[[File:UK newspaper wrapper 1911 Ewen Ltd.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A newspaper wrapper stamped with a cut-out and sent out in 1911 from the Ewen's company to Germany]] In philately, a '''cut-out''' is an imprinted stamp cut from an item of postal stationery such as a postal card, letter sheet, aerogramme or wrapper that may have been used as a normal stamp.<ref>Mackay, James. ''Philatelic Terms Illustrated'', 4th edition, Stanley Gibbons, London, 2003, p.40. {{ISBN|0-85259-557-3}}.</ref><ref>Patrick, Douglas & Mary. ''The Hodder Stamp Dictionary'', Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1973, p.61. {{ISBN|0-340-17183-9}}.</ref>

==Historical aspects== In Great Britain the postal use of cut-outs was banned under the Post Office Act of 1870. This prohibition was in force until 31 December 1904.<ref>Dagnall, H, ''Postal Stationery Wrappers'', p34, 1993, {{ISBN|0-9515497-4-X}}</ref> In 1905, Herbert L'Estrange Ewen published a booklet "The Unadhesive Postage Stamps of the UK" meaning postal stationery cut-outs.<ref>[http://www.stampdomain.com/country/gb/weston/ H. L'Estrange Ewen cut outs], Stamp Domain, Jan Kosniowski</ref>

==Forms of cut-outs== ===Cut Square=== thumb|upright|A Bahamas 4d imprinted stamp cut square from a piece of postal stationery overprinted 2½d A '''cut square''' has been cut in a square or rectangular shape.<ref name=linns/><ref>Youngblood, Wayne L. ''All about Stamps'', Krause Publications, Iola WI, 2000, p.51. {{ISBN|0-87341-963-4}}.</ref> An alternative use of the term is simply any stamp, from sheets or postal stationery, cut in a square or rectangular shape and not cut to shape.<ref>Patrick, Douglas & Mary. ''The Hodder Stamp Dictionary'', Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1973, p.61. {{ISBN|0-340-17183-9}}.</ref><ref>Mackay, James. ''Philatelic Terms Illustrated'', 4th edition, Stanley Gibbons, London, 2003, p.40. {{ISBN|0-85259-557-3}}.</ref>

It is distinguished from the ''entire'' (the complete postal stationery item) or the more common practice of earlier eras of ''cutting to shape'' by removing all of the paper apart from the imprinted stamp. A variant of the cut square is the ''full corner'' which is a cutting of the corner to include the intact flap and back of the envelope as well as the front.<ref>''Thorp-Bartels Catalogue of U.S. Stamped Envelopes'', Century Edition, 1954</ref>

Just as used postage stamps were cut out, soaked and placed in an album, collectors also cut out postal stationery indicia and mounted them conveniently in albums. Now, the practice is frowned upon by most collectors who collect the entire,<ref>Van Gelder, Peter J.; ''The Collectors' Guide to Postal Stationery''; Shrewsbury, England, 1997</ref> thus saving the envelope's postal history, the knife of the envelope and the postmark. To illustrate how far things have shifted in emphasis from the collection of cut squares, the most recent United Postal Stationery Society publication on US 20th and 21st century stamped envelopes does not even mention cut squares,<ref name=Undersander>Undersander, Dan, Ed.; ''Catalog of the 20th and 21st Century Stamped Envelopes and Wrappers of the United States'', Third Edition, UPSS, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-9800112-8-9}}.</ref> whereas its predecessor edition, just seven years earlier, devoted a section to their pricing.<ref>Summers, Jerry, Ed.; ''Catalog of the 20th Century Stamped Envelopes, Wrappers, Cut Squares and Full Corners of the United States'', Second Edition, UPSS, 2004.</ref> The term ''cut square'' is differentiated from the term ''used on piece'' which denotes an adhesive stamp cut out in similar fashion from the original cover so as to preserve the entire postmark.<ref name=Bennett>Bennett, Russell and Watson, James; ''Philatelic Terms Illustrated'', Stanley Gibbons Publications, London (1978).</ref>

<gallery> File:Russia March 1849 30k postal stationery cut square.jpg|Russia 1849, 30k unused cut square File:Warsaw 1860 cut square.jpg|Poland 1860, 3k unused cut square File:Uruguay1866 5c CutSquare.jpg|Uruguay 1866, 5c unused cut square Gwalior 4A6P cut square.jpg|Gwalior 1886, 4A6P unused cut square File:Salvador 1887 10c CS yp.jpg|El Salvador 1887, 10c unused cut square File:ColumbianEnv1.jpg|USA 1892, 1c unused cut square </gallery>

===Cut to shape=== thumb|upright|Advertising ring indicia cut to shape '''Cut to shape''' refer to a indicium that has been cut to the shape of the design, such as an octagon, circle or oval, instead of simply cut into a square or rectangular shape.<ref name=linns>{{cite web |title=Glossary Of Philatelic Terms |publisher=Linn's Stamp News |url=https://www.linns.com/news/postal-updates-page/glossary-terms-disabled.html |access-date=29 June 2021 }}</ref>

Stamps cut to shape almost always command a lower price than those that have been cut square, and sometimes have little or no value, especially envelope indicia cut to shape. Although many stamps unfortunately have been cut to shape by stamp collectors, some early stamps were produced without perforations and were often cut to shape by people before they affixed the stamps to their envelopes. This is true, for example, for the octagon-shaped 4 Annas stamp of India issued in 1854, which is most commonly found cut to shape on envelopes or pieces.

<gallery> File:Inverted_Head_Four_Annas.jpg|India 1854 (inverted head), cut to shape File:Four annas H3 F2 smaller.jpg|India 1854, cut square </gallery>

All of the surviving examples of the India 1854 (inverted head) are postally used. Only two (or three) are known cut square; another 24 or so, are cut to shape (in an octagonal shape). One from the collection of the Earl of Crawford was exhibited in the World Philatelic Exhibition in Washington in 2006.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207055505/http://www.washington-2006.org/wrarities.htm#indiaqueen#indiaqueen India's 1854 Blue and Pale Red Inverted Head]</ref>

The "world's most famous stamp" — the unique 1856 British Guiana 1c magenta — is cut into an octagonal shape. Consequently, it has been referred to as being cut to shape,<ref name=linns/> although technically that term is incorrect as the stamp design is rectangular in shape.

== See also == *Oswald Marsh *Herbert Edgar Weston

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{commons category|Cut-out (philately)}} *[http://www.stampdomain.com/country/gb/weston/ Postal stationery cut-outs used on cover.] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090414074425/http://www.gbstamps.com/gb_album/tidbits_history/tidbits_history_21.html Postal stationery cut-outs used to pay airmail.] (archived 14 April 2009) *[http://www.bcpsg.com/articles/Leeward%20Island%20Postal%20Stationery%20Cut-outs%20by%20D%20Fuller.htm Leeward Island Postal Stationery Cut-outs Used as Postage]

Category:Philatelic terminology Category:Postal stationery