# Philately

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Philately
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Philately.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philately
> Source revision: 1356680627
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Study of stamps and postal history and other related items

The [Penny Red](/source/Penny_Red) was used in the UK for many years (1841–1879), and comes in hundreds of variations which are subject to detailed study by philatelists.

[Zeppelin mail](/source/Zeppelin_mail) from [Gibraltar](/source/Gibraltar) to [Rio de Janeiro](/source/Rio_de_Janeiro), Brazil via Berlin on the Christmas flight (12th South American flight) of 1934

**Philately** ([/fɪˈlætəli/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English); [*fih-LAT-ə-lee*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key)) is the study of [postage stamps](/source/Postage_stamp) and [postal history](/source/Postal_history). It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products.[1] While closely associated with [stamp collecting](/source/Stamp_collecting) and the study of postage, it is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps.[2] For instance, the stamps being studied may be very rare or reside only in museums.

## Etymology

The word "philately" is the English transliteration of the French "[philatélie](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/philat%C3%A9lie)", coined by [Georges Herpin](/source/Georges_Herpin_(philatelist)) in 1864.[3] Herpin stated that stamps had been collected and studied for the previous six or seven years and a better name was required for the new hobby than *timbromanie* (roughly "stamp mania"), which was disliked.[4] The alternative terms "timbromania", "timbrophily", and "timbrology" gradually fell out of use as *philately* gained acceptance during the 1860s.[4] Herpin took the [Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) root word [φιλ(ο)-](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82) *phil(o)-*, meaning "an attraction or affinity for something", and [ἀτέλεια](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%80%CF%84%CE%AD%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%B1) *ateleia*, meaning "exempt from duties and taxes", to form the [neologism](/source/Neologism) "philatélie".[5]

## History

### Nineteenth century

As a collection field, philately appeared after the introduction of the postage stamps in 1840,[6][7] but did not gain large attraction until the mid-1850s. In the U.S., early collectors of stamps were known as "stamp gatherers". The [United States Post Office Department](/source/United_States_Post_Office_Department) re-issued stamps in 1875 due to public demand for 'old stamps', including those from before the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War).[8] Some authors[7] believe that the first philatelist appeared on the day of the release of the world's first postage stamp, dated to May 6th, 1840, when the Liverson, Denby and Lavie London [law office](/source/Law_firm) sent a letter to [Scotland](/source/Scotland) [franked](/source/Franking) with ten uncut [Penny Blacks](/source/Penny_Black), stamped with the [postmark](/source/Postmark) "LS.6MY6. 1840." In 1992, at an auction in [Zürich](/source/Z%C3%BCrich), this envelope was sold for 690,000 [francs](/source/Swiss_franc).[9]

Already in 1846, cases of collecting stamps in large numbers were known in [England](/source/England). However, without reason for collection, stamps at this time were used for pasting wallpaper. The first philatelist is considered to be a [postmaster](/source/Postmaster) going by the name Mansen, who lived in [Paris](/source/Paris), and in 1855 had sold his collection, which contained almost all the postage stamps issued by that time. The stamp merchant and second-hand book dealer Edard de Laplante bought it, recognizing the definitive collector's worth of the postage stamp.[10] Due to the boom in popularity and news of this transaction, stamp merchants like Laplante began to emerge.

Towards the end of the 19th century, stamp collecting reached hundreds of thousands of people of all classes. Some countries had collections of [postage stamps](/source/Postage_stamp) – for example, England, [Germany](/source/Germany), [France](/source/France), [Bavaria](/source/Bavaria), and [Bulgaria](/source/Bulgaria). In countries which held national collections, museums dedicated to the nation's history with philately were founded, and the first such appeared in Germany, France, and Bulgaria. Allegedly, the first of these museums housed the collection of the [British Museum](/source/British_Museum), curated by MP [Thomas Tapling](/source/Thomas_Tapling) and bequeathed to the Museum in 1891. The Museum für Kommunikation Berlin also had an extensive collection of stamps. The largest private collection of the time belonged to [Philipp von Ferrary](/source/Philipp_von_Ferrary) in Paris.[7]

As the number of postage stamp issues increased every year, collection became progressively difficult. Therefore, from the early 1880s, "collector experts" appeared, specializing their collection to only one part of the world, a group of nations, or even only one.[11]

### Twentieth century

1960 Soviet stamp marking Collectors' Day: "Philately serves the friendship of peoples."

Philately as one of the most popular types of collecting continued to develop in the 20th century. Along with the "[Scott](/source/Scott_catalogue)", "[Stanley Gibbons](/source/Stanley_Gibbons_catalogue)", and "[Yvert et Tellier](/source/Yvert_et_Tellier)" catalogs, the "[Zumstein](/source/Zumstein_catalog)" (first published in Switzerland, 1909), and the ["Michel"](/source/Michel_catalog) (first published in Germany, 1910) catalogs began publication.

In 1934, the idea to celebrate an annual Postage Stamp Day was suggested by Hans von Rudolphi, a German philatelist.[12] The idea was adopted rapidly in Germany, and gained later adoption in other countries. **Stamp Day** is a memorial day established by the postal administration of a country and annually celebrated, which is designed to attract public attention to, popularize the use of, and expand the reach of postal correspondence, and contribute to the development of philately.[7] In 1968, [Cuba](/source/Cuba) dedicated a postage stamp for Stamp Day with an image of G. Sciltian's "El filatelista".[13]

In 1926, the [Fédération Internationale de Philatélie](/source/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_Internationale_de_Philat%C3%A9lie) (FIP) was founded, where international philatelic exhibitions have been regularly organized since 1929.[7] The first World Philatelic Exhibition in Prague was held between August and September 1962;[14] in 1976, the FIP brought together national societies from 57 countries, which held over 100 exhibitions, and in 1987, over 60 countries entered the FIP.[7]

Since the middle of the 20th century, philately has become the most widespread field of amateur collecting, which was facilitated by:[11]

- significantly expanded postal exchanges between countries,

- many countries' post offices issuing: - [Cinderella stamps](/source/Cinderella_stamp), - [commemorative](/source/Commemorative_stamp) emissions, - multicolor series of stamps devoted to history, the most important events of our time, art, fauna, flora, sports, etc. .; - individual stamps, [sheets](/source/Miniature_sheet) (a sheet with one or more printed stamps and inscription on the margins) and items intended specifically for philatelists;

- widespread sale of collection signs of postage (including commissioned ones), albums, [stockbooks](/source/Stockbook) and other items of philately;

- publication of stamp catalogs;

- national and international exhibitions organized by philatelic societies, domestic and international exchanges, philately [propaganda](/source/Propaganda) through specialized magazines and other [periodicals](/source/Periodical_literature).[15]

Philately magazines, at this time, were published as far east as Poland, and as far west as North America. In Canada, [*Canadian Stamp News*](https://canadianstampnews.com/) was established in 1976 as an off-shoot to [*Canadian Coin News*](https://canadiancoinnews.com/), which was launched about a decade earlier.

Philately was largely advanced by the USSR and nations within its sphere of influence, and the United States, France, the UK, and Austria. The [British Library Philatelic Collections](/source/British_Library_Philatelic_Collections) and the postal museums in [Stockholm](/source/Stockholm), [Paris](/source/Paris), and [Bern](/source/Bern) had unique national philately collections at that time, and among the famous private collections are those of the [Royal Philatelic Collection](/source/Royal_Philatelic_Collection), F. Ferrari (Austria),[7] [M. Burrus](/source/Maurice_Burrus) (Switzerland), [A. Lichtenstein](/source/Alfred_Lichtenstein_(philatelist)), [A. Hind](/source/Arthur_Hind_(industrialist)), [J. Boker](/source/John_Robert_Boker_Jr.) (U.S.), and [H. Kanai](/source/Hiroyuki_Kanai) ([Japan](/source/Japan)).

In the mid-1970s, national philately organizations and associations existed in most countries, and 150–200 million people were involved in philately.[16][6]

### Twenty-first century

From 28 August to 1 September 2004, the World Stamp Championship was held for the first time in the history of world philately in Singapore.[17]

## Types

Traditional philately is the study of the technical aspects of stamp production and stamp identification, including:[11]

- The [stamp design](/source/Postage_stamp_design) process

- The paper used (wove, laid and including watermarks)

- The method of printing (engraving, typography)

- The [gum](/source/Postage_stamp_gum)

- The method of [separation](/source/Postage_stamp_separation) (perforation, rouletting)

- Any [overprints](/source/Overprint) on the stamp

- Any security markings, [underprints](/source/Underprint) or perforated initials ("[perfins](/source/Perfins)")

- The study of [philatelic fakes and forgeries](/source/Philatelic_fakes_and_forgeries)

## Diversification

Expanding range of activity:[18]

- [Thematic philately](/source/Topical_stamp_collecting), also known as topical philately, is the study of what is depicted on individual stamps. There are hundreds of popular subjects, such as birds, and ships, poets, presidents, monarchs, maps, aircraft, spacecraft, sports, and insects on stamps. Stamps depicted on stamps also constitute a topical area of collecting. Interesting aspects of topical philately include design mistakes and alterations; for instance, the recent editing out of cigarettes from the pictures used for United States stamps, and the stories of how particular images came to be used.

- [Postal history](/source/Postal_history) studies the postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of postage stamps and covers and associated material illustrating historical episodes of postal systems both before and after the introduction of the adhesive stamps. It includes the study of [postmarks](/source/Postmark), [post offices](/source/Post_office), [postal authorities](/source/Postal_Authorities), postal rates and regulations and the process by which letters are moved from sender to recipient, including routes and choice of conveyance. A classic example is the [Pony Express](/source/Pony_Express), which was the fastest way to send letters across the United States during the few months that it operated. [Covers](/source/Cover_(philately)) that can be proven to have been sent by the Pony Express are highly prized by collectors.

- [Aerophilately](/source/Aerophilately) is the branch of postal history that specializes in the study of [airmail](/source/Airmail). Philatelists have observed the development of mail transport by air from its beginning, and all aspects of airmail services have been extensively studied and documented by specialists.

- [Astrophilately](/source/Astrophilately) is the branch of postal history that specializes in the study of stamps and postmarked envelopes that are connected to outer space.

- [Postal stationery](/source/Postal_stationery) includes [stamped envelopes](/source/Stamped_envelope), [postal cards](/source/Postal_card), [letter sheets](/source/Letter_sheet), [aérogrammes](/source/Aerogram) (airletter sheets) and [wrappers](/source/Wrapper_(philately)), most of which have an [embossed](/source/Embossing_(paper)) or [imprinted stamp](/source/Imprinted_stamp) or [indicia](/source/Indicia_(philately)) indicating the prepayment of postage.

- [Erinnophilia](/source/Cinderella_stamp) is the study of objects (cinderella stamps) that look like stamps, but are not postage stamps. Examples include [Easter Seals](/source/Easter_seals_(philately)), [Christmas Seals](/source/Christmas_Seal), propaganda labels, and so forth.

- [Philatelic literature](/source/Philatelic_literature) documents the results of the philatelic study and includes thousands of books and periodicals.

- [Revenue philately](/source/Revenue_stamp) is the study of stamps used to collect taxes or fees on such things as legal documents, court fees, receipts, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses and newspapers.

- [Maximaphily](/source/Maximaphily) is the study of Maximum Cards. Maximum Cards can be defined as a picture postcard with a postage stamp on the same theme and cancellation, with a maximum concordance between all three.

- [Letterlocking](/source/Letterlocking) includes "the process of folding and securing of letter substrates to become their own envelopes" or to create a form of "tamper-evident locking mechanism."[19][20]

## Tools

Philately uses several tools, including [stamp tongs](/source/Stamp_tongs) (a specialized form of tweezers) to safely handle the stamps, a strong magnifying glass and a [perforation gauge](/source/Perforation_gauge) (odontometer) to measure the perforation gauge of the stamp.

The identification of [watermarks](/source/Watermark) is equally important and may be done with the naked eye by turning the stamp over or holding it up to the light. If this fails then *watermark fluid* may be used, which "wets" the stamp to reveal the mark.

Other common tools include [stamp catalogs](/source/Stamp_catalog), [stamp stock books](/source/Stamp_stock_book) and [stamp hinges](/source/Stamp_hinge).

## Organizations

A large [stamp show](/source/Stamp_show) (philatelic exhibition) at which collectors and dealers meet

Philatelic organizations sprang up soon after people started collecting and studying stamps. They include local, national and international clubs and societies where collectors come together to share the various aspects of their hobby.

The world's oldest philatelic society is the [Royal Philatelic Society London](/source/Royal_Philatelic_Society_London), which was founded on 10 April 1869, as the Philatelic Society. In North America, the major national societies include the [American Philatelic Society](/source/American_Philatelic_Society); the [Royal Philatelic Society of Canada](/source/Royal_Philatelic_Society_of_Canada); and the [Mexico-Elmhurst Philatelic Society, International](/source/MEPSI).

Local clubs and societies have been established in many cities of the world. The [International Philatelic Federation](/source/International_Philatelic_Federation) was formed in 1926 which is originally based in Zürich, Switzerland but is now known to be the world federation for philately.[21]

## See also

- [Philately portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Philately)

- [List of notable postage stamps](/source/List_of_notable_postage_stamps)

- [List of philatelic awards](/source/List_of_philatelic_awards)

- [List of philatelic topics](/source/List_of_philatelic_topics)

- [List of philatelists](/source/List_of_philatelists)

- [Numismatics](/source/Numismatics) – Study of currencies, coins and paper money

- [Postal museum](/source/Postal_museum) – Type of museum focused on the history of postal services

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Philately"](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/philately). *Cambridge Dictionary*. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Carlton, R. Scott. *The International Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Philately*, Iola WI: Krause Publications, 1997, p. 196. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-87341-448-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87341-448-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Herpin, Georges. "Baptême" in *Le Collectionneur de Timbres-Postes*, Vol. I, 15 November 1864, p. 20.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-williams_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-williams_4-1) Williams, L.N. & M. *Fundamentals of Philately*. State College: The American Philatelic Society, 1971, p. 20.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Sutton, R.J. & K.W. Anthony. *The Stamp Collector's Encyclopaedia*. 6th edition. London: Stanley Paul, 1966, p. 232.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-auto_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-auto_6-1) Vladinets, N. I. (1988). [*Great Philatelic Dictionary*](http://fmus.ru/article02/BS/bs.html) (in Russian). Radio and communications. p. 280. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [5-256-00175-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/5-256-00175-2). Retrieved 17 January 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Ilyushin_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Ilyushin_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Ilyushin_7-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Ilyushin_7-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Ilyushin_7-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Ilyushin_7-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Ilyushin_7-6) Ilyushin, A.S. (1988). [*Encyclopedia of Cyril and Methodius*](https://megabook.ru/article/%D0%A4%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%8F) (in Russian). Moscow: The company "Cyril and Methodius". Retrieved 17 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-US_Classics_8-0)** *A Sharp Eye on collecting US Classics* (Sharp Photography Publications, 2021) ASIN B091MBTGJ7 [(read online)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_Sharp_Eye_on_collecting_US_Classics.pdf)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Novosylov V. А. (3 November 2008). ["The birth of a postage stamp"](http://www.mirmarok.ru/prim/view_article/209/). *Acquaintance with philately:The world of philately*. Smolensk: The world of st@mps; Union of philatelists of Russia. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120109234936/http://mirmarok.ru/prim/view_article/209/) from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [Philatelic calendar](/source/Philatelic_calendar) for 1973. — М: Connection, 1972. — 16—22 July.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Britannica_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Britannica_11-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Britannica_11-2) ["Philately | hobby"](https://www.britannica.com/topic/philately). *Encyclopedia Britannica*. Retrieved 6 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Biography](http://www.tag-der-briefmarke.com/index.php?id=29) Hans von Rudolphi [«Tag der Briefmarke.org».](http://www.tag-der-briefmarke.com/)(in German) ["Archived"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080925100400/http://www.tag-der-briefmarke.com/index.php?id=29). Archived from [the original](http://www.tag-der-briefmarke.com/index.php?id=29) on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["G. Sciltian "El filatelista""](https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/468764-G_Sciltian_El_filatelista-Stamp_Day-Cuba). *Colnect.com*. Retrieved 17 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** *Bernhard K.* Forum of philatelists of the globe // Soviet collector. — М: Connection publisher, 1963. — P. 42—48.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Williams, Leon Norman; Williams, Maurice (1958). [*Fundamentals of Philately*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Ms1aAAAAYAAJ&q=philately). American Philatelic Society.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Sundararaj, John (15 August 2015). [*Philately: The Art of Stamp Collection*](https://books.google.com/books?id=2Z9OjwEACAAJ). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-5170-1465-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-5170-1465-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** *Strygin A.* [\[1\]](http://www.ng.ru/collection/2004-09-24/22_championship.html) Pictures from the exhibition. The first world stamp championship] // Independent newspaper. — 2004. — № 206 (3319). — 24 September.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Brennan, Sheila (15 June 2018). [*Stamping American Memory: Collectors, Citizens, and the Post*](https://books.google.com/books?id=eeFdDwAAQBAJ&q=types+of+philately). University of Michigan Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-472-13086-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-472-13086-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Dambrogio, Jana; Ghassaei, Amanda; Staraza Smith, Daniel; Jackson, Holly; Demaine, Martin L. (2 March 2021). ["Unlocking history through automated virtual unfolding of sealed documents imaged by X-ray microtomography"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7925573). *Nature Communications*. **12** (1): 1184. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2021NatCo..12.1184D](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021NatCo..12.1184D). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/s41467-021-21326-w](https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41467-021-21326-w). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [7925573](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7925573). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [33654094](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33654094).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Castellanos, Sara (2 March 2021). ["A Letter Sealed for Centuries Has Been Read—Without Even Opening It"](https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-letter-sealed-for-centuries-has-been-readwithout-even-opening-it-11614679203). *The Wall Street Journal*. Retrieved 2 March 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["Philately: hobby"](https://www.britannica.com/topic/philately). *Encyclopedia Britannica*. Retrieved 3 November 2020.

## Further reading

- [Sefi, A.J.](/source/A._J._Sefi) *An Introduction to Advanced Philately, with special reference to typical methods of stamp production*. London: Rowley & Rowley, 1926 (2nd edition 1932) (Electronic facsimile edition [Royal Philatelic Society London](/source/Royal_Philatelic_Society_London) 2010).

- Sutton, R.J. & K.W. Anthony. *The Stamp Collector's Encyclopaedia*. 6th edition. London: Stanley Paul, 1966.

- [Williams, L.N.](/source/Leon_Norman_Williams) & M. *Fundamentals of Philately*. State College: The American Philatelic Society, 1971.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Philately](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Philately).

Look up ***[philately](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Special:Search/philately)*** in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

- [Glossary of Philatelic Terms](https://www.postalmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Glossary.pdf), [Postal Museum, London](/source/Postal_Museum%2C_London)

- [Can Plastic Films Damage My Stamps? Translated from an article by Ib Krarup Rasmussen published in Dansk Filatelistisk Tidsskrift Number 4, 2008.](https://web.archive.org/web/20150919123759/http://www.rfrajola.com/mercury/RR1.pdf)

- [Stamps and Plastics – the Good and the Bad by Roger Rhoads, 2009.](https://web.archive.org/web/20150204053131/http://stamps.org/userfiles/file/pcpm/StampsPlastics.pdf)

- [1948 Olympic Stamp - UK Parliament Living Heritage](https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/cultural-collections/archives/from-the-parliamentary-collections/parliament-and-the-olympics/envelope-olympic-stamp/)

v t e Mail and postal systems History Timeline of postal history African countries Asian countries European countries Oceanian countries Pan-American countries Postal censorship Envelope for mailing Components Advertising mail Bulk mail Envelope Indicia Information-Based Indicia Letter box Mail Mail bag Meter stamp Parcel Parcel locker Post box / Mailbox Relay box Post office Post office box Postage meter Postage stamp Postal code Postal marking Variable value stamp Delivery Airmail Express Package delivery Registered Surface Surface Air Lifted (SAL) Staff Mail carrier Postal worker Postmaster Postmaster General Processing Intelligent Mail barcode Mail Isolation Control and Tracking Multiline Optical Character Reader Mail cover Mail sorting Package forwarding PLANET POSTNET Institutions and systems Postal entities Postal museums Postal services Postal systems by country Trade unions Related Courier Philately most expensive philatelic items Stamp collecting notable stamps catalogues Philatelic terminology fakes and forgeries List of entities that have issued postage stamps A–E F–L M–Z Philately portal Category Commons

v t e Historiography Historians list / by area of study History historians historicity history theories of history Historical sources Types Primary sources Secondary sources Tertiary sources Sources Annals Archives Artifacts Archaeological site Chronicles Codices Deeds Facsimiles Features Hieroglyphs Logbooks Manuscripts Cartulary Illuminated Rotulus Oral tradition Palimpsest Papyri Religious texts Scrolls War diaries Service records Fields of study By scale Big History World history Human history Local history Microhistory By source Archival science / Library and information science (template) Books / Writing systems Chorography Chronology dating Diplomatics Encyclopaedistics Epigraphy Genealogy Heraldry Numismatics (Money) Onomastics Oral history preservation Phaleristics Philology Postage stamps Prosopography Sigillography Toponymy Vexillology By topic Anthropology / Paleoanthropology Counterfactual Cultural Ecology / Environment / Geography Economic Business Capitalism Perspectives on capitalism by school of thought Thought Intellectual Geistesgeschichte Linguistics Maritime Medieval churches Military Political Constitutional Diplomatic Social Feminism Gender Indigenous Labour LGBTQ Rural Quantitative Urban Women Methodology Case study Periodization Historical eras Tarikh Three-age system Approaches, schools Annales school History of mentalities Nouvelle histoire Historiometry / Cliometrics Comparative historical research Critical Decoloniality Feminist Historical anthropology Historical determinism Historism Historical-critical method Humanistic Indiscipline of history [pt] Leninist Marxist Historical materialism Nationalist Ancestral civilisation Nationalization of history People's history Subaltern Studies Pop history Quantitative history Revisionist Transnational Whig Great Man theory Concepts General Change and continuity Historic preservation Historical recurrence Historical significance Historicity Historiology [es] Theory of history [de] Philosophy Specific Black legend Coloniality and decolonization of knowledge Dark Ages (historiography) Historical negationism Historian's fallacy / Presentism Invented tradition Modernisation theory Myth of the flat earth Narratives Paradigm shift Precursorism Pax list Thirty-year rule Transhistoricity Translatio imperii / Translatio studii Vaticinium ex eventu Periodization of modern history Age of Discovery Age of Enlightenment European Civil War / Second Thirty Years' War Long 18th / 19th century Renaissance Continuity thesis By country or region Africa African historiography Egypt Pyramid construction techniques Black Egypt Thesis [es] Ethiopia Morocco Greater Morocco Rwanda Double genocide theory Maafa Americas Canada Metropolitan-hinterland thesis Residential schools Staples thesis Indigenous population history Latin America Argentina May Revolution / Causes Revisionist [es] Peru Iquicha Royalism Colonial Spanish America Casta United States African-American history Nadir of American race relations Neoabolitionism Reconstruction era Consensus history Cyclical theory Frontier thesis Political history Eras Progressive-era historians Eurasia Albania Dealbanisation Austria Habsburg myth Balhae Belarus Bulgaria Byzantine Empire [de] Early [ru] Croatia Europe Ancient [ru] Medieval [ru] New Age [ru] Georgia Aryan Kartli Greek Ages of Man Iran 2,500-year celebration Japan Korea Nationalist Goguryeo controversies North Macedonia Philippines Early settlements Portugal Lusotropicalism Romania Great Union Serbia Kosovo Myth Sweden Götaland theory Switzerland Taiwan Ukraine Executed Renaissance Vietnam Nam tiến Trưng sisters Ancient Rome Catilinarian conspiracy Christianization Constantinian shift Expansion Fall of Western Rome Prosopography Succession Byzantine succession Moscow, third Rome Ottoman claim Problem of two emperors China 5000-year civilization assertion Archaeology Wunu School [zh] Century of humiliation Conquest dynasty "Chineseness" debate New Qing History Golden ages Hua–Yi distinction Four Barbarians Sinocentrism Self-Strengthening Movement Sprouts of capitalism Tibetan sovereignty debate France Cordon sanitaire Frankish Interregnum [fr] Grand Siècle Legendary Saracen [fr] Location of Alésia [fr] Lyon [fr] Vichy France Germany Alltagsgeschichte Borussian myth Historikerstreit Sonderweg Strukturgeschichte [de] Sybel-Ficker controversy Vergangenheitsbewältigung India Greater Magadha Indocentrism Indigenous Aryanism Ireland Great Famine "More Irish than the Irish themselves" Revisionism Revolutionary period Italy Fascist Italy Fourth Italian War of Independence Historiae Patriae Monumenta Historical Series of the Bank of Italy Italians, the good people Rerum italicarum scriptores Revisionism of Risorgimento Southern question Neo-Bourbonism Poland Golden Liberty Sarmatism Deluge Partitions Polish People's Republic [pl] Russia Anti-Normanism Pre-Revolutionary Russia [ru] Skeptic School [ru] Soviet Union October Revolution Soviet famine of 1930–1933 Causes of the Holodomor Holodomor genocide question Holodomor in modern politics Spain Black legend / White legend Hispanism Carlism in the Francoist era Convivencia Inquisition Limpieza de sangre controversy [es] Reconquista Islamic revolution of Spain [es] Revisionist Colonies or Provinces Spanish decline [es] Ser de España Turkey Kemalist Ottoman Empire Ghaza thesis Decline thesis United Kingdom Poor Laws Scotland Kingdom of Alba Westminster Stone Storm over the gentry Suffragette Campaign Tudor myth Ricardians Winter of Discontent British Empire Cambridge School Porter–MacKenzie debate Second colonial occupation Oceania Australia Colonial Australia By war, conflict v t e Military historiography Military history List of military museums Pre-18th century conflicts Albigensian Crusade Catharism debate Crusades Islamic views Eighty Years' War Origins Fall of Babylon Gallic Wars Late Bronze Age collapse Dorian invasion Sea Peoples Peloponnesian War 18th and 19th century conflicts Coalition Wars (1792–1815) French Revolution Causes War in the Vendée Napoleonic era Invasion of Russia Waterloo American Civil War Origins Turning point Franco-Prussian War Causes Paris Commune Great Game Indian Rebellion of 1857 Causes Paraguayan War War of 1812 Origins War of the Pacific Causes World War I Causes (Color books / Fischer thesis) Late Ottoman genocides (Causes of the Armenian genocide) Patriotic consent Persian famine of 1917–1919 Powder keg of Europe Schlieffen Plan Spirit of 1914 / 1917 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Germany imposed this on Russia in 1918 Treaty of Versailles Reparations War guilt question Article 231 Reichstag inquiry Interwar period Burning of Smyrna Polish–Soviet War Causes Spanish Civil War Background World War II Causes "Blitzkrieg" concept Broad vs. narrow front German resistance to Nazism Nazi foreign policy debate Eastern Front Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact Soviet offensive plans Soviets and the Warsaw Uprising Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia Winter War Background Spirit The Holocaust Auschwitz bombing debate Awareness in Nazi Germany and German-occupied Europe Functionalism–intentionalism debate In relation to the Armenian genocide / Herero and Nama genocide / Nakba Pope Pius XII Pius Wars "Polish death camp" Responsibility Slovakia Uniqueness Pacific War Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki "Battle for Australia" Bengal famine Second Sino-Japanese War Nanjing Massacre Western Front Battle of France Guilty Men Résistancialisme Vichy France Cold War Origins 1948 Palestine war Palestinian expulsion and flight / Ongoing Nakba Zionism as settler colonialism New Historians Malayan Emergency Causes Algerian War Six-Day War Origins Iranian revolution Causes Iran–Iraq War Falklands War Sovereignty dispute Sri Lankan civil war Origins Post-Cold War Russo-Georgian War Background Responsibility Syrian revolution Causes Related Conflict thesis Gunpowder and gun transmission War and genocide Category By person Political leaders Adolf Hitler Alexander the Great Amin al-Husseini Aurangzeb Cato the Younger Che Guevara Chiang Ching-kuo [zh] Chiang Kai Shek [zh] Constantine the Great Gregory Palamas Horatio Nelson Hypatia Jiang Zemin [zh] Joseph Stalin [ru] José de San Martín Juan Manuel de Rosas Klemens von Metternich Leonid Brezhnev Louis Riel Mao Zedong [zh] Muammar Gaddafi Napoleon Neville Chamberlain Pedro II of Brazil Simon Bolivar Cult of personality [es] Bolivarianism Saladin Sun Yat-sen [zh] Thomas Aquinas Thomas Jefferson Ulysses S. Grant Warren G. Harding Yuan Shikai [zh] Zhou Enlai [zh] Zhuge Liang [zh] Historical rankings Australia Canada Modern Germany Netherlands United Kingdom United States Others Jane Austen The Beatles Charles Darwin Jesus Historicity Religious perspectives Christianity Judaism Islam Resurrection Søren Kierkegaard H. P. Lovecraft Madonna Muhammad Historicity Judaism Medieval Christianity Friedrich Nietzsche Robert Falcon Scott William Shakespeare Socrates J. R. R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings Other topics Bears in antiquity Crisis of historiography [pt] Feudalism Library of Alexandria Nationalism in the Middle Ages Professionalization and institutionalization of history Salons Western European colonialism and colonization Desacralization of knowledge Economics Industrial Revolution Great Recession Great Depression School of Thoughts Historical school of economics English historical school of economics Religion Avestan geography Early Christianity Background Historical reliability of the Gospels Primacy of Peter Opposition to Papal supremacy Proto-orthodox Christianity Early Islam Criticism of the Quran Succession to Muhammad Islamic golden age Kharijites Ecclesiastical history of the Catholic Church Second Vatican Council Hermeneutics of the Second Vatican Council Hesychast controversy Protestant Reformation Proto-Protestantism Criticism of Protestantism Protestant work ethic Jesuit historiography Modern Jewish history Wissenschaft des Judentums Schools of thought Biblical criticism Catholic theology Panbabylonism Urreligion Perennial Religionsgeschichtliche Schule Roman Revisionist school of Islamic studies Science / Technology Merton thesis Protestant Ethic and Capitalism Heroic theory of invention and scientific development Gunpowder and gun transmission Torsion mangonel myth Organizations, publications Heritage registers Historical society (list) History institutes History journals template Related Commemorative plaque Documentary film Hagiography Historical fiction Historical realism Historiographic metafiction Historical geographic information system Category Multimedia

Authority control databases International GND National United States France BnF data Czech Republic Greece Israel Other IdRef Yale LUX

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Philately](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philately) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philately?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.