Magic of Musical Instruments

 

 

 

 

The beauty of music is not lost on stamps who reveal with their images how important instruments are in basic culture.

Parental Involvement: A Joyful And Safe Christmas Season

KNS is embarking on its 7th year of operation as a private charity fully engaged in helping parents help their kids collect stamps. The mission continues to be a raging success with KNS helping parents and a number of organizations helping kids start this amazing and still vibrant hobby in an age of  technological distractions.

We have assisted in a number of ventures, beyond the regular parental requests for stamp kits, to slightly expand our reach when discovering the cause fit our tight parameters.

** Ukrainian stamp club

** South African handicapped society

** Israeli stamp community

** Various home school classes

Please keep in mind KNS doesn't encourage or permit contact with children. We practice strictly what we preach and educate and then block any underage communication. This private charity is and always will be about parental or guardian assistance and encouragement to help their children or charges into the hobby of stamp collecting by providing free stamps and information. We do not apologize for their practice and strongly encourage parents to monitor their children's activities on the Internet. Any parents or others for the matter whom did not like, agree, or feel the need to protest this policy are also free to find another organization to indulge their political correctness.

KNS wishes everyone out a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Keep stamping alive.

Fires of the Imagination

One the deepest aspects of stamp collecting is how is fires the imagination of young people in such a way that it makes them want to learn more about the world around them. You wont hear that tale from kids who play video games unless it's some curiosity of how a kid is Japan is playing the same video game.

One finds children exploring different cultures and countries to learn what makes them unique and why they issued their distinctive array of annual stamps. Stamps inspire kids to ask about Abraham Lincoln, famous battleships, shells from distant beautiful islands and space exploration.

You won't find these fires in any other pursuit. Stick with stamps and their questions will stick with you for a lifetime. I promise.

March Madness: Our Fifth Year of Operation

 

Another exciting year is upon us at Kids Need Stamps. Thank you for the kind words and helpful comments. Our mission remains the same: helping parents help kids collect stamps. While we do branch out ocassionally to assist boys scouts, disabled students, war veterans, etc., KNS is first and foremost about helping parents connect with their children using stamps.

We live in strange and ironic times where so-called advanced devices like smart phones and video games tout brain stimulation and increased communication. But I question these remarks as merely commericial propaganda meant to reinforce sales. I have yet to hear and important or intelligent conversation using a cell phone. You can wait to get home to talk silly. And video games isolate our children more so than ever before. I wouldn't advocate banning these devices only self-regulating their usage in our lives. My own kids play video games but we restrict the time and games they play. They still must deal with homework, boardgames, and their parents.

Stamps are special devices that allow us to access our children's lives without leaning on them about sermons, rules and merely forcing "togetherness." The parental connection becomes natural and vital when learning why stamps exist and how their extistence educates and entertains the entire world.

Stamp Alphabet Series: V is For Victoria

Value

This term can refer to either the printed denomination of a stamp or to its monetary market value to a collector or dealer. The term also refers to the relative light or dark of a color, on a scale from white to black; thus, a high-value color is a very light pastel shade. A low-value color is very dark.

Variable Denomination

A relatively modern type of stamp that uses a form of key plate to produce the basic (but blank) background design. Computer printers then print the denomination on the stamp at the time it is vended. U.S. variable- denomination and Autopost stamps are included in this category, as are the various Frama and other types of foreign computer-vended stamps.

Varnish Bars

See Lacquer Bars.

Vertical Pair, Imperforate Horizontally

Vertical pair of stamps lacking horizontal perforations between stamps and with horizontal straight edges at top and bottom. Perforations are present at left and right sides.

Very Fine

A term that relates more to centering than to overall condition. A stamp that has very fine centering is slightly off center, but has clear more-or-less evenly spaced margins surrounding the design. Imperforate examples have four decent margins.

Vignette

The central design portion of a stamp. In most cases, this is a portrait, but it can include other strong design elements contained within the border as well. A second and much less commonly used meaning of the word comes from an early French term that described pictorial labels with no postal value.

Stamp Alphabet Series: T is For Thailand

Tab

A non-postal pictorial or text label attached to a postage stamp for various purposes. In recent years, tab has become the standard terminology to refer specifically to the labels on the stamps of Israel.

Tagging

On U.S. stamps, tagging refers to the intentional application of phosphorescent compounds that react when exposed to short-wave ultra-violet light on stamps or other postal paper. This is a photochemical reaction that can be detected by modern mail-handling equipment and used to correctly orient a piece of mail for canceling and sorting. In block tagged stamps, a rectangle of transparent but UV-reactive ink (called taggant) is applied. In overall tagging, as the name implies, the taggant covers the entire surface of the stamp, usually including the margins. Many recent stamps are printed on prephosphored paper, in which taggant is already present or is applied before printing. For stamps of other countries, tagging also refers to intentionally applied luminescent material that may be either fluorescent or phosphorescent. Most forms of tagging are invisible to the naked eye.

Tagging Ghost

The ghost image of a stamp image, text, or plate number, picked up wet from freshly printed stamps by the tagging roller and deposited on the next impression. Tagging ghosts are frequently mistaken for double printings, but are a form of set-off freak. Tagging ghosts that are quite clear are highly collectible.

Target Cancel

A cancellation marking composed of a series of concentric rings. Target cancels are a form of mute cancel that has been used in many countries for many years.

Taxed Photographs

Photographs from the Civil War era bearing revenue stamps on their backs. The tax act of 1864 (one of the later taxes of the Civil War) levied certain taxes on two arbitrary categories of photographs. One category included photos of artwork, engravings, and other types of illustrations. The other category covered all other types of photographs. It is the second type that required the use of revenue stamps. The tax (with one change in 1865) was effective from August 1, 1864, until July 31, 1866. Tax paid revenues differ from most other types in that they are not denominated in dollars and cents. Because of this, taxpaids are not listed in the Scott catalog - but that doesn't mean they don't have a strong devoted following. Taxpaids exist for many types of food, alcohol, and tobacco products, and each classification has many types.

Teeth

The projecting remnant of perforations along the edge of a stamp, formed by what was the bridge of paper between the perforations on un separated stamps. Each individual tooth gives a stamp its own personality and can be used much like a fingerprint for identification of a specific stamp.

Telegraph Stamp

It has been stated numerous times that telegraph stamps are to telegrams what postage stamps are to letters. This is the most direct form of payment representation possible. As telegraph service mushroomed during the late 1800s, so did the number of telegraph companies and use of telegraph stamps. These items were in use from about 1870-1947. As smaller companies were swallowed by larger ones, the number of stamps dwindled. In addition to mint and used, many telegraph stamps also are known as remainders. Many of these have a hole punched in them. (See also Collect and Duplicate)

Tercentenary

The 300th anniversary of a birth of other event.

Territorial Mail

Those covers and postal markings applied by active post offices in areas that have not yet been admitted to the union as states. In the case of Alaska and Hawaii, for example, pre-1959 postmarks are territorial's. Generally, territorial's are scarcer and more desirable than those markings applied after statehood. This is particularly true of the older states and those from the American Frontier.

Test Coil

One form of testing stamp created for experimental use. As with any test stamp, the primary reason for the existence of a test coil is so that tests can be run without using postage stamps, which could be misappropriated. Test coils in the United States have been created to test printing and processing equipment at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the vending machines of the U.S. Postal Service, and the stamp-affixing machines of many large mailers. In most cases, test stamps are never intended to reach the philatelic market and, in fact, such items were heavily controlled until the 1970s. As more and more material began to leak out (probably from private mailers), more collectors were able to obtain it for their collections and interest in these cinderella's has grown steadily since.

Tete-beche

Attached stamps that have designs inverted in relation to each other. This French term means head-to-tail. Tete-beche stamps may occur as a natural part of stamps production, such as some booklet formats and in the production of triangular stamps, or they may occur as a result of production error. Such errors normally are scarce. Tete-beche stamps are generally collected either as pairs, or as triplets, with the upside-down stamp in the center.

Thatcher Ferry Bridge Error

Late in 1962, almost immediately after the United States Post Office Department intentionally printed millions of Hammarskjold invert stamps to destroy the value of the error, panes of the Canal Zone stamp featuring the Thatcher Ferry Bridge were discovered with the silver bridge omitted. Once again, the USPOD was prepared to ruin the value of the stamps by intentionally printing millions more. Legendary dealer H.E. Harris intervened and immediately filed suit against the USPOD to prevent this from occurring. In the landmark case, which Harris won, the USPOD was prevented from ever reproducing errors to destroy collector value. Today, the Thatcher Ferry Bridge error is worth thousands, while the Hammarskjold invert is not worth significantly more than a normal example.

Thematic Collecting

Similar to topical collecting, thematic collecting strives to tell a complete story; for example, a thematic collection dealing with smoking would include not only topical items, but also historical related postal items. Thematics leave more open to an individual's own interpretation than the strict collecting of topical material that simply depicts the desired subject.

Thermographic Paper

A type of paper where the image is produced by the use of heat, laser beam, or pressure. Such stamps are difficult to store for long periods of time without damage.

Thin

Damage caused by the careless removal of a stamp from its cover or of a hinge from the stamp which leaves part of the stamp paper thinner than normal. Since the damage occurs on the back side of the stamp, it is not always visible when the stamp is viewed from the front. Thins are a form of damage to a stamp and lower a stamp's value. Sometimes referred to as a "thin spot" of "skinned spot."

Three-Dimensional Paper

Gimmick stamps created primarily during the 1960s and 1970s by countries looking to boost sales of their stamps to collectors. A special ridged plastic was used to reproduce a stamp image in relief. Such stamps have ceased, because hologram technology makes 3D images much easier, and in most cases, less expensive to reproduce.

Tied

A term denoting a marking on a cover that marries or ties the stamp or other item to the cover or card. The ink from the device carries over onto the cover, leaving the impression of being tied. Tied seals, stamps, and other items are important for documenting whether such items truly originated on a given cover.

Tobacco Sale Tax Stamps

Used for a short time in 1934 to show payment of tax paid for tobacco produced in excess of stated allotments. This tax was declared unconstitutional on December 1, 1935. Tommy Gun Stamp Specifically refers to a $200 revenue issued in 1934 to show payment of a fee for a permit to own a submachine gun.

Tongs
A special type of tweezers specifically designed for use by stamp collectors. Unlike tweezers, tongs are made under more exacting standards and come in a number of styles, from spade tip to needle nose. Also, and more importantly, the surface of a tong tip is never textured. These ridged edges, found on most tweezers, will harm stamps. Do you need some tongs? Championship Stamp Supply offers dozens of different tongs for stamp collectors.

Example of gold plated "Tongs"
Topical Collecting

This increasingly popular form of collecting involves gathering stamps, postmarks, meters, and other postal items that illustrate one particular topic, such as cats, dogs, boats or spaceships.

Torn Stamp

A generally unacceptable condition of a stamp, rendering it a space filler worth a tiny fraction of a sound copy's value. In some rare cases, such as the early stamps of Afghanistan (where postal clerks tore stamps with their teeth), a tear, punch, or other damaging defacement served as a customary form of stamp cancellation.

Town Cancellation

The most common form of postmark, giving the town name, and usually the state and date mailed. Most town-name postmarks are hand-stamped markings.

Training Stamps

These items, which are still produced in many countries, date back to business schools of the 19th century. Training stamps are now primarily crated in some countries for postal clerks in training. Such clerks, both civilian and military, frank, process, and cancel dummy mail franked with training stamps. Training stamps may be actual postage stamps that have been deliberately defaced for use in postal training, or they may be cinderella items that are designed and printed specifically for that purpose and have no true postal value. All are quite collectible. Because they both display block lines, some collectors confuse the barred training stamps of Great Britain with the graphite line varieties of the same countries.

Transfer Roll

Used in the siderography process to transfer the image from an engraved die to a printing plate. After the steel die is hardened, a softened transfer roll is rocked in creating a positive relief image. Once several entries are placed on the transfer roll, it is hardened and is then rocked into the softened plate, creating an incised reverse image.

Transient

These are generally minor varieties that appear on stamps at random, as opposed to constant varieties, which always appear on the same stamp in the same place in each pane or sheet printed. Transient varieties include ink smears, blobs, streaking, and other production-related anomalies.

Transit Marking

A special order form of postmark that frequently contains the word "transit" in the device itself. The marking denotes the piece is en route and sometimes indicates a delay of some sort. Although some postmarks are still added en route, arguably classifying them as transit markings, the devices themselves and the practice were officially discontinued many years ago.

Transition Strip, Block, or Multiple

A multiple of stamps of any size that shows a change from one form to another. The strip may be from sheet, booklet, coil, or any other format of stamps. The transitions referred to are often connected with major errors, such as a transition from perforated to imperforate stamps, or from full-color to color-omitted stamps. Error transition strips may be complete in as few as three stamps or as many as 20 or more. Such strips are usually scarcer than the error itself, so error transition strips frequently sell for a premium above the error itself, because of the amount of important information they supply.

Trial Color Proofs

See Color Trials.

Tri centennial

Stamps released to mark the 300th anniversary of a significant date or event.

True Franking

A mailed item that accurately reflects the postage paid by its stamp. Thus a 16.7-cent piece of mail bearing a 16.7-cent stamp is an example of a true franking.

Turned Cover

A cover that has been turned inside out for reuse. This usually has been done in times of hardship, such as war or natural disaster. Some turned covers also have been created specifically by collectors as novelties.

Typography

The obsolete term for letterpress printing, typography now deals with lettering and type sales.

Typeset

The obsolete term referring to stamps printed by letterpress (formerly known as typography).

Stamp Alphabet Series: Q is for Qatar

Quadrille A type of paper with intersecting vertical and horizontal lines that form small squares or rectangles. These rectangles may either be formed by a watermark or by a pattern of oil or lacquer. A number of French colony stamps of the turn of the century were printed on a quadrille paper. The term also applies to a specific form of album page with a lightly printed network of squares. This quadrille pattern is used by collectors as a guide for centering and mounting stamps on pages.

Quadripartite labels: postal labels made up of four parts; divided by roulette or perforation.

Quadripartition: four stamps that together form a completed design.

Quadrisect stamps: term used for 1931 Nicaraguan stamps where stamp fragments were permitted when supplies of normal low-value stamps ran short.

Qu'aiti State in Hadhramaut: Arab sultanate on borders on the Gulf of Aden; 1891: forwarding agents in Aden handled mail, 1937, April 22: first stamps as Aden, 1939: postal union between Aden and protected states signed, 1942, July: first stamps issued, “Qu’aiti State of Shihr and Mukalla,” 1955: Protectorate State of Hadhramaut, 1963, Oct. 20: last issue; replaced by Federation of South Arabia; see Aden States.

Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Mukalla: Aden, East Aden Protectorate, 1955 1942: No.1, ½ anna blue green, first stamp, 1955: became Hadhramaut, 1963, Oct. 20: last issue; replaced by Federation of South Arabia; see Aden.

Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Mukalla: found in Scott Catalogue, Volume 1 after Aden-Kathiri State of Seiyun.

Quaker postmark: where the month is designated by a number and not name; The Society of Friends is opposed to the pagan naming of the months.

Quarnero Islands: see Carnaro, Fiume.

Quan Buu: military stamps of Viet Nam, 1960s.

Quantity Known (Reported to Exist): Unique: only one copy known. Very Rare: Fewer than 10 copies known. Rare: Fewer than 25 copies known. Very Scarce: Fewer than 50 copies known. Scarce: Fewer than 100 copies known.

Quarter: the fourth part of a divisible stamp; example is the 1857 issue of Brunswick with individual values of a quarter gutegroschen which prepaid the lowest postal rate.

Quartina: (It.) block of four.

Quartz lamp: a lamp with a quartz filament that shows repairs or tampering on stamps; used for observing phosphors.

Quatrefoil watermark: see Rosace.

Quattrino: unit of currency in the Italian state of Tuscany until 1860.

Queen Anne Act of 1710: provided for a chief or a General Post office in New York, subordinate to Her Majesty's Postmaster General in London with rates fixed by the British Parliament in 1710.

Queen Elizabeth II, 60th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1986.

Queen Elizabeth II, 65th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1991.

Queen Elizabeth II, Accession to Throne: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1992.

Queen Elizabeth II, 70th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1996.

Queen Maud Land: bogus, 1969.

Queen Mother 85th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1985.

Queen Mother 90th Birthday: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1990.

Queen Mother's Century: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1999.

Queen's College: local, United Kingdom, Cambridge, 1883.

Queen's head: term for stamps depicting Queen Victoria.

Queensland: northeastern part of Australia; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound 1851: stamps as New South Wales, 1859: became a separate colony, sunburst design as cancel, 1860, Jan. 26-Nov.1: used stamps of New South Wales, 1860, Nov.1: No.1, 1 penny deep rose, first stamp; used Chalon Head stamps, 1861: first registration stamp, 1866: first postal fiscal stamp, 1882: postal treaty with Hong Kong permitted stamps of both countries used when posted aboard ships, 1884-91: stamps of Queensland used in British New Guinea, 1891: joined the UPU, 1900, June 19: first semipostal stamp, 1901: part of the six British Colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia, 1913: stamps of the Commonwealth of Australia used; see Australia.

Queensland Railways: railway stamps promoted the "Golden Casket" a state lottery to used to frank letters and packages shipped via the railroad.

Queensland Railways: Australia railways local post.

Queens, Large, Small: large Queens of Canada ; size change to allow 200 small Queens to be printed in the same space as100 Large Queens (1868); small (1870-97).

Queen Victoria: the Penny Black, first postage stamp issued in 1840, as well as many other stamps, bears her image.

Quelimane: river port of Mozambique Province; Portuguese East Africa; currency: 100 centavos = 1 escudo 1894: Portuguese Colonies stamps overprinted Zambezia, 1898: King Carlos key type stamps issued, 1902: overprint “Provisoria,” 1913: No.1, 1/4 centavos on ½ avo blue-green, “Republica Quelimane” overprint on stamps of Macao, Portuguese Africa, Timor, 1914: “Quelimane” inscription on stamps of Portugal, 1922: replaced by stamps of Mozambique; see Tete.

Quelimane: overprint on stamps of Portuguese Colonies; Macao, Portuguese Africa, Timor, 1914: "Quelimane" inscription on stamps of Portugal, 1922: stamps of Mozambique; see Tete.

Quepol: one of the Sicmon Islands in the South Pacific created by Nick Bantock for his book, Griffin & Sabine.

Quer: (Ger.) diagonal.

Queretaro: overprint on stamps of Mexico for this district, 1856-1883.

Quettan Republic: bogus African nation.

Quetzel: currency unit in Guatemala.

Quind(t)ar: currency unit in Albania.

Quinta de Goya: (Sp.) inscription for the centenary of the death of Goya, 1930, Spain.

Quito: city in Ecuador; Quito to Guayaquil Railway Company used a five-pointed star
overprint in 1902.

Quittances: (Fr.) receipts; French Colonies revenue inscription

Quittances du Tresor: (Fr.) treasurer's receipt; French Colonies revenue inscription

Quittung: (Ger.) receipt.

Quotazione: (It.) price.

QV: abbreviation for Queen Victoria

QY: Scott Catalog number prefix for Parcel Post Authorized Delivery (Italy).

Stamp Alphabet Series: P is for Poland

Pair

1. Two of a kind; stamps that have not been separated, two attached stamps.
2. Two se-tenant postage stamps; understood to be se-tenant horizontally

Pane

stamps as sold by the post office; usually a commemorative pane consists of 50 stamps; four panes of 50 stamps make up a "sheet" of stamps as printed; more recently panes consist of 20 stamps.

page of booklet postage stamps. [see Booklet Pane]

Perf

abbreviation for Perforation [see Perforation]

Perforated

[see Perforation]


Perforated Edges

The number of sides of a stamp that have perforations. see Perforation (Perf).
Often a coil stamp has 2 opposite sides of the stamp perforated and the other 2 sides are not. A single stamp from a booklet may have 2 adjacent sides perforated and the other 2 sides are not perforated, or onlty one side not perforated. [see
Perforation]

Perforation

Holes punched, in a line, into the stamp paper between rows of stamps to permit easy separation of the stamps. (abbreviation Perf) Perforations are measured by counting the number of peaks or valleys in the perforating in any given 2cm space.
A 11 x 13 has 11 perforations in 2cm on the top (or bottom) and 13 on either side. A single number measure means that the perforation count is the same on all sides.
A 10 verticle means that both left and right are perforated 10 and the top and bottom are not perforated. 10 horizontal means that the top and bottom perforations are perfed 10 and the left and right are not perforated at all. These last 2 are usually coil stamps, issued in long stripes or coils, one stamp wide, so for seperating the stamps, only 2 sides need to be perforated.
Perforations are usually measured using a perforation gauge. [see Perforation Gauge]


Perforation Gauge

An instrument designed to measure the number of peaks or valleys in the perforating in any given 2cm space. Perforations are usually measured using a perforation gauge. Paper perforation gauges have rows of dots or a sawtooth arrangement where you line up the teeth of perforations of your stamp with the row of dots and read off the perforation count. Clear plastic perforation gauges is also available. With it you can lay the gauge on the stamp (useful if it is on a cover). It also has slanted verticle lines on the plastic, when the perforations on the stamp line up with the lines, then you read the perforation count off of the gauge. It also has the advantage of being able to measure fractional perforations, like a 13.2 .

Phosphor

A chemical printed on stamps in order to help automated machines process the mail by reacting to the phosphor under ultraviolet lights. It started in Great Britain in 1959, and many countries now use a phosphor "tagging" on their stamps.

Plate Block

(abbreviation PB) A block of stamps with the sheet margin attached showing the plate number used in printing that sheet. Usually collected as a block of four stamps or more.

Plate Number

1. The serial number engraved on a plate which usually appears in a corner of a sheet of stamps. This number is used to keep the plates from getting mixed up at the printing plant.

2. Single digit suffix numbers are printed on the coils, instead of the whole serial number.

Postmark

(abbreviation Pm, or Pmk) Any mark cancelling the stamp and recording an item's passage through the mails.


Proof

A trial printing, known as a strike, taken from a new printing plate for inspection purposes; this can be used to inspect for defects, or to see which ink color looks best for that particular stamp.

Provisional

A stamp, usually overprinted or surcharged, issued for temporary use.

Stamp Alphabet Series: J is for Japan & K is for Korea

J P A - Junior Philatelists of America.

Jet press - Another term for offset printing of stamps.

Joint issue - When a similar stamp design is issued by more than one country on the same day.

Joint line - A line formed by ink that accumulates between two printing plates.

Journal stamps - Stamps used specifically for prepaying postage on journals, newspapers, magazines, etc.

Jubilee - Stamp issues that feature a special (usually 25- year increment) anniversaries.

Judenpost - Ghetto stamps issued for the use of Jews interned in concentration camps.

Jumbo stamps - See Boardwalk Margins.

Jury - Judges at a stamp show.

Keytype - A basic stamp design used for the issues of two or more postal authorities which include captions of respective countries, denominations, etc.

Killer - Any obliterating postmark that’s used to cancel a stamp.

Killer bars - Horizontal lines used for stamp cancellations.

Kiloware - Collections (often sold by the kilo) made up of a variety of postally used stamps that are mounted on envelope corner paper.

Foreign Stamp Identification and Classification

What Foreign Actually Means:

We've had a few inquires from parents on what "foreign" means in stamp collecting. A few of the inquiries were concerned about the "potential" negative nuance to the term. Please let us be very clear. We are stamp people and not concerned with politics by any stretch of the definition.

This is how "foreign" works in stamp collecting. If you are from India, all stamps other than India are considered foreign. Since I am from the United States, all the world's stamps accept US are considered foreign. It is truly that simple. Any offense perceived is just that: perceived.

As you delve into stamp collecting you will learn exactly what we are saying and realize these terms are merely part of the language of stamp collecting.


Foreign Stamp Identification (Basic)

Foreign stamp identification on a very basic level is essential to assist a collector in categorizing his/her stamps. Basic level refers to simple translations that help you understand what country you are encountering without going deeply into formal translation. A perfect example is: Norge which is Norway and once you know that you never forget it. Simple but essential.

KNS---Easy Foreign Stamp Translator


Azorbaycan -------------------------------Azores

Shqipervise ------------------------------Albania

RSA --------------------------------------Republic of South Africa

bbAFPNR ----------------------------------Bulgaria

Republika Hrvatska -----------------------Croatia

DPRK -------------------------------------Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
------------------------------------------(North Korea)

DDR --------------------------------------East Germany

Espana -----------------------------------Spain

Hellevita --------------------------------Switzerland

Hellas -----------------------------------Greece

Jugoslavia -------------------------------Yugoslavia

Macav ------------------------------------Macao

Magyar Posta -----------------------------Hungary

Nippon -----------------------------------Japan

Osterreich -------------------------------Austria

The above list is a basic one meant to help out new stamp collectors. It is not the whole list nor should it be considered anything other than a good solid example of basic stamp translation.

Monthly Report: Reaching The World

KNS continues to reach all corners of the planet. Stamp Collecting is not a past time for old timers but rather a serious hobby with millions of devoted followers around the globe. We have added kind souls from Israel, Oman, Sri Lanka, South Africa, England and the Phillipines.

We have also outfitted a few public school classes, in the US and UK, to get those kids started in the right direction. Keep us the emails and many thanks for the wonderful comments and continued support.

I Want Stamps To Live Forever

We're told a million things a day to do in order to make this world a better place. We should stop smoking, end global warming, be kind to animals and eat vegetables.

I say we should pay attention to our children. Spend time with them. Don't throw them to the wolves of wide-screen television. Take them on a walk. Do a funny dance with them. Read them a book. Sing them a song. And spend hours examining exciting international stamps.

I have many joyous memories of stamps. I would go the New York and buy them with my Grandfather. Later in the evening I would sort them out with my Father. Later in the weekend my Uncle would stop by with a envelope full of stamps on paper he got from the travel agency.

I'm not very fond of the technology. I suspect for all the life-extending properties it proudly proclaims----it takes something spiritual from us, keeps us apart from human contact. What's the point of living another 12 years if you are alone and afraid.

That is why I want stamps to live on forever. In our lives. On our pages. In our very dreams. As an ivibrant part of education and freedom to think beyond a limiting machine. Stamps are art. Stamps are history and more important stamps are alive with the sound of children's voices being heard by their loves ones and not drowned out by the witless wonders of technology.

I want stamps to live forever. Help me make that happen. Introduce your kids to stamps.