Philatelic Cover - Identifying Philatelic Covers

Identifying Philatelic Covers

Philatelic covers are normally very easy to spot but sometimes they can escape detection by the inexperienced philatelist. Characteristics include:

• The cover is still sealed and appears to be empty.
• The stamps used are far above that needed for the postal service used.
• The cover is addressed to a well known dealer.
• The stamps include a full set of one particular issue, possibly applied in order of value.
• The stamps are applied very tidily and/or the postmark appears to have been very carefully applied so as not to obscure too much of the stamps.
• The cover bears a cachet or special design, usually on the left side portion of the envelope.
• The address consists of a small rubber stamp or adhesive label in the bottom right hand corner of the cover.
• The cover has a rarely seen combination of stamps, for instance with stamps that were issued many years apart.

While many philatelists prefer genuine commercial covers to philatelically contrived covers, philatelic covers may still be acceptable in collections of countries and eras where few other covers exist. Whether the cover was contrived or not, it is still an item of mail sent through the same postal system as other covers from a given country, with a postage stamp(s) and postmark, and is often more historically significant than covers set with no intention of recovery.