GLOSSARY
The following is a list of terms, abbreviations and acronyms commonly used in Stamp Collecting and by Booklet collectors in particular.
Definitions and explanations are short and may not be all inclusive
ABNC - American Bank Note Co.
AP - Ashton Potter
AVR - Avery Dennison
BEP - Bureau of Engraving and Printing
BIA - Bureau Issues Association
CSAC - Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee
CPV - Constant Plate Variety
CRL - Cross Register Line
EKU - Earliest Known Use
EFO - Error, Freak or Oddity
EP - Embedded Phosphor
FDC - First Day Cancel / First Day Cover
IBC - Inside Back Cover of a booklet
IFC - Inside Front Cover of a booklet
LRM - Length Register Mark
MNH - Mint Never Hinged
PMC - Purple Machine Cancel
PMS - Pantone Matching System
PSA - Pressure Sensitive Adhesive
SA - Self-Adhesive (Pressure Sensitive Gum)
SSP - Sennett Security Products
SFS - Stamp Fulfillment Services
SV - Stamp Venturers
USSS - United States Stamp Society (formerly BIA)
WAG - Water Activated Gum (Lick n Stick)
UV - Ultraviolet Light
American Philatelic Society (APS)
The largest organization of stamp collectors in the United States. Publisher of the monthly journal, "The American Philatelist".
ATM Booklets
Stamps formatted for sale by automated teller machines (ATM's) now in use by many U.S. banks and financial institutions. To be suitable for sale through ATM's, self-adhesive ATM stamps and their backing sheets must conform precisely to the length, width, and thickness of the U.S. currency notes that these machines dispense. The first U.S. ATM stamps were stylized 25-cent Flag stamps printed on plastic film, used during a six-month test period in 1990 at 22 ATM machines operated by the First National Bank in the Seattle, WA, area. They are sold from bank ATM machines, usually with the bank adding some surcharge above the face value of the stamps.
All Self-Adhesive (SA) booklet stamps have a backing paper or liner on which the stamps are affixed. Early issues usually had printing on the liner.
BK
Standard numbering system prefix for booklets used in the Scott Specialized Catalogue.
Stamps with a rectangle of phosphor tagging applied over the printed image. Early PNCs were tagged with small and large block of tagging.
Blind Perforation
These appear to be Imperforate, but if there is even a trace of a perforation or die-cut dent, it is considered a blind perf.
Booklet
Stamps bound or folded within stiff covers, giving the appearance for which it is named. Small panes of stamps sewn, stapled or glued between relatively stiff, thick covers (or increasingly with recent self-adhesive stamps, on tough backing paper that may be folded into a booklet when the stamps are purchased). Stamp booklets were devised as a convenience to stamp users for easy parrying of stamps. Over the years, booklets have taken many forms, ranging from stapled panes to the aforementioned foldable self-adhesive booklets. Booklet covers typically enclose one or more booklet panes, which may or may not have non-postal labels se-tenant with the stamps. Older booklets may also have paper or glassine interleaving, or protective pages, with or without text, between each booklet pane of stamps. In most cases, each booklet pane is attached to the booklet by a binding stub at one edge of the pane. Such stubs may be stapled, attached with their own adhesive or bound by other means. A booklet carefully dismantled and displayed to show all of its parts - the covers, the panes, the interleaving, and the binding, if any is called an exploded booklet. Most booklets contain more than one small pane of stamps. More recently, booklets are seen in various formats including 'Convertible Booklets' and 'Vending Booklets'.
Booklet Plate Number Singles
Until recently, plate numbers on U.S. booklet stamps could be collected only on the binding stub. But in early 1997, beginning with the Yellow Rose, the USPS began releasing some booklets with plate numbers printed on the stamp itself. This makes those stamps design-different and collectible.
Booklet Pane
A single page, or pane of stamps from a complete booklet of stamps. Panes may be collected separately from booklets. Such panes are said to be from an exploded booklet. Depending upon how they are produced, booklet panes may have staple holes or folds and many may be found either or without binding stubs. Panes missing binding stubs generally are worth far less than those with stubs. On earlier issues, particularly from the United States, plate numbers are found only on certain positions from the printing sheet and command a premium over standard value. See Unfolded / Never Folded Panes
Bullseye Die Cutting
Some booklets were die cut with a circular pattern similar to a 'Bullseye' to prevent the use as a postage substitute of the area being die cut. Click HERE for an example.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP)
The BEP is the branch of the US Treasury Department responsible for printing postage stamps. Once the primary source of all stamps, the BEP now shares the printing load with outside contractors.
Cachet
A pictorial design or inscription on a cover, usually used in conjunction with a first day cancel.
Centering
Centering refers to the placement of the stamp design in relation to the perforations or edges of a stamp. The more perfect the centering (and the larger the margins), the higher the stamp's grade. The more off center the design, the lower the grade to the stamp. Centering plays a very important role in valuing stamps. Many catalogs value stamps in fine to very fine centering - the condition in which most stamps are encountered by collectors. Other catalogs value stamps in very fine condition, a higher quality and less frequently encountered centering, which is worth more. Stamps with nearly perfect centering (superb) frequently sell for multiples of catalog value, while those that are quite off-center (but not misperforated) sell for far less than catalog value. Although centering alone plays a large role in determining the value of a stamp, it does not take into consideration any faults a stamp may have; therefore an undesirable damaged stamp may have superb centering, but may be worth a small fraction of its catalog value.
Chill Roller Doubling
A double impression left on the printed stamp caused by a set-off from the Chill Roller, which are special rollers on some presses that help cool the web after the stamps have been printed, often to prepare the web for another step, such as tagging. These chill rollers occasionally pick up ink from the printed stamps and deposit it on others, creating what collectors refer to as chill roller doubling.
Commercial Cover
Generally any business mail envelope that is not of philatelic origin.
Condition
Condition is a prime factor to consider, either buying or selling. Depending on your financial situation, always buy the best you can afford. When it come time to sell your stamps, condition is VERY important. Plan accordingly.
Contingency Stamp
A stamp printed in advance of an impending rate increase, for use while stamps bearing the new rate are prepared. These had been 'alphabet' stamps, until the rate increase in 2001, where the contingency stamps were marked 'first class'.
Constant Plate Variety (CPV)
Any printed variation of the intended design caused by any irregular feature in the printing process. This variation must occur at regular intervals on the finished product.
Cover
Any envelope that is or has been used to convey mail.
Convertible Booklet
A flat self adhesive pane of stamps intended to be folded by customers. They are usually sold flat and unfolded over the post office counter, and usually have removable strips and perforations that allow them to be easily folded.
Criss-Cross Booklets
A method of stacking booklets for Post Offices that have booklet vending machines. The booklets are stacked and shipped at right angles to each other to insure that the booklets are dispensed individually.
A registration line printed on the tab of a booklet pane. The line normally runs the width of the tab from one edge to the other. It can vary in thickness and there can be gaps at either end.
Cut Mark
Visual markers printed on a stamp pane for cutting purposes.
Definitives
Regular-issue stamps that are kept in use usually for a number of years. Unlike commemorative stamps, definitives can be reprinted as many times as new supplies are deeded. Definitives frequently appear as the small postage stamps found on most everyday mail that is intended to supply the most basic postal needs and therefore have been issued in many different, common denominations.
The number of peaks and valleys on a die cut stamp. Several different sizes exist.
A stamp separation method used on Pressure Sensitive Adhesive paper. (SA)(PSA) The separation outline can be either straight or serpentine, and is accomplished by crushing the stamp paper fibers without cutting the backing paper on which the stamps are mounted.
Divots
Divots are depressions located on panes of stamps where the horizontal and vertical die cuts meet. They appear as a diamond shaped hole or cavity that is deeper than the die cutting and extends to the liner of the pane. Some stamps issues exist with and without divots. Click here for an example of a divot.
Double Sided Convertible Booklets
Essentially the same as a Convertible Booklet, except stamps are printed on both sides of the booklet as a means of minimizing waste.
Dropped Transfer
A low positioned stamp in a strip, resulting from an improperly positioned transfer roller. Also know as a Low Transfer.
Water Activated stamp gum (WAG) having no light reflective quality. It is also referred to as dry gum because there is no shine.
Durland Catalog
Published every few years by the United States Stamp Society, it included a listing of all known plate numbers and a comparative valuation. Updates and new plate numbers are published in the 'United States Specialist'.
Earliest Known Use (EKU)
The earliest date on which a stamp has been postally used. Many modern stamps have been released early and used on mail before the official first day of issue.
Embedded Phosphor Paper
Stamp printing paper infused with taggant during the manufacturing process. It has a Mottled appearance under short wave ultraviolet light. The application of the taggant on this type of paper is much like staining a surface; it soaks into the paper and becomes a part of it, appearing throughout the various layers of paper fibers. Like surface-tagged paper, the printed stamp image appears over the taggant, rather than under.
A stamp that is completely missing one or more steps in the printing process, or one that exhibits another serious flaw such as an inverted or wrong color, or a double impression. See also Freaks and Oddities.
First Day Ceremony Program
Special items created for limited distribution to guests at first-day ceremonies. Such programs not only contain the listing of participants and a program of events for the ceremony, but also examples of the new stamp and first-day cancel tying it to the program. First-day ceremony programs may be officially produced by the U.S. Postal Service or by a sponsoring organization. The USPS also sells them by subscription.
First Day Cover
A cover canceled with the official first day of issue date. The cancellation process is usually done away from the first day site, except for those at the ceremony. A 30 day time extension is usually granted to get covers canceled. More details.
Flyspeck
A variety, which generally can only be seen with the aid of magnification.
Folded Booklet
Beginning in 1977, except for the "A" Booklet, booklets were manufactured by the BEP on the Goebel booklet forming machine generating integral folded booklets with the panes glued in.
A stamp containing a minor mistake such as a shifted perf or die-cut, paper fold, miscutting or mis-registered colors.
Gripper Crack
A form of plate variety that occurs along the top or bottom row of stamp subjects on a printing plate. Tension cracks occur on printing plates most frequently where the grippers hold the curved plate to the cylinder. These cracks collect ink and deposit it on the printed stamps. Gripper cracks look just like a crack, jagged line, or series of lines running through the stamp design.
Gum Shine
Collectors have adopted three categories of gum shine, which is the degree of reflectivity of light on the gum.
s Dull Gum
s
Low Gloss Gum
s Shiny Gum
Hi-Brite Paper
Paper that is impregnated with brighteners, that glow under longwave ultraviolet light.
Imperforate
Without Perforations. To be an Imperforate stamp, there must be NO trace of a perforation.
Impression
The finished stamps produced by one complete revolution of a rotary printing base. (A base can be a plate, sleeve or cylinder where modern coils are concerned.)
Inking Flaws
One of many different types of freak varieties that can occur on stamps. Printed by any technique. Inking flaws may range from a small blob of extraneous ink to huge smears or uninked areas. After a line-engraved printing plate has been inked, it is wiped clean, removing all ink that is not in the recessed lines of the plate. Sometimes, either through improper inking or overzealous wiping, too little ink remains in the printing plate to produce a suitable printed image. Such varieties, which are very desirable to collectors, are considered to be defective stamps by the printers and are usually removed and destroyed prior to distribution. As a result, these varieties have additional value to collectors, the value being determined by how significantly the flaw affects the appearance.
Interleaves
The translucent sheets of glassine paper spaced between pages in a stamp booklet or album to prevent stamp abrasion and adhesion.
A registration mark printed on the tab of a booklet pane. The mark normally is rectangular in shape and is positioned vertically on the tab. It can vary in length and density.
Letterpress
Originally a Printing Press, but now applied to the process of Letterpress, including all forms of relief printing. This encompasses old style block printing, presses with moveable type and flexography.
Liner Paper
All Self-Adhesive (SA) stamps have a backing paper or liner that the stamps are affixed to.
Linn's Weekly Stamp Newspaper, published by Amos Press, focusing on United States stamps, including Plate Number Coils.
Lithography
A printing process which uses an offset method, where the image is transferred to the paper by way of a rubber blanket (mat).
Water activated stamp adhesive (WAG) that displays a moderate degree of light reflection. Sometimes referred to as Semi- Gloss or Satin Gum. This falls into the range between Dull Gum and Shiny Gum.
Luminescence
U.S. stamps have various styles of luminescents, and Scott minor varieties are often distinguished by the specific luminescent methods used. See Luminescence article by Victor Bove.
U.S. stamp booklets manufactured using stamps normally issued in individual panes, packaged in generic blue cardboard covers and dispensed by vending machines.
Make-Up Rate Stamps
Nondenominated stamps issued for use with stocks of previously issued first-class rate stamps in making up the difference between the rate shown and a newly introduced rate.
Master Item Numbers (USPS Designations)
The first four
digits of the item number indicate the series, as follows:
1000 Series - Definitive, Priority, and Express Mail sheet stamps.
2000 Series - Stationery items (aerogrammes, stamped cards, stamped
envelopes, and souvenir cards).
3000 Series - Migratory bird stamps, international reply coupons, and
money orders.
4000 Series - Commemorative stamps.
5000 Series - Special issues (Christmas, flag, love, airmail, ATM
sheetlets, and penalty mail sheet stamps).
6000 Series - Booklets.
7000 Series - Coils: regular and precanceled
8000 and 9000 Series - Philatelic products.
A product of Krause-Minkus Publications, Inc. Minkus Catalog numbers are used.
Mint
Mint generally means 'Unused, in Post Office Fresh condition'. There are a few sub categories, i.e.: Mint-Never Hinged, Mint Hinged, Mint without gum.
Mint Never Hinged
Mint Never Hinged refers to the gum on stamps which have gum without a fingerprint, blemish or mark of any kind.
A term that appears on the Data sheets, the Modeler is the person responsible for working the stamp design into a format required for the finished product.
Mottled Tagging has an uneven, rough, or blotchy appearance when viewed under ultraviolet light, as opposed to even or grainy tagging. Mottled Tagging usually results from applying taggant to the surface of uncoated stamp paper before the printing process begins. Embedded phosphor paper, in which the stamp printing paper is infused with taggant during the manufacturing process, also produces Mottled Tagging.
Never Folded / Unfolded
In the case of booklets, this refers to panes that were made available to philatelic customers. These panes were used to service First Day Covers and were sold to the public as single flat unfolded panes.
Non-Denominated Stamp
A stamp without a denomination. Prepared in advance for use in rate change situations.
Stamps with phosphor tagging applied in a lacquer solution to their entire surface after printing. Tagging is applied to the entire printed paper web.
A printing industry standardized system of blended colors, each with their own Pantone Matching System (PMS) number. Visit their website at www.pantone.com.
The part of a serpentine die cut that protrudes from the side of a stamp. It alternates with a corresponding "valley", or inward curve, to form the serpentine shape. Peak and Valley are abbreviated as P and V. When combined, as in PV or VP, they indicate the shape present at the left top and bottom corners of a die cut stamp.
Perforation
A row of small holes between stamps to facilitate separation.
Perforation Gauge
A device to measure perforations. They are determined by the number of perforations in a 2 centimeter length.
Our web site has a complete list of Philatelic Offices. Because the Postal Service is ever changing, we can not keep up with changes in the Philatelic Offices and solicit your help to keep current. There seems to be a trend to eliminate Philatelic Offices and replace them with 'Stamp Stores'.
Philately
The study and collection of stamps, labels or seals, stamped envelopes and cards, wrapper stamps, their precursory or substitute markings, and their uses, issued for the purposes of postal communications, revenue, charity, promotion, or supplemental to such purposes.
Plate (Printing)
In the broadest terms, a printing base. A printing base starts as a flat surface, although it may later be curved to fit the press or fit around a cylinder. Plates are made of steel for Intaglio, Aluminum for Lithography (Offset), and rubber or plastic for Flexography.
Plate Crack
A flaw in the surface of the steel printing plate that accepts ink and adds that ink along with the intended design onto the finished stamp. Generally the flaw becomes larger, until it is noticed by inspectors and the plate is removed.
Plate Number
The serial number assigned to a plate by the printer. Single digit suffix numbers are printed directly on the stamps, on the selvage or on the booklet cover, rather than the whole serial number, which is used for accounting purposes.
Prephosphored Paper
Paper that has taggant added during production and prior to printing. There are two types of prephosphored paper: Uncoated Paper and Coated Paper. Uncoated paper tagging will be Mottled. Coated paper tagging may be grainy, mottled or Solid.
A Press - A Five-color Gravure and Three-color
Intaglio Giori webfed combination press used by the BEP starting in the early 1970s.
Officially known as Press 702.
B Press - Three-color Intaglio Giori webfed press used by the BEP
starting about 1976. Officially known as Press 701.
C Press - Three-color Intaglio Giori webfed press used by the BEP
starting about 1982. Officially known as Press 901.
D Press - Six-color Offset and three-color Intaglio Goebel webfed
combination press. In use about 1984. Officially known as Press 902
Andreotti Gravure Press - An Italian made press,
purchased by the BEP in 1970
primarily for commemorative stamps. Officially
known as Press 601. This same model press has been used by Guilford Gravure, a
subcontractor for American Bank Note Co.
Champlain Press - J. W. Fergusson & Sons, a subcontractor for Stamp
Venturers, prints utilizing a layout of 13 rows of 33 stamps.
Cottrell Presses - Single-color webfed Intaglio presses used at the BEP
for almost 30 years, starting in 1956. Officially known as Presses 801, 802, 803, 804 and
805.
Optiforma Presses - Six-color webfed Goebel Offset presses put in coil
service about 1985. Officially known as presses 42 and 43.
Schiavi Press - Multi-Color Corp., a subcontractor for American Bank Note
Co., uses this press that prints 19 rows of 36 stamps.
Updated information on printers and presses used can be seen on the data pages for new
issues.
Prestige Booklet
A Postal Service term for booklets with stamps and descriptive text about the subject of the stamps. Until the advent of the Lewis and Clark booklet which sold for a premium, previous Prestige booklets sold for the face value of the stamps inside.
Click
here
for an overview of Printing Processes.
* Blanket - A mat with a rubber surface used to transfer
images on an offset press to the paper. The printed image is reversed on the blanket.
* Chill Roller - Near the end of each printing unit is a Dryer, the main purpose of which
is to dry the wet ink on the substrate (paper), prior to the next printing unit. A
Chill Roller is mounted at the exit point of each dryer to insure the web enters the next
print station in ambient temperature.
* Chromed - The hardened state of modern printing
sleeves. After the metal is hardened, a coating of chrome is applied to help the
printing sleeve have a longer printing life. Chromed printing sleeves may be
rechromed.
* Doctor Blade - A rubber device used to wipe excess ink from the printing plate. Any flaw
in the 'Doctor Blade' can result in an ink line on the finished stamp called a 'Doctor
Blade Line'.
* Flexography - A type of letterpress printing using a flexible rubber composition or
plastic plate. This process has been used for precancel overprints.
* Gravure - Also known as Intaglio printing, it makes use of the ability of ink to adhere
to a slight scratch or depression on a polished metal plate. The basics of Gravure
printing is a fairly simple process which consists of a printing cylinder, a rubber
covered impression roll, an ink fountain, a doctor blade, and a means of drying the ink.
* Ink Fountain - A trough that holds ink and then supplies it to the press.
* Intaglio - A Gravure printing process also known as recess printing, engraved, and
line-engraving, intaglio is a form of recess printing; that is, the design is etched into
the printing plate, below the surface. The original design is engraved in reverse into a
die, then the image is reproduced in relief on a transfer roll. The transfer roll then is
used to rock the design in reverse into softened steel plates, which are hardened upon
completion of the process. When printing begins, ink is applied to the plate and the
surface is wiped clean, leaving ink only in the incised lines. When moistened paper is
applied to the inked plate under pressure, it picks up the ink from the grooves, leaving
the final printed (and slightly raised) image.
* Offset Lithography, or Lithography - A printing process where the image is 'burned' onto
a thin metal plate using a photographic film negative. It is a form of indirect surface
printing that works on the principal that oil and water do not mix. Modern offset
printing is accomplished with the use of a plate that is photographically treated to
retain the positive stamp image, while attracting ink. The non-design areas repel the ink.
Rather than applying the inked image directly to paper, the offset plate transfers the
image to a rubber blanket roll (a negative image) that then transfers the design to paper
for the finished stamp. Indirect offset printing can be accomplished with both sheet and
web fed presses. Still used in the production of many booklet stamps.
* Photogravure Printing - Commonly called Gravure by the USPS. Generally used to print
multi-colored stamps and utilizes four basic ink colors: magenta, yellow, cyan and
black. This is the process used to print most current coil stamps.
* Process Colors - Four primary ink colors, yellow, magenta (red), cyan (blue) and black,
which are combined to achieve the look of any color combination.
* Rechromed - Replating a printing plate with chrome to extend the useful life after it
has been repaired or restored.
* Registration - This applies to all aspects of stamp production, from keeping the colors
'in register' (where they should be), to proper registration of perforations, die-cutting
and tagging.
Purple ink was used in tests in the 1970s for canceling purposes because the existing black ink often jammed machines and slowed down operations. Purple ink was used in 131 cities primarily from 1980 thru 1983. It was criticized because it was hard to read and would run and discolor stamps and the cancel could be washed off stamps. It was phased out when a new black ink was developed in 1982.
Each year, Scott Publishing Co., issues two catalogs containing information on Booklets. The Scott Standard, Volume 1, comes in the Spring. The Scott Specialized appears late in the year and is more comprehensive in its coverage of Booklets. Both use the Scott numbering system, which is accepted worldwide.
Printed line between two stamps caused by ink deposited in the seam of two adjoining curved printing plates. The lines can vary from very light to very dark and run the range of the colors on the stamps being printed.
The reverse side of a stamp that is coated with a pressure sensitive coating that sticks without the use of moisture. Most US Self-Adhesive coil stamps are sold on a removable liner.
Semi-Gloss Gum
Water activated stamp adhesive (WAG) that displays a moderate degree of light reflection. Sometimes referred to as Low Gloss or Satin Gum. This falls into the range between Dull Gum and Shiny Gum.
Water activated stamp adhesive (WAG) having a high light reflective appearance. Sometimes referred to as wet gum.
Sizing
Material, usually glue or a similar substance, incorporated into all finished papers during manufacture to keep the ink from bleeding through the paper fibers and to add stiffness.
Sleeve
A seamless steel cylinder used in line engraved intaglio printing. The images to be printed are entered directly on the curved surface.
Slitting
Separating the printed web into individual rows to form continuous bands that are cut to length and rolled into coils.
Solid tagging occurs when taggant is applied to the surface of a coated paper by the paper manufacturer prior to delivery to the printer. It has a smooth, usually solid appearance when viewed under shortwave ultraviolet light.
Spacefiller
A damaged or inferior copy of a stamp valued chiefly for its ability to fill as spot in an album. It is assumed that the stamp will be replaced when a better example is obtained, unless it happens to be very rare or valuable.
Splice
A taped joint connecting two pieces of a roll of stamp paper while still on the press. Used to repair broken webs or extend the length of a given roll.
A Weekly, then Bi-Weekly Stamp Newspaper formerly published by Krause Publications, Inc. The Minkus stamp products line was sold to Amos Press in 2004 and the final issue of Stamp Collector is dated 5 July 2004.
Stamp Distribution Office (SDO)
A regional USPS site that distributes postal items to Stations, Branches and Associate Offices. Usually referred to as the 'Accountable Papers' office.
The mail order arm of the United States Postal Service, located in the 'caves' beneath Kansas City, MO. They publish a free quarterly catalog.
As many Postal Retail Outlets are remodeled, the move is toward the Stamp Store, a place where stock is displayed on the wall and available for inspection before purchase. There are some items that are impractical to display, such as large coil rolls, and most Stamp Stores do not display coils at all.
Straight Edge
Any perforated stamp with one or more sides without perforations. Straight edges occur both naturally and as damage to a stamp. As damage, a straight edge is easily and often accidentally created by a pair of scissors or a letter opener. Natural straight edges are created when large printing sheets are cut apart into post office panes. Most modern-day self-adhesive stamps and stamps from booklets have naturally occurring straight edges, produced when the panes are separated.
Surface Phosphor Paper (SP)
Stamp printing paper treated with taggant that adheres to the surface of the paper. Applied by the paper manufacturer prior to delivery to the printer. It has a smooth, usually solid appearance when viewed under short-wave ultraviolet light.
A phosphor solution, either on the stamp or in the paper, that is usually invisible in normal light. A few issues have had the taggant blended into the printing ink.
Tagging
The process of adding a taggant material to the paper or as a separate application in the printing to produce a phosphorescent or luminescent reaction under ultraviolet light. Block tagging can sometimes be seen by holding the stamp at an angle to a bright light source. Tagging is used to activate postal processing machinery. Self-Adhesive stamps which are tagged appear either Solid or Mottled.
Tagging Breaks
A strip of stamps with regularly recurring interruptions in their overall tagging. Usually the break, an untagged area, consists of a vertical bard, but other shapes are known.
Transfer Roller
A steel cylinder bearing a raised image taken from an engraved master die, used to transfer a single original intaglio design to the multiple-subject printing plate.
The person who selects and arranges the style and size of type face for the lettering and numbers in a stamp design.
In the case of booklets, this refers to panes that were made available to philatelic customers. These panes were used to service First Day Covers and were sold to the public as single flat unfolded panes.
United States Stamp Society
An organization of stamp collectors interested in United States Stamps. The USSS publishes a monthly journal, The United States Specialist. The organization was formerly know as "The Bureau Issues Association".
A stamp printed without tagging, either purposely or in error.
United States Postal Service
A part of the serpentine die cut that protrudes from the side of a stamp. It alternates with a corresponding "peak", or outward curve, to form the serpentine shape. Peak and Valley are abbreviated as P and V. When combined, as in PV or VP, they indicate the shape present at the left top and bottom corners of a die cut stamp.
Variety
Any stamp that differs in some respect from a normal stamp of its type.
Vending Booklet
These booklets come already folded and are close in appearance to a traditional folded booklet. They are designed specifically to be sold in vending machines, either in post offices or elsewhere, but can occasionally be found sold over the counter in post offices or other businesses that sell stamps to customers as a convenience, such as supermarkets. Early examples include multi-page, stapled booklets. Modern vending booklets are generally a single pane of self adhesive stamps folded and sealed by a contractor. See also 'Makeshift Booklets'.
Web
A large roll of rotary press printing paper on which stamps are printed in a continuous operation.
