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| Philatelic Glossary - S - |
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$S: Dollar, currency unit in Singapore.
S Atlantic Fund: surcharge on stamps of Barbuda.
S Lepem: (Czech.) with gum.
S Q: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Slovakia, such as SQ-812 11, Bratislava.
S V:1: (It.) servizio veloce (speed service) Tuscany pre-adhesive postmark. 2: Stamp Venturers, a stamp contractor.
S. Allan Taylor Boston: inscription for Samuel Allan Taylor, stamp dealer, who produced many labels for sale to collectors.
S. Ar.: (Sp.) Sevilla Aracena, Spain, pre-adhesive postmark.
S. Ay.: (Sp.) Sevilla Ayamonte (Spain) pre-adhesive postmark.
S. Maria: series of colored labels featuring Santa Maria, 1911
S. Marino: San Marino.
S. Thome e Principe: inscription for St. Thomas and Price Islands to 1914; S. Tome after 1914.
S. Tiago: (Sp.) Santiago (Chile) pre-adhesive postamark.
S. Tome e Principe: (Port.) St. Thomas & Prince Islands
S. Ujong: overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements; Malaya-Sungei Ujong, 1891-94.
S.A.: 1: Saudi Arabia. 2: see self-adhesive. 3: pressure sensitive gum or see self-adhesive.
S.A.I.D.E.: Service Aérien Internationale dEgypte (Fr.); (International Air Service of Egypt) overprint on stamps of Egypt, 1948, for inaugural flights from Cairo to Athens and Rome.
S.A.K.: Saudi Arabia Kingdom.
S.A.O.R. Eire: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
S.A.R.: South African Railways.
S.C.A.D.T.A.: Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aéros; (Sp.) a South American air line which issued private stamps until 1932; 1928, Aug. 28 - Dec.27, 1930: private air firm under government contract had their own stamps to show the airmail fee, 1932: succeeded by Avianca.
S.D.C.: (Sp.) Santo Domingo de la Calzada, pre-adhesive postmark.
S.D.D.: (Gr.) Stratiotiki Dioikisis Dodecanissou (Military Administration of the Dodecanese Islands) overprint on stamps of Greece for Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Mar. 31, 1947.
S.D.N.: (Fr.) Société des Nations (League of Nations); overprint on stamps of Switzerland.
S.E. Local Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
S.E.O.F.: (It.) Servizio Estero Oltre Frontiera (Foreign Service Beyond Border) pre-adhesive postmark.
S.E.U.F.: Stati esteri ultre frontiera (It.) foreign states beyond the frontier.
S.F.K.: Svenska Frivillig Karen (Swedish Volunteer Unit) used in postmarks for Swedish volunteers attached to Finnish armed forces fighting Russia in 1939.
S.GR: (Silbergroschen) currency unit in the German States.
S.H.S.: 1918, Oct.: State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (Drzava Slovenaca Hrvta i Srba), 1918 - 20: Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kraljevstvo Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca) 1919 - 20: Drzava S.H.S., overprint on stamps of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1919 - 20: Hrvatska S.H.S., overprint on stamps of Hungary.
S.L.Potosi: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
S.M.: 1. Stipendary Magistrate, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 2. Soldat Militen (Drafted Soldier) Belgium, for free franking while in service.
S.M.D.P. Alejandro Selkirk: handstamp for ship that delivered supplies to island off coast of Chile; see Isla de Mas Apuera.
S.O. 1920: (Fr.) Silésie Orientale 1920 (Eastern Silesia), overprint on stamps of Czechoslovakia and Poland for 1920 plebiscite, which was never held.
S.O.: 1: Sorting Office. 2: Stationery Office; punch-perforated, with crown, on stamps of Great Britain. 3. Stamp Office fiscal overprint on stamps of Hong Kong, used during stamp shortage,1882.
S.P.A.: Society of Philatelic Americans, organized 1894.
S.P.M.: St. Pierre & Miquelon; overprint on stamps of French Colonies, 1885-91.
S.Q. Trsta Vuja: Yugoslavia Zone B, Trieste.
S.Q. Trsta Zracna P: Yugoslavia, Trieste Zone B, air mail issue.
S.R.M.: Skilling Reichs Munze currency unit in the German States
S.S.P.: Suisse Service Postal (Fr., Swiss.) Switzerland postal service.
S.T. Trstavuja: Slobodni Teritorija Trsta - Vojna Uprava Jugoslavenske Armije (Serbian) Free Territory of Trieste, Military Administration of Yugoslav Army, Zone B.
S.T.A.B.: in oval frame, cancel for mail on Finnish steamships, 1880s.
S.T.C.: Stated-to-catalog, total or other, based on catalog prices.
S.T.T. -V.U.J.(N.)A.: Slobodni Terorij Trsta - Vojna Uprava Jugoslavenske Armije (Serbian) Free Territory of Trieste, Military Administration of Yugoslav National Army, Zone B, 1948 - 54.
S.T.T. -V.U.J.A.: Slobodni Teritorija Trsta - Vojna Uprava Jugoslavenske Armije (Serbian) Free Territory of Trieste, Military Administration of Yugoslav National Army, Zone B, 1948-54.
S.T.T. VUJ(N)A: overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia for Trieste military government, Zone B, 1948-54.
S.U.: 1: Sungei Ujong, Malayan state, overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements; 1878-91. 2: Colombia-Scadta consular overprint sold in Sweden.
S.UT: (Sp.) Sevilla Utrera (Spain) pre-adhesive postmark.
S.W.A., SWA: South-West Africa, overprint on stamps of South Africa, 1927; See Bantams.
S.c: small crown, watermark.
S.d.N. Bureau International du Travail: International Labor Bureau, overprint on stamps of Switzerland, official.
S20, S30, S40: marginal markings on some rotary press plates made from a die with an experimental variation in the frame line depth.
S: 1:Auction abbreviation term for Superb or best there is. 2: auction abbreviation term for Specimen. 3: international postal code for Sweden. 4: Scott Catalog number prefix for Franchise. 5: shilling, ship, Seville; pre-adhesive postmark. 6: Sucre; currency unit in Ecuador. 7: Som; currency unit in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan. 8: auction abbreviation for scarce, in scale of rarity. 9: British canceler for Stamboul, Constantinople, or Istanbul; 1884-1914. 10: in Cyrillic is the letter C; thus C.C.C.P. = S.S.S.R., known as the U.S.S.R.; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 11: in circle. arrival mark for mail routed through Spain, used in Gibraltar. 12: in barred oval; Salonica. 13: Colombia-Scadta consular overprint for Switzerland. 14: Sheriff, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 15: Straits Settlements-Selangor surcharge overprint, 1879-91. 16. Colombia-Scadta consular overprint for Switzerland. 17. Sheriff, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74.
SA: Latvia overprint, Russian Occupation.
SAE: stamped-addressed envelope.
SAL: Surface AirLift, form of overseas mailing.
SAM: Space Available Airmail; to be sent via airmail if space is available, usually on US military transportation.
SAN: 1: Sanabrias Air Post Catalog 2: (Sp.) saint
SAPDA: South African Philatelic Dealers Association.
SAR: Syria; Syrian Arab Republic.
SAS: Sassone Specialized Italy Postage Stamp Catalog
SASE: A self-addressed, stamped envelope. An unused envelope bearing address of sender and return postage. Sent to make answering easy.
SASE: Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope is an unused envelope addressed to the sender with return postage affixed. Many stamp correspondents will not reply unless you include a SASE.
SATAS: Societé pour lAffranchissement et le Timbrage Automatiques (Fr.) postage meter firm founded in 1934, headquartered in Paris.
SB: 1: softbound. 2: stock book, suggested bid. 3: boat: steamboat, pre-adhesive postmark.
SBZ: (Ger.) Soviet Occupation Zone, Germany.
SC: 1: USPS abbreviation for South Carolina. 2: auction abbreviation for stampless. 3: souvenir cover. 4: Stamp Collecting, Great Britain publication. 5: Small Crown (British Watermark). 6: Scott Catalogue. 7: South Carolina, pre-adhesive postmark.
SC: Supreme Court, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74.
SCADS: Stamp Collectors Against Dodgy Sellers; formed in 2002 to educate collectors about fakes, forgeries, etc.
SCCS: Space City Cover Society.
SCF: Stamp Collectors Fortnightly (Great Britain).
SCM: Stamp Collectors Magazine.
SCR: Stamp Collectors Review (Great Britain).
SCV: Scott Catalog Value.
SD: 1: Haiti provisional overprint. 2: Stamp Duty; Hong Kong fiscal overprint, 1891.
SD: 1: USPS abbreviation for South Dakota. 2: topical association abbreviation for stamp design. 3: small date variety on U.S. stamps. 4. international postal code for Swaziland.
SDO: Stamp Distribution Office; suppliers of U.S. stamps for either philatelic or standard sales.
SE: 1: Straight edge. 2: watermark on stamps of Ireland are the initials of Saorstat Eireann (Irish Free State). 3: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Sweden, such as SE-532 Skara.
SES: Special Event Souvenir Sheet; introduced by Australia as a personalized sheet of stamps with 10 or 20 stamps with tabs and a decorative border
SF: 1: (It.) strada ferrate (Railroad) pre-adhesive postmark. 2: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Finland, such as SF-00101 Helsinki. 3: (Swed. or Finland) Soldater Frimärke (Soldiers Stamp) overprint on stamps of Sweden for reduced mail rates for their armed forces. 4: Sanitary Fair. 5: Space Filler. 6: Franc, currency unit in Liechtenstein, Switzerland.
SFB: (Swed.) (Svenska Frivillig Bataljonen) Swedish Volunteer Battalion.
SFL: single folded letters with writing on inside and address on outside.
SFRY: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
SFS: see Stamp Fulfillment Services.
SG: 1: Stanley Gibbons catalogue. 2: (Sudan Government), perforated on stamps of Sudan officials, 1913.
SG: 1: Surveyor General, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 2: (Sudan Government), overprinted on stamps of Sudan officials, 1936. Shakespeare stamp: inscription on label issued by stamp dealers, 1964.
SGAG: Stanley Gibbons Auctions Galleries, Inc. (USA).
SGL: single stamp.
SGMJ: Stanley Gibbons Monthly Journal.
SGP: international postal code for Singapore.
SH: 1: auction abbreviation for topical ships. 2: (in upper corners) Schleswig-Holstein, German States, 1850. 3: sheet.
SHCO: on shield with Geneva cross, inscription on postal tax stamps of Mozambique.
SHM: auction term for staple holes in margin
SIEG: Sieger.Zeppelinpost Spezial-Katalog (specialized Zeppelin Mail Catalog)
SILA: Svensk Interkontinental Lufttrafik AB, Swedish air firm organized for transatlantic service, started 1945.
SIPEX: Sixth International Philatelic Exhibition held in Washington, D.C. in 1966.
SIPS: Staten Island Philatelic Society, four initials frame the corners of the Ulysses portrait on the U.S. 1¢ postcard.
SJ: (Swed.) see Statens Järnvägar.
SL: 1: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Slovenia, such as SL-1001, Ljubljana. 2: Straight Line (cancellation).
SLB: (Sp.) San Lucas de Barromeda (Spain) pre-adhesdive postmark.
SLD: (soldi) currency unit in Austria, Offices in Turkey.
SLM: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Malta, such as SLM-11.
SLO: international postal code for Slovenia.
SMH: 1: Great Britain Scotland Machin. 2: Scott Catalog number prefix for Machins (G.B., Scotland).
SMJ: Scotts Monthly Journal (USA).
SMOM: see Sovereign Order of Malta.
SMS: (Ger.) Seiner Majestät Schiff (His Majestys Ship).
SN: currency unit in Japan and Ryukyu Islands.
SNCF: (Fr.) see Societé Nationale des Chemins de Fer, issued parcel stamps in Belgium staring May 1, 1879.
SO: international postal code for Slovakia.
SOA: see semiofficial air mail.
SON: see Socked on the nose.
SOS Delivery Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
SOS To Canada: marking Shipped Off Service indicating that the recipient was no longer needed and had been sent home.
SOS: Stamps on Stamps Collectors Club
SOTN: see Socked on the nose.
SP: 1: Short Perf. 2: Surface Printed. 3: auction abbreviation for topical sports and olympics. 4: see Surface phosphor paper. 5: Service Publique (official usage) overprint on stamps of Luxembourg, 1881-99. 6: secteur postal (Fr.) field post number. 8: intertwined as a monogram, Colombia, Cauca Department.
SPA: Samuel P. Abbott, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
SPB: Saint Petersburg, city in Russia, local overprint on stamps of Russia, 1992
SPBS: small parcel and bundle sorter, a private mark applied to mail being routed internally for various in-house office departments.
SPIDAM FRAMCAOS: French Sudan.
SQAY: Great Britain local carriage label.
SR CDS: Single-Ring Circular Date Stamp
SS: 1: Steam Ship (carried mail) 2: auction abbreviation for topical stamps on stamps. 3: (Sp.) San Sebastian (Spain) pre-adhesive postmark. 4: abbreviation for Souvenir sheet.
SSM: Scott Stamp Monthly (USA).
SSR: Soviet Socialist Republic.
SSS Emergency Mail Serv.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
SSS: overprint for on Sirmoor State Service.
SSSR: forgery by Germany on British stamp of the 1 ½ d 1937 Coronation issue.
SSSS: see Society for Suppression of Speculative Stamps.
SSVTA: Sel-Service Value Ticket Automans; vending machines, Switzerland.
SSW: overprint on U.S. revenue stamps for Samuel S. White.
ST.P.A.: Stadt Post Amt (Ger.) town post office.
ST: 1: ST, (without country name) currency unit in Thailand (Siam). 2: Superintendent of Telegraph, South Australia official overprint, 1868-74. 3: abbreviation for street, Saint. 4: Sorting Tender, on railway postmarks
STG: Thailand 1932-43
STMP: auction abbreviation for stamp.
SWL: Sidney W. Lawrence, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
Saar: region between France and Germany, southeast of Luxembourg; currency: 100 pfennig = 1 mark, 100 centimes = 1 franc (1921) 1920-35 administered by France under League of Nations control, 1920, Jan.30: No.1, 2 pfennings gray, issued its own stamps, those of Germany and Bavaria overprinted “Saare” (Fr.) or “Saargebiet” (Ger.), 1922: first official stamp, 1926, Oct. 25: first semipostal stamp, 1928, Sept. 19: first air mail stamp, 1934, December to February 1935: British Field PO 10 used during plebiscite, 1935, March 1: became the Saarland Province of the Third Reich as a result of the plebiscite, stamps of Germany used, 1945, Dec. 17-Jan. 3, 1947: French Occupation Zone of Germany, 1947, Jan.: region had its own stamps as French Administration Protectorate, inscribed “Saar,” 1948, Oct. 12: first air mail semipostal stamp, 1951, Jan.1: State of Saar established, 1957, Jan. 1: reunion with Federal Republic of Germany, stamps inscribed “Saarland,” but valued in French currency, 1959, July 6: Saar stamps discontinued, German Federal Republic stamps and currency used.
Saare: (Fr., Ger., It.) Saar.
Saare: (Ger.) overprint on stamps of Bavaria and Germany for Saar.
Saaremaa: bogus, Russia area, not valid for postage.
Saargebeit Luftpost: (Ger.) Saar air mail.
Saargebeit Volkshilfe: (Ger.) Saar semipostals.
Saargebeit: (Ger.) overprint/inscription for Saar.
Saarland: (Ger.) inscription from 1957-59 for Saar.
Saarpost: (Ger.) Saar mail.
Sabadell: city in Spain, local post, Civil War; Republican forces,1937
Sabah: formerly North Borneo; 1963: became Sabah before joining the Federation of Malaysia, 1964, July 1: No.1, 1¢ red brown and green, Sabah overprint on stamps of North Borneo, 1964: no stamps for the territory above 25¢ issued since the 1964 issue; see North Borneo.
Sabot: Dutch; see Evans, Donald.
Sach(s)en: (Ger.) Saxony, German State.
Sacha-Yakutia: bogus Russian issue.
Sachet, stamp: containers/folders of loose stamps sold in British post offices vending machines.
Sachsen Bundesland: (Ger.) on stamps of Germany for the Russian Zone of Saxony.
Sachsen: (Ger.) Saxony.
Sad Polowy D.O.E. Wolyn: (Pol.) army field court marshal, handstamp, Poland, 1921.
Safad Issue: provisional issue authorized by Israel Commissioner of Postal Services, April 1942.
Safe vinyl: vinyl is not chemically safe or stable and it is impossible for a vinyl product to be inert; from: Preservation and Storage Library of Victoria.
Safety paper overprint: same as underprint, except printed on top of already printed stamps.
Safety paper underprint: applied prior to printing the stamps design; can be a pattern of repeated words in very small type, numbers, bars, straight lines, network patterns or other designs.
Safety paper: two-ply paper made by two webs of different quality paper pressed together, used to make stamps hard to forge, a common form has silk threads in it, also known as Duplex paper.
Safeway Car Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Saffi / Marrakech: local post, Morocco, 1898-1900
Safieh: city in Egypt, 1880, see Interpostal seals.
Safir: (Nor.) sapphire, deep purplish-blue (color).
Sage type: French series, 1876-1900, designed by Jules-Auguste Sage who won a French government competition for a new stamp design.
Saggio di colore: (It.) trial color proof.
Saggio: (It.) proof, essay. 1: Italy, Italian Colonies, overprint for specimen. 2: Italy, Italian Colonies, overprint for proof.
Sagittair: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Sagunto: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War; Republican forces, 1937.
Saha, Saha-Yakutia: bogus Russian local overprint.
Sahara Espanol: (Sp.) overprint on stamps of Spain for Spanish Sahara, 1924.
Sahara Occ. R.A.S.D.: (Sp.)Western Sahara.
Sahara Occidental La Aguera: (Sp.) La Aguera.
Sahara Occidental: (Sp.)inscription on stamps of Spain for Western Sahara.
Sahara, Empire of: bogus, West Coast of Africa strip of land between Cape Bojador and Cape Juby, 1907.
Saharan republic: Saharan republic, illegal issues, not issued by Morocco, based on UPU circular of Nov. 18, 2002.
Sahraoui, République Arabe Démocratique: (Fr.) bogus, labels, does not exist, reported to the UPU April 10, 2000 by Morocco.
Saigon: Vietnam, now known as Ho Chi Minh City.
Saint Christophe: (Fr.) St. Kitts.
Saint Christopher Nevis, Anguilla: Beach Cricket inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Saint Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla: see St. Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla.
Saint Christopher: see St. Christopher.
Saint Helena Tristan Relief: overprint on stamps of St. Helena; semipostal for Tristan da Cunha, 1961.
Saint Helena: see St. Helena.
Saint James: local label, Danish West Indies, 1910?
Saint Johns College: local, United Kingdom, Cambridge, 1883-85.
Saint Kilda: bogus local, United Kingdom
Saint Kitts: see St. Kitts.
Saint Louis: 1: U.S. postmaster provisional US 11X. 2: City Dispatch, US local post, 1851. 3: Clark & Halls Penny Post, U.S. local post, 1851. 4: Saint Louis City Delivery Company, US local post, 1883. 5: Smith & Stephens City Delivery, US Local post. 6: Squier & Co.s Letter Dispatch, U.S. local post, 1859-60.
Saint Lucia Steam Conveyance Co., Ltd.: West Indies local post, 1871-72
Saint Lucia: see St. Lucia
Saint Marino: (Fr.) San Marino.
Saint Petersburg: 1: Deutsch-Baltisches Comite; Russian local post, 1918. 2: SPB local overprint on stamps of Russia, 1992. 3. city in Russia, formerly known as Leningrad and Petrograd.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon: see St. Pierre and Miquelon.
Saint Thomas and Prince Islands: see St. Thomas and Prince Islands.
Saint Thomas-Porto Rico: bogus local post, 1869.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: see St. Vincent Grenadines
Saint Vincent: see St. Vincent.
Sainte Foy la Grande: local provisional, France, 1944
Sainte Helene: (Fr.) St. Helena.
Sainte-Marie de Madagascar: French 1881: administered from Diego Suarez, 1894, April: first stamps issued, 1890: used stamps of Diego Suarez, 1898, Jan. 18: stamps withdrawn,
Saisprezece: (Rom) sixteen (number).
Saizeci: (Rom) sixty (number).
Sakha-Yakutia: state at Yakutsk, cinderella local post, 1994.
Sakha: 1: 2002, Jan. 14: illegal labels, purporting to be stamps, Russian Federation report to the UPU; not valid for postage. 2: city in Egypt, 1880, see Interpostal seals.
Sakhalin: 2002, Jan. 14: illegal labels, purporting to be stamps, Russian Federation report to the UPU; not valid for postage.
Sakura: specialized catalogue of Japan.
Salamanca Province: province in western part of Spain near border of Portugal; 1868-69: provisional stamps used in the Spanish province; handstamped with Habilitado Por La Nacion. (Provisional Government) Spain 117f-122f, 1868-70.
Salamanca: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1938
Salamon Szigetek: (Hung.) the Solomon Islands.
Sale by tender: auction whereby the highest bidder gets the lot at the bid price, regardless of the next highest bidders offer.
Salem, N. C. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters Provisionals.
Sales circuit: see Circuit Book.
Salhagar: city in Egypt, 1880, see Interpostal seals.
Salida: (Sp.) exit; used in post-Civil War censor marks as a S to indicate item was sent from the Censorship Department.
Salinas: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Salins: local provisional; France; 1944.
Salisburgo: also known as Salzburg, Austria. Salisbury: now known as Harare, Zimbabwe.
Salisbury, N. C. Postage five cents: see Confederate Postmasters Provisionals.
Salobrena: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937-38
Salon de Provence: local provisional, France; 1944
Salonica: Greek seaport on the Aegean Sea, now known as Thessaloniki; 1912-pre: part of the Turkish Empire, 1909, Feb.: No.1, 10 paras on 5c green, “Salonicco” surcharge on stamps of Italy; Italian post office in the Levant; Russian post office in Turkish Empire, 1916: British post office in the Levant; see Salonika and Salonique. WW I: base for Allied operations, WW II: occupied by Germany.
Salonicco: See Salonica; overprint on stamps of Italy for Italian Offices in the Turkish Empire; Salonika, 1919-11.
Salonicco: see Salonica; city in Egypt, 1868, see Interpostal seals.
Saloniceo: overprint on stamps of Italy for Italian Offices in Turkish Empire, Salonika
Salonika: 1911, overprint on stamps of Turkey for Sultans visit to Macedonia.
Saloniki: (Ger.) Salonica.
Salonique: city that was gateway to the Adriatic Coast; 1909-10; overprint on stamps of Russia; Russian Offices In the Turkish Empire, Salonica; issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Russian post office in the Turkish Empire.
Saltillo: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.
Salung: unit of currency in Siam (Thailand).
Salvador, El: Pacific coast of Central America, formally known as El Salvador; official name of postal administration: Dirección General de Correos currency: 100 centavos = 8 reales = 1 peso, 100 centavos = 1 coló 1822, Sept. 2: became independent of Spain, 1841, Jan. 30: assumed formal name of El Salvador, 1867, May: No.1, ½ real blue, first stamp, 1879, April 1: joined the U.P.U., 1890-98: signed agreement with Seebeck for free stamps in exchange for the right of Seebeck to make and sell reprints to collectors, 1895: first postage due, parcel post stamp, 1896: first official stamp, 1897: first Acknowledgment of Receipt stamp, 1929, Dec. 28: first air mail stamp, 1931: first postal tax stamp.
Salve Hospes: National Tourist Assn., inscription on stamps of Netherlands for semipostal.
Salvonia: bogus overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia overprinted for Bosnia Republic.
Salzburg: province of Austria; 1921: local issue for plebiscite, 1945: AMG stamps issued for use during occupation.
Samalout: city in Egypt, 1880-84, see Interpostal seals,.
Samanoud: city in Egypt, 1864-84, see Interpostal seals.
Samara: local post; Russian Zemstvo; 1908.
Samarinda: local overprint for Japanese Naval Control Area; Japanese occupation; 1942-45.
Sambata: (Rom.) Saturday.
Sambia: (Ger.) Zambia.
Same Day Delivery: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Samenhanged: (Dut.) setenat.
Samling: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) collection.
Sammantryck: (Swed.) se-tenant.
Sammaröarnas: (Fin.) used on steamships, carrying mail, serving Finland cities, 1913.
Sammeln: (Ger.) collect; to assemble or bring together.
Sammenhengende: (Nor.) se-tenant.
Sammermarken: (Ger.) Philatelic handling label for careful canceling and handling of mail, supplied by postal authority, Germany.
Sammler: (Ger.) collector, a person who collects, especially rare things.
Sammlerverein: (Ger.) collectors club.
Sammlung: (Ger.) collection, an assembly of philatelic material.
Samoa Express: local post, 1877-80
Samoa Occidental: (Fr.) Western Samoa.
Samoa i Sisifo: (Samoan) Western Samoa, Independent State, 1958; see Samoa.
Samoa: : island in the South Pacific, east of Figi, aka Western Samoa; islands in the South Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and New Zealand; Stamps of this country can be found in these catalogs:Stanley Gibbons, Michel, Scott, Yvert et Tellier. Currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 pfenning = 1 mark (1900) 100 sene (cents) = 1 tala (dollar) (1967) 19th century, late: islands divided between Germany, Great Britain and the U.S.: 1877: first stamp, “Samoa Express,” postal service by local newspaper, Samoan Times, 1878: No.1,1 shilling, orange yellow, first stamp, 1881: service closed, but reprints exist, 1891: joined the U.P.U., however mail to the U.S.A. required an additional 5¢ American stamp to pay for inland delivery, 1895: “Samoa Postage” inscription on stamps, 1898: Britain withdrew, used overprinted stamps of Germany, 1900: (German Samoa) islands divided between Germany and the U.S.; #8220;Samoa” overprint on stamps of Germany, and German colonial keytypes, eastern group used U.S. stamps, 1914, Aug. 29: German dominated islands occupied by New Zealand, “G.R.I.” overprint on stamps of Germany and surcharged in New Zealand currency, 1914, Sept. 29: overprint “Samoa” on stamps of New Zealand, G.R.I. overprint on stamps of German Samoa and surcharged in New Zealand currency, 1920: mandated to New Zealand by the League of Nations, 1920s: mourning label issued by German stamp dealer Sigmund Hartig, 1921: New Zealand stamps replaced by stamps of Samoa, 1935, Aug. 7: “Western Samoa” inscribed / overprinted on stamps, 1962, Jan. 1: Western Samoa became independent, 1962, July 2: became the independent country of Samoa, stamps inscribed “Samoa I Sisifo” (Western Samoa), 1965, Dec. 29: first air mail stamp, 1966, Sept. 1: first semipostal stamp, 1977: name officially shortened to Samoa, 1989, Aug. 9: joined the U.P.U.; see G.R.I.
Samorzad Warwiszki: (Pol.) overprint on stamps of Poland for South Lithuania, Polish occupation, March 23-27, 1923.
Samos: aka Vathy, Aegean Island; 1878-1912: Aegean Island; Ottoman Principality, Turkish control with British, French and Russian protection, 1894: stamps of France surcharged / overprinted “Vathy,” 1912, Nov. 14: captured by Greece from Turkey, provisional government; issued own stamps, No.1, 5 lira gray green, 1913, May 30: Samos united with Greece by the Treaty of London, stamps of Samos overprinted “Greece” in Greek letters, 1914: stamps of Greece used, WW II: occupied by Axis forces.
Sample (A): an overprint used on stamps instead of specimen; produced by the American Bank Note Co. at the request of the U.S. Post Office Department to avoid confusion with Specimen overprinted issues; 1889.
Sample Post: an international special rate for trade samples packed in small parcels.
Sample labels, stamps: security printer products to show prospective clients the capabilities of different printing processes.
Samsoun: current name is Samsun; French post office opened Nov. 1857, closed Aug. 1914.
San Antonio, Tex Paid 10: see Confederate Postmasters Provisionals.
San Augustin: (Sp.) St. Augustine postal marking used in 1784.
San Francisco Match Company: see Private die match proprietary stamps. San Francisco roulettes: postal authorities found sheets in 1907 of the 2¢ carmine with shield on 1903, with horizontal perforations missing between two top rows; rouletted at San Francisco.
San Francisco: 1: California City Letter Express Co.; US local post; 1850s-60s. 2: California Penny Post Co.; 1850s-60s. 3: Carnes City Letter Express: US local post; 1864. 4: Gahagan & Howe City Express: US local post; 1864-70. 5: Reeds City Despatch post; US local post; 1853-54. 6: William E. Loomis Letter Express; US local post; 1868
San Juan Despi: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1939.
San Juan de la Pena: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937.
San Juan del Puerto: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces,1936-37.
San Juan: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
San Luis Potosi, State of: region in Mexico; 1914: revolutionary provisional stamps issued.
San Marino: eastern Italy, European republic; currency: 100 centesimi = 1 Italian lira, 100 cents = 1 euro (2002) 1850-70; stamps of the Papal States, 1870-77: stamps of Italy, 1877, Aug. 1: No.1, 2 cents green, first stamp, 1897: first postage due stamp, 1907, April 25: first special delivery stamp, 1915, July 1: joined the U.P.U., 1917, Dec. 15: first semipostal stamp, 1923, Sept. 20: first semipostal special delivery stamp, 1928, Nov. 22: first parcel post stamp, 1931, June 11: first air mail stamp, 1933, Apr. 28: “Zeppelin” surcharge on air mail stamps, 1944, Apr. 25: first air mail semipostal stamp, WW II: not occupied by foreign powers.
San Nicolas: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1936.
San Paulo: province of Brazil; revolutionary government issued stamps, Sept. 1932.
San Paulo: seceding state in Brazil; 1932
San Sebastian: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces, 1937
San Tomas: local from Venezuela, 1864, used by Blohm, Nolting & Co., a German shipping company, that traveled between La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, St. Thomas (Danish Antilles) and Curazao (Curacao).
San-Tai: local post; Southwest China; 1949.
Sanad, Sunnud: Indian States term for title deed, charter, etc.
Sanahuja: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sanar: currency unit in Afghanistan.
Sand Dune States: 1960s nickname for desert sheikdoms that issued a large number of stamps.
Sanda Island: Great Britain local carriage label, Scottish island, 1962.
Sandia Crest: local post, New Mexico, delivered mail from a visitors center on top of the mountain Sandia Crest to the post office, 1956-61.
Sandjak dAlexandrette: overprint on stamps of Syria for Alexandretta, 1938.
Sands, A. B. & D.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Sands, M.P.J. & H.M.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Sandwich Islands: former name for the Hawaiian Islands, discovered by Capt. Cook in 1778, named by Cook after Earl of Sandwich.
Sandzak: Jugoslavia labels.
Sang: unit of currency in Tibet.
Sanita: (Sp.) marking on mail that has been fumigated so that the letter will not be a carrier of disease.
Sanitary Fair stamp: unofficial stamps issued by the U.S. Sanitary Fair Commission and considered a forerunner of the Red Cross; 1863, Dec.: first stamps inscribed, Young Ladies of Brooklyn Bazaar.
Sanitatsstempel: (Ger.) postmark that the item has been disinfected.
Sanitorium: with cross of Lorraine, inscription on stamps of Dominican Republic for postal tax.
Sanjak: local overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia; 1990s.
Sans Dinero: (Without Money) South America mythical country.
Sans Valeur: (Fr.) without value overprint, used as a training stamp.
Sans charnière: (Fr.) unhinged.
Sans gomme: (Fr.) ungummed.
Sans-serif type: (without caps or serifs), type without an ornamental projection to one side of a letter, at top or bottom.
Sans: (Fr.) without.
Sant Petersburg: (Rus.) Saint Petersburg, straight line cancel, about 1819-21
Santa Ana la Real: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937.
Santa Claus post: label produced by Dennison, 1908-12.
Santa Claus: childrens stamps; see Toy stamps.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife: largest of the Canary Islands; 1936: Spanish stamps overprinted Viva Espana/18 Julio/1936, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces.
Santa Cruz del Comercio: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937-38.
Santa Fe Express: handwritten marking to indicate mail via the Missouri frontier via a military express.
Santa Landia: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Santa Maria Albarracin: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces,1936.
Santa Maura: aka Lefkas, Greek stamps with Italian overprints are fraudulent; see Lefkas.
Santa: city in Egypt,1879-84, see Interpostal seals.
Santafe: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937-38
Santander: 1: Department in Colombia, formerly a state; stamps issued 1884-1907. 2: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces, 1937 3: Correo Rapido de Santander; local post; 1926-28
Santapola: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Santavakia: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Santi Quaranta: Epirus port bogus overprint on stamps of Italy, 1914.
Santiago de la Espada: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Santim: unit of currency in Hatay.
Santimi, Santims, Santimu: 1923-25; surcharge, stamps of Latvia.
Santisteban del Puerto: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
Santo Domingo: formerly Ciudad Trujillo, Dominican Republic.
Sao Paulo: 1932, Sep.13: stamps issued by revolutionary forces; stamps later recognized by the government for general use.
Sao Tome and Principe: see St. Thomas and Prince Islands.
Saorstát Eireann 1922: overprint on stamps of Great Britain for use in Free State of Ireland, Dec. 1922, 1925-27.
Saouakin: city in Egypt, 1868-82, see Interpostal seals.
Sapozhok: local post; Russian Zemstvo; 1870-1913
Saptamâna: (Rom.) week.
Sapte (Rom.): seven (number).
Saptesprezece: (Rom) seventeen (number).
Saptezeci: (Rom) thirty (number).
Sar.; Sard.: (It.) Kingdom of Sardinia, pre-adhesive postmark.
Sarafou, Principality of: three islands issued labels, 175 leagues from the Phoenix Islands.
Saransk: local post, Russian Zemstvo; 1908
Sarapul: local post, Russian Zemstvo; 1893-94
Saratoff: city in Russia, local post, Russian Zemstvo; 1869-1879
Sarawak: Mad Dogs and Englishman, inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Sarawak: northwest coast of the island of Borneo; currency: 100 cents = 1 dollar 1869, March 1: No.1, 3¢ brown yellow, stamps first issued, British protectorate, 1941, Dec.17-Sept. 11, 1945: Japanese occupation issue, stamps of Sarawak overprinted in Japanese, 1945, Nov.1: British military administration, stamps of Australia used, 1945, Dec. 17: Sarawak stamps overprinted “BMA” (British Military Administration), 1946, April 15: civil government restored, 1946, July 1: first stamp, ceded to Great Britain, became a Crown Colony, 1963, Sept.: joined the Federation of Malaysia, uses their stamps with overprint “Sarawak.”
Sardaigne: (Fr.) Sardinia.
Sardegna: (It.) Sardinia.
Sardin Island: Swiss origin fantasy.
Sardinia, Kingdom of: Kingdom of Savoy, Piedmont and Sardinia; formed in 1815; 1817: world’s first postal stationery, carried by private agencies, each sheet embossed with a figure of a horse and rider, known as “little horses,” 1851, Jan. 1: No.1, 5 centesimi gray-black, first adhesive stamps issued, variations re-issued in 1853, 1854, 1855, 1855: Sardinia issue (imperforate) is identical to first issue of Italy (perforated), 1860: King of Sardinia became King of Italy, Savoy and Nice ceded to France, 1860: states of Italy joined Sardinia; Modena (March 16); Parma (March 18); Tuscany (March 22) and Romagna (March 25), 1861, March 17: became the Kingdom of Italy, 1862: stamps issued as Kingdom of Italy.
Sardinien: (Dan., Ger., Nor., Swed.) Sardinia.
Sargents Express: private mail delivery serviced Boston and Lowell, Mass., used a label, 1850.
Sark: island in English Channel, Guernsey Dependency, 1919-39: used British stamps, 1937: air service to Jersey, 1939 to Guernsey, 1962-1971: local posts.
Sarkari: overprint on stamps of Saurashtra for official use.
Saroelangoen: local overprint for Palembang district of Sumatra; 1942-45.
Sarral: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sarroca: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sase: (Rom.) six (number).
Saseno: island in harbor of Valeno, Albania; currency: 100 centesimi = 1 lira 1914: seized by Italy, 1923, April: Saseno overprint on stamps of Italy, 1947: returned to Albania by the Treaty of Paris.
Sassone: specialized catalogue of Italian area, includes Trieste, San Marino, Vatican and more.
Satang: currency unit in Siam, Thailand.
Satellite Post Office: postal facility that has counter services, accepts mail and packages and sells stamps, but does not have any mailboxes.
Satellite, French A-1; D-1: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1965-66.
Satinado: (Sp.) glazed, glossy.
Satzpreis: (Ger.) price for a complete set.
Satzware: (Ger.) series, stamps in set.
Saudi Arabia: on the Arabian peninsula between Red Sea and Persian Gulf, formerly Al Arabitan as-Saudiyah; currency: 40 paras = 1 piaster = 1 guerche (garch, qirsh), 11 guerche = 1 riyal (1928) 110 guerche = 1 sovereign (1931), 440 guerche = 1 sovereign (1952) 20 piasters (guerche) = 1 riyal (1960), 100 halalas = 1 riyal (1976) 1916: Grand Sherif of Mecca established the Arab State “Sanjak of Hejaz” and “Lawrence of Arabia” drove out the Turks, 1916, Oct.: first stamps issued considered as first issue of Hejaz and forerunner to those of Saudi Arabia, 1917, June 27: first Hejaz postage due stamps, 1921, Dec. 21: stamps for the Kingdom of Hejaz, 1925: No.1, 5 piaster ocher, first issues of the Nejd Administration of Hejaz on Turkish stamps, 1925, April: first Nejdi Administration of Hejaz postage due stamps, 1925: first newspaper stamp; may be unofficial, 1927, Jan. 1: joined the U.P.U. 1932: renamed Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1934, Jan.1: No. 1, 1/4 guerche yellow green, first stamps for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1934, May 15: first postal tax stamp, 1937: first postage due stamp, 1939: first official stamp, 1949: first air mail stamp, see Hejaz-Nejd.
Saudiarabien: (Swed.) Saudi Arabia.
Saugor Island: local post; United Kingdom; rocket dispatch; 1934.
Saunders Express: private mail delivery firm serviced Mass. and N. H.; used labels, 1860s.
Saurashtra: State in India, 1948: United States of Saurashtra formed of 216 former states on the Kathiawar Peninsula of India, 1949-50; stamps issued, 1956: became part of the Bombay State; see Soruth.
Sav.: Savannah (Georgia) pre-adhesive postmark.
Savage Republic: rock band labels.
Savannah, Ga. paid 5, paid 10: see Confederate Postmasters Provisionals.
Savannah, Georgia: occupied by British from 1778 to 1781.
Saventhem: Belgian church fair label.
Saverne: 1: local provisional; France; 1944. 2: Local for Alsace; German occupation; 1944
Savings Stamps: see U. S. War Savings Certificate Stamp.
Savona: Co. Nazionaldi Liberazione; local post; Italian liberation; 1944?
Savory & Co.s Express: private mail and parcel delivery serviced Boston and Salem, Mass.; used labels, 1849-73.
Saw-tooth: roulette type that gives the perforation a saw tooth appearance; British used term when automatic vending machines got out of register with the grips.
Sawins Express: local express firm serviced Boston and Cambridge, Mass., used labels, year unknown.
Saxony: central Germany, German State, aka Sachsen; currency: 10 pfennings = 1 neu-groschen, 30 neu-groschen = 1 thaler 1850, June 29: No.1, 3 pfennings brick red, first stamps issued, inscribed Sachsen, 1850, July: joined the Austro-German Postal Union, 1852-66: used double circle with crossed design as postmark, 1868, Jan. 1: stamps of the North German Confederation, 1871: became part of the German Empire, 1872: stamps of the German Empire, then the Weimar government, followed by stamps of the Third Reich, 1945: Saxony Province; issued “Provinz Sachsen” stamps under Russian occupation, 1945: East Saxony (Dresden) issued stamps under German occupation, 1945: West Saxony (Leipzig) issued local stamps under Russian occupation, 1946, Feb. 12: West Saxony issued semipostal issues under Russian occupation, 1946, Jan 19: Saxony Province; issued semipostal stamp under Russian occupation, subsequently part of the German Democratic Republic.
Sayalonga: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1938
Sayles, Welcome B.: postmaster, Providence, RI, 1844-46, issued Postmasters Provisional stamps.
Scale print: each color printed separately.
Scanalatura: (It.) ribbed.
Scandinavie: (Fr.) Scandinavia.
Scanning marks: refers to electric eye markings, dashes, guides, etc.
Scarab cancel: appears vaguely like a beetle.
Scarab seal: see seal, scarab.
Scarce Plate Number: a plate number that had a limited printing.
Scarpanto: Dodecanese Island, Aegean Sea 1912 - pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, overprint on stamps of Italy, offices in Scarpanto, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1943, Sept.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by Allied forces, 1945, May 21: stamps of Britain overprinted “M.E.F.” (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1946, April 17: British post offices closed, 1947: stamps of Greece overprinted “S.D.D.” (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1947, summer: stamps of Greece used.
Scarpanto: overprint on stamps of Italy, offices in Scarpanto, Aegean Islands; 1912-32
Sceau dNoël: (Fr.) Christmas seal.
Sceau: (Fr.) seal.
Scenic cancellation: Japanese postmark with a graphical representation of a geographical or historical design of cultural significance to the community in which the post office is located.
Scented stamps: Luxembourg had the scent of cinnamon on the selvage of panes of its 2002 Christmas stamp issue.
Sch: (Schilling) currency in German States
Schabatz, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1870s, for middle Danube lines.
Schach: (Ger.) chess (thematic).
Schaden: (Ger.) defect, damage.
Schalterbogen: (Ger.) pane of stamps as sold by the post office.
Scheetzs Celebrated Bitter Cordial: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schenck & Son: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schencks Mandrake Pills: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schencks Pulmonic Syrup: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schermack Company: Schermack Mailing Machine Co., Detroit, Mich., type of interrupted perforation to permit feeding through automatic vending machines. manufacturer of stamp vending machines, 1906-26, to be used with its machine that sealed envelopes and affixed stamps to them; perforations noted for their distinctive long slots.
Schermack perfin: made a series of nine pin holes in US 1908 series postage stamps perforated by Schermack Co. as a security device for its customers against pilferage by dishonest employees; missing pin holes stood for a code assigned to each firm..
Schernikow die proofs: die proofs or essays printed from the original master dies for the 1861 and 1871 issues; printed in ten colors on proof paper, colored card stock and pelure papers; dies acquired by Ernest Schernikow when Philadelphia Bank Note Company went bankrupt; he created breakdown die proofs in order to produce a series of prints showing the development of the design; also known as breakdown die proofs.
Schiavi Press: Multi-Color Corp., subcontractor for American Bank Note Co., prints 19 rows of 36 stamps.
Schiff: (Ger.) ship.
Schiffpost: (Ger.) ship post.
Schiffsbrief: (Ger.) ship letter
Schilling: currency unit in Austria, old German states.
Schlesien: (Ger.) Silesia.
Schleswig Zone 1: Northern zone, to Denmark; 1920 Scott Schleswig 15-28
Schleswig-Holstein: northern Germany, German state; currency: 100 pfennig = 1 mark, 100 ore = 1 krone, 16 schillings = 1 mark 1848-51: autonomous territory, 1864-pre: placed under Danish rule, 1850, Nov. 15: No.1, 1 schilling dull blue, greenish blue, first stamps by revolutionary government, protesting Danish rule, used circle design of bars as postmark, 1851, May 1: Danish rule, Danish stamps used in Schleswig, withdrawn March 31, 1864, 1853, July 1: Danish rule, Danish stamps used in Holstein, withdrawn Feb, 29, 1864, 1864, Aug. 1: Denmark defeated by Prussia and Austria, Schleswig and Holstein each issued own stamps, 1865: combined Duchies issue for both territories, but individual duchies issued own stamps, 1865, Nov.1: Schleswig awarded to Prussia, Holstein to Austria, 1866: Prussia defeated Austria, took over both territories, became province of Prussia, 1866, Nov. Schleswig and Holstein stamps could be used in either duchy, 1868, Jan.1: stamps of the North German Confederation, 1871: stamps of the German Empire, 1920, Jan. 25: stamps inscribed “Slesvig Plebiscit” followed by “1 Zone” and “C.I.S” Commission Interalliee Slesvig, as a result of the plebiscite, North Schleswig became part of Denmark, south Schleswig remaining part of Germany, one set of stamps in German currency and another with values in Danish currency issued, 1920, Jan. 25: No.1, 2 ½ pfennigs gray, 1920s: mourning plebiscite label issued by German stamp dealer Sigmund Hartig. 1920: first official stamp, 1920, July 9: stamps withdrawn from northern zone, replaced with stamps of Denmark.
Schleswig: 1920s: mourning plebiscite label issued by German stamp dealer Sigmund Hartig.
Schleuderflugpost: (Ger.) catapult mail.
Schliersee: city in Germany, local post; 1918-23
Schlitz: (Ger.) slit.
Schloss: (Ger.) castle.
Schmalrandig: (Ger.) with narrow margins.
Schmetterling: (Ger.) butterfly (thematic).
Schmitt & Schmittdiel: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Schmölin: city in Germany, (Express-Packet-Beförderung) local post; 1891.
Schnittmarkierung: (Ger.) guide line printed on sheets for separation into panes.
Schololaden: (Ger.) chocolate (color).
Schongau: displaced persons camp, German, 1946
School stamps: private adhesive stamps used by schools for service payment to and from nearby post offices.
Schottland: (Ger.) Scotland.
Schriftstempel: (Ger.) script cancel.
Schrifttum: (Ger.) literature.
Schriftverkehr: (Ger.) correspondence.
Schroeter Local Post: see Bergen - F. Schroeter Local Post.
Schránka: see Postovní schránka (shránky).
Schutzaufdruck: (Ger.) burelage.
Schutzgebiet: (Ger.) protectorate, colony.
Schutzgebietdruck: (Ger.) colony overprint.
Schwaan: city in Germany, (Privat-Post) local post; 1899-1900
Schwach Gestempelt: (Ger.) lightly cancelled.
Schwacher bug: (Ger.) slight crease.
Schwaren: unit of currency in the German state of Oldenburg.
Schwartz, J. E. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Schwarz: (Ger.) black (color).
Schwarzdruck: (Ger.) black printing.
Schwarzenberg: city in Germany, local post; 1945
Schweden: (Ger.) Sweden.
Schweiz: (Dan., Ger., Nor., Swed.) Switzerland.
Schweizer Post.Vaduz: inscription on local stamp issued by Vaduz municipal council, 1918, to frank mail from Liechtenstein to Sevelen, Switzerland.
Schweizer Reneke: town, southwest of Pretoria, in the Transvaal; 1900, Aug.1- Jan. 9, 1901: town where stamps of Transvaal, and colony of Cape of Good Hope were handstamped Beseiged by British troops.
Schweizisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Swiss.
Schwer Gestempelt: (Ger.) heavily cancelled.
Schwerete: city in Germany, local post ((Private-Brief-Verkehr) 1887-88
Schwindelmarke: (Ger.) bogus stamp.
Schädliche Ausgabe: (Ger.) issued mainly to exploit the collector.
Schätzpreis: (Ger.) see Estimated value.
Schätzung: (Ger.) appraisal.
Schöenebeck/Elbe: city in Germany, (Privatstadtbrief-Beförderung Courier) local post 1895-1900
Schön: (Ger.) fine.
Schönfalz: (Ger.) peelable hinge.
Scientific Expedition stamps: official and unofficial stamps created specially for the use of expeditions.
Scinde District Dawk: first issue of India; India-Scinde District Post.
Scinde: province of Sind in India; 1850: system of camel mail riders introduced, 1852, July 1: established July 1, 1852; using horses and camels, the governor of Sind, established a system of prepaid letter service, stampscalled Scinde Dawks, 1853: the Indian government took over the postal operation for the entire country 1854, Oct. postal service was discontinued; it is now Pakistan.
Scio: city in Egypt (Ottoman Empire); 1868, see Interpostal seals.
Sciupato: (It.) damaged.
Scolorito: (It.) faded (color).
Scooter Messengers: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Scotland local cancellations: undated name stamps used at small post offices from 1854 to 1860.
Scotland: 1840: British stamps valid for postage throughout Great Britain, 1958, Aug. 18: regional stamps inscribed Postage Revenue, except for Machin issues which includes the Lion of Scotland.
Scott Catalogue number: number assigned to a philatelic item by Scott editors according to that publishers criteria for such assignment.
Scott Catalogue: American based stamp catalogs of the world.
Scottish Lion: national symbol of Scotland used in upper right-hand corner of stamps from Scotland.
Scotts Express: local railroad and steamboat baggage delivery serviced Jersey City, N.J., used a label, year unknown.
Scout Post: postal services operated by the scouts, usually in periods of emergency; Mafeking, Prague, Warsaw Ghetto Rising.
Scouts Fund: overprint on stamps of Siam; semipostal.
Scovell, Hezekiah W.: postmaster, Lockport, N.Y., 1846, used oval handstamp as Postmasters Provincial.
Scovill, A.L. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Scrambled Indicia®: A patented process that conceals encoded text or graphics within the visible design. These hidden images can only be viewed through a special lens, the Stamp Decoder™, available from the U.S. Postal Service.
Scrambled indicia: name given to hidden encoded imagery used on U. S. stamps; see Decoder, Encoded Designs; Stamp decoder.
Scrape: an abrasion of the stamp surface which removes or moves paper fiber.
Scratchboard: technique in stamp production that looks like traditional line engraving.
Screened Tagging: made of thin lines, or a dot pattern that appears to be lines, when seen with low magnification.
Screw press: press pressure applied by turning of a screw-threaded bar.
Scrim envelopes: Palestine Postal Authority scrim-lined linen envelopes ordered in 1921
Script: a type-face resembling handwriting.
Scrisorei: Romania Moldavia-Wallachia.
Scroll: 1: curved device located within frame of some stamps. 2: British postmark with a curved name panel instead of the circular date stamp. 3: nickname for scroll with word Canada at the top of each design, starting August 1928..
Scudo: currency unit in the Roman States.
Scum: colored flaw.
Scutari di Albania: (Town of Albania) northern part of Albania; 1479-1913: under Turkish rule, 1909-16: No.1, 10 paras on 5c green, “Scutari di Albania” surcharge on stamps of Italy in Turkish currency, Offices in Turkey, 1914: “Scutari-Skadar” postmark on stamps of Montenegro and Albania, 1918-19: occupied by Allied forces, fiscal stamps of Austria overprinted “Posta Shkodres Shqypnis,” see Italian Offices in Turkish Empire.
Scutit de taxe postale: (Rom.) post-free.
SdeB: Samuel DeBinder, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
Se faner: (Fr.) faded (color).
Se-tenant (Seten,): (Fr.) (joined together), two or more unseparated stamps having different colors, denominations, or designs.
Se-tenant: French for joined together. Two or more unseparated stamps of different designs, colors, denominations or types.
Sea Floor Bahamas: cancel on mail posted in the bathysphere at the bottom of the sea in Nassau Marine Garden, Aug. 1939.
Sea Islands: bogus, labels, year, source unknown
Sea Mail: paquebot marking.
Sea horses: nickname for the British King George V high value stamps of 1913-34.
Seabury & Johnson: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Seal, charity: Christmas and Easter seals, not valid for postage.
Seal, dead letter: seal used to seal letters that were opened to find a forwarding address.
Seal, disinfection: letter was opened in the disinfection center, exposed to sulfur fumes and re- sealed with an official seal confirming that the mail piece received this disinfection treatment.
Seal, lead: lead used to seal a letter into which was pressed the senders distinctive mark; high government officials used lead as the sealant
Seal, letter: usually round, may be embossed; used by government departments and private firms as a form of advertising.
Seal, official: U.S. Post Office Department, in 1877, used official seals to reseal undeliverable letters; they do not pay postage.
Seal, registry: used to seal registered mail.
Seal, scarab: seal carvings engraved on the flat surface of stone scarabs, the emblem of the sacred beetle, and used as rings or fitted into handles and used to impress sealing wax on papyrus as authentication of a message.
Seal, wafer: In 13th century Venice, messages were folded and tied with string; the string ends were adhered to the letter with a blob of sealing wax, overlaid with a small piece of paper, called a wafer, this was inserted into a rudimentary form of a press, which then sealed the paper into the seal attached to the letter.
Seal, wax: formerly, molten wax sealed a letter into which was pressed the senders distinctive seal.
Seal: 1: an ornamental paper stamp, such as a Christmas seal; a cinderella. 2: a design, initial or other device placed on a document or letter as a signature or proof of authenticity. 3: letter seals of Egypt, 1932, for use by British forces in Egypt for lower rate on letters to G.B; replaced in 1936 by the Army Post stamps.
Sealand: Great Britain fantasy country, made from abandoned WW II concrete platform made into kingdom; source unknown.
Sealed coil: a full roll of coil stamps that is in the original condition as sold at the post office.
Seapost: operations and markings of governmental postal employees operating a post office aboard a seagoing ship on a route where a fixed schedule is maintained.
Search fee: New York City postmaster held mail addressed to countries that were invaded by Germany in WW II, advertised in newspapers that for a fee, based on time, held mail would be searched for letters which senders wanted returned; postage due stamps were affixed to the letters when returned to sender.
Seasonal gum: gum formula calculated to make the gum resistant to the weather and atmospheric conditions.
Seasons Greetings: U.S. undenominated stamp, valued 20¢, placed on sale Oct. 28, 1981.
Seaway Invert: variety of the 1959 issue printed upside down.
Seaway Issue: The St. Lawrence Seaway issue of Canada; famous because of inverted center.
Sebastopol: bogus Ukranian local overprint.
Secap: Societé dEtudes et de Construction dAppareils de Précision (Fr.) French postage meter firm, 1994.
Secheresse Solidarite Africane: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Gabon, 1973, for African solidarity in drought emergency.
Second Bureau Issue: second set of definitive stamps issued by the BEP, 1902.
Second Class Mail: former name of Periodicals-Class Mail.
Second Day: ceremony conducted by postal officials on the day after stamp issuance, in locations different than the first day of issue city.
Second Issue revenues: enacted Dec. 25, 1862, where any type of stamp could be used to indicate the prepayment of any U.S. tax, featured state seal medallions for the engraved central designs.
Second day cover: cover postmarked on the day following the First Day of Issue; popular in the 1940s when the stamps were available at the Philatelic Agency in Washington, DC on the second day.
Second issue: replacement for first issues of U.S. revenue stamps, slightly different than first issue; most printed with blue frames and black vignettes; 1871.
Secondaire (Collection): (Fr.) sideline or secondary (collection).
Secours Guerche: inscription on postal tax stamp, Saudi Arabia.
Secours National: (Fr.) (National Relief) overprint on stamps of French Colonies semipostals.
Secours aux Refugies: refugee relief inscription, with airlaine, on 1925-31 stamps of Syria.
Secours aux Victims de la Guerre: Relief for victims of the war inscription on stamps of Haiti semipostals.
Secours: Relief used on stamps of Saudi Arabia semipostals.
Secret Marks: Many stamps have included tiny reference points in their designs to foil attempts at counterfeiting and to differentiate issues.
Secret Marks: Reference area in a stamps design to foil attempts at counterfeiting and to differentiate issues.
Secret mark: 1: identification mark, not easily seen in the stamp design. 2: marks placed on dies of U.S. stamps which the National bank Note Co. turned over to its successor, the Continental Bank Note Co, in 1873.
Sector: the sixth and seventh digits of a ZIP + 4 code; it is a geographic portion of a ZIP Code area or a rural route, several blocks or a large building, part of a post office box section, or an official designation; see Segment.
Security Services: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Security overprint: applied to a stamp with the specific purpose of discouraging forgery.
Security paper: various types of paper used to prevent stamp counterfeiting.
Security watermark: used to guard against postal misuse.Sedang: fantasy stamp of Annam Kingdom; IndoChina, 1899; by Marie David de Mayrena, considered a classic bogus issue.
Sedavi: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sede vacante: vacant see , period between the death of an religious ruler and appointment of his successor; Vatican City overprint, inscription.
Sedella: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937
Sedfa: city in Egypt; 1884, see Interpostal seals.
Sedocerná: (Czech.) grey-black (color).
Sedofiolová: (Czech.) grey-violet, grey-purple (color).
Sedohnedá: (Czech.) grey-brown (color).
Sedomodrá: (Czech.) grey-blue (color).
Sedoolivová: (Czech.) grey-olive (color).
Sedozelená: (Czech.) grey-green (color).
Sedá: (Czech.) grey (color).
Seebeck: The nickname for various Latin American issues produced 1890-99 in contract with Nicholas Frederick Seebeck, the agent for the Hamilton Bank Note Company of New York. Seebeck agreed to provide new issues of stamps and stationery each year at no charge, in return for the right to sell remainders and reprints to collectors. The resulting furor destroyed Seebeck and blackened the philatelic reputations of the countries involved.
Seebecks: a nickname given to certain issues of Ecuador (1892-96), Honduras (1890-99), Nicaragua (1890-99) and Salvador (1890-99). Nicholas Frederick Seebeck, as agent for the Hamilton Bank Note Company, printed stamps for these countries at no charge in exchange for the right to sell remainders and reprints to stamp collectors.
Seedorf: displaced person camp, Germany; 1946.
Seelye, Dr. D. H. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Seepost stempel: (Ger.) sea mail cancel.
Sefkat Pullari: Turkey postal tax.
Segment: the eighth and ninth digits of a ZIP + 4 code; a specific block , apartment house bank of boxes, a firm, a floor in a large building, or other specific location; see Sector.
Segnatasse: (It.) Sign Tax postage due stamps of Italian Colonies, Italy, San Marino, Vatican; 1863-69.
Segno di Controllo: (It.) control mark.
Segno di garanzia: (It.) marking applied to stamps by the issuing agency indicting that the stamp is genuine and valid for postal use; also experts mark.
Segno segreto: (It.) secret identification mark, not easily seen in the stamp design.
Segorbe: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Segovia: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces 1936-38
Seguis: (Sp.) applied to forgeries produced by Sr. Segui.
Segunda Republica: (Sp.) The 2nd Spanish Republic of 1931.
Seguro Postal: (Sp.) Safe Post inscription on stamps of Mexico for insured letter stamps.
Seguro Social del Campesino: (Sp.) Social and Rural Workers Insurance Fund overprint on Ecuador postal tax stamps.
Seid eining, einig, einig!: (Ger.) Be One, One, One inscription on Germany stamp as propaganda for union of North and South Germany, 1900.
Seidenfaden: (Ger.) silk thread.
Seite: (Ger.) side, page.
Seiyun, Kathiri State of: see Aden.
Sejm Wilnie: (Lith.) inscription on stamps of Central Lithuania (Litwa Srodkowa) for opening of national parliament at Vilna, 1922.
Sejour: residence permit; French Colonies revenue inscription
Sekajoe: local overprint; Japanese occupation Palembang district, Sumatra; 1942-45.
Seks: (Dan., Nor.) six (number).
Seksstripe: (Nor.) strip-of-6.
Seksten: (Dan.) sixteen (number).
Seksti: (Nor.) sixty (number).
Selangor: Malaya; on west coast of the Malay Peninsula; 1878: No.1, 2¢ brown, an overprint on stamps of Straits Settlements,”S” in a circle, stamps were for local postage only; used in combination with stamps of Straits Settlements for overseas mail until 1891, 1881: Selangor inscribed in stamps, 1895: joined the Federated Malay States, 1900: used Federated Malay States issues, 1935, Dec. 2: name Malaya used on stamps, 1942, May-1945: Japanese characters and “Dai Nippon 2062 Malaya” and “Dai Nippon Yubin” (Japanese Postal Service 1942) overprint, 1942-48: stamp shortage caused stamps of Selanger to be used in other states, 1948, Dec. 1: first stamp, 1949, Sept. 12: first definitive, 1957: stamps of the Malayan Federation used along with those of Selanger, 1963, Sept.: became part of the new Federation of Malaysia, 1965, Nov. 15: used designs of Johore, inscribed Selangor, on stamps of Malaysia.
Selantan: South Moluccas (unrecognized issue).
Selbstklebende marken: (Ger.) self-adhesive stamps.
Selbstklebepostkarte: (Ger.) self-adhesive postcard; see Folded Business Card.
Selective block tagging: untagged area on printed stamps permits the cancellation ink to permeate the stamp paper to help prevent illegal use.
Self Government 1947: overprint on stamps of Malta to commemorate the granting of the constitution in 1947.
Self-adhesive Stamp: A stamp with a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
Self-adhesive stamp (S/A): adhesive on stamp back that does not have to be moistened to adhere to paper, also known as pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA); stay tacky at room temperature and require a silicone coated paper to facilitate their use, do not require licking to activate, first used by Sierra Leone on Feb. 10, 1964, US in 1974.
Self-service registration stamps: German Democratic Republic issued registration labels with a fee for special handling, 1967-68.
Self-service: term applied to covers that have been serviced, such as getting own cancels, applying stamps, etc., by collectors themselves.
Sellers commission: pre-determined commission or fee deducted from the final price of the lot and kept by the auctioneer as part of the commission for selling the lot.
Selling Price: the price a seller can realize from the sale of a philatelic item.
Sello 10 A 1896Y97: overprint or alone on stamps of Fernando Po for revenue use.
Sello Postal: overprint on demonitzed issues of Nicaragua to validate issue for use.
Sello ano 100: (Sp.) jubilee (century).
Sello aéreo: (Sp.) airmail stamp.
Sello commemorativo: (Sp.) commemorative stamp.
Sello da Tasa: (Sp.) postage due.
Sello de Admisión: (Sp.) admission stamp.
Sello de Aviso de Recibo: (Sp.) stamp issued as a prepayment fee as an acknowledgment of receipt of a registered package.
Sello de Ciudad Postal: (Sp.) city post stamp.
Sello de Correo Aéreo Semioficial: (Sp.) issued privately, but accepted by the postal agency. Buffalo Balloon stamp is an example.
Sello de Correo Carlista: (Sp.) Carlist stamp of Spain.
Sello de Cuoto tardio: (Sp.) late fee stamp indicating payment of a special fee for forwarding a mail piece after the regular mail has been closed; also known as supplementary mail.
Sello de Navidad: (Sp.) Christmas seal.
Sello de Recargo: (Sp.) stamp used in payment of postal tax in addition to normal postage.
Sello de Urgencia: (Sp.) special delivery stamp.
Sello de beneficencia: (Sp.) charity, or semi-postal stamp.
Sello de certificado: (Sp.) registration stamp.
Sello de correos de campaña: (Sp.) field post stamp.
Sello de corro maritimo: (Sp.) ships post.
Sello de derechos consulares: (Sp.) consular fee stamp; Tangiers, 1939 with overprint.
Sello de devolucion: (Sp.) stamp used in fee payment for the return of an undelivered letter.
Sello de entraga autorizaro por paquetes postales: (Sp.) authorized deliverystamp, parcel post
Sello de entrage autorizaro por carta: (Sp.) authorized delivery stamp, correspondence.
Sello de franqueo insuficiente: (Sp.) postage due stamp.
Sello de giro (postal): (Sp.) money order stamp.
Sello de guerra: (Sp.) war stamp, stamp issued during war conditions.
Sello de impuesto: (Sp.) tax stamp.
Sello encapsulado: (Sp.) encased postage stamp.
Sello falso: (Sp.) forgery.
Sello fiscal: (Sp.) revenue stamp.
Sello negro: (Sp.) handstamp with arms of Castille & Leon on official letters in earl 18th century.
Sello para Periódicos: (Sp.) newspaper stamp.
Sello para cartas retardadas: (Sp.) too late stamp.
Sello pegado al sobre: (Sp.) stamp on cover.
Sello tipo: (Sp.) definitive stamp.
Sello: (Sp.) 1: postage stamp. 2: seal (philatelic).
Sellos de Correos-Resena Historica: (Sp.) private issue, Spain, by A. Duro, 1881.
Sellos sobre fragmento: (Sp.) stamps on piece.
Selma, Ala. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters Provisionals.
Selma, Ala.: see Confederate States of America, 3¢ 1861 Postmasters Provisionals.
Selten: (Ger.) rare, scarce.
Selvage (Selvedge): the unprinted paper on the edge or margin of a sheet of stamps.
Selvage: The unprinted marginal paper on a sheet or pane of stamps.
Selwyn College: local, United Kingdom, Cambridge, 1882.
Sem denteaçâo: (Port.) imperforate.
Sembellawin: city in Egypt; 1879-84, see Interpostal seals.
Semblable: (Fr.) similar.
Semenov, Gen.: stamps of Russia surcharged under generals occupation.
Semeuse camée: (Fr.) sower on solid background.
Semeuse lignée: (Fr.) sower on lined background.
Semi-gloss gum: moisture activated stamp adhesive; displays a moderate degree of light reflection, aka Low Gloss or Satin Gum.
Semi-official air mail stamp: private firms operating air services carried mail and some issued their own private labels to indicate payment of the air mail fee; in addition to the normal postage as indicated on government postage stamp.
Semi-official: stamps used in connection with private postal use, but having official sanction such as the railway letter fee stamps of England, or the U.S. Buffalo Balloon covers where their delivery started in a private balloon and taken to the nearest post office where it continued on to its destination courtesy of the U.S. Mails.
Semipostal: Stamp sold at a surcharge over postal value. The additional charge is for a special purpose. Usually recognized by the presence of two (often different) values, separated by a + sign, on a single stamp.
Semipostal: an additional monetary value, called a surcharge, devoted to a specific non-postal purpose such as the Red Cross; the surcharge has no postal validity and is usually separated from the official postal value with a + sign, aka Charity Stamps.
Semlin, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1840s, for middle Danube lines.
Sen: currency unit in Indonesia, Japan, Malaya, Malaysia, Ryukyu Islands and West Irian.
Senalguacil: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces, 1937
Senant: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
Sendung: (Ger.) sending, consignment.
Sene: unit of currency in Western Samoa.
Senegal Gum: gum from the acacia plant, shrub or tree collected in the Senegal district.
Senegal, Upper and Niger: 1903-pre: stamps of French Sudan, 1904: French West Africa colony established to replace Senegambia and Niger, 1906-14: first stamps inscribed Haut Senegal et Niger, postmarks read Ht Senegal et Niger, and in Niger Territoire Militaire du Niger, 1920: stamps overprinted for French Sudan when name changed.
Senegal, Upper and Niger: Northwest Africa; 1903-pre: stamps of French Sudan, 1904: French West Africa colony established to replace Senegambia and Niger, 1906: No.1, 1 centimes slate, first stamps inscribed “Haut Senegal et Niger,” postmarks read “Ht Senegal et Niger,” and in Niger “Territoire Militaire du Niger,” 1906: postage due stamp issued, 1915: semipostal stamp issued, 1921:issues for French Sudan resumed, stamps overprinted, 1933: part of Upper Volta added; see French Sudan, Mali, Federation of.
Senegal: west coast of Africa, bordering on the Atlantic Ocean; official name of postal administration: La Poste currency: 100 centimes = 1 CFA franc 1859: used French Colonies General Issues with lozenge of dots reading “GOR” or “SEN,” 1887: No.1, 5 centimes on 20¢ red, French rule, stamps for the French colonial general issue surcharged, 1892: Commerce and Navigation stamps inscribed “Senegal & Dependances,” 1903: first postage due stamp, 1906 Upper Senegal and Niger, 1915: first semipostal stamp, 1924: Dakar made a special territory, 1935: stamps just used name “Senegal;” first air mail stamp, 1939: first air mail semipostal stamps, 1943: former French colony of Senegal became part of French West Africa, stamps of Senegal surcharged for use there, 1944-1959: used the stamps of French West Africa, 1946: Dakar reunited with Senegal, 1958, Nov. 25: Republic of Senegal established, 1959, April 4-June 20, 1960: united with the Sudanese Republic to form Mali Federation, 1960, Aug. 20: became Republic of Senegal, Sudanese Republic stayed as the Mali Federation, Senegal resumed issuing its own stamps, 1961, Sept. 18: first official stamp, 1961, June 14: joined the U.P.U.; 1981, Dec.: Senegal agreed to merge with the Gambia to form Senegambia; see French Sudan, Senegambia and Niger.
Senegambia and Niger: French administrative unit for the Senegal and Niger possessions in Africa; now Republic of Mali, currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1903-pre: used stamps of French Sudan, 1903, July: No.1, 1 centime black, Commerce and Navigation key type inscribed “Senegambie et Niger,” 1904: became part of the French Sudan; name changed to Upper Senegal and Niger; stamps inscribed “Haut-Sénégal-Niger,” 1920: colony became French Sudan, later the Republic of Mali,1930-36: used French keytypes; see Niger.
Senegambia: 1982, Feb.1.: Republic of Senegal and The Gambia merged.
Senegambie et Niger: (Fr.) Senegambia and Niger, 1903.
Sengi: currency unit in Zaire.
Senit: currency unit in Tonga.
Sennar: city in Egypt; 1879-80, see Interpostal seals.
Sennett Security Products: printer of U.S. postage stamps.
Sensitized paper: stamp paper covered with a light-sensitive mixture, used for the siege of Mafeking, 1900.
Sent: currency unit in Estonia.
Sentimo: currency unit it the Philippines.
Sentrering: (Nor.) centering.
Senza gomma: (It.) ungummed.
Senza linguella: (It.) hingeless.
Seoul: also known as Soul, South Korea.
Sep(s): separation(s)
Separated: torn apart by separating the perforations; Abgetrennt (Ger.)
Separations: the method employed in which stamps are separated from one another; perforations are a form of separations.
Sepia die (inspection) proof: French-area countries proof printed in sepia color only; made on thinner paper than artist die proofs and contain only a single stamp impression, with three hole punches (diamond, crescent, diamond).
Sepia: (Eng., Ger., Fr., Sp.) dark reddish-brown color.
Seppia: (It.) dark reddish-brown color.
Septembrie: (Rom.) September.
Serapoum: city in Egypt; 1868-71, see Interpostal seals.
Serbes: overprint on France for Serbia, 1916-18.
Serbia and Montenegro: southeast Europe, between Albania, Bosnia and Herzegoovina; Currency: 100 heller = 1 krone, 1 dinar = 100 paras (Serbia), Euro (Montenegro) 1866: No.1, 1 para dark green, depicting coat of arms, stamps issued as Principality of Serbia, 1874: Serbia was an original member of the General Postal Union, 1875, July 1: joined the UPU, 1878: Became independent of Turkey, 1882: Kingdom declared, 1895: First postage due stamp, 1911: First newspaper stamp, 1912-1913: Balkan War: Annexed territories used regular Serbian stamps, 1914: Serb nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, start of WWI, 1915-1918: First World War - occupied by Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria, Austria used stamps of Bosnia overprinted “Serbien,” 1916-1918: Serbian Government in Exile on Corfu, used French stamps overprinted “Postes Serbes,” applied after stamps were on a cover, 1918: Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes formed, 1919, May 5: overprinted stamps used in occupied Baranya, Hungary, 1919, May 10: overprinted stamps used in occupied Temesvar, Hungary, 1919: Serbia combined with Montenegro, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Croatia, Dalmatia and Slovenia to form the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1920: Stamps of Yugoslavia used, 1921, Dec. 24: rejoined the UPU as Kingdom of Serbs, Croates and Slovenes, 1929, Oct. 3: name officially changed to Yugoslavia, rejoined the UPU; 1941: Yugoslavia invaded by the Axis powers, Serbia occupied by Germany, stamps of Yugoslavia overprinted “Serbien,” 1941, Sept. 22: first occupation semipostal stamp, 1941: first occupation air mail, postage due stamps, 1943: first occupation official stamp, 1945: Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia proclaimed; consists of Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia, 1991: disintegration of Yugoslavia; remaining area known as Federal Republic of Yugoslavia consisting of Serbia & Montenegro, Macedonia, 1992: Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence, Serbia and Montenegro declared itself as Federal Republic of Yugslavia, 1998: province of Kosovo in Serbia revolted, 2001, June 18: rejoined the UPU as Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kosovo governed by U.N. Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UMIK)., 2003, Feb. 4: rejoined the UPU as Federation of Serbia & Montenegro, 2003, Apr. 3: first stamps from new republic, 2003, Aug. 27: first stamps with two currencies, dinar and euro; see Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbian Occupation of Hungary: 1919: stamps of Hungary overprinted for use in Baranya, stamps of Hungary surcharged for use in Temesvar.
Serbie: (Fr.) Serbia.
Serbien: 1. (Dan., Ger., Swed.) Serbia. 2. overprint on stamps of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Austrian Occupation, World War 1. 3. overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia, German Occupation of Serbia, 1941.
Serbienisk: (Dan.) Serbian.
Serbisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Serbian.
Serbmit Sirap a Yruam: Timbres Maury a Paris, backwards, inscription on labels of a stamp dealer.
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Kingdom of the: Yugoslavia 1-62 1921-28
Serbska: Serbian held Bosnia; 1992.
Serge Beaune: multi color printing principle of Giori and similar presses.
Seri Pervas, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built 1839, for Levant lines; re-named Baron Stuermer, then Persia, built 1839.
Serial number: postal administration method of control and checking stamp issue; usually applied in margins or on labels; also used on registration labels or other methods for recorded delivery.
Serie: (Czech., Fr., It., Sp., Swed.) set, series.
Serienstempel: (Ger.) machine cancel.
Series of 1894: nickname; see First Bureau Issue.
Series of 1902: nickname; see Second Bureau Issue.
Series of 1908: nickname; see Washington-Franklins.
Series of 1922: nickname; see Fourth Bureau Issue.
Series of 1938: nickname; see Presidential Series (Prexies).
Series: A number of individual stamps or sets of stamps having a common purpose or theme, issued over an extended periods of time (generally a year or more), including all variations of design and/or denomination.
Series: a set of stamps with various denominations such as the National Parks issue, may be released to or added to over a period of years.
Serif type: type with an ornamental projection to one side of a letter, at top or bottom.
Serpentine roulette: perforation as deep continuous S-shaped, looks like waves, cuts.
Serpentine: Wavy line impressed into paper between stamps in place of perforations, allowing for separation.
Serrated roulette: perforation as triangular cuts.
Service Franco: official stamps of Iran
Service Postal Aerienne: (Fr.) French Morocco, airmails
Service Two Annas: surcharge on official stamps of India.
Service cover: postal item sent on active service, with relevant postmarks.
Service de lEtat: State Service inscription on stamps of Egypt, 1893 for official use.
Service de la Societe des Nations: (Fr.) League of Nations overprint on stamps of Switzerland, 1923-44.
Service des Postes Persanes: (Fr.) official stamps of Iran.
Service des Postes sur le Chemin de Fer: (Fr.) railway mail service, Belgium, initiated 1841.
Service indicator: inscription included in the design of a stamp to indicate category of postal service to be rendered such as Bulk Mail Rate.
Service inscribed: term used for wording on a stamp to identify the service for which the stamp was designed; such as Bulk Rate, etc.
Service overprint: postage stamp overprinted, with the word service or the initials of a military force, for exclusive use by military personnel, often outside country of issue.
Service stamps: name used for Official Mail handstamp of a government agency, or their agents; first issued by Switzerland for the Universal Postal Union in 1957.
Service watermark: originally intended for the exclusive use of the USPS, but also used for regular envelopes issued to the public.
Service with a smile: slogan of the Rural Free Delivery carrier
Service: 1: overprint on Bangladesh official stamps, 1973-94; See Bangladesh. 2: no country name; overprint on revenue stamps of British India and Pakistan for official use, 1866. 3. used as an abbreviation for On Government Service to indicate official mail use only. 4. the act of affixing a stamp to a cover and having it canceled. 5. overprint on stamps of India for official use of International Commission Vietnam, August 1, 1966.
Service: 1: used as an abbreviation for On Government Service to indicate official mail use only. 2: the act of affixing a stamp to a cover and having it cancelled.
Servicer: person who performs the act of servicing; usually done on a commercial basis; see Service.
Services Consulaires: (Fr.) consular service for revenue issues.
Servicio Aereo Exterior: (Sp.) Foreign Air Service Spanish language countries.
Servicio Aereo Habilitado: (Sp.) overprint on stamps of Honduras, officials made valid for air mail use.
Servicio Aereo Interior: (Sp.) Domestic Air Service Spanish language countries
Servicio Aereo Internacional: (Sp.) International Air Service Honduras airmails
Servicio Aereo Sobretase: (Sp.) Air Service Argentina
Servicio Aereo: (Sp.) Air Service Spanish language countries
Servicio Bolivariano de Transportes Aeros: (Sp.) Colombia airmail.
Servicio Centro Americano: (Sp.) Central American Service Nicaragua airmails
Servicio Ecuador de Transportes Aeros: (Sp.) Ecuador airmail.
Servicio Interno: (Sp.) Internal Service overprint on stamps of Guatemala.
Servicio Ordinario: (Sp.) Ordinary Serviceoverprint on stamps of air mail stamps of Nicaragua, validating airmails for regular use.
Servicio Postal Aéreo: (Sp.) Air Mail Service Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Uruguay airmails
Servicio Postal Mexicana: (Sp.) Mexico Postal Service
Servicio Postal del Salvador: (Sp.) El Salvador Postal Service
Servicio de Alcance: (Sp.) inscription meaning late fee but used for the Too late fee.
Servicio de Transportes Aeros en Colombia: (Sp.) Colombia airmail.
Servicio del Estado: (Sp.) State Serviceoverprint on stamps of Chile, official use.
Servicio oficial: (Sp.) Official Service inscription/overprint on stamps of Paraguay, Peru and Ecuador.
Servico Postal India Port: inscription on stamps of Portuguese India, 1871.
Servizio Sospeso: (It.) service suspended, applied on mail sent from Italy to a foreign nation, after its surrender to occupation forces, WW II.
Servizio di Stato: (It.) State Service Italian language countries, airmail officials
Servizio pacchi postali: (It.) parcel post.
Serviço Aereo: (Port.) air mail surcharge on stamps of Brazil, 1927.
Sesquicentennial: stamps marking the 150th anniversary of an event or date.
Set solid: printing term for sheets of stamps printed in a format so that they are not separated into panes by gutters.
Set-off: when freshly printed sheets are stacked before the ink is completely dry and transfers to the gummed side of the sheet directly above it.
Set: 1: a series of stamps with similarity in design or purpose. 2: stamp production term of composing type or the arrangement of cliches so that sheet of stamps can be printed in that arrangement. 3: serie (Fr., It., Sp.); satz (Ger.).
Set: A unit of stamps issued for a common purpose, either at one time or over an extended period, embracing a common design or theme.
Seta, hongo: (Sp.) mushrooms (thematic).
Seten: (Fr.) se-tenant.
Setting error: occurs when a cliche is inserted sideways or upside down in relation to the rest of the plate.
Setting: the exact geometrical arrangement of the type used for an overprint.
Seu dUrgell: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
Seul (timbre): (Fr.) single (stamp).
Sev. Zap. Armia: (Cyrillic) Severo-Zapadnaya Armia; Northwest Army.
Sev.: (Sp.) Seville, city in Spain; pre-adhesive postmark.
Sevastopol: surcharge on stamps of Russia during the occupation of Gen. Wrangels army, 1920.
Seven stars: Cook Islands Federation 1892 issue with seven star design in center.
Sever, Severni: (Czech.) North.
Sever: (Czech.) North.
Severn & Wye & Severn Bridge Railway: British railway local post.
Severn & Wye Joint Railway: British railway local post.
Severni Amerika: (Czech.) North America.
Severni Amerika: (Czech.) North America.
Severni Irsko: (Czech.) Northern Ireland.
Severni Irsko: (Czech.) Northern Ireland.
Severni Korea: (Czech.) North Korea (Peoples Democratic Republic of Korea).
Severni Korea: (Czech.) North Korea (People’s Democratic Republic of Korea).
Severni Mariánské Ostrovy: (Czech.) Northern Mariana Islands.
Severni Mariánské Ostrovy: (Czech.) Northern Mariana Islands.
Severni Rhodésie: (Czech.) Northern Rhodesia.
Severni Rhodésie: (Czech.) Northern Rhodesia.
Severni Vietnam: (Czech.) North Vietnam.
Severni Vietnam: (Czech.) North Vietnam.
Severni: (Czech.) North.
Severovychod : ( Czech.) Northeast.
Severovychod: (Czech.) Northeast.
Severozápad : ( Czech.) Northwest.
Severozápad: (Czech.) Northwest.
Sevilla-Barcelona: (Sp.) Spain, 1929
Seville: 1: city in Spain, local post, Civil War, Nationalist and Republican forces, 1936. 2: overprint Viva España Julio-1936 on stamps of Spain for city of Seville, 1936.
Sewing machine perforation: rows of holes used for the separation of stamps actually done by an actual sewing machine; result is a pin roulette.
Sexagenary 1897: overprint on stamps of Leeward islands for 60th year of Queen Victorias reign.
Sexfärgstryck: (Swed.) see Tryck - Sexfärgs.
Seychellerna: (Swed.) the Seychelles Islands.
Seychelles: British group of about 100 islands off the east coast of Africa; currency: 100 cents = 1 rupee 1811: administered by Britain as a dependency of Mauritius, 1861-90: used stamps of Mauritius, 1890, April 5: No.1, 2¢ green and rose, British colonial key type design, 1903, Aug. 31: became a British Crown Colony, 1951, March 1: first postage due stamp, 1975, Oct.: internal self-government, 1976, June 29: became independent, 1977, Oct. 7: joined the U.P.U.; see Zil Elwannyen Sesel.
Seychelley: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book, Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
Seyham, Turkey: now Adana;
Señal de charnela: (Sp.) hinge mark.
Sfor-Bosnia: bogus Russian issue.
Sha-Si: local post; Central China; 1949
Shackleton-Rowatt Expedition: stamps printed by Great Britain in 1922 but canceled due to death of Shackleton.
Shade: The minor variation commonly found in any basic color. Shades are usually accorded catalog status when they are very distinctive.
Shade: gradation in depth of tone causing differences in the color of a stamp.
Shaded letter type: usually a letter with a white outline and a black shadow.
Shadrinsk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1869-1917.
Shagiv: currency unit in the Ukraine and Western Ukraine.
Shahi: currency unit in Afghanistan and Iran.
Shahpura: State in India, 1914-28
Shakers: Shaker town postmarks, can be found spelled as 3 mo. 16, 56
Shakespeare: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1964.
Shako: British letter carrier cap with a cloth covered peak at the back and a drop front peak of glazed leather; replaced with a normal peaked cap in 1932
Shakspeare Penny Memorial: 1864-65, inscription on label to arise funds for a memorial, name misspelled.
Shan States: eastern states of Burma, 1942, Aug.: Japanese Military Government used own stamps, 1943, Dec. 24: stamps overprinted for use throughout country, Sc Burma 2N51-57
Shanghai L.P.O.: Local Post Office inscription on stamps of Shanghai.
Shanghai Local Post: Treaty Port, Shanghai, 1890-98.
Shanghai Municipality: Shanghai international Municipal Council.
Shanghai surcharges: overprints on the U.S. Washington-Franklin series, authorized in1919 for use in the American postal agency in Shanghai when the Chinese rate became erratic.
Shanghai, U.S. Postal Agency: 1868, July 27: authorized by Act of Congress, used U.S. stamps overprinted Shanghai China, 1907, Sept. 25: postal agent appointed replacing U.S. Consul at Shanghai, 1919: U.S. Post Office established, 1922, Dec. 31: U.S. discontinued operation.
Shanghai/China: overprint on stamps of the United States, Offices in China.
Shanghai: Mail Bus, Jin Ang Railway Station, Talking Shop inscriptions, unissued Great Britain cinderellas by David Horry, 2001.
Shanghai: city in Kiangsu Province, China; currency: 16 cash = 1 candareen, 100 candareens = 1 tael, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1890) 1843: British settlement founded, followed by France, United States, and other foreign settlements, 1864, postal service organized with agencies in 16 cities, 1865: No.1, 2 candareen black, first municipal or local stamps, 1866-69, 1873: stamps printed in Britain, 1892: first postage due stamp, 1898: postal system merged into the Imperial Service,1919-22: U.S.A. overprinted and surcharged its stamps for use in Shanghai, 1922-pre: stamps of Hong Kong overprinted “China” in use until 1922, 1922: currently uses general issues of China. 1940: regional surcharge on stamps of China.
Shansi: province in northeast China; part of the Northwest China Liberation area, used rebel stamps prior to the formation of the Peoples republic of China; Japanese occupation; China 5N
Shantung: province of the Peoples Republic of China; 1: Japanese occupation, 1941-45 China 6N. 2: Shantung Pohoi Post; local post, 1946-49. 3: Shantung Post; local post 1945-49 SC China 5L1-5L9. 4: Shantung Wartime Post; local post, 1942-49
Sharjah and Dependencies: Oman Peninsula, Persian Gulf Sheikdom; one of the United Arab Emirates; currency: 100 naya paise = 1 rupee 1963, July 10: No.1, 1 naye paise light blue-green and pink, first stamp, first air mail stamp, 1963--72: issued 1,200 different stamps, not including imperforate and souvenir sheets, 1964: stamped printed in Egypt inscribed “Government of Sharjah and Dependencies,” 1965-69: Khor Fakkan enclave had own stamps, supposedly valid throughout Sharjah 1965, Jan. 13: first official stamp, 1966, Nov. 22.: some previous issues reissued with new riyal currency 1971, Dec. 2: one of six Persian Gulf Sheikdoms to join United Arab Emirates, which proclaimed independence, 1972: used stamps of the United Arab Emirates, see Trucial States, United Arab Emirates.
Shatsk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1871-1916.
Shaws Express: parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Newburyport, Mass., used labels, 1869.
Shchigry: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1882-86
Shedds Express: local parcel delivery firm serviced Boston and Bridgewater, Mass; used labels, year unknown.
Sheet Stamp: stamp produced in sheet format, vs a stamp made in a coil or booklet pane format.
Sheet Waste: stamps with incorrect perforations or misaligned colors, etc., remnants of some rotary press sheet stamps that were perforated gauge 11, creating rare stamps.
Sheet files: an oversized glassine envelope that can hold an entire mint pane of stamps.
Sheet margin: the portion of unprinted paper that surrounds a stamp or a pane of stamps.
Sheet numbers: consecutive numbers placed on sheets by an automatic numbering machine to keep an accurate count of the number printed.
Sheet watermark: a large watermark covering the entire sheet with only aportion showing on a stamp.
Sheet: 1: one full impression of stamps taken from a printing plate; a typical sheet of U.S. commemorative stamps is four panes each of 50 stamps, the sheet is then cut into four panes of stamps for eventual sale. the typical post office pane now appars to be 20 stamps. 2: bogen (Ger.); feuille (Fr.); foglio (It.); hoja (Sp.).
Sheet: A complete unit of stamps as printed. Stamps are usually printed in large sheets and are separated into two or more panes before shipment to post offices.
Sheetfed: a flat-plate press that prints postage stamps in individual sheets; see web presses.
Sheetlet: 1: a small pane of stamps; less than what is normally considered by normal standards as a usual pane; in the U.S., a normal pane consists of 20 or 50 stamps, while a sheetlet would be sheets of less than that quantity. 2: Michel 2001 Catalogue considers items with the same four stamps as a sheetlet provided it does not also appear at the same time as a block; items with five to ten of the same stamp are sheetlets; see Blocks, Combination sheetlets, Combination sheets.
Sheffield & Midland Railway Committee: British railway local post.
Sheffield Service: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Sheffield and North: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Shek-Hung: local post; southwest China, 1950
Shekel: currency unit in Israel.
Shensi province: China, 1949
Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia: region of Northwest China, issued stamps 1946-49, prior to the formation of the Peoples Republic of China.
Shensi: Peoples Post; northwest China; 1949
Sherifan Post: 1892: post used octagonal cachets, valid throughout Morocco to 1915, in Tangier to 1919, 1912: first stamps; three zones established; Tangier with European posts, the North had a Spanish protectorate, and a French protectorate was in the rest of the country, 1915: Sherifan Post ended in Morocco, 1919: Sherifan Post ended in Tangier.
Shetland Islands: Scotland issued labels, 1993-94, purporting to be official; see South Shetlands.
Shiffsbrief: (Ger.) ship letter marking.
Shift, coil: coil stamps, due to having two round plates curved and fitted around the cylinder, may have a slight misalignment of the plates in relationship to each other; the shift usually shows up between the last stamp on one plate and the first stamp on the next; a line (known as line pair) may be printed between two stamps showing the shift; known as a jump on coil stamps of Canada.
Shift: a postage stamp printed in more than one color in which one color is off center.
Shifted Transfer: occurs as the design in being rocked in, or transferred, to the plate; see reentry.
Shih-kia-chwang: local post; north China, 1949
Shihr and Mukalla: Aden Dependency; 1942: first stamp valid for use throughout Aden, see Quaiti State of Shihr and Mukalla.
Shill bidding: increased bids placed by same bidder against himself or a friend, sometimes using an alias, to increase the value of an item; once the bidder reaches the level being sought by the seller, the shill bidder drops out and the winning bid gets the lot at an inflated price.
Shilling: 1: currency unit in many British countries. 2: putting an item up for sale at auction and then assuming a different identity to bid up the price.
Shiny gum: water activated stamp adhesive having a high light reflective appearance; incorrectly referred to as wet gum.
Ship Cancel: A cancellation applied aboard a vessel.
Ship Letter: Letter carried by private ship.
Ship Mail Room: indication that a letter has passed through the foreign section of the post office on its outward trip.
Ship Post Offices: first post offices aboard a ship were on the Columba and Iona, July 1879, on the Greenock-Ardrishaig route.
Ship Postmark: letter carried on a private ship, usually delivered to a post office at the ships port of entry.
Ship cancellation: a postmark applied to mail on board a ship, steamer .
Ship letter: letter carried by a private ship and bearing a rubber stamp or manuscript marking such as Ship Letter, Loose Ship Letter, or Posted at Sea with name of port of entry.
Ship mail: 1: first mail sorted aboard ship was on the Holyhead and Kingstown (H&K) packet on Oct. 1, 1860. 2: West Indies mark.
Ship: worlds first stamp to picture a steam and sailing ship was New Brunswicks 12 1/2¢ (Sc.10).
Shipping Postmaster: marking applied on mail using South African stamps cancelled on board ship in the harbors of Cape Town(1906-72) or Durban (1906-48).
Shipping company stamps: stamps issued by shipping firms to prepay the postage for mail carried by their vessels.
Shipwreck Mail: By Bottle inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Shirt Pocket Mail: mail delivered by people traveling from one place to another.
Shiu-Hon Chan: Color Illustrated Stamp catalogue of China.
Shizen: term for health on Japanese Christmas seals.
Shkrodra, Shkodre, Shkoder: Albania overprint.
Shlisselburg: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1865-66
Shoe Fly: Toledo, Ohio, cancel illustrated a shoe over a fly. Short paid: postage due to be collected, for various reasons, including one for too many words; in 1933, the British rate was five words for 1d on a postcard, more than five required the letter rate of 1 ½ d per ounce.
Short Set: An incomplete set of stamps, usually lacking either the high value(s) or one or more key values.
Short perforation: paper has been removed down to the base line of the perforation holes.
Short set: an incomplete set of stamps usually with the expensive or important value missing.
Short stamp: postage stamp in which the top and bottom edges are closer together than usual, as a result of the perforating machine; in nearly all early British perforated stamps, the top row is one shorter than the remainder.
Short transfer: a variety that occurs when a stamp design is not fully transferred to the plate.
Show CancelL: Special Post Office cancellations designed for and applied at a philatelic show or exhibition station.
Show cancel: postmark applied to covers at philatelic events; the name of the event is indicated in the cancel.
Show stopper: nickname for a rare and unusual exhibition item.
Show-hsien: local post, east China, 1949
Shpitsbergen Island: bogus Russian Federation Republic; local overprint and stamps.
Shqipenia: overprint on stamps of Turkey for Albania, 1913.
Shqipenie, Shqiperia, Shqiperija, Shqiperise, Shqipni, Shqipnija, Shqiponies, Shqiprari, Shqyptare: (Alb.) Albania.
Shqiperie Korce Vetqeveritale: (Alb.) Albanian Kortza Independent French Forces, occupation of Albania.
Shqipnija: (Alb.) fund on bogus stamps issued under German administration or government in exile.
Shri Lanka: Sri Lanka, 1972
Shrinkage: expansion of wet paper when drying occurs in the circumference of the paper, not the length; that direction is called the grain.
Shrub Oak: local post established by philatelic write Herman Herst Jr., in Shrub Oak, N.Y., a village with no delivery service; his children, later his dog Alfie, carried mail to the post office for the 2-cents fee, 1953-73.
Shrunken stamps: stamps that have been chemically altered so that the fibers shrink.
Shránky: see Postovní schránka (shránky).
Sht: auction term for sheet.
Shtator 14 1943: Italian occupation stamps overprinted in 1943-44 for Albania; See Albania.
Shtlt: abbreviation for sheetlet
Shu-cheng: local post, east China; 1949
Shuna: Scottish carriage label, Oct. 1949.
Si Vende Cosi Comè: (It.) sold as is. Siwai: Indian states term for any tax collection besides land revenue.
Si-Chong: Peoples Post; southwest China; 1950
Siam: see Thailand; Bangkok.
Sibbo: (Fin.) steamship, carrying mail, serving Finland cities, local, 1892-99.
Siberia, Eastern: 1923, Jan.: first stamps issued; due to currency differences, special surcharged stamps issued; see Russia.
Siberia: huge Russian northern territory; currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble 1918 Nov.: Admiral Aleksandr V. Kolchak became ruler of area, issued surcharges on stamps of Russia issued 1919, resigned on Jan. 4, 1920; 1919: No.1, 35 kopecks on 2 kopeck dull green, Kolchak stamps issued in Omsk; later used along the line of the Trans-Siberian railway to Vladivostok, 1921: Priamur Government / Nikolaevsk issues handstamped / overprinted / surcharged “H A II B II” (Nikolaevsk on Amur Priamur Provisional Government), 1922: stamps of Far Eastern Republic overprinted “B II 28/V II 1921-1922 the initials of the “Vremeno Priamursk i Pravitel’stvo” Provisional Priamur Government, 26th May, other overprints exist; see Ataman Semyonov, Amur, Far Eastern Republic, Priamur and Maritime Provinces; Trans-Baikal Province and Russia.
Siberian Silhouettes: name given to stamps with a silhouette of a soldier and a cathedral used by Czech troops in Siberia, Dec. 1919.
Sibersk: (Dan. Nor.) Siberian.
Sibersk: (Dan. Nor.) Siberian.
Siberske: Siberia.
Sibir: (Dan. Nor.) Siberia.
Sibir: (Dan. Nor.) Siberia.
Sibirien: (Ger.) Siberia.
Sicile: (Fr.) inscription on stamps of Sicily for Two Sicilies.
Sicilia Calabria: 1908 triangular label to raise funds for earthquake charity.
Sicilia: (It., Sp.) see Kingdom of Two Sicilies.
Sicilien: (Dan.) Sicily.
Sicily: Mediterranean island off southern Italy; 1859, Jan.1: issued a set of stamps, cancel was a frame so that the head of the king would not be defaced, 1861, Feb. 15: superseded by Sardinia, new stamps for the Neopolitan provinces, 1862: stamps of Italy issued; see Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Sicmon Islands: group of six islands in the South Pacific created by Nick Bantock for his book, Griffin & Sabine.
Sidcup Etc.: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Side-delivery: coil machine dispensing a roll of side-by-side postage stamps.
Side: abbreviation for sideways watermark
Siderographer Initials: initials of the BEP employee who created the plate in the lower left corner of the plate, in effect from 1906 - 1928.
Siderographer: the technician who produces printing plates by coordinating the spacing of individual subjects and transferring many copies of the design onto the plate.
Siderography: process of creating an engraved plate from a transfer roll.
Sidi-Gaber: city in Egypt;1879-82, see Interpostal seals.
Sidney short route: Sidney, Nebraska forwarder, H. T. Clarke, issued imprinted envelope to forward mail
Siege (of) Mafeking: see Mafeking.
Siege de la Ligue Arabe: Meeting of the Arab League Morocco
Siege of Paris: When Bismarcks army surrounded Paris, the residents used balloons to carry official dispatches and private letters; September 23, 1870. Sieg oder Tod in Alpenrot: (Ger.) victory or death in the Alps; label made in Vienna.
Siegel: (Ger.) cancel.
Siegelmarke: (Ger.) stamp seal.
Sielaff: stamp vending machine, introduced in Germany.
Sieradz: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Sierra Leone: west coast of Africa; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 leone (1964) 1859, Sept. 21: No.1, 6 pence bright violet, depicting Queen Victoria, 1896: British colonial key type used, 1961: granted independence, but remained in the British Commonwealth, 1962, Jan. 29: joined the U.P.U., 1963, April 27: first air mail stamp, 1964: issued first self-adhesive, free-form stamps, 1971, April 19: became a republic.
Sierra de Yeguas: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces,1937
Sieviers Essays: R.W. Sievier submitted engraved and embossed designs in British treasury competition, 1840.
Sigesmond, Dr. S. Brown: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Sigillo di Natale: (It.) Christmas seal.
Sigillum Nov. Camb. Aust.: Sigillum Novae Cambriae Australis (Latin) New South Wales inscription, The Seal of New South Wales; first stamp of Australia colony, Jan. 1,1850.
Sigillum Sanitatis: (Latin) Seal of the Health (Authority) indicating letter has been disinfected against disease.
Siglo: (Sp.) century.
Signalrød: (Nor.) deep bright red, traffic-sign red (color).
Signature capture: conversion of delivery storage information from paper to electronic.
Signature confirmation: USPS service for mail that is supposed to require a recipients signature upon delivery; can be tracked via USPS tracking page.
Signature: indication of the name of the designer or engraver; when on the back of a stamp provides the security of an expert certifying the authenticity of the stamp.
Signe dguarantie: (Fr.) marking applied to stamps by the issuing agency indicting that the stamp is genuine and valid for postal use; also expert s mark.
Signed stamp: a signature on a stamp, blocks or pane, usually in the margin.
Signed: indication of being expertised, by signature usually, on reverse of cover.
Signette: (Ger.) revenue stamped paper.
Signiert: (Ger.) signed; see Expertize.
Signoscope: commercial name of an electronic watermark detector.
Signum: see Cachet.
Signé: (Fr.) signed.
Sikajy: Madagascar local issue.
Sikang: province of China; 1949: Communist rebels issued stamps for use in the province, 1955: divided between Tibet and Szechwan.
Sikkim: overprints on stamps of India, Sikkim State; may be bogus, 1920s.
Silb.Gr.; Silbergroschen: (Ger.) currency unit in Bremen, Brunswick, Hanover, Oldenburg, Prussia, Thurn and Taxis.
Silber: (Ger.) silver
Silentium Victoriam Accelerat: (Latin) Silence Speeds Victory; motto used by the U.S. Office of Censorship during WW III and used as the basis for censorship of mail.
Silesia, Eastern: after World War 1, located on border of Czechoslovakia and Poland, 1920: plebiscite planned; stamps of Czechoslovakia (Feb. 13, 1920), Poland (April 15, 1920) overprinted SO / 1920 Silesie Orientale (Eastern Silesia), plebiscite never held and area divided between two countries.
Silesia, Upper: territory between Germany and Poland; currency: 100 pfenning = 1 mark, 100 fennigi = 1 marka 1906: No.1, 1 centimes slate, 1920, Feb. 20: plebiscite planned as to whether area should go to Germany or Poland, but vote was not conclusive, Polish Plebiscite Commissioner Wojciech Korfanty rebelled, issued official stamps, 1920, Mar.: stamps issued for official use with overprint “C1.H.S.” in circle and “C.G.H.S.” Commission de Gouvernment Haute Silesie, Commission of Government of Upper Silesia, on stamps of Germany; 1921, March 20: League of Nations awarded most of disputed area to Poland with balance going to Germany, see C.G.H.S.
Silesie: (Fr.) Eastern Silesia.
Silistria, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1840s, for lower Danube lines.
Siljans Mail: (Swed.) Swedish town local post.
Silk Cachet: A cachet type with a pictorial design printed on a peice of fabric with a silky finish.
Silk cachet: cachet with pictorial design printed on fabric with a silk-like finish.
Silk paper: stamp paper containing small pieces of colored silk in the paper mixture.
Silk thread: 1: paper used for stamps containing a silk thread as a means of preventing forgery. It is most easily seen on the back of the stamp. 2: filamento de seda (Sp.); fil de soie (Fr.); filo di seta (It.); seidenfaden (Ger.)
Silk: postcard with some or all of the design on silk fabric.
Silkote: paper that is whiter than usual stamp paper with a surface texture that is extraordinarily smooth; used for the U.S. 2-cent Liberty experimental printing of 1954.
Silla: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sils: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Silurian paper: granite paper containing blue threads.
Silver Jubilee: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1935.
Silver Wedding: common design on stamps of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1948-49, 1972.
Silver Yuan: the mid-1949 Nationalist issues of stamps of China with denominations expressed in silver-backed currency.
Silver tax stamps: used to pay tax on the net profit on the sale of silver bullion; conventional revenue stamps denominated in currency, 1934-63.
Silvering: some encased postage stamps had a thin silver coating to look like the silver coinage of the period.
Silvers: see Silver Yuan.
Silverstreak Radio Tax: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Silverton Tramways: local, Australia, about 1887-1966.
Sily: currency unit in Republic of Guinea.
Simbabwe: (Ger.) Zimbabwe.
Simboluri: (Rom.) symbols.
Simi: (Symi) overprint on stamps of Italy for offices in Simi, Dodecanese Island, Aegean Islands; 1912, pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912: No.1, 2 centesimi orange brown, overprint “Simi” on stamps of Italy, 1916: first stamps without overprints, 1920: Turkey ceded group to Italy, 1943, Sept.: became part of Greece, 1943: reoccupied by German forces, 1945: liberated by allied forces, 1945, May 21: British post offices opened, stamps of Britain overprinted “M.E.F.” (Middle East Forces), when islands transferred to Greece, 1947, March 31: British post offices closed, stamps of Greece overprinted “S.D.D.” (Dodecanese Military Occupation), 1947, summer: stamps of Greece used.
Simili-timbre: (Fr.) bogus.
Similigravure: (Fr.) half-tine (engraving).
Simmons, Dr. M. A.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Simoor: Indian States; 1879-1902
Simple watermark: when the watermark is designed to appear on each stamp.
Sin Valor Postal: (Sp.) No postal value, Spain charity seals, 1953.
Sin charnela: (Sp.) never hinged.
Sin dentar: (Sp.) imperforate
Sin goma: (Sp.) ungummed.
Sin-Feng: local post, central China, 1949
Sin-Tu: local post; southwest China; 1950.
Sin-siang: local post, north China, 1949.
Sinai, Peninsula of: area between Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba; 1916: Turkey issued a set of stamps with overprints to mark its occupation.
Sinaloa: state in Mexico, revolution issue, 1929; federal forces stopped revolution before stamps could be used.
Sind: province in India, issued Scinde Dawk issue, July 1, 1852, first adhesive stamps in Asia.
Singapore: Raffle Ticket inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Singapore: island off southern tip of the Malay Peninsula; official name of postal administration: Singapore Post Pte Ltd currency: 100 cents = 1 dollar 1867, April 1: British colony and part of the Straits Settlements with Malacca and Penang, 1942: Japan invaded island, 1945-48: Malaya B.M.A. stamps used, 1946, April 1: Straits Settlements dissolved, had its own stamps inscribed “Singapore” as a Crown Colony, Malacca and Penang joined the Malayan Union, 1948: No.1, 1¢ black, stamps inscribed “Malaya / Singapore” 1948: Malayan Union renamed Federation of Malaya, 1955: first air mail stamp, 1958, Aug.1: became self-governing as the State of Singapore, used stamps of the Federation of Malaysia, along with those of Singapore, 1963, Sept. 16: joined the Federation of Malaysia, withdrew in 1965, 1965: became independent member of the British Commonwealth, 1966, Jan. 8: joined the U.P.U., 1968, Feb.1: first postage due stamp.
Singapour: (Fr.) Singapore.
Single Line Watermark: the USPS initials are in one single line.
Single letter: prior to 1845, letters were charged by piece and per zone; a single letter was a single piece of paper weighing less than one ounce; letters before 1845 were folded pieces of paper, with no envelope, and sealed with wax.
Single line perforation: separation with a single row of holes or cuts in made in one operation.
Single line: characters, figures, frames, circles, made up of one stroke or line.
Single watermark: each stamp bears the complete watermark impression.
Single-ring c.d.s.: a circular date handstamp contained within a single circle.
Single: individual postage stamp
Singolo: (It.) single.
Sinkage: depression in the card backing of a die proof by the die block.
Sinkiang: Province of China between Mongolia and Tibet; 1882-1920: used stamps of Russia in Russian post offices c1900: Chinese post office opened, used stamps of China, 1915: No.1, ½ cent black brown, overprint on stamps of China with surcharge due to currency differences for Chinese Turkestan, 1920: Russian post offices closed, 1945, Mar. Northwest China Liberation Area issued stamps, 1945, Aug.: Uighur Republic declared independence, rejoined China in 1949.
Sinking fund: annual public debt-reducing stamps of France, 1927-31.
Sinn Fein: labels issued by Irish rebels, 1907; possibly used during 1916 Easter rebellion.
Sinober: (Nor.) cinnabar, reddish-blue (color).
Sinonim: (Rom.) synonymous.
Sinope: current name is Sinop, port on a peninsula leading to the Black Sea, French post office opened Nov. 1857, closed May 1869.
Sion: local airmail; Switzerland, 1913.
Sir Codrington error: Greece, 1927 issues had Sir Edward Codringtons Christian name omitted, against British custom; corrected in third and final printing.
Siria: (Sp.) Syria.
Sirmoor: India Feudatory State, aka Sirmur; 1874: first local stamps, 1879: No.1, 1 pie green, first stamps, 1890: first official stamps, overprint “On / S.S.S.” On Sirmoor State Service, 1890s: stamp reprinted for collector demand, 1902, April 1: stamps discontinued for stamps of British India.
Siroky Dolní Okraj: (Czech.) wide lower margin.
Siroky Úzky Okraj: (Czech.) narrow lower margin.
Sirotam: surcharge on stamps of Italy for Yugoslavia, German occupation of Ljubljana.
Site: (Eng.) location.
Sitges: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937.
Sitron: (Nor.) lemon (color).
Sitrongul: (Nor.) lemon-yellow (color).
Sivas: overprint on stamps of Turkey, 1930.
Sixth International Philatelic Exhibition (SIPEX): international stamp show held in Washington, DC in 1966.
Sizilien: (Ger.) Sicily.
Sizing: chemicals added to paper in the manufacturing process to keep the ink from bleeding through the paper fibers and to add stiffness; improving the printing characteristics.
Sjelden: (Nor.) rare.
Sjokoladebrun: (Nor.) chocolate-brown (color).
Sju: (Nor.) seven (number), introduced in the spelling reform of 1938, see Syv.
Sjælden: (Dan.) rare.
Sk, Skr: Krona, currency unit in Sweden.
Skadet: (Nor.) damaged.
Skagway Reindeer Express Syndicate: phantom express firm supposedly in Skagway, Alaska Territory; used a variety of colored labels.
Skalat: city in former Austrian-occupied Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Skandinavien: (Dan., Swed.) Scandinavia.
Skandinavisk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Scandinavian.
Skandisnavia: (Nor.) Scandinavia.
Skargards Trafik Aktiebolaget: Finland local, 1874-87.
Skatik(u)as: currency unit in Lithuania.
Skattemærke: (Dan.) revenue stamp, fiscal stamp.
Skeleton handstamp: a date handstamp made so that loose type could be inserted.
Skepp: (Swed.) ship.
Skeppsbrottetpost: (Swed.) ship wreck mail.
Skeppspost: (Swed.) ship mail.
Skeppspostkontor: (Swed.) ship post office.
Skibbruddpost: (Nor.) ship wreck mail.
Skibsbrev: (Ice.) ship letter marking, Scandinavian origin.
Skibspostkasse: (Dan.) mail boat mail box, paquebot mail box.
Skierniewice: city in German-occupied Russian Poland, local post overprint, 1918-20.
Skifferblå: (Swed.) slate-blue (color).
Skiffergrå: (Swed.) slate-grey (color).
Skilling Banco: currency unit in Sweden
Skilling Oscar-Serien 1856: (Nor.) refers to the 1856-1857 King Oscar I definitve issues.
Skilling Oscar-Serien 1878: (Nor.) refers to the 1878 King Oscar I definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1872: (Nor.) refers to the 1872-1875 Posthorn and Crown definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1877: (Nor.) refers to the 1877-1878 Posthorn and Crown definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1882: (Nor.) refers to the 1882-1893 Posthorn and Crown definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1893: (Nor.) refers to the 1893-1908 Posthorn and Crown definitve issues.
Skilling Posthorn-Serien 1910: (Nor.) refers to the 1910-1929 redrawn Posthorn and Crown definitve issues.
Skilling: currency unit in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Skin: natural oil from skin may damage stamp paper.
Skinned: stamp that has part of the paper stripped away, leaving a thin copy.
Skip: 1. a mailpiece that has passed through a canceling machine without a cancellation being applied to the postage stamp. 2. (Nor.) ship, boat.
Skippers post: handstamp indicating amount of postage used by skippers of sailing ships and barge masters on inland waterways to indicate fee collected for transport of the mailing piece, 1667.
Skipsbrief: (Ice.) ship letter marking, Scandinavian origin, started Jan. 9, 1914.
Skipspost: (Nor.) ship mail.
Skipspostkasse: (Nor.) mail boat mail box, paquebot mail box.
Skipspostkontorer: (Nor.) ship post office.
Skopin: city in Russia; local post, Zemstvo, 1871-1916.
Skotland: (Dan.) Scotland.
Skotlsk: (Dan.) Scottish.
Skotsk: (Nor., Swed.) Scotch.
Skottland: (Nor., Swed.) Scotland.
Skravert: (Nor.) shaded.
Skull Island, Kingdom of: advertising fantasy created for the movie, King Kong.
Sky train mail: gliders towed by airplanes flown from New York to Washington with stops at Philadelphia and Baltimore, Aug. 2, 1934, backstamped Aug. 3.
Skye: bogus, label, year and source unknown
Slabbing: encasing collectibles in a container after authentication and grading that will show evidence of any tampering.
Slania, Czeslaw: (1921- ) worlds most famous stamp engraver, engraved stamps for more than 35 nations, his 1,000th stamp was issued in Sweden March 17, 2000.
Slant Marking: found on sheet margins of Swedish stamps to position the stamps for perforating and assembling into booklets.
Sleeper: Stamp or other collectible item that seems to be underpriced and may have good investment potential.
Sleeper: a stamp in a dealers inventory that may be underpriced.
Sleeve: 1: plastic protector on a cover. 2: seamless steel cylinder used in line engraved intaglio printing; images to be printed are entered directly on the curved surface.
Sleeve: A seamless cylindrical printing plate used in rotary intaglio printing.
Slesien: (Dan.) Silesia.
Slesvig: 1. (Dan.) inscription on the plebiscite issues, Schleswig, 1920. 2. (Swed.) Schleswig.
Slg., Sammlung: (Ger.) collection, an assembly of philatelic material.
Sligo, Letrim & Northern Counties Railway: Ireland railway local post.
Slime holes: mixture of water, chemicals, etc. used to form paper can develop clumps of bacteria that turn into slime; will become an irregular hole in the finished stamp paper.
Slitting: separating the individual rows of stamps in a printed web to from continuous bands that are cut to length and rolled into coils.
Slobovia: Donald Evans issue, see Evans, Donald.
Slogan cancel: : metal die hub cancel that contains some form of information, advertising or propaganda message.
Slogan postmark, first hand: used in London, 1661 for addresses along Kent Road; For all Kent goes every night from the Round House in Love Lane & Comes Every Mor(ning).
Slogan postmark: postmark with an announcement or message.
Slott: (Nor.) castle.
Slov.Liga.Slovensky Brat.Objimso mat: Slovakian label printed in the U.S.
Slovacchia: (It.) Slovakia.
Slovakia: central province of Czechoslovakia; official name of postal administration: Slovenská Posta currency: 100 haleru = 1 koruna 1918: became part of Czechoslovakia, 1920, May 18: joined the U.P.U. 1939, Jan. 18-45: German protectorate, No.1, 5 haleru ultra, overprint “Slovenský stát 1939 on stamps of Czechoslovakia; 1939, March 14: declared independence, 1939, April: first newspaper stamp, 1939: first postage due stamp, 1939, Nov.6: first semipostal stamp, 1939, Nov. 20: first air mail stamp, 1940: first personal delivery stamp, 1942, May: had its own stamp exhibition, issued four stamps, 1945, April 4: Russia liberated country, became a constituent republic of Czechoslovakia, 1993, Jan. 1: became a republic, split into Czech Republic and Slovakia, 1993, March 18: rejoined the U.P.U.
Slovakien: (Dan., Swed.) Slovakia.
Slovakiet: (Dan.) Slovakian.
Slovakotour: inscription on tiny stamps for German citizens to use on postcards while on prepaid vacations in Slovakia.
Slovaquie: (Fr.) Slovakia.
Slovene Coast: post WW II issues for Istria and the Slovene Coast, Istra, Slovensko Primorje (Slov.), Zone B, see Istria.
Sloveni: overprint on stamps of Yugoslavia, Italian Occupation, 1941.
Slovenia: Southeastern Europe, between Austria and Croatia; Official name of postal administration: Posta Slovenije d.o.o. Currency: 100 paras = 1 dinar, 100 stotins = 1 tolar pre-1918: part of Holy Roman Empire, 1918, Oct. 29: part of State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (Drzava Slovencev, Hrvatov in Srbov, Drzava S.H.S. (Crot.), 1918, Dec. 1: part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later named Kingdom of Yugoslavia; Istra, Slovensko Primorje and Venezia Giulia were given to Italy after WW 1, 1919: No.1, 3 filler violet, first stamp, postage due and newspaper stamps, 1920: a plebiscite in Carinthia (Koroska -Slov. / Kärnten - Ger.) between Slovenes and Austrians, 1921, Dec. 24: joined the UPU, 1941, April: occupied by Italy, named Provincia di Lubiana Province of Ljubljana, overprints of stamps of Yugoslavia, first semipostal, air mail stamps, 1942: annexed to Italy, used stamps of Italy, 1944: German occupation known as the Province of Ljunljana (Provinz Laibach / Ljubljanska Pokrajina) 1944: stamps of Italy overprinted by Germany, first German occupation air mail, air mail special delivery, postage due; Italian occupation first postage due, 1945: became part of Yugoslavia, 1991, June 25: declared independence, 1991: No.1, 5 dinars, had its own stamps, 1992, May 8: first postal tax stamp, 1992, Aug. 27: rejoined the UPU.
Slovenien: (Dan.) Slovenia.
Sloveniensk: (Dan.) Slovenian.
Sloveniensk: (Dan., Swed) Slovenian).
Slovenija: Slovenia, formerly northern part of Yugoslavia; independence in 1991; see Ljubljana.
Slovenskeno: overprint on stamps of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, 1939-44.
Slovensko-Primorje: overprint of stamps of Yugoslavia; Istria and the Slovene Coast, 1945-46.
Slovensko: See Slovakia; overprint on stamps of Hungary, unofficial issue.
Slovensko: see Slovakia; triangular stamps with V or D in corners are personal delivery stamps of Slovakia.
Slovensky Stát: overprint on stamps of Czechoslovakia for Slovakia, 1939-44.
Slovensky: (Czech.) Slovakian.
Slovenská, Posta: Slovakia bogus issue, year and source unknown.
Slowakei: (Ger.) Slovakia.
Slowenien: (Ger.) Slovenia.
Slug: contains changeable information such as date or time and cane be placed in a postmark or cancel die.
Slurred print: ink smudging caused by moving during the actual printing process.
Slätt tryck: (Swed.) smooth print.
Smal: (Nor.) narrow.
Small Banknotes: nickname for stamps issued in 1890-93 by the American Bank Note Co.
Small Cut: postcard collectors term for only saving the round portion of the postmark.
Small Queens: nickname for the stamps of Canada Queen Victoria stamps of 1870, on sale for 27 years.
Small die proof: production proofs and small-size reproduction proofs made before 1903 for a series of 83 albums from dies, prior to final approval of design and color; large die proofs trimmed down are not considered small die proofs.
Small packets: class of mail created by the UPU in 1929 for small parcels, weighing up to 1 kilogram (2 pounds 3 ounces) to be sent unsealed
Smaragdgrön: (Swed.) emerald-green (color); see Blågrön.
Smaragdgrønn: (Nor.) emerald-green (color).
Smarald: (Rom.) emerald (color).
Smear: variation from normal with either an over, or under-inked variety.
Smiling Boy stamps: nickname for 1931 design for New Zealand Health stamps.
Smirne: Ottoman Empire; city in Egypt;1867-74, see Interpostal seals.
Smirne: overprint on stamps of Italy for use in Turkish city of Smyrna; See Italian Offices in Turkish Empire, 1909-22.
Smith & Stephens City Delivery: U. S. local post, St. Louis, Mo.
Smith, E. K.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Smith, S. N. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Smiths Mountain Express: S. Allan Taylor label in four colors.
Smjeinogorsk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1917-20
Smolensk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1894
Smuk: (Dan.) beautiful example.
Smyrn: variety; Russian Offices In the Turkish Empire, overprint on stamps of Russia, Smyrna
Smyrna: (Amyrne, Smirne), Turkish city; 1: stamps of Italy overprinted Smyrne 1909-10. 2: overprint on stamps of Russia, See Russian Offices in Turkish Empire, issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Russian post offices in the Turkish Empire, 1909-10.
Smyrna: (myrne, Smirne), Turkish city; 1: French post office opened May 1, 1837, closed Aug. 1914. 2: British stamps used at British post office from 1872; then stamps of the British Levant. 3: now known as Izmir, Turkey.
Smísená Frankatura: (Czech.) mixed franking.
Snail mail: disparaging term started being used in the early 1990s referring to mail sent via government post offices.
Snake Island: bogus British local post.
Snark Island: fantasy label for island near Borneo.
Snedcentrerat: (Swed.) off-centered.
Sniper: a dealer who attends stamp shows has no booth, but attempts to sell his material at stamp shows to collectors, often setting up a table at the show cafeteria
Sniping: the practice of placing a bid at the last possible moment in an auction.
Snow York: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Snowbird Express: local, Toronto, Hamilton and London, Canada, 1970s.
Snowdon Mountain railway: British railway that printed stamps for mail carried on their trains to post offices.
Snowflakes: typographed stamps that have shed flakes or ink with the passage of time.
Snowflakia: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Snowginia: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Snowklahoma: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Snowland: Christmas fantasy labels created by Maggie Kate.
Snowman perforation: an overlapping perforation variety that looks like a sideways snowman.
Snows Express: private mail delivery firm serviced points along the Hudson River, N.J., used labels, many forgeries exist, 1856.
Snowshoe Thompson: John A. Thompson, contracted with T.J. Matheson, Murphys Camp, California, to maintain postal service in the winter between mining towns of Placerville, Ca. and Carson Valley, Ne., for $200 per month, regardless of the depth of the snow.
Snowtrack: USPS unofficial term for cancel on flat, or large envelopes that are repeated over the full length of the envelope.
Soaking: Removal of stamps from envelope paper. Most stamps may be safely soaked in water. Fugitive inks, however, will run in water, and chalky-surfaced papers will lose their designs entirely, so some knowledge of stamps is a necessity. Colored envelope paper should be soaked separately.
Soaking: the process where stamps are removed from the paper on which they were affixed; place stamps with envelope paper attached, face down in pan of lukewarm water, when soaked, they should be placed face down on any absorbent paper.
Soay: bogus, island off the island of Skye, Scottish isle of sheep, 1965
Soberbia: (Sp.) suberb.
Sobota: (Czech.) Saturday.
Sobre Clota Para Multos Postales: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Mexico for parcel post.
Sobre Porte: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Colombia for additional postage or tax; used for mail to countries with which Colombia had no postal agreement.
Sobre de primer dia: (Sp.) first day cover.
Sobre de primer vuelo: (Sp.) first flight cover.
Sobre fragmento: (Sp.) on piece (of cover).
Sobre prefilatélico: (Sp.) stampless cover.
Sobre: (Sp.) see Cover.
Sobrecarga: (Sp.) surcharge.
Sobreimpresión: (Sp.) overprint.
Sobretasa Aerea: (Sp.) postal tax or charge added for Colombia air transit, 1929.
Sobretasa: (Sp.) inscription on stamps of Colombia for postal tax.
Soc(k)otra: Cyprus stamps overprinted for Indian Ocean island in 1892.
Soc(k)otra: Mahra Sultanate, Eastern Aden protectorate, became part of the Peoples Republic of Yemen.
Soccer, World Cup: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1966.
Soccorso a Garibaldi: (It.) inscription to raise money for Garibaldis fight against Sicily.
Social contract: UPU members rights and obligations that affect the exchange of mail and collection of postage due.
Socialist Peoples Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: Libya.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam: see Vietnam, South.
Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aereos: (Sp.) Colombia air mail, 1929.
Sociedad Ecuatoriano de Transportes Aeros: (Sp.) overprint on stamps of Ecuador, 1938-40.
Sociedade Humanitaria Cruz da Oriente: (Sp.) East Cross Humanitarian Society Mozambique postal tax inscription.
Sociedade de Geographia de Lisboa: (Port.) Geographic Society of Lisbon inscription on stamps of Portugal franchise issue, 1903-38.
Sociedade de Portugueza da Cruz Vermelha: (Port.) Red Cross, inscription on stamps of Portugal private franchise stamps.
Societa Corrieri Alta Italia: (It.) (Northern Italian Courier Co.) CORALIT, private bicyclist local post, Italy, Feb.1945-April 28,1945, May 24, 1945-June 30, 1945.
Society for Suppression of Speculative Stamps (SSSS): group of collectors and dealers founded in 1895 in London, England, to provide an organized voice against too many stamp issues; disbanded due to inability to define a common ground and no means of enforcement.
Society of Philatelic Americans: founded Feb. 1894 as the Southern Philatelic Association; became the Society of Philatelic Americans in 1918; last issue of journal was Dec. 1983
Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais (SNCF): (Fr.) France, railway parcel post, local.
Société des Nations: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Switzerland for League of Nations, 1922-23.
Socked-on-the-nose (SOTN): 1: stamp with the postmark in the center of the stamp, see Bulls eye cancellation. 2: perfekt zentralstempel (Ger.); oblitération Parfaitement (Fr.); matasello perfectamente centrado (Sp.)
Socovos: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Soft Paper: paper with a special surface, with the feel of flocked cloth, first used to print stamps of Finland, August 9, 2004. Sohag: city in Egypt;1872-84, see Interpostal seals.
Soho Local Post: United Kingdom postal strike; local post 1971.
Soigné: (Fr.) exact or correct.
Soiling: any substance which dulls or darkens the appearance of a stamp.
Sol 33 Istiqial: Afghanistan overprint 33rd Year of Independence, Aug. 25, 1951; erroneous inscription on Aug. 25, 1951 issue, voided with a gold bar overprint.
Sol: currency unit in Peru.
Solar System Rocket Service: four labels for Moon Mail, Planet Post, Star Service and Sun Service made by Broadway Approvals, Ltd., London, 1961.
Sold to the Book: auctioneers term meaning that the lot has been sold to an absentee bidder represented by the auction firm.
Soldatenbriefmarken: (Ger.) postage free stamps for military servicemen.
Soldater Frimaerke: (Dan.) inscription/overprint for military mail, Denmark. 1917.
Soldi: currency unit in Austrian Office in Lombardy Venetia, Tuscany, Montenegro, 1858.
Soldiers Letter Stamps: several countries issued special stamps for their armed forces; franking their mail free of charge.
Soldiers Letter: 1: inscription on letters used by members of the American Expeditionary Forces who were overseas during World War I. 2: general term for mail posted by a active duty soldier.
Soldiers Rate cover: Canadian ruling (c1868) permitting soldiers to send or receive prepaid personal letters, not exceeding ½ ounce in weight at the postal rate of 2¢.
Soldiers and Sailors mail: Postmaster General Burleson ordered mail sent be servicemen, signed by a field officer, could be sent to a U.S. address without prepayment of postage, only the single rate of postage was to be collected upon delivery, 1914.
Soldiers mail: armed forces inscription for no postage necessary; also known as free frank
Soldiers stamps: used for the soldiers in the Swiss army who received free stamps; each battalion had its own stamp design, usually with insignias. Other stamps for this use were also issued by France, Germany, Italy and New Caledonia.
Solferino: a 1871 stamp from Greece with an error of color (Solferino means dark red in Italian).
Solidarität in der Nothilfe für Hochwasseropfer 2002: (Ger.) (Solidarity in Aid for the 2002 Flood Victims) special slogan cancel, Germany.
Solidarité 1947: (Fr.) semipostal of Tunisia.
Solidarité Francaise: (Fr.) French Colonies semipostal, 1943-44.
Solidarté: (Fr.) special tax for drought victims; French Colonies revenue inscription.
Solikamsk: city in Russia, local post, Zemstvo, 1887-1915.
Sollum/ 14 IX 40: overprint on stamps of Libya privately applied.
Solo Use Cover: all the postage and fees are paid by a single stamp.
Solomon Islands: West Pacific island group, aka British Solomon Islands; currency: 12 pence = 12 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1966) 1893: became British protectorate, 1896: used New South Wales stamps, 1907, Feb. 14: No.1, ½ penny ultramarine, first stamps “British Solomon Islands Protectorate,” 1907: February 14: first stamps of British Solomon Islands protectorate, 1913: changed to “British Solomon Islands,” 1939: invaded by Japan, stamps taken to Fiji, 1940, Sept.1: first postage due stamps, 1975, Aug.4: became Solomon Islands, 1976, Jan. 2: became a self-government as Solomon Islands, 1978, July 7: became independent, 1982, May 3: first semipostal stamps, 1984, May 4: rejoined the U.P.U.
Solot: currency unit in Siam (Thailand).
Solothurn: local airmail; Switzerland, 1913.
Solvent smear: remainder of solvent used to clean the printing presses creating a smear.
Solyom, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1880s, for middle Danube lines.
Som Ubesorget Aabnet af Post Departmentet: (Nor.) Return to Sender inscription on stamps of Norway.
Som Uindlost Aabnet af Post Departmentet: Return to Sender-Not Called For inscription on stamps of Norway.
Som: currency unit in Kyrgyzstan.
Somali Coast: northeast Africa, Côte Français des Somalis (Fr.), aka Djibouti; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1862: port of Obock, on Gulf of Aden, acquired by French, 1888: port of Djibouti constructed by French, 1891: named area Somali Coast Protectorate, 1892-94: port of Obock issued stamps, 1894: No.1, 5 centimes green and red, first stamps as Obock and Djibouti, 1902: used stamps of Somali Coast, 1915: first semi-postal, postage due stamp issued, 1931: first stamps issued, 1940-42: controlled by the Vichy regime of France, 1943: inscription “Cote Français des Somalis,” 1944: first air mail stamp issued, 1964, Aug. 28: first air mail semi-postal stamp, 1959, April 1: joined the U.P.U., 1967, March 19: stamps discontinued, became the French Territory of Afars and Issas, 1977, June 27: territory became Republic of Djibouti, see Djibouti, Obock, Somaliland Protectorate.
Somali Democratic Republic: formed from Italian Somaliland and the Somaliland Protectorate; 1839-post: colonial powers created French Somaliland, Italian Somaliland and the British Somaliland Protectorate; 1940, Aug. 6: Italian forces occupied the British Protectorate, 1941: British drove Italians out, took over Italian Somaliland, 1943: stamps of Great Britain overprinted “E.A.F.” (East Africa Forces), 1948: stamps of Great Britain overprinted “B.M.A. Somalia.” (British Military Administration), 1948, Oct. 1: stamps of Great Britain overprinted “B.A. Somalia” (British Administration) when troops withdrew, 1950, April 1: Italians, with ten year United Nations mandate, ran Italian Somaliland, 1960, July 1: became independent as the Republic of Somalia, 1969: revolutionary group took over, changed name to Somali Democratic Republic.
Somalia Italiana Meridionale: overprint on stamps of Italy, Somalia postage dues, 1906-08.
Somalia Italiana Meridionale: overprint on stamps of Italy, Somalia postage dues, 1906-08.
Somalia Italiana: see Italian Somaliland.
Somalia, Central States of: cinderella, part of Somalia.
Somalia: eastern Africa on Indian Ocean, aka Somali Democratic Republic, Italian Somaliland, Benadir; currency: 4 besas = 1 anna, 16 annas = 1 rupee, 100 centesimi = 1 lira (1905), 100 besas = 1 rupee (1922),100 centesimi = 1 lira (1925),100 centesimi = 1 somalo (1950) shilling = 100 centesimos (1961) 1903, Oct. 12: No.1, 1 besas brown, first stamp, stamps overprinted / inscribed “Poste Italiane” and “Benadir,” 1906: first postage due stamp, 1916: first semipostal stamp, 1917: first parcel post stamp, 1922: stamps of Italy surcharged/overprinted “Somalia Italiana,” 1923, July 16: first special delivery stamp, 1934, Oct.: first air mail stamp, 1934, Nov. 5: first air mail semipostal and air mail semipostal official stamp, 1934, Nov. 11: first air mail official stamp, 1936, June 1-1941: stamps valid in Italian East Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Oltre Giuba absorbed into Italian East Africa, stamps of Somalia still used, 1938-41: used stamps of Italian East Africa, 1939: first authorized delivery stamp, 1941-49: under British military administration, 1943, Jan 15: No. 1, 1 penny vermillion; British stamps overprinted “E.A.F.” (East Africa Forces), 1948, May 27: British stamps overprinted “B.M.A.Somalia” (British Military Administration Somalia), 1950, Jan. 2: British stamps overprinted “B.A. Somalia” (British Administration Somalia) when British troops withdrew, 1950, March 24: Italian Trusteeship took over, stamps inscribed “Somalia,” 1958, Oct. 4: first air mail special delivery stamp, 1960, April 1: first stamps replaced those under Italian and British administrations, 1960, July 1: former Italian colony merged with British Somaliland Protectorate to form independent Republic of Somalia, 1973: stamps inscribed “Jum. Dim.(J.D.) Somaliya” (Far Somali), see Djibouti, Obock, Italian East Africa, Italian Somaliland and Somaliland Protectorate.
Somalia: overprint / inscription on stamps of Italy; 1922-23.
Somalia: overprint/inscription on stamps of Italy; 1922-23.
Somalikusten: (Swed.) Somali Coast.
Somalikyst: (Dan., Nor.) Somali Coast.
Somaliland Britannique: (Fr.) British Somaliland.
Somaliland Protectorate: 1: Not Looted overprint, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001. 2: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.
Somaliland Protectorate: eastern Africa, on the Gulf of Aden; currency: 16 annas = 1 rupee, 100 cents = 1 shilling (1951) 1885: became British Protectorate, administered by Indian government as a dependency of Aden, 1898: territory run by British Foreign Office, 1903: No.1, ½ anna light green, stamps of India overprinted “British Somaliland,” 1903, June: 1: first official stamp issued, 1904: inscription “Somaliland Protectorate” issued on British definitive stamps, 1905: British Colonial Office took over, 1940: occupied by Italy, recaptured by British forces in 1941 1960, July 1: became part of Somalia, now the Somali Democratic Republic, 1991, May 18: Somaliland declared its independence from Republic of Somalia.
Somaliland, British: south of Obock; 1884: created by Great Britain, 1903: first stamps, 1960: stamps of Somalia.
Somaliland, French: now Afars and Issas. 1957: first commemorative stamp issued 1962: first airmail stamp issued; see Obock.
Somaliland, Italian: originally called Benadir, 1889: created by Italy, 1924: Oltre Giuba, south of Italian Somaliland, conceded to Italy by Britain, 1926: Italy combined Oltre Giuba into Italian Somaliland, 1936: Italy combined Italian Somaliland and Eritrea with Ethiopia to form Italian East Africa, 1945: Italian Somaliland became the United Nations Trust Territory of Somalia, 1960, July 1: Somaliland Protectorate and U.N. Trust Territory of Somalia merged to become Somali Republic, 1970: name changed to Democratic Republic of Somalia, 1991, May 17: rebels in northern part of country founded the Somaliland Republic, issued stamps inscribed “Somaliland Republic” and the “Republic of Somaliland.” see Oltre Giuba, Italian East Africa.
Somalis: Somali Coast, 1902-67.
Somaliya: Somalia, 1973.
Sommaroanna S.S. Co.: Finland local 1895.
Sommerset & Dorset Joint Line: British railway local post.
Somola(o): currency unit in Somalia.
Somon: (Rom.) salmon (color), see Roz-somon.
Somoni: currency unit in Tajikistan.
Sonderausgabe: (Ger.) commemorative or special issue
Sonderdruck: (Ger.) special printing such as black prints used for stamp exhibitions.
Sondermarkenblock: (Ger.) souvenir sheet.
Sonderpostamt: (Ger.) special post office.
Sonderpostschalter: (Ger.) special post office counter.
Sonderpoststempel: (Ger.) special post office cancellation.
Sonderstempel: (Ger.) special cancellation
Soneja: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, forces, 1937.
Sonne: bogus, no information available.
Sonntagsmarke: (Ger.) Sunday stamp with tablet regarding Sunday delivery.
Sonora: state of Mexico; 1: Constitutionalist inscription on revenue issues of Sonora, Mexico, Civil War issue, 1914-16. 2: fantasy label for Mexican state.
Sons of Philatelia: created in the U.S. in Oct. 1890 by Robert M. Miller who felt that the American Philatelic Association (now APS) dues were too high, dissolved Sept. 1903.
Soomaaliya: (Afrikaans) Somalia Democratic Republic.
Soomaaliyeed: (Afrikaans) Somalia.
Sophie C: mailboat delivers mail to islands in Lake Winnesaukee, N. H.
Sophie, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built around 1850s, for lower Danube lines.
Sopraprezzo: (It.) surcharge.
Soprestampa: (It.) see Surcharge.
Sopron: city in Hungary, local post, overprint on stamps of Hungary, civil uprising, 1956-57.
Sor: (Hung.) set (of stamps).
Sorbas: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sorfogazat: (Hung.) line perforation.
Sorgfaltig: (Ger.) exact or correct
Soroki: city in Russia; local post, Zemstvo, 1878-98.
Sorozat: (Hung.) set (of stamps).
Sort: 1: (Dan.) black (color). 2: city in Spain, local post, Spanish Civil War, Republican forces, 1937
Sortieranlage: (Ger.) automated sorting machine.
Soruth: India Feudatory State, aka Junagarh, Saurashtra, Sorath; 1864, Nov.: No.1, 1 anna black bluish, first local stamps were hand-stamped as Junagarh, 1923: name changed to Sourashtra, 1929: name changed to Saurashtra, issued first official stamps with overprint “Sarkari,” 1947, Nov. 9: became part of the Indian Union, 1948, Feb. 15: United States of Saurashtra formed from 217 states, including stamps issuing entities of Soruth, Jasden, Morvi, Nowanugger, and Wadhwan, 1949: issued overprint stamp for “U.S.S. Revenue & Postage Saurashtra” (United States of Saurashtra), 1950, Apr. 30: stamps discontinued, uses stamps of Republic of India; see Jasdan, Morvi, Nawanagar and Wadhwan. |
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