INFORMATION ABOUT POSTAGE STAMPS &
PHILATELY
Authority to issue Postage Stamps on
behalf of the
Circulation of continuing and
official postage stamps has been determined according to the needs, which
varies between 10 million and 100 million each.
Turkish administration starts
carrying on its works for preparation of the stamp emission program in the
month of March of the previous year.
Continuing postage stamps
They are printed usually in two
colors and in numerous quantities under the said name for the payment of postal
rates. On these stamps such subjects, mainly Atatürk, as Turkish Famous
Scholars, Anatolian plants, wild flowers etc.
Official postage stamps
Postage stamps that are printed
pursuant to Article-21 of the Postal Law No.5584 for using in payment of all
postal rates of all kinds of mails posted by the national Budget, Annex Budget
and Private Budget Organizations, Municipalities and their Administration and
Institutions.
commemorative stamps
Stamps on which generally picture
and motives pertaining to the particular event or person are printed thereon
for commemoration. Primarily being our historical, social and cultural
heritages, 50th, 100th, 250th, and 1000th anniversaries of significant events occurred
in Turkey and abroad, and various subjects, mainly such as famous persons,
tourism heritages, endemic plants and animals are being included. Commemorative
stamps for are issued on 13 different subject at most by our Administration
within a year. Circulation of commemoration stamps is 600.000, and this
quantity is fixed. Commemoration stamps and commemoration blocks remain for
sale for a period of 6 months as of the date on which they are put to sale,
however they are continuously effective for use on mail.
Surplus Value Commemoration Stamps
Surplus values available on stamps
are not effective in payment of postal rates, but amount of such values are
paid to the Red Crescent and Social Services, Children Care Association at the
end of the year pursuant to the law. Such stamps remain in circulation for sale
by the end of the following year as of their issue date. Circulation of stamps
with plus value and commemoration blocks is 300.000.
Stamp emission programs
are prepared annually. In
selection of subjects to be included in the program, assorted proposals and
recommendations received from Ministries, Presidency of the General Staff,
Universities, Foundations and Associations, Public sector, anniversaries of
important events determined by our section and various subjects are evaluated
by a commission so created and given its final shape. Stamp emission program in
its final shape after approval by the related Later on pictures of stamps are
prepared according to their dates of issue for sale. Along with such materials
as slide, photograph in pictures of stamp, pictures and graphics that were made
generally by artists are used. For the purpose of benefiting in preparation of
pictures for stamps, documents related with the subject are provided from the
Institutions applied for issue of stamps. Along with stamps the first and
special day covers are also prepared and put up for sale by our Administration.
Another service
is the first and special day postmarks
TERMS AND
DEFINITIONS USED IN PHILATELY
Air-Mail Stamp : Stamps which are printed on postal rates envisaged for
mailing articles to be forwarded by airmail on the basis of postal tariff and
bearing pictures related with aviation on them.
Thematic Stamp: Stamps bearing
pictures of certain subjects such as bird, flower, sports, famous people,
paintings, etc.
T-Stamp : Stamps which are used for charges received from
addressees or from their senders when necessary of mails for without stamps and
underpayment. They cannot be used for other postal services. At present, we do
not have such kind of stamp.
Tête Bêche : It stands for two stamps printed as reverse to one
another. They may be printed as reverse head to head, reverse side by side and
reverse foot to foot. "Tête Bêche" stamps may be used in payment of
postal rates also one by one.
Souvenir Sheet : Small sheet of stamps on which one or several stamp(s)
perforated or unperforated and bearing usually inscriptions at its sides.
Postage stamp overprint : It is printing job
of new inscriptions, figures or designs on valuable papers or stamps by
changing or unchanging values in order to commemorate another event or changing
the purpose of issuing the stamp.
Variety: Printing of a
stamp in various forms. Its difference from the "error" is that
"variety" is to be printed under the control of Post Administration
and in numerous quantities.
Center: Equality of
opposite margins of a stamp, i.e. frame around a picture of stamp is printed
just at the center of the sheet of stamp.
Portfolio: Philatelic file in
which commemoration stamp printed for a commemoration, related FDC’s ( first day cover), card or other publications are placed.
Series: A set involving
each and every value of stamps issued under the same name.
Block: group of stamps
consist of at least 4 stamps side by side or one over another.
Legend: Inscriptions on a
stamp.
Charniére: Small pieces of glued paper used for sticking stamps
in album.
Philatelic
Envelope: Special envelopes
bearing the first day and special date stamp (postmark).
Envelope with the
first day stamp: Special envelopes bearing inscriptions and designs and
stamped with the first day stamp related with the subject, affixed thereon a
series of commemoration or continuing stamp.
Special Date Cover: Special envelopes
on which a special philatelic stamp is affixed, bearing inscriptions and
designs related with the subject.
Margin: Non-printed
sections left outside of the main body of stamp sheets and commemoration blocks
and stamps.
Postcard: Postcards with or without pictures, bearing print of
stamp, etc. showing postal rate and the inscription "postcard"
Stamped paper: Postcards bearing
imprinted stamps
Perforation: Line of small
holes between sheets of postal stamps and stamps on commemoration blocks for easy
removal from one another.
Value: Amount of money shown in figures and additionally in
writing on some of valuable papers used in mail and indicating their sales
price or any one of stamps presented in a series.
Perforated: Serrated edges of
stamps left at the end of perforation.
Emission: Issuing a valuable
paper or stamp
Error: A defect occurred at the time of printing or
perforation of valuable papers.
Specimen: The draft prints
prepared by the printing office in order to show the last condition of the
print. They are also called specimen of preparation. It is important in terms
of seeing preparation of stamp. They are not sold; and kept in the museums and
archives of Postal Administrations
Format: Size in mm. of a
picture on the stamp (margin is not included) (e.g.25x40 mm.)
Watermark: The number of
prints of stamps and valuable papers. A special design and mark such as
inscription, figure or motif in some paper of stamps, visible when paper is
held up to the light. It is used for preventing printing of fake stamps.
Maximum Card: Philatelic card
with special postmark bearing a magnified picture on a postage stamp and
carrying additionally the stamp itself as printed or affixed thereon.
POSTMARKS:
Normal Postmark: Postage stamps are
used in mail only once. In order to ensure this single use, postage stamps are
cancelled by stamping with postmark (normal, first day and special postmark)
after they are affixed.
First day postmark: They are the date
postmarks which are used only for cancellation of such postage stamps on the
date on which they are issued and bearing on them inscriptions and designs
related with the subject.
Special Day Postmark: Date
postmarks which are used for cancellation of any current postage stamp or
commemoration block and bearing on them inscription and designs concerning the
event, on certain days for some important events for which commemoration stamps
have not been issued and in postal offices at the places where events have
occurred.
