RIHS Postal History Primer - Types of Collections

Philatelic and Postal History Primer
Types of Collections - Single Country
Introduction//Stamp Types//Collection Types//Getting Started//Associations

Types of Collections - Single Country

Another way that some collectors specialize is to concentrate on the issues of only one country. When starting a Single Country Collection, thought should be given to price and scarcity of earlier stamps in some countries. The newer republics, such as some of the countries of Africa and South America present a better opportunity for obtaining all or most of these countries issues without a serious outlay of cash. Another country that produced a great variety of colorful and varied stamp issues, (one of my favorites) that are also relatively low in price is Russia or the USSR. The Stamps illustrated below are a selection of Russian Stamps issued from 1948 to 1987. All of these were issued by the Soviet Union, (USSR - Note the CCCP).

1948

1965

1966

1987

New collectors should be aware that some countries produce dozens of issues that are never used postally. The stamps are Canceled To Order (CTO) or sold mint and they are essentially worthless, although many of the designs are quite striking. Some countries that engage in this practice are Mongolia, Barbuda, Ajman, and Grenada. There are also a few unscrupulous dealers that sell stamps from made-up countries, such as; Karelia, (A Russian federated republic) and Buriatia (also a Russian federated republic). A good rule of thumb is that if the stamp was not intended to be postally used, it is not a real stamp. If the stamp or stamps are listed in one of the Scott Catalogs then you can be sure they are genuine.

Introduction//Stamp Types//Collection Types//Getting Started//Associations