifying cataloged types or plate errors on a sheet.Using a sheet size example of 10 x 5, field 27 indica-tes that the stamp is in the 7th from the left in the 3rdrow from the top.

Fluorescence and Phosphorescence

To improve automation in the post office, chem?icalsare mixed into the stamp paper; less frequently theyare applied after the stamp has already been printed.Fluorescent materials glow yellowish to greenish un-der a UV-lamp. Phosphorescent materials continueto glow for a short time after the UV-lamp has beenturned off. Differences in fluorescent and phospho-rescent materials will be noted in MICHEL catalogsonly in narrowly defined exceptional cases.

Postal Stationery

Postal stationery refer to certain envelopes, card let-ters, postcards and the like that were printed withprepaid postage stamp impressions for postal use.All postal stationery are considered as postagestamps just as regular stamps used on mail. Ina-smuch as official postal stationery exists with printedpostal stamp impressions in the same design, the in-dication a follows the color notation for the relevantstamp.

Gum

Gum is usually applied to sheets of paper and paperrolls for printing postage stamps. For technical rea-sons this is done by machine before printing. In ear-lier years it was sometimes applied by hand with abrush. Gum was not applied to some classical im-perforate stamps until after they were printed. Occa-sionally, stamps were issued without gum.

Formerly, the main ingredients were glue from ani-mals, then plant substances (e. g. dextrin and gumArabic). For a long time now, mainly artificial substan-ces (e. g. PVA) have been used. Composition and ap-pearances can be very different: smooth, brittle,grainy, flaky, dull or shiny, white, yellowish, brownish,reddish, bluish or almost invisible (dry gum). For theso-called economy gum which was used in someareas (for example, in the Soviet Zone, Thuringia), cir-cular areas were not gummed to save cost and re-sources.

grainy gum vertically ribbed horizontally ribbed


flaky gum economy gum

There are also stamps with gum containing sulfur?icacid which can quickly damage stamps. With suchstamps, it is recommended that the gum be removedimmediately. With older stamps, the composition ofthe gum (dangerous chem?ical compounds or dan-ger of cracking) can also cause scaling.

Gum ribbing is the breaking up of the gum afterdrying from rotary press printing. The breaking up oc-curs in different directions (horizontal or vertical rib-bing) and is intended to prevent the paper from cur-ling.

The significance that original gum has in present daypricing is discussed in another section ("Unused")

Job Number (HAN)

Formerly, numbers could be found on the lower sheetmargin with stamps produced in flat plate printing.With these numbers, all the job orders submitted to aparticular printing house were numbered sequen-tially.

Tête-bêche

For the philatelist, this expression means horizontalor vertical pairs where one stamp is upside down; thepair may be attached directly or sep?arated by a gut-ter. In MICHEL catalogs, either the symbol ! or the let-ter K is used to denote tête-bêche. Most tête-bêchepairs come from stamp booklets.

Literature

The possibility of making the almost inexhaustibleand ever-expanding sources of philatelic literatureavailable to collectors and dealers is limited to only afew central specialized libraries today. The PhilatelicDepartment of the Munich Municipal Library, Ro-senheimer Strasse 5, 81667 Munich, and the Ham-burg Philatelic Library, e. V., Schlossstrasse 12,22041 Hamburg make their extensive book and ma-gazine collections available to the public in their rea-ding rooms and also through interlibrary loans. Mem-bers of the Association of German Philatelists canborrow materials directly from the Philatelic Library inMunich. All others can get books or photocopies withthe assistance of a public library within the frameworkof national and international interlibrary loans.

Punchings (perfins)

Official punchings usually change the character of astamp or limit their operating parameters. For exam-ple, Bavarian stamps of 1911 were punched to makethem Official stamps. For internal official reasons,some Police authorities punched their stamps „Pol“up to 1965.

Only these official perfins are listed in the MICHEL ca-talog.

Private users who kept a substantial inventory ofstamps, often used unofficial punchings of letters ortrademarks to prevent theft or unauthorized use bythird parties. As protection against theft, official offi-ces sometimes also used punchings to mark thestamps on postal forms.

Stamps, especially those from inflationary issues,with trademark punchings are considered at full valuewhen genuinely used on covers with cancel andstamp.

Printer's Waste

These are printed sheets that can no longer be useddue to poor printing, errors in materials or perfora-tions, or for other reasons, which have been with-drawn from sale at the post office and are scheduledto be destroyed. Occasionally items such as theseget into the market illegally. Values for these items arenot listed in this catalog.

Arrangement of Stamps on a Sheet

In general, stamps are arranged uniformly with regu-lar spaces in between. This distance normally allowsadequate room for a separation method (rouletting orperforations). However, the sheets are sometimespositioned too close to one another; in this case, theperforations (or roulette) cut into the stamp design,which results in poor centering of the single stamp.As for imperforate stamps that are positioned too clo-sely on the sheet, margins that are slightly touched inthe cutting process are an example of average qua-lity.

Stamps on Cover

All articles of mail franked with postage stamps thatwere delivered by the postal system in the usual way,receive the catalog symbol P, if they are legitimatemail with the correct postage according to valid po-stal rates at the time. These are in contrast to phila-telic covers that were sent for collectors. Covers witholder issues and many covers legitimately delivered


with airmail stamps have a value many times higherthan for the same stamps off paper. The value forstamps on paper (piece) lies between the price for acanceled stamp and for that of a cover, depending onthe size and clarity of detail of the piece. Stamps onpaper that contain no other information than the com-plete postmark are not much more expensive than acanceled stamp. The complete front side of a lettercan come pretty close to the cover price. Valuationof stamps on paper must always be done on an indi-vidual basis.

First day cancels on special envelopes or cards pro-duced by the postal service or private com?panies forthis purpose are used on the first day of use for newstamp issues.

The term first day“ or „FDC“ in the MICHEL cata?logrefers to all covers that were canceled on the first daythe affixed stamps were valid. This term does not re-fer to canceled stamps off paper. In this regard, itdoesn't make any difference whether the covers beara special cancel or a date cancel of any post office; italso doesn't make any difference whether the covershave been cancelled to order, or whether they havebeen treated as a legitimate mailing.

Note: If the FDC price is lower than the P-price, it is onlyfor collector's covers and covers that did not gothrough the postal service legitimately. The pricesfor FDCs with the correct postage that have gonethrough the mail legitimately are at least the sameas those for legitimate mail-P.

Special cancels that are related to the postage stampon which they were placed are only given a value ifthe special cancel has considerably more value thanthe usual postal cancel.

Stamp Colors

The various shades of color are a technical side effectin the printing of stamps. They can often be obser-ved in the course of several printing runs. Such dif-ferences in color are only mentioned when they canbe attributed to specific printing runs or when pricedifferences are associated with them.

Color Names. Names of colors are determined in ac-cordance with Oswald's Color Guide. Fanciful namessuch as buff, cream or combined words such as brickred, cornflower blue, light blue, sea blue, May green,sea green, etc., expanded the earlier color palettes.In order to avoid incorrect associ?ations, these typesof imprecise terms are gradually being eliminated.

The MICHEL Color Guide (MICHEL-Farbenführer) isindispensable in determining the colors of stamps. Inthis guide all the new color designations since the1980's have been added. Older color names are gra-dually being changed in new editions of the ColorGuide, starting in 1991.

We would particularly like to call your attention to thefact that the MICHEL Color Guide can not take theplace of a formal examination by an expertiser, espe-cially when it comes to the expensive color variations!

Please be aware that many more colors and shadesof color can be used for printing stamps than can beillustrated and described in a comprehensible waywith names or definitions. The color in the MICHELColor Guide which most closely matches the stampshould be chosen.

In the case of multicolored stamps, the color descrip-tion, as a rule, begins at the frame and continuesinward, towards the center of the stamp. A stamp islisted as „multicolored“ in the MICHEL catalog if it hasmore than two colors.

Maximum Card

The prerequisite for a maximum card is that the themeor topic of the stamp and the picture on the card mustbe significantly related. The stamp is attached to thepicture side of the card and it is canceled with a spe-cial postmark or a town and date postmark. In MI-CHEL catalogs, only official maximum cards are li-sted.

Reprints

These are printings that were run by official job or-ders, where a modified or renewed printing plate wasused after the postal validity of similar stamps hadended. Reprints that were not officially produced areequated with forgeries.

New Printings

New issues of a stamp for postal usage, which differsin any characteristic from the original first printing, arecalled new printings. They are listed and numberedas minor variations according to the differences.

Official Reprint

This is a term for all new official printings of a stampwhich were produced by the postal administration


with unchanged, original printing blocks or plates, af-ter the postal validity of the original stamp had ended.Official reprints are identified with the symbol _. Be-cause they are so difficult to distinguish from the ori-ginals, comments as to the differences in their cha-racteristics have been intentionally omitted, as theycan easily be misleading. Official reprints are oftencollected for study purposes and they are indispen-sable for the specialist. With regard to official reprintsthat were not officially produced, the term „private of-ficial reprint“ is used.

The term „official reprint“ can not be used for forge-ries, fantasy printings, reprints or the like.

Stamp Paper

Normally, types of paper are chosen that meet the te-chnical requirements of the printing process and of-ten come with security features to prevent counterfei-ting (silk threads, watermarks). Of course, in hardeconomic times, lower quality paper is also used.

Frequently used paper types include glossy, coated,smooth, satinated (smoothed) and chalky, with orwithout fibers. Additional qual?ities are thin, thick,cardboard-like, translucent, coarse, laid and ribbed.

With colored paper, the paper mass itself contains thecolor; with dyed paper, the color is only applied to thesurface.

Today, paper used for stamps has a fluorescent orphosphorescent substance added (or coated). Thismaterial glows brightly under an ultraviolet (UV) lamp(fluorescence) or has an after-glow (phosphore-scence). A UV- lamp is an indispensable aid whenexamining these stamps. Optical brighteners thathave been added to the paper can also be seen withthe lamp; they glow bluish-white under the lamp.However, these stamps are not listed individually.

Only if a stamp issue exists on various types of paperwill it be referenced in the listings.

Proofs

During production, trial printings are made in order toverify that the printing machine is operating properly.

Expertisation and Guidelines for Ex-aminationThe best protection against purchasing forged orpoor quality stamps is to purchase the stamp at a re-putable specialized dealer. In cases of doubt, it is ad-visable to consult an expert.

Guidelines for Examination. There are recognizedexperts for stamps, cancellations and condition fromthe leading collector and dealer organizations whouse uniform guidelines which every philatelist shouldbe aware of. A list of these guidelines can be foundonline at http://www.bpp.de.

Retouching

Re-engraving or improving an entire printing plate, oron individual clichés are often made when the engra-ver wishes to achieve a better picture effect byreworking it, or when he wants to eliminate originalengraving errors as well as wear and tear and printfaults.

Type Styles

The range of type styles and forms on stamps is sogreat that only the most important main groups will bediscussed here. The most commonly used type styleis derived from Roman capitalization: Antiqua with itsdifferent subtypes, e. g. Medieval (linear Antiqua,Egyptian (Antiqua with serifs) and grotesque or blocktype (without serifs)). Another form is cursive type(italics) which as a print type is modeled after old Ro-man handwritten cursive script. Additional type sty-les include written styles (e. g. English script) and,especially on older stamps, Gothic and Schwaba-cher. Occasionally you can also find non-Latin typessuch as Cyrillic. All type styles come in a variety of si-zes (graduations) and forms (from thick to thin, nar-row to wide, etc.).

Specimen

The overprint or cancel SPECIMEN, SAMPLE on ori-ginal stamps indicates that these items were used asofficial samples for demonstration purposes, usuallywhen a new issue for a given ser?ies has been prin-ted. The overprint is intended to prevent the use ofthese stamps as postage. Specimen stamps are notalways cheaper than the same stamps without theoverprint because specialized collectors are intere-sted in them and the quantity produced is usuallysmall.

Separation Methods

The three methods of separating stamps are cutting,rouletting and perforating. In the MICHEL cata?log,the symbol for imperforate is #, for rouletting 4 andperforated stamps are shown as perf.


CuttingDuring the early days of stamp production, stampsheets were produced without any means of separa-ting the stamps, so the stamps had to be cut out withscissors. Later on, this was done only in hard econo-mic times or for collecting purposes. In philately, the only those stamps called cut (imperfo-rate) are those that were issued regularly without rou-letting or perforations. Stamps that are inadvertently not perforated are labe-led imperforate (U) and are listed as variations.

RoulettingEfforts were made to find a means of separatingstamps from the sheet. Using a fine knife, the paperbetween the rows of stamps was partially cut throughso that paper bridges between the individual cuts re-mained. The most common kinds of rouletting areline-, pin-, sawtooth-, serrated- and sheet roulettes,occasionally underlaid with color.

sawtooth serrated lineroulette roulette roulette

Stamps that are inadvertently not rouletted are labe-led imperforate (U) and are listed as variations.Tearing rouletted stamps will always result in uncleanand uneven separations. Because of this, the qualitystandards used for the condition of the edges ofperforated stamps can not be used for roulettedstamps.

In hard economic times, especially after World War II(circa 1945), private roulettings were produced inlarge numbers (which are not listed in the catalog), incontrast to postmaster separ?ations which weremade at the instigation of lower level officials.

PerforationsToday, the most common type of separation is theperforation. Depending on production methods, phi-lately designates perforations as line-, comb- or har-row perforations.With line perforations, the perforations are first madein one direction (e. g. horizontal) and then in the otherdirection (e. g. vertical). In this process, the cornerperforations of individual stamps usually come out ir-regular. Line perforations also create stamps ofvarying sizes as the punching rulers are not alwaysset at the same distance.

line perforations

In comb perforations, the width and height of one rowin the sheet is punched at the same time. With har-row perforations, the entire sheet is punched by theperforating machine. With both of these methods,the corner perforations of the stamps are uniform.

In single comb perforations, all stamps in a horizon-tal row are perforated on three sides (top or bottom,left and right). With cross-comb perfor?ations, thecomb is shaped like an "H", so that one horizontalrow is perforated and the left and right vertical rowsare punched half the height of the stamps.

comb perforations double comb perforations

In double-comb perforations and double cross-combperforations, two horizontal rows are perforated atthe same time.

cross-comb double cross-combperforations perforations

Number of Perforation Holes. Perforation holes aremeasured internationally in 2 cm intervals, e.g. perf.12 means there are 12 holes every 2 cm. When thereare varying perforations on a stamp (mixed perfora-tions) the first number is for the (horizontal) width andthe second number is for the (vertical) height. As anexample, perf. 14z:15 means that for every 2 cm ofstamp width there are 14z perforation holes and forevery 2 cm of height there are 15.In compound perforations (varying perforations on atleast 3 sides), the perforat

The Stamp Cataloguedownloads.philatelie.de/Einleitung_Englisch.pdf · 2008. 3. 13. · work and...

Documents

Transcript of The Stamp Cataloguedownloads.philatelie.de/Einleitung_Englisch.pdf · 2008. 3. 13. · work and...