Philatelic Glossary
This glossary has been compiled from various different sources. Some of the terms have been reproduced with kind permission from the Stanley Gibbons Philatelic Terms Illustrated by James Mackay. If you think a term is missing please e-mail us.
Carbon Tetrachloride
Colourless liquid which will make paper transparent without harming the gum of mint stamps and removes oil or grease from other materials.
Carbon Tissue
Paper-backed sheet of gelatine used in photogravure printing.
Cardboard
Fine quality card of varying thickness used for proofing impressions of stamp dies and plates.
Cardiff Penny
Nickname for imperforate examples of GB 1d red (Plate 116) of 1864 issued in Cardiff in January 1879.
Caritas
Charity. See;
Carriers' Stamps
Issues made by local carrier services, most of which were in the United States.
Carto Philately
The collection and study of stamps that have maps as part of their design.
Carton Paper
A thick semi-card paper.
Cartouche
Small oval or circle containing a portrait or heraldic device.
Cartridge Paper
A strong rough paper occasionally used for stamps (Trinidad 1d blue of 1853).
Cash on Delivery Labels
Labels issued by Post Offices for packets on which trade charges are to be recovered from the addressee.
Cat.
Catalogue
Catalogue
Specialised priced handbooks covering selected issues of one country or of the world which may be in several volumes e.g. Stamps of the World by Stanley Gibbons.
Catalogue Value
The sale price quoted for a stamp in a recognised catalogue.
Catapult Mail
Mail accelerated by a "Ship to Shore" service involving the use of light aircraft catapulted from the decks of ships, when within range of shore.
CC
Crown Colonies
CDS
Circular Date Stamp
Censor Marks
Manuscript endorsements hand struck marks or printed labels showing that mail has been opened and examined by a civil or military censor.
Census Marking
A diamond-shaped mark applied by machine to all mail posted in Britain during the annual mail census.
Centre
Term for the central feature of a stamp design. (q.v vignette).
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