Ofcom declares Royal Mail ISN'T prioritising parcels: So why are letters taking so much longer to be delivered? Before you start your stamp collection, it’s crucial to have an understanding of what makes stamps collectible and valuable. As is the case with all stamps; condition, appearance, errors and rarity are the biggest influence on value - as outlined in more detail in our Stamp Grading and Condition guide. Derek Willan (editor), Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers (Hellenic Philatelic Society of Great Britain, 1994)

Wilhelm KLEIN, Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, 1967 (in German) The second stamp that drew may attention was the green 1951 Centennial of the Settlement of Nevada stamp. The cancel doesn’t have the visual appeal of the Iowa Centennial stamp, but the slogan is spot-on appropriate for the scene that includes forested mountains in a rugged western landscape: “Remember Only you can PREVENT FOREST FIRES.” That slogan was adopted by the Smokey Bear campaign in 1947 and continued more than five decades. A ‘fine’ cancellation should be lightly applied if possible leaving a substantial part of the design clear of the cancellation. Also desirable are well-centred examples displaying all, or nearly all, of the cancellation on the stamp. This is particularly true where the cancellation is more significant than the stamp, such as a Wotton-under-Edge Maltese cross. Here, you would want to have as full a cancellation as possible, although it would still be preferable to have it lightly applied.I still don't understand how you recognise a cancel is CTO, particularly on a single stamp... I guess that comes with experience Plate 77 AC: Bought by Major Raphael from a Robson Lowe auction in 1959, his collection was sadly stolen in 1965 and it has never been seen again. Friedrich SPALINK, Die Deutschen Hufeisen Stempel, 1974 Selbstverlag (the famous German horseshoes) Another important factor in the value of a stamp is the history behind it. Take for example the Mauritius 1847 Post Office Stamps, which not only are interesting because they are the first British stamps made outside of Great Britain, but also because they have a fun history of being used to invite guests to extravagant balls.

Every mailed letter has a cancellation mark located on the stamp or very near it. The cancellation will deface the stamp, although most are not significant defacements. The cancellation mark can be anything that marks the envelope to recognize that the stamp has been used. With one of the most obvious design flaws, this stamp from the mid-20th century shows its flaw front and center. It shows Dr Sun Yat Sen, the first president of the People’s Republic of China, as upside-down.

Margins

Arguably the most important aspect of any collectible stamp is how rare it is. If you have a stamp that no one else has, then people will pay top dollar for it. The British Guiana 1856 1 Cent Magenta is the perfect example of this, where not even the British government has been able to get its hands on one. Penny Red plate numbers are important. The rarest plate to be used is number 77, from which it is believed that only one sheet of stamps was printed. Unique Postal Cancellation Marks Expo". Newspaper. Contra Costa Newspapers. Contra Costa Times. 4 April 1996 . Retrieved 9 Dec 2020.