Where do I start?
Research tips
What are you researching?
At the Slusser Library, we get a variety of questions related to philately. This includes how much their stamps or covers are worth, the history of the postal service, and the history of a particular post office. People may want to know this information because they are collectors, historians, genealogists, writers, and more. If you’re able to visit the library in person, we can get you started using the materials in our holdings; we can also do some research for you if you’re unable to come in.
The information on this page may be able to help you better understand the type of information our library specializes in, and help you get a jump-start in your research. If you’re already familiar with this information, you may find it more helpful to click over to our Handy Links page.
Stamps
If you are looking to know more about the stamps you have in your possession or find the value of your stamps, click here to be taken to the Researching Stamps section.
Other philatelic material
Philatelists collect items in addition to stamps, including envelopes and postcards (also called “covers”), postmarks, mail that has been carried on a ship, train, or plane, and more. To learn more about researching this material, click here to be taken to the Researching Other Material section.
Postal service
Records of post office openings, closings, employees, postal routes, regulations, and more, help researchers better understand the history of a location and the people in it. To learn more about researching this aspect of philately, click here to be taken to the Researching the Postal Service section.
Researching stamps
The following information will hopefully help you understand how to find out more about individual stamps. If you want to know about an album or several albums full of stamps, this may be beyond the scope of a beginner, and you may wish to find a stamp dealer to appraise your collection (by law, we cannot appraise collections for you).
What kind of stamps do you have?
Postage or specialized?
Most stamps you’ll encounter are postage stamps. Postage stamps are included in “standard” catalogs. Other types of stamps are considered specialized, and include airmail stamps, special delivery stamps, and what are known as “cinderellas,” which look like stamps but aren’t really stamps at all. These include hunting and fishing stamps, tax stamps, college stamps, S and H green stamps, and more.
If it’s difficult to tell if it’s a postage or other sort of stamp, search the Internet using keywords on the stamp and search through images. You can also perform a reverse image search. Or, you may have to look in both specialized and standard catalogs.
U.S. or foreign?
Many collections will contain a mixture of U.S. and foreign stamps. You will need to sort the stamps by country in order to look up the values or learn more about the history behind the stamp.
You may need a magnifying glass! Keep in mind that the name of the country will be written in the language of that country, and often using their alphabet. So, for example, Hungarian stamps will say “Magyar,” Japanese stamps will say “Nippon” (along with Japanese characters), and Greek stamps will say “Ελλάδα.”
There are pamphlets and books that list country names and other helpful information to help identify stamps. We have some in our holdings, in our sales area, and you can also find them elsewhere online by searching for “Stamp Identifier.”
Other aspects
There are many aspects that can affect the value of the stamp. Don’t worry too much about these aspects until you find the stamp in the catalog. If it turns out there is a great range in value, then you will need to dig more into whatever aspect is in question. Common aspects that affect value include:
- Mint or used? (Through the mail)
- Gummed? (Sticky on the back)
- Hinged? (Little flap on the back)
- Damaged?
- Color?
- Number of perforations?
- Variations?
- Watermarked?
Finding your stamp in a catalog
Scott catalogs
The Scott catalog is the most common tool to find the value of a stamp. Many public libraries will have the latest set of Scott catalogs, which cover most stamps from countries all over the world in several volumes, issued once per year.
The Scott catalogs are arranged with United States in the first volume, and the rest of the world arranged alphabetically by country in subsequent volumes. If the country that has issued your stamp has undergone many political changes, or has been occupied, etc., use the index (located at the back of each volume) to see how the Scott catalog has organized that country’s stamps. If the country is located in the volume you’re currently looking at, a page number is given. If not, a volume number is given (then look up in the index of that volume for the page number). If you can, determine a date and/or denomination on the stamp, because the stamps in each country are then arranged chronologically. Look for either the exact design, or a very similar design, in the images in the catalog. Read the text next to the image and determine if your stamp is part of this issuance (not all stamps in an issuance are depicted).
The front of the catalog will have pages to show you how to read the entries for value, define abbreviations, etc. Once you think you have the correct entry, if your stamp is not pictured, you can double-check by searching the Internet using the words from the entry (country, year, the words postage stamp, a key word concerning the issuance, such as the topic of the stamp, and anything particular to your stamp (its color, denomination, etc.). You may find the image of your stamp on eBay, or a stamp forum, etc., and you can find out more information that way as well.
Specialized catalogs
If you have a specialized stamp from the United States, you can use the Scott catalog’s specialized volume. Otherwise, you will probably need to consult a specialized catalog from the stamp’s country. Unfortunately, many of these are in foreign languages, though there are some English translations, and of course, pictures and numerals help. One of the most popular catalogs beyond Scotts is Michel, made in Germany. Other countries may have their own catalogs that are used by collectors of these specific countries, such as Ceres or Yvert et Tellier for French stamps, Bales for Israeli stamps, and Facit for Scandinavian country stamps.
Until you are able to obtain a specialized catalog, such as in our or another philatelic library, you might consider conducting an Internet search such as described above. You will find not only stamp dealers online, but organizations of people who collect many different types of stamps and philatelic material.
When searching online catalogs or the Internet for specialized stamp information, use both broad and narrow terms in different searches. For example, if you have an egg inspection stamp issued by the state of Arizona, you might try Arizona revenue stamps or state revenue stamps in an online library catalog, but try “egg inspection stamp” Arizona, food revenue tax Arizona, or egg tax stamp Arizona when searching online.
Historical information
Some people are interested n the history surrounding the stamps in their possession. For example, who engraved the stamp, or why the stamp was “overprinted.” Our library, and other philatelic libraries, have books that cover these topics. Once a stamp has been identified by country and time period, you can search for the postal history of that country during that time period and research your stamp. Many of these books and articles are very esoteric and hard to find outside of special libraries, but you can also try searching the Internet for keywords, including the words postal history.
Again, some organizations that specialize in these areas of philately will have websites that may have links to online articles or books to purchase from their society.
When you are ready to visit or contact the Slusser to begin your research, use our online catalogs to see if we have the types of books you need.
Researching other materials
This section covers a wide range of philatelic items. Basically, anything but [just] stamps, including envelopes and postcards (called “covers” by philatelists), stamp issuance programs, souvenir cards, and more. Most of these items will have stamps on them. The most popular collectibles in this section are covers. people who collect covers are also said to collect postal history, as the cover tells the contemporaneous story of the correspondents, the postal system, and the government.
What’s so special about that cover?
People collect covers and other items for various reasons. It may be the type of postmark, where it was mailed from,, the method of delivery, the time period, the artwork on the envelope or postcard, and much more. You need to find out what, if anything, is interesting about your item. Was it postmarked on a naval ship? Then you might research it based on it being a naval cover. Does it have a slogan cancel on it? Then your research will probably involve slogan cancels. Was it mailed in Arizona before statehood? Then you will be looking at Arizona territory postmark catalogs.
Whatever it is, once you find the interesting aspect of your item, you will have the keywords you need to search online catalogs and the Internet. Keep in mind that you may need to use synonyms when searching online catalogs and the Internet.
Keywords
Here are a handful of keywords that may pertain to the item you’re researching. Keep in mind that each country may have their own special catalogs, organizations, and niche collecting areas for each of these philatelic items. Short definitions and a link to a related organization follow. This list of terms and the list of organizations is far from exhaustive.
Covers
- First Day Covers
- Patriotic covers
- Postal stationery
- Postcards
- Stampless covers
- Wreck covers
Postal Markings
- Auxiliary markings
- Cancellations and postmarks
- Fancy cancels
- Machine cancels
- Metered mail
- Slogan cancels
Delivery
- Airmail
- Highway post offices
- Maritime mail
- Military
- Overland/Express
- Railway mail
Covers
First Day Covers: Also called FDCs, First Day Covers are created to celebrate the first day of issuance of a stamp. Cachets, or illustrated envelopes, are often used. Organization: First Day Cover Society.
Patriotic covers: These are cacheted envelopes used as moral-boosters and/or propaganda, especially during war time. In philately, many patriotic cover collectors collect Civil War covers. Organization: Civil War Philatelic Society.
Postal stationery: Postal stationery is an umbrella term that includes cards, envelopes, wrappers, etc. created and sold by the post office. Many have an image of a stamp embossed on them. Organization: United States Postal Stationery Society.
Postcards: People who collect postcards are called deltiologists. Be aware that some people also spell postcards as two words. Local organization: Tucson Post Card Exchange Club.
Stampless covers: These are mailed covers that do not have a postage stamp or any other franking. Many stampless covers were sent before the creation of postage stamps, and often these envelopes were sent postage due by the recipient. The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society has information about stampless covers.
Wreck covers:: Also called crash covers, these are covers that, while being delivered, were in a vehicle that wrecked. These covers are often damaged. The most common “wreck covers” collected come from airplanes, dirigibles, and trains. Organization: The Wreck and Crash Mail Society. See also organizations that specialize in the mode of transportation.
Postal markings
Auxiliary markings: These markings are supplemental to the cancellation and postmark and include phrases such as Return to sender, Postage due, Misdirected, etc. Organization: Auxiliary Markings Club.
Cancellations and postmarks: The cancellation is the obliteration of the stamp to prove the postage has been made (often these are bars or lines). The postmark contains the post office name and date of cancel, and is often found within a circle or rectangle. Organizations: Postmark Collector’s Club, U.S. Cancellation Club.
Fancy cancels: These are a particular kind of hand-cancellation and are not merely decorative, “special,” or “pictorial.” Fancy cancels are marks that were made with devices not issued by the postal authorities, but instead created by postmasters. Most were carved from wood or cork. Organization: U.S. Philatelic Classics Society.
Machine cancels: Machine cancels were used starting in the 1870s with the Leavitt machine. Many machine cancels are associated with flag cancels and slogan cancels. Other machine brands include Pitney-Bowes (also known for meters) and the American Postal Machines Company). Organization: The International Machine Cancel Society.
Metered mail: Mail with a marking stamped on by a postage meter that shows proof of postage paid, instead of a stamp and a cancellation. Pitney-Bowes is one of the most well-known postage meter companies. Organization: Meter Stamp Society.
Slogan cancels: Slogan cancels contain words and sometimes images to promote public service campaigns and other events. For nationwide campaigns, the cancellations were originally created by a machine cancel machine, and later sprayed on with ink directed by a computer. Special cancellations, similar to slogan cancels, are often done for local events and handstamped by the post office there. Organization: The International Machine Cancel Society.
Delivery
Airmail: Airmail can include airplanes, dirigibles, rockets — anything that flies through the air. Airmail collectors may also specialize in other aspects, such as pioneer flights, wrecked flights, flights from certain routes, military aircraft mail delivery, and more. Organization: American Airmail Society and Military Postal History Society.
Highway post offices: These mobile post offices, that included trucks and buses on the roads and highways, filled a gap between railway mail and airmail, 1941-1974. Mail delivered via a highway post office are often postmarked with “HPO.” Organization: Mobile Post Office Society.
Maritime mail: Maritime mail generally refers mail delivered via any watercraft or over bodies of water. This includes anything as vast as transatlantic voyages as well as zipping across a river in a canoe. It can even include tin can mail: mail placed in tin cans and carried by swimmers in Tonga. Military (naval) mail can also be considered maritime. Organizations: Universal Ship Cancellation Society, Mobile Post Office Society, Military Postal History Society.
Military mail: Mail that is delivered by the military via land, sea, or air, and during peace or war, is a collectible area known as military mail. Military mail can involve subsets such as Army and Navy Post Office locations during wars, V-Mail, Allied Military Government mail, and more. Organization: Military Postal History Society.
Overland/express mail: Both overland (across country) and express (shorter distance) mail delivery were often accomplished with independent contractors. Organization for overland and western express mail: Western Cover Society.
Railway mail: Railway mail not only involves mail that was delivered via locomotive, but also trolleys and streetcars. Mail delivered via train is often postmarked with “RPO.” Collectors sometimes focus not only on the mail but on particular stations and agents. Organizations: Railway Mail Service Library, Mobile Post Office Society.
Researching the Postal Service
Sometimes researchers are interested knowing more information related to the postal service of an area, such as the location of a particular post office, the yearly salary of a postmaster in a certain year, or whether or not their ancestor worked at a certain post office. This information is often spread out, partially or whole, in various sources.
U.S. Post Office Department publications
The U.S. Government contemporaneously issued publications that contain vital information about post offices and postal employees. Most of these are available in the Slusser Library. Click on the publication to find if it’s available online. The links will take you to external sites and may include results beyond the publication listed. This list is not exhaustive.
