British Library Philatelic Collections
Encyclopedia
The British Library Philatelic Collections is the national philatelic collection of the United Kingdom with over 8 million items from around the world. It was established in 1891 as part of the British Museum Library, later to become the British Library
, with the collection of Thomas Tapling
. In addition to bequests and continuing donations, the library received consistent deposits by the Crown Agency
and has become a primary research collection for British Empire
and international history. The collections contain a wide range of artefacts in addition to postage stamp
s, from newspaper stamp
s to a press used to print the first British postage stamps.
The following year the Collections were established with the bequest of the Tapling Collection. The probate value of the Tapling Collection was set at £12,000 but on arrival Richard Garnett
(Assistant Keeper of Printed Books) estimated their value at more than £50,000 and described the bequest as the most valuable gift since the Grenville Library in 1847.
In 1900 the Crown Agents for the Colonies sent three albums of postage stamps made on their order for colonial governments and then sent specimens of all future stamps commissioned.
In 1913, the Crawford Library
was received which forms the cornerstone of the British Library's philatelic literature
collection, containing about 4500 works. The Crawford Library was donated by the Earl of Crawford
in his Will and was the foremost collection of philatelic books in the world at the time.
In 1944 Mrs A. Cunningham donated her father's collection (Edward Mosley) of African stamps and in 1949 Mrs. Clement Williams donated her late brother's collection (H. L'Estrange Ewen
) of railway letter stamps
, valued at £10,000. After being offered in 1942 but delayed due to the Collections being in secure war storage, in 1951 it was announced that Mrs Augustine Fitzgerald had donated an extensive air mail collection. The Mosley and Fitzgerald collections were valued at the time at £30,000.
The Department of Printed Books had been in charge of the Philatelic Collections by default rather than design. In 1936 there was an unsuccessful proposal to move the Collections to the Department of Prints and Drawings and in 1946 there was a further proposal for the Department of Coins and Medals to take charge. No decision could be agreed and Printed Books continued to manage the Collections until they were passed to the newly formed British Library in 1973.
was recruited as a research assistant to take care of the Collections. In 1971 the police arrested Mackay (promoted to Assistant Keeper in 1965) and charged him with stealing items from the British Museum Philatelic Collections on loan from the Crown Agents. The stolen progressive proofs
(test prints of stamp designs) should have been returned to the Crown Agents for destruction and were valued at £7,600. Mackay had exchanged the proofs for Winston Churchill stamps worth £400. He was fined £1,000 and dismissed from the Museum. As a result of the thefts, security was improved by recruiting R. Schoolley-West, one of the investigating police officers. The Crown Agents withdrew their agreement for lending new stamps for display in the King's Library.
David Beech
joined the British Library as a philatelic curator in 1983 and was appointed Head of the Philatelic Collections in 1991. Beech is a former President of The Royal Philatelic Society London and joint founder of the International Philatelic Libraries Association
.
and revenue stamp
s, postal stationery
, essays
, proofs
, covers
and entries, "cinderella stamp
" material, specimen issues, airmail
s, some postal history
materials and official and private posts for almost all countries and periods. Philately
is interpreted in its widest sense and the more unusual artefacts include original unused artwork, horse licences and the pilot's licence of Captain John Alcock.
An permanent exhibit of items from the Collections is on display in the British Library entrance area upper ground floor, which may be the best gallery of diverse classic stamps and philatelic material in the world. Approximately 80,000 items on 6,000 sheets may be viewed in 1,000 display frames; 2,400 sheets are from the Tapling Collection. Other material, which covers the whole world, is available to students and researchers by appointment.
As well as these collections, the library actively acquires literature on the subject. This makes the British Library one of the world's leading philatelic research centres.
The largest object in the British Library is the Perkins D cylinder press developed by Jacob Perkins
and patented in 1819. This press was one of several used to print the first postage stamps of Great Britain and Ireland which were issued in 1840. The press was used for printing many early stamps for British Colonial territories from 1853 including for Cape of Good Hope, Ceylon, Mauritius, St Helena, Trinidad, Western Australia, Ionian Islands
, New Brunswick, New South Wales, New Zealand and Victoria.
The £1 stamp issued in Jamaica
(1956–58) in the reign of King George VI shows Tobacco Growing and Cigar Making. The first stamp for Queen Elizabeth II was to be in the same design (chocolate and violet) but was abandoned after printing. There are only seven examples in existence.
The cover of the British Library pocket guide Treasures in Focus - Stamps features the 1913 King George V seahorse master dye proof, part of the Harrison Collection. The engraver, J.A.C. Harrison, took proofs during the creation of the die of which this image is one. The engraving was used on the high value stamps 2/6
, 5/-, 10/- and £1.
The Collections feature these rarities which demonstrate international scope:
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, with the collection of Thomas Tapling
Thomas Tapling
Thomas Keay Tapling was an English businessman and politician. He played first class cricket and was also an eminent philatelist who formed one of the greatest stamp collections of his era.- Early life :...
. In addition to bequests and continuing donations, the library received consistent deposits by the Crown Agency
Crown Agency
A crown agency was an administrative body of the British Empire, distinct from the Civil Service Commission of Great Britain or the government administration of the national entity in which it operated. These enterprises were overseen from 1833 to 1974 by the Office of the Crown Agents in London,...
and has become a primary research collection for British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and international history. The collections contain a wide range of artefacts in addition to postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s, from newspaper stamp
Newspaper stamp
A newspaper stamp is a special type of postage stamp used to pay the cost of mailing newspapers and other periodicals. Although many types were issued in the 19th century, typically representing rates reduced from regular mail, they generally fell out of use in the mid-20th century, as mail...
s to a press used to print the first British postage stamps.
History
The first notable philatelic donation was in 1890 by Hubert Haes of two albums of postage stamps collected by himself and Walter Van Noorden. It was donated with the request that the British Museum library (now the British Library) would create a philatelic collection.The following year the Collections were established with the bequest of the Tapling Collection. The probate value of the Tapling Collection was set at £12,000 but on arrival Richard Garnett
Richard Garnett
Richard Garnett C.B. was a scholar, librarian, biographer and poet. He was son of Richard Garnett, an author, philologist and assistant keeper of printed books in the British Museum....
(Assistant Keeper of Printed Books) estimated their value at more than £50,000 and described the bequest as the most valuable gift since the Grenville Library in 1847.
In 1900 the Crown Agents for the Colonies sent three albums of postage stamps made on their order for colonial governments and then sent specimens of all future stamps commissioned.
In 1913, the Crawford Library
Crawford Library
The Crawford Library is a library of early books about philately formed between 1898 and 1913 by James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford. By the time of his death in 1913, Crawford was thought to have amassed the greatest philatelic library of his time...
was received which forms the cornerstone of the British Library's philatelic literature
Philatelic literature
Philatelic literature is written material relating to philately, primarily information about postage stamps and postal history- Background to philatelic literature :...
collection, containing about 4500 works. The Crawford Library was donated by the Earl of Crawford
James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford
James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres was a British astronomer, politician, bibliophile and philatelist. A member of the Royal Society, Crawford was elected president of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1878. He was a prominent Freemason.-Family:The Earl was the...
in his Will and was the foremost collection of philatelic books in the world at the time.
In 1944 Mrs A. Cunningham donated her father's collection (Edward Mosley) of African stamps and in 1949 Mrs. Clement Williams donated her late brother's collection (H. L'Estrange Ewen
Herbert L'Estrange Ewen
Herbert L'Estrange Ewen was a British stamp dealer and philatelist in Swanage, Dorset and later in Norwood, London who was an authority on railway stamps....
) of railway letter stamps
Railway stamp
In philately a railway stamp is a stamp issued to pay the cost of the conveyance of a letter or parcel by rail.A wide variety of railway stamps have been issued by different countries and by private and state railways...
, valued at £10,000. After being offered in 1942 but delayed due to the Collections being in secure war storage, in 1951 it was announced that Mrs Augustine Fitzgerald had donated an extensive air mail collection. The Mosley and Fitzgerald collections were valued at the time at £30,000.
The Department of Printed Books had been in charge of the Philatelic Collections by default rather than design. In 1936 there was an unsuccessful proposal to move the Collections to the Department of Prints and Drawings and in 1946 there was a further proposal for the Department of Coins and Medals to take charge. No decision could be agreed and Printed Books continued to manage the Collections until they were passed to the newly formed British Library in 1973.
Curators
From 1948, H.R. Holmes had been the curator but in the late 1950s had wished to relinquish the post. A replacement curator was not easily found and the care of the Collections was managed on a part-time basis. A security crisis in 1959 developed after it was discovered that the contents of one of the frames in the Tapling Collection was missing. In 1961 James A. MackayJames A. Mackay
James Alexander Mackay was a prolific Scottish writer and philatelist whose reputation was damaged by a criminal conviction for theft and repeated accusations of plagiarism. In an obituary by John Holman, Editor of the British Philatelic Bulletin, Mackay was described as a "philatelic writer...
was recruited as a research assistant to take care of the Collections. In 1971 the police arrested Mackay (promoted to Assistant Keeper in 1965) and charged him with stealing items from the British Museum Philatelic Collections on loan from the Crown Agents. The stolen progressive proofs
Die proof (philately)
In philately a Die Proof is a printed image pulled directly from the master die for an engraved stamp.As a stamp is engraved it is necessary to check progress and a series of proofs are printed or 'pulled' from the die. These are known as progressive or contemporary die proofs.Progressive proofs...
(test prints of stamp designs) should have been returned to the Crown Agents for destruction and were valued at £7,600. Mackay had exchanged the proofs for Winston Churchill stamps worth £400. He was fined £1,000 and dismissed from the Museum. As a result of the thefts, security was improved by recruiting R. Schoolley-West, one of the investigating police officers. The Crown Agents withdrew their agreement for lending new stamps for display in the King's Library.
David Beech
David Beech
David Richard Beech is the curator of the British Library Philatelic Collections. He is also a Fellow and former President of the Royal Philatelic Society London ....
joined the British Library as a philatelic curator in 1983 and was appointed Head of the Philatelic Collections in 1991. Beech is a former President of The Royal Philatelic Society London and joint founder of the International Philatelic Libraries Association
International Philatelic Libraries Association
The International Philatelic Libraries Association was formed in 1996 at the Capex 96 stamp exhibition in Toronto.Delegates from many countries attended including Virginia Horn from the American Philatelic Research Library and David Beech, Curator of the British Library Philatelic Collection...
.
Description
The material is organized in 50 collections and archives which have been acquired by donation, bequest, or transfer from Government Departments. The Collections include postagePostage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
and revenue stamp
Revenue stamp
A revenue stamp, tax stamp or fiscal stamp is a adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, and many other things...
s, postal stationery
Postal stationery
A piece of postal stationery is a stationery item, such as a stamped envelope, letter sheet, postal card, lettercard, aerogram or wrapper, with an imprinted stamp or inscription indicating that a specific rate of postage or related service has been prepaid...
, essays
Essay (philately)
In philately, an essay is a design for a proposed stamp submitted to the postal authorities for consideration but not used, or used after alterations have been made. By contrast, a proof is a trial printing of an accepted stamp....
, proofs
Proofreading
Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or computer monitor to detect and correct production-errors of text or art. Proofreaders are expected to be consistently accurate by default because they occupy the last stage of typographic production before publication.-Traditional method:A proof is...
, covers
Cover (philately)
In philately, the term cover pertains to the outside of an envelope or package with an address, typically with postage stamps that have been cancelled and is a term generally used among stamp and postal history collectors. The term does not include the contents of the letter or package, although...
and entries, "cinderella stamp
Cinderella stamp
In philately, a cinderella stamp has been defined as "Virtually anything resembling a postage stamp, but not issued for postal purposes by a government postal administration..." The term also excludes imprinted stamps on postal stationery.- Types :...
" material, specimen issues, airmail
Airmail
Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...
s, some postal history
Postal history
Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of postage stamps and covers and associated material illustrating historical episodes of postal systems...
materials and official and private posts for almost all countries and periods. Philately
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
is interpreted in its widest sense and the more unusual artefacts include original unused artwork, horse licences and the pilot's licence of Captain John Alcock.
An permanent exhibit of items from the Collections is on display in the British Library entrance area upper ground floor, which may be the best gallery of diverse classic stamps and philatelic material in the world. Approximately 80,000 items on 6,000 sheets may be viewed in 1,000 display frames; 2,400 sheets are from the Tapling Collection. Other material, which covers the whole world, is available to students and researchers by appointment.
As well as these collections, the library actively acquires literature on the subject. This makes the British Library one of the world's leading philatelic research centres.
Principal collections
| Acquisition | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1891 | Tapling Collection Tapling Collection The Tapling Collection was donated to the British Museum from the estate of Thomas Tapling in 1891.The probate value of the Tapling collection was set at £12,000 but on arrival Richard Garnett estimated their value at more than £50,000 and described the bequest as the most valuable gift since the... |
Bequested by Thomas Tapling Thomas Tapling Thomas Keay Tapling was an English businessman and politician. He played first class cricket and was also an eminent philatelist who formed one of the greatest stamp collections of his era.- Early life :... to the British Museum, this collection was the foundation of the Philatelic Collections. |
| 1900 onwards | Crown Agents Philatelic and Security Printing Archive Crown Agents Philatelic and Security Printing Archive The Crown Agents Philatelic and Security Printing Archive was deposited with the British Museum from the 1960s, though the first recorded deposit from the Crown Agents was in 1900. The archive consists of a range of philatelic and written material which were the Crown Agents working records... |
The archive consists of a range of philatelic and written material which were the Crown Agents' working records. It is the most comprehensive record of British Colonial and Commonwealth issues of the last 100 years. |
| 1913 | Crawford Library Crawford Library The Crawford Library is a library of early books about philately formed between 1898 and 1913 by James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford. By the time of his death in 1913, Crawford was thought to have amassed the greatest philatelic library of his time... |
The cornerstone of the British Library's philatelic literature Philatelic literature Philatelic literature is written material relating to philately, primarily information about postage stamps and postal history- Background to philatelic literature :... collection, containing about 4500 works. |
| Board of Inland Revenue Stamping Department Archive Board of Inland Revenue Stamping Department Archive The Board of Inland Revenue Stamping Department Archive in the British Library contains artefacts from 1710 onwards, and has come into existence through amendments in United Kingdom legislation.... |
Contains artefacts from 1710 onwards, and has come into existence through amendments in United Kingdom legislation. | |
| 1946 | Mosely Collection Mosely Collection The Mosely Collection of British Africa stamps dating to 1935 was formed by Dr Edward Mosely of Johannesburg, South Africa. The collection was donated to the British Museum by his daughter, Kathleen Cunningham, in 1946 and is now held as part of the British Library Philatelic Collections... |
Consisting of an unusually large number of countries and with many unique items this collection is considered of primary importance and second only to the Tapling Collection. |
| 1949 | The Kay Collection A. B. Kay Alexander Berridge Kay was the founder, with E.J. Bridger, of the stamp dealers Bridger and Kay in 1897 or 1898 and a leading figure in the Fiscal Philatelic Society. In 1910, Kay identified used copies of the Italian forgery of the British grey-green Victorian 10 shilling stamp watermarked anchor... |
A collection of British Colonial Revenue stamp Revenue stamp A revenue stamp, tax stamp or fiscal stamp is a adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, and many other things... s to about 1940. |
| 1949 | The Ewen Collection Herbert L'Estrange Ewen Herbert L'Estrange Ewen was a British stamp dealer and philatelist in Swanage, Dorset and later in Norwood, London who was an authority on railway stamps.... |
A collection of British railway letter stamps for 1891 to 1912 with sheets, proofs, and covers. Formed by Herbert L'Estrange Ewen. |
| 1951 | Fitzgerald Collection Fitzgerald Collection The Fitzgerald Collection is an extensive philatelic collection of air mail stamps donated to the British Library and announced in 1951.In 1953 a further donation of funds was provided by Mrs Augustine Fitzgerald to preserve and catalogue the collection... |
This is an extensive collection of early air mail stamps and associated artefacts. |
| 1964 | Universal Postal Union Collection Universal Postal Union Collection The Universal Postal Union Collection is a deposit by the General Post Office in the United Kingdom, under section 4 of the Public Records Act, of its duplicate Universal Postal Union collection of 93,448 stamps, covering the period from 1908.-History:... |
General Post Office deposit, complying with section 4 of the Public Records Act, being the Universal Postal Union Collection of stamps, comprising 93,448 specimens, covering the period from 1908 onwards including approximately 500 postal administrations. |
| 1966 | The Bojanowicz Collection Mirosław Bojanowicz Mirosław Artur Bojanowicz was a Polish philatelist who settled in England after WWII and became a recognized expert on the stamps of Poland... |
An important collection of Polish stamps and postal history of 1938-1946 including Lodz ghetto post, underground posts, Warsaw Scout post, Polish Government in Exile material, Prisoner of War mail and Polish Free Forces material. |
| 1977 | Chinchen Collection Chinchen Collection The Chinchen Collection is a collection of stamps, proofs, artwork and covers from Lundy Island donated by Barry Chinchen to the British Library Philatelic Collections in 1977 and is located at the British Library.... |
Donated by Barry Chinchen, consisting of a unique collection of stamps from Lundy Island. |
| 1989 | Fletcher Collection Fletcher Collection The Fletcher Collection is Hugh Greenwell Fletcher's lifetime philatelic collection of British postage stamps and British stamps used abroad including overprints and non-stamp items such as postal stationery. On his death in 1968 , the collection was bequeathed to the Bruce Castle Museum in... |
Hugh Greenwell Fletcher's lifetime philatelic collection of British postage stamps and British stamps used abroad including overprints and non-stamp items such as postal stationery. |
| 1992 | Davies Collection Davies Collection The Davies Collection is a collection of Libyan revenue stamps from 1955 to 1969, formed from material from the Bradbury Wilkinson Archive, and presented to the British Library Philatelic Collections by John N. Davies in 1992.-John N... |
A collection of Libyan revenue stamps for 1955 to 1969 formed from the Bradbury Wilkinson archive and donated by J.N. Davies in 1992. |
| 1992 | Foreign and Commonwealth Office Collection Foreign and Commonwealth Office Collection The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Collection was formed by instruction from the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the 23rd April, 1890 to all territories under his authority. The intention was to have a record of all Colonial Postage and revenue stamps, postcards, embossed envelopes and... |
An archive formed by instruction from the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the 23 April 1890 to all territories under his authority. The intention was to have a record of all Colonial Postage and revenue stamps, postcard Postcard A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope.... s, embossed envelopes and newspaper wrappers. The archive was closed in 1992 and transferred to the British Library. |
| 2003 | The Kaluski Collection Janusz Kaluski Janusz Marja Stefan Rogala Kaluski was a sapper in the Polish Army who took part in the D-Day landings of World War II and who later won the Cross of Valour... |
A collection of the postage stamps and postal history of Poland from 1835 to 2002 in 46 volumes presented by Janusz Kaluski. |
Selected rare items
The Collections include a unique proof sheet of 26 Revenue 1765 Newspaper and Pamphlet one penny impressions showing the registration certificate. These were issued to apply the Stamp Act of 1765 intended to raise taxes to fund the defence of the American Colonies from the French. The tax applied to legal documents, licences, newspapers, pamphlets and almanacs in the American Colonies, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Florida, the Bahamas and the West Indian Islands. The taxes resulted in public protest and rioting. The tax was abandoned after a few months due to its unpopularity but the political damage contributed to the War of Independence in 1775.The largest object in the British Library is the Perkins D cylinder press developed by Jacob Perkins
Jacob Perkins
Jacob Perkins was an Anglo-American inventor, mechanical engineer and physicist. Born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Perkins was apprenticed to a goldsmith...
and patented in 1819. This press was one of several used to print the first postage stamps of Great Britain and Ireland which were issued in 1840. The press was used for printing many early stamps for British Colonial territories from 1853 including for Cape of Good Hope, Ceylon, Mauritius, St Helena, Trinidad, Western Australia, Ionian Islands
Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e...
, New Brunswick, New South Wales, New Zealand and Victoria.
The £1 stamp issued in Jamaica
Jamaica 1956-58 £1 chocolate and violet
The Jamaica 1956 £1 chocolate and violet was a planned, but unissued, Jamaican postage stamp. The stamp's design was identical to the King George VI stamp, issued in 1949, which depicted a scene of workers rolling cigars by hand, but with the vignette image of King George VI replaced with that of...
(1956–58) in the reign of King George VI shows Tobacco Growing and Cigar Making. The first stamp for Queen Elizabeth II was to be in the same design (chocolate and violet) but was abandoned after printing. There are only seven examples in existence.
The cover of the British Library pocket guide Treasures in Focus - Stamps features the 1913 King George V seahorse master dye proof, part of the Harrison Collection. The engraver, J.A.C. Harrison, took proofs during the creation of the die of which this image is one. The engraving was used on the high value stamps 2/6
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
, 5/-, 10/- and £1.
The Collections feature these rarities which demonstrate international scope:
- Gold Coast: 1883 (May) 1d on 4d magenta, unique
- India: 1854 4 annas blue and pale redInverted Head 4 AnnasThe Inverted Head Four Annas of India is a postage stamp prized by collectors. The 1854 first issues of India included a Four Annas value in red and blue...
, error head inverted, two used on a cover, unique. - Mauritius 1847 1d red used on cover and 2d blue, the "Post Office" issue 1d. orange-red, used on cover. The first British Colonial postage stamps were issued in Mauritius in 1847.
- New South Wales: 1850 1d and 3d essays of the Sydney View issue. The first stamps of New South Wales, being 1d, 2d and 3d values, were issued in 1850.
- Spain: 1851 2 reales, error of colour, one of three known.
- St Helena: 1961 Tristan Relief Fund 5c.+6d., 7½c.+9d., and 10c.+1/-, used on a postcard. Only the Colonial Office in London could authorize new stamps, a fact clearly unknown to the Governor, and the issue was withdrawn. These are among the rarest of modern stamps as only 434 sets were sold.
- Switzerland: Zurich: 1843 4 rappenZurich 4 and 6The Zürich 4 and 6 were the first postage stamps issued in continental Europe, on 1 March 1843. Both were inscribed "Zürich" at the top.The 4-rappen stamp was also inscribed "Local-Taxe" at the bottom, since it was intended to pay for letters mailed within the city, while the 6-rappen, inscribed...
, the unique unsevered horizontal strip of five. - Uruguay: 1858 120 centavos blue and 180 centavos green, in tête-bêcheTête-bêcheIn philately, tête-bêche is a joined pair of stamps in which one is upside-down in relation to the other, produced intentionally or accidentally. Like any pair of stamps, a pair of tête-bêches can be a vertical or a horizontal pair. In the case of a pair of triangular stamps, they cannot help but...
pairs, two of five known. - Western Australia: 1854-55 4d blue, error frame inverted.
See also
- List of philatelic libraries
- PhilatelyPhilatelyPhilately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
- Royal Philatelic Society London