There are a variety of different stamp that collector may add to their stamp collections and by knowing and understanding what these different types are will enable the collector to be much more informed when dealing with other collectors and dealers.
Airmail Stamps are stamps used to pay for airmail items, but the USA stopped issuing these in the 1970s. Carrier Stamps were used during 1851 to 1863 in the USA as payment for mail that was delivered to an actual address from the postal service, but carried by a private local carrier. Postal invalid adhesive labels that are usually sold to raise money for a variety of charities and promotional purchases are known as Cinderella Stamps.
Classic Stamp is an early issue of stamp with a connotation of rarity. Older 19th century stamps engraved from a given country is known as a Classic. Coil Stamps are long coiled strips of stamps that are used by businesses in affixing machines or for resale in vending machines that have straight edges on opposite sides. Stamps that are issued especially to honor a person, place, or event that are only for sale for a short period of time is known as a Commemorative Stamp.
Definitive Stamps are issued for an indefinite period to pay a certain rate of postage. A stamp that has been declared as no longer valid as postage by the the issuing authority is known as a Demonetized Stamp. Departmental Stamps are official government stamps used by a certain government office. Revenue stamps that are used on a variety of documents like wills, mortgages, and payments of a government tax are known as Documentary Stamps. Double Transfer is a stamp that shows a second impression of the design that is overlapping the first impression. Duck Stamps are issued every year in the United States that help finance the federal waterfowl programs, which began in 1934.
Stamp that have straight edges on all four sides are called an Imperforate Stamp. Journal Stamps are used to pay for bulk postage and taxes on newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals. A silver, golden, or diamond anniversary stamp of a ruler reign that is issued from Commonwealth nations are called a Jubilee Stamp. Local Stamps are used only within a certain city or town and are not used for the use of postage anywhere else. Stamps that have been treated with a phosphorescent substance on fluorescent paper or ink to be used with the electronic processing machine are called Luminescent Stamps.
Stamps of the same issue that differ in one or more major areas such as design, color, denomination, shape, size, etc., are known as Major Varieties. Meter Stamp are government permitted by various face value and are printed by machine on adhesive paper indicating paid postage, which were invented in the early 1900s by Pitney Bowers Company. Mixed stamps that may still be on the paper that have been collected by mission homes and other charitable organizations are called Mission Mixture.
Occupation Stamps are issued by countries for the use of an occupied territory of another country. Stamps that are used by a country for strictly government use are known as Official Stamps. Penny Black Stamps were the first postage stamp, which were a one cent stamp that was issued in May of 1840 by Great Britain. Stamps that show pictures of landscapes, animals, flowers, etc., but are different from those that show portraits and symbols are known as Pictorials. Postage Due Stamps are special stamps that are attached to mail to indicate that the postage was underpaid by the sender.
A stamp that was issued by an individual postmaster in various towns or cities and used locally before general postal issues were actually available, and were used in the United States during 1846 then again in 1861 by the Confederate postal service are known as Postmaster Provisionals. A stamp that has been canceled by the post office before it was actually sold is called a Precancel Stamp. A stamp required by the government that indicates payment of a tax or fee is called a Revenue Stamp.
Stamps that are part of a sales receipt that goes to charity or other special causes are known as a Semi-Postal Stamp. Special Delivery Stamps are stamps used to indicate that a postal item has been delivered by a special messenger to the addressee when it arrived at the post office. Stamps that pay for charges or tolls for the telegraph are known as Telegraph Stamps. Topical Stamps are stamps or a piece of stationery that show a certain subject, which can be horses, birds, cars, sports, etc., these are also known as Thematic Stamps. Wax Tax Stamps are stamps that have been issued during war from countries that have required mail to be used in addition to their regular postage to help with the cost of the war. Stamps that were issued for the German Airship Graf Zepplin are known as Zeppelin Stamps.