F

4-Sidig perforeing: (Nor.) perforations on 4 sides.
4 Skilling Våpen 1855: (Nor.) refers to the 1855 4 Skilling blue Norwegian Coat-of-Arms issue.
“40th Anniversary of the Royal Wedding 1947-1987”: 1987 Aitutaki overprint.
5-Dollar Prexie: nickname for the U.S. 1938 Calvin Coolidge issue.
F: 1: precedes the European postal code on addresses in France, such as F-75009 Paris. 2: Auction term meaning “Fine” quality. 3: Scott catalog number prefix for Registration. 4: “F” add-on rate., US nondenominated stamp, valued 4¢, placed on sale Jan. 22, 1991. 5: used to indicate that the plate was hardened and ready for use. 6: add-on rate., US nondenominated stamp, valued 4¢, placed on sale Jan. 22, 1991. 7: used to indicate that the plate was hardened and ready for use. 8: overprint on a French 1932-39 Peace with Olive Branch design to be used by soldiers and refugees escaping the Spanish Civil War to France. 9: Finland, applied in Helsinki between Dec. 1941 and July 1942. 10: Colombia-Scadta consular overprint for France. 11: “F” inscription, with flower, U.S. nondenominated stamp, valued 29¢, placed on sale Jan. 22, 1991. 12: overprint on a French 1932-39 Peace with Olive Branch design to be used by soldiers and refugees escaping the Spanish Civil War to France.
$F: catalog abbreviation for currency in Fiji (Dollar).
FA: Scott catalog number prefix for Certified Mail.
Få: (Nor.) few.
Fabian’s Phantom Post: United States local post, cinderella by George Fabian, Illinois, established Nov. 22, 1975.
Fabrica de Timbre: printer of postage stamps for Romania.
Fabrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre: (Sp.) Spanish Mint and Printing Works; prints all Spanish stamps.
Fabrikwasserzeichen: (Ger.) papermaker’s watermark.
F A C: auction abbreviation for Forwarding Agent Cachet.
Face: Face: 1: see Face value. 2: side of mail piece with the delivery address. 3: lettering of a certain style (i.e. Times Roman face, Helvetica bold face, etc.).
Facer canceler: postal equipment that “faces” the envelope to be read easily and then cancels the item.
Face value: the monetary value of a postage stamp as printed, or surcharged in its design.
Fach: (Ger.) specialty.
Fachausstellung: (Ger.) commercial exhibit (stamp show).
Fachn: Egypt, see Interpostal seals, 1884.
Fachouda: Egypt, see Interpostal seals, 1879-80.
Faciale valeur: (Fr.) face value.
Facing: USPS placing of envelopes for sorting and mail processing operations.
Facing identification mark (FIM): series of vertical bars used by automated postal equipment that identifies, orients and separates various classes of mail.
Facing slip: U.S. post office term for slip placed on top of individual bundles of mail to indicate their destination.
Facit: specialized Scandinavian postage stamp catalog.
Facous: Egypt, see Interpostal seals, 1879-84.
Facsimile: a reproduction of a genuine postage stamp, intended for souvenir value and not meant to defraud.
Facsimile Mail Service: USPS service that permitted customers to send fax messages and have them delivered by the post office, 1971.
Factaj: (Rom.) Romania parcel post overprint, 1928.
Facteur: (Fr.) postman.
Facturas: (Sp.) inscription found on Spanish fiscal stamps used on invoices.
Fading: a lightening of ink or paper due to natural or non-natural (i.e. bleaching) physical causes.
Færge: (Dan.) ferry.
FaerOer: (It.) Faroe Islands.
Færøerne: (Dan.) the Faroe Islands, Faroes.
Faeroerne Franco Betalt: (Dan.) handstamp on stamps of Denmark for Faroe Islands.
Fabriksvandmærke: (Dan.) paper manufacturer’s watermark.
F.A.F.L.: Syria military overprint, Free French Administration.
FAG: Frank A. Green, BEP employee initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
Fahl: (Ger.) faded.
Fahnenstempel: (Ger.) any cancel with dater dial and obliterator.
Fahnestock, B. A.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Fahrbares postamt: (Ger.) mobile post office.
Faidherbe: (Fr.) French colonial issued in 1906, depicting portrait of Gen. Faidherbe.
Fairbanks, Richard: postmaster of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, approved the receipt of all foreign letters to the American colonies, appointed Nov. 5, 1639.
Faire offre: (Fr.) make an offer.
Faire suivre: (Fr.) to be forwarded.
Fair warning: auction phrase to denote that a lot will be hammered down soon to alert bidders who may miss a lot of possible interest.
Fairy Tales: slang for false entries included in published or verbal Prices Realized.
Faja postal: (Sp.) wrapper, used in South America for mailing newspapers and magazines.
Fake: a genuine stamp altered as to color, design, value, etc. to increase its monetary value for sale to collectors; these can include imperforate singles, blind perforations, omitted colors and inverts.
Fälachung: (Ger.) cinderella.
Falkensee: “Falkensee, Gemeinde”(Falkensee Township) area in former Soviet-occupied East Germany, local post, 1945.
Falkenstein: German local post, 1887-1900.
Falkland Islands: British island group south of South America; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 pence = 1 pound (1971) 1878, June 19: No.1, 1 penny claret, first stamps issued, 1880-90: mail contracted to German steamships of Kosmos Line, 1900-14: mail contracted to Pacific Steam Navigation Co., 1918: first War Tax stamp issued, 1936: Argentina issued a stamp with map design showing Falklands as part of Argentina, 1982, Sep. 13: first semipostal stamp issued, 1985: dependencies of South Georgia and South Sandwich became a separate colony, 1991, Jan. 7: first postage due stamp issued.
Falkland Islands: 1: inscription White Out; unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001. 2: King Smoking Pipe, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Falkland Island Dependencies: Islands of South Atlantic and Antarctic Oceans and British portion of Antarctica, all formed dependencies of the Falkland Islands; 1918: first War Tax stamp issued, 1944: first stamp issue, overprints on Falkland Island issue, 1944, Feb. 12: first stamp for Graham Land, 1944, April 3: first stamps for South Georgia, 1944, Feb. 21: first stamps for South Orkneys, 1944: first stamps for South Shetlands, 1946, Feb. 1: first stamps issued for four territories, 1963, July 16: reconstituted as the British Antarctic Territory, 1963, July 17: stamps resumed for South Georgia, see South Georgia, 1985, Oct.: South Georgia and Sandwich Islands issued their own stamps.
Falklandsöarna: (Swed.) the Falkland Islands.
Falklandsøerne: (Dan.) the Falkland Islands.
Fällige postgebühr: (Ger.) postage due.
Fals: (Rom.) counterfeit, fake, forgery; see Falsuri.
Falsch: (Ger.) forged, counterfeit.
Falschstempel: (Ger.) forged postmark.
Fälschung: (Ger.) bogus, counterfeit; labels or postal markings made to defraud collectors. False franking: postage on a mail piece from a mass mailing where the face value of the stamp underpays the actual rate; the difference is paid directly to the USPS when the item enters the mail stream.
False perforations: printed perforations on self-adhesive stamps, also known as “serpentine die cuts” and phony perforations.
False watermark: made by applying the gum using a patterned roller.
Falsificación: (Sp.) bogus, counterfeit; labels or postal markings made to defraud collectors.
Falsificazione: (It.) bogus, counterfeit; labels or postal markings made to defraud collectors.
Falsifié(e): (Fr.) falsified, forged, faked, counterfeited.
Falsk stempel: (Dan.) forged cancellation, forged postmark.counterfeit cancel.
Falso: (Sp.) false, bogus.
Falso per posta: (It.) postal forgery.
Falsuri: (Rom.) forgery.
Falta de Porte: 1892, unofficial inscription on stamps of Mexico.
Fältpost: (Swed.) fieldpost, inscription for free mail for Swedish troops in World War II as well as civilian mail addressed to the armed forces.
Fältpostmärken: (Swed.) field post stamps.
Fältpostpaket: (Swed.) field post parcels.
Falz: (Ger.) stamp hinge.
Falzlos: (Ger.) hingeless.
Falzpur: (Ger.) hinged.
Falzrest: (Ger.) hinge remnant.
FAM: Frank A. Martie, BEP employee initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
F A M: see Foreign air mail.
FAMcG: Felix McGuire, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
Famous Americans: series of postage stamps honoring authors, poets, educators, scientists, composers and artists, 1940.
Famracia belgrand: (Sp.) advertising label from Argentina.
Fancy cancel: postmark with a pictorial design.
Fancy cancel, oddest: the Ste. Genevieve de Batiscan province in Quebec, 1895, commemorated the Nicaraguan coat of arms in detail.
Fancy registry cancels: the Post Office ruled, prior to Nov. 15, 1928, that the name and date of town not appear on registered mail so several local postmasters made or used a “fancy” cancel such as Fairfield, Iowa-Ear of Corn.
Fancy type: ornamental type overprint.
Fånge: (Swed.) prisoner, see Krigsfange.
Fangelejr: (Dan.) prisoner of war (P.O.W.) camp, Krigsfange.
Fangelejrpost: (Dan.) prisoner of war (P.O.W.) camp mail, see Krigsfangepost.
Fångepost: (Swed.) prisoner mail, see Krigsfange.
Fanning Island: bogus issue using frame of St. Vincent stamp.
Fanon: currency used in French Colonies.
Fantail margin: missing marginal perforations from edge of the stamp to the end of the sheet.
Fantan: U.S. Navy code name during WW II for Fiji Islands.
Fantan-1: U.S. Navy code name during WW II for Suva, Fiji Islands. 2: U.S. Navy code name during WW II for Nandi, Fiji Islands.
Fantasias: (Sp.) bogus issues, cinderella, fantasy.
Fantasimerke: (Nor.) fantasy stamp
Fantasifrimärke: (Swed.) fantasy stamp
Fantasimærke: (Dan.) fantasy stamp
Fantasy stamps: make-believe stamps from make-believe entities, usually made to delight or defraud; see Bogus stamps, Cinderellas.
Fantippo: stamp-like label used in Dr. Doolittle books.
F A O: United Nations inscription for Food and Agriculture Organization.
F A R: (Sp.) Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, Cuba telecommunications corps that established a postal system for personnel in Angola, 1985.
Farajan: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937.
Farbabart: (Ger.) color variety.
Farbampeln: (Ger.) traffic lights.
Farbänderung: (Ger.) change of color.
Farbe: (Ger.) see Color.
Farbeprobe: (Ger.) trial color.
Farbwechsel: (Ger.) change of color.
Farchout: Egypt, see Interpostal seals, 1882.
Fardos Postales: (Sp.) 1: inscription for parcel post, El Salvador. 2: overprint on stamps of Italy, Italian Socialist republic, parcel posts.
Far Eastern Republic: currently part of Russia, formerly part of Siberia, east of Lake Baikal; currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble 1918, July 10: provisional government established, 1920, Sept.: first issues were overprints and surcharges on stamps of Russia, 1921: stamps called the Blagoveshchensk Issue, 1921: stamps called the Chita Issue, 1922-23: stamps called the Vladivostok Issue, 1922, Nov.19: first stamp issued as part of Soviet Russia, 1923: final issue overprint on stamps of Russia with surcharge; see Siberia.
Fare un’offerta: (It.) to bid (at an auction).
Farfalla: (It.) butterfly (thematic).
Färg: (Swed.) color.
Farge: (Nor.) color.
Faridkot: India Feudatory State located in the central Punjab: currency:4 folus = 4 paisas = 1 anna 1879: No.1, 1 folus ultramarine, first local post stamps, 1886: first official stamps issued, 1887-93: first official stamp issued, 1887, Jan.1: signed as Convention State, stamps of British India overprinted “Faridkot State,” 1901, Mar.31: separate stamps discontinued, used stamps of Republic of India.
Färja: (Swed.) ferry.
Farley’s Follies: U.S. printing made on order of Postmaster General James A. Farley for the imperforate stamps of 1934-37.
Färm: (Swed.) see Ferm.
Färöarna: (Swed.) Faroes
Faroe Islands: autonomous postal authority, North Atlantic Ocean, part of Denmark. official name of postal administration: Postverk Føroya currency: 100 ore = 1 Danish krone 1870: Danish stamps used, 1875, July 1: joined the UPU, included with Denmark, 1914-18: bisected stamps authorized, 1919, Jan. 3-23: No. 1, 2 ore green, surcharge on stamp of Denmark, 1940: British occupation values surcharged on stamps of Denmark, 1945: Danish stamps used again, 1948: islands were given self-government, 1975, Jan. 30: own stamps issued.
Färöer Inseln: (Ger.) Faroe Islands.
Farr, G. & Co.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Farrie Strike PS.: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Farthings: currency unit in Malta.
Farve: (Dan.) color.
Farveafart: (Dan.) color error, see Farvefejltryk, Tryk – Farvefejl.
Farvefejltryk: (Dan.) color error, see Farveafart, Tryk – Farvefejl.
Farveprøve: (Dan.) trial color proof.
Farvefoto: (Dan.) color photo.
Farwell Company: Chicago, Ill. manufacturer of stamp vending machines, 1910-12, distinct perforation.
Faserpapier: (Ger.) granite paper; containing tiny, visible fibers to deter forgery.
Fast color: stamp ink that can be soaked in various liquids without the color running.
Fast, F: postmarks applied on mail carried on fast mail trains.
Fast mail: authorized in 1874 for rail service between New York and Chicago via Central R.R.; started Sept. 16, 1875 and discontinued July 22, 1876, other railroads also had a similar service.
Fast mail trains: trains that consisted almost entirely of mail cars, introduced in Sept. 1875.
Fast Pony Express Service: package firm service the Chicago, Ill. area; used stamps, year unknown.
Fastsättare: (Swed.) (stamp) hinge.
Fastway Post New Zealand Ltd.: private post operator in New Zealand who uses own postage stamps.
Fåtal: (Swed.) few.
Father Mathew Temperance & Manufacturing Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Fauconniere: Great Britain local post carriage label for Jethou, 1960.
Fault: missing piece, tear, clipped perforation, hole, scuff, thin spot, crease, toning, oxidation, stain, short perforation, etc. on a stamp; can decrease the value of the item.
Fauna & Flora: Donald Evans bogus issue, 1960-70.
Faunce’s Penny Post: U.S. local post, Atlantic City, N.J., 1885.
Faune: (Fr.) fauna (thematic).
Faute: (Fr.) fault, defect.
Faux de toute piece: (Fr.) completely faked.
Faux, Fausse: (Fr.) a forgery, counterfeit.
Faux perforations: simulated perforations, used on Pitney-Bowes meter stamps,1932.
Faux pour servir: (Fr.) forgeries which have been accepted by the post, or have been made with intent to defraud the postal system.
Favola: (It.) fairy tales (thematic).
Favor cancel: a hand cancel that is applied in a special manner as a favor to the mailer.
Favor’s Eastport & Boston Express: Boston to various cities in Maine via steamer Admiral, 1853-57, applied marking to mail.
Fayence: French local post parachute mail, (L’Aero-club Populaire de Nice et de la Riviera), 1946.
Fayoum: Egypt, see Interpostal seals, 1872-84.
Fazoglu: Egypt, see Interpostal seals, 1879-80.
FB: Franklin Butler, BEP employee initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
FBB: Frank Brahler, BEP employees initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
F.B.O.: Foreign Branch Office.
F.B.S.: Friend’s Boarding School, U.S. local post for mail carried to the post office, Barnesville, Ohio, 1877-84. F/C: auction abbreviation for fiscal cancel
F C: auction abbreviation for fancy cancel.
Fco: (It.) abbreviation for Franco, a pre-adhesive postmark.
F C F A: see Reunion.
FCM: first class mail.
F C P: see Fluorescent coated paper.
F D: “fausse direction” (Fr.) misdirected.
FDAY: First Days; journal of the American First Day Cover Society.
F D C: see First Day Cover. F D I: see First Day of Issue.
Fdo. Poo: Fernando Poo.
F D O I: see First day of issue.
Fearey, Jabez & Co.’s Mustang Express: U.S. local post, Newark, N.J., 1870.
Fears & Bray’s Express: private mail serviced Boston, Pigeon Cove and Rockport, Mass., used a label; c1880.
Feary & Co.’s Mustang Express: private mail firm serviced Newark, N.J. area; used labels, 1887.
Február: (Hung.) February.
Februar: (Dan., Nor.) February.
Februari: (Swed.) February.
Februarie: (Rom.) February.
F.E.C. (Frank E. Clark): see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Fecha: (Sp.) date; statement on a stamp of when made.
Fecha de llegada: (Sp.) date of arrival or receipt.
Fecha de salida: (Sp.) date of departure or dispatch.
Fechador: (Sp.) dated postmark, canceller.
Fechne: Egypt, see Interpostal seals, 1868-82.
Fecske, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built about 1880’s for middle Danube lines.
Federacion Española de Sociedades Filatelicas: (Sp.) Spanish Federation of Philatelic Societies.
Federacion Venezolana: (Sp.) Venezuela.
Federal Boating Stamp: inscription on U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax stamps, 1960.
Federal eagle envelopes: stamped envelope picturing the eagle in blue and gray design.
Federal Register: publication in which rules and proposed rules issued by the USPS and other federal agencies are published.
Federal Use Tax on Motor Vehicles: inscription on U. S. Internal Revenue Service tax stamps, 1942-48.
Federated Malay States: see Malaya. Federation of Malaya: see Malaya.
Federated Republic of Soviets in Russia: in Russian, used as an overprint for Imperial Russian consular tax stamps in 1922 applied to mail sent from Russia to Germany; see Deruluft.
Federation of Malaysia: see Malaysia, Federation of.
Federation of South Arabia: see South Arabian Federation.
Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP): (Fr.) International Federation of Philately.
Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Aérophilatéliques (FISA): International Federation of Aerophilatelic Societies.
Federation of Ethnic Minorities: located in Burma, labels used to draw attention to human rights violations.
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland: see Rhodesia.
Federation of South Arabia: see South Arabia.
Federation of the West Indies: formed of ten British West Indies territories in 1958, dissolved in May 1962.
Federstrichentweetung: (Ger.) pen cancellation.
Feeder flight: an airmail connection flight at a specified mid-route point.
Feed Lines: name given to lines on flat plates to help in the correct placement of paper on the plate.
Féher: (Hung.) white (color), also becsületes.
Fehldruck: (Ger.) printing error.
Fehlend: (Ger.) missing or omitted.
Fehler: (Ger.) see Error, Fault.
Fehlerhaft: (Ger.) defective
Fehlfarbe: (Ger.) color error.
Fehlliste: (Ger.) want list.
Feil: (Nor.) error, flaw.
Feiltakking: (Nor.) perforation error.
Feiltrykk: (Nor.) printing error.
Fein: (Ger.) fine, a state of excellence.
Fejl: (Dan.) fault, faulty.
Fejlagtig: (Dan.) fault, faulty
Fejltryk: 1. (Dan.) see Tryk – Fejl . 2. (Nor.) printing error.

Fejlperforeret: (Dan.) misplaced perforartions.
Fejltakning: (Dan.) perforation error.
Feltpost: (Dan.) fieldpost.
Feltpostmærke: (Dan.) fieldpost stamp.
Feltpoststempel: (Dan.) fieldpost cancel, fieldpost postmark.
Fekete: (Hung.) black (color).
Feketésbarna: (Hung.) blackish-brown (color).
Fel: (Swed.) error.
Feldpost: (Ger.) 1: field or army post. 2: Austria, Germany overprint for field or Army post.
Feldpost 2kg: (Ger.) overprint on stamps of Germany, military parcel post (maximum 2 kg in weight).
Feldpostamt: (Ger.) Austrian Field Post Office.
Feldpostbrief: (Ger.) field mail letter.
Feldpostmærker: (Ger.) military mail.
Feldpostmarke: (Ger.) field post stamp.
Felso Szenegál és Niger: (Hung.) Upper-Senegal and Niger.
Felso-Volta: (Hung.) Upper Volta.
Feltpost: (Dan., Nor.) fieldpost.
Feltpostmærke: (Dan.) fieldpost stamp.
Feltpostmerke: (Nor.) fieldpost stamp.
Feltpoststempel: (Dan., Nor.) fieldpost cancel, fieldpost postmark.
Feltryck: (Swed.) printing error.
Felülnyomat: (Hung.) overprint.
Fem: (Dan., Nor.) five (number).
Femfärgstryck: (Swed.) see Tryck – Femfärgs.
Femstripe: (Nor.) strip-of-5.
Femten: (Dan., Nor.) fifteen (number).
Femti: (Nor.) fifty (number).
Fen: “Fenigy” Poland currency overprint with Poctzta Polska, 1918.
Fendu(e): (Fr.) split, cracked, slashed.
Feng (F.): (Chin.) cover.
Fengselpost: (Nor.) prison mail.
Feng-tai: East China local post, SW of Pengpu, 1949.
Fennig: currency unit in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Fenster: (Ger.) (window) thin spot on a stamp.
Fente: (Fr.) slit, cut, small tear.
F E P A: Federation of European Philatelic Associations.
Ferdinand I, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built at Trieste in 1839 for Levant lines.
Ferdinand Maximilian, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built in1850’s.
Fergusson & Sons (J.W.): Stamp venturers subcontractor for printing US stamps.
Feria Muestrario: (Sp.) fair, found in handstamps, cancels.
Feribot: (Rom.) ferry boat.
Ferie-maerke: (Dan.) non-postal holiday stamp, savings to pay for annual holidays.
Ferien: (Ger.) vacation.
Ferje: (Nor.) ferry.
Ferjebåt: (Nor.) ferry boat.
Ferjebåtmerke: (Nor.) ferry boat stamp.
Ferjebåtpost: (Nor.) ferry boat mail.
Ferjebåtstempel: (Nor.) ferry boat cancellation.
Ferm: (Swed.) (also Färm) prompt.
Fermé(e): (Fr.) closed.
Fermented Fruit Juice: tax paid revenue stamp denominated in barrels and fractions of barrels, 1933.
Fermented Liquor: overprint on U.S. Internal Revenue stamps, 1933.
Fernando Po: Spanish colony, island off Gulf of Guinea, west African coast; currency: 100 centimos = 1 escudo = 2.50 pesetas, 100 centimos = 1 peseta, 1,000 milesimas = 100 centavos = 1 peso (1882) 1858-77: stamps of Britain used, 1868, July 1: No.1, 20 centimos brown, first stamp issued as Spanish colony, 1867-79: stamps of Spanish Cuba used inscribed Ultramar, 1879-1909: own stamps used, 1909-60: stamps of Spanish Guinea used, 1960: first semipostal stamp issued, 1968, Oct. 12: united with Rio Muni to form Republic of Equatorial Guinea, 1972: renamed Bioko.
Fernigow: currency unit in North Poland, 1919-1923
Fern-Ost-Republik: (Ger.) Far Eastern Republic.
Ferrarities: someone who owns a number of fakes; named after Baron Philipp La Renotiere Von Ferrary, a great collector who also owned a number of fakes and forgeries.
Ferrary, Philip L.R. von, Count: (1850-1917) considered one the world’s greatest collectors, who by the 1880s, was considered to have the world’s greatest stamp collection known, died of a heart attack while trying to buy a Swiss stamp; his collection was confiscated by France and sold to pay the German War Reparations Account.
Ferrocarriles: (Sp.) railways.
Ferrocarriles Andaluces: (Sp.) Andalusian Railways, inscription on railway’s own stamps.
Ferrol del Caudillo: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937.
Ferrovia: (It.) train
Fervente: (Port.) bright color.
Festad de Ciudade Lisboa: (Port.) Lisbon City Festival, Portugal and Azores postal tax stamps.
Festiniog Railway: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Festoon-edged: edges of stamps, usually labels, with rows of semicircular cuts.
Festpostkarte: (Ger.) commemorative post card.
Fésusfogazat: (Hung.) comb perforation.
F.E.T. (Falange Española Tradicionalista): (Sp.) found on civil war tax and charity stamps, Spanish right wing political party in 1933-34.
Fetejh: city in Russia, local post aka Koursk.
Fetridge & Co.: U.S. private die perfumery proprietary stamp.
Feuchtwanger Strip: Civil War era encased postage stamps, but may be a fantasy item created in the 1890’s.
Feudatory States: states in India established their own postal systems which carried mail within the state; see individual states for additional information; Alwar, Bamra, Barwani, Bhopal, Bhor Bijawar, Bundi, Bussahir, Charkhari, Cochin, Dhar, Duttia (Datia), Faridkot, Hyderabad, Idar, Indore (Holkar), Jaipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Jasden, Jhalawar, Jind, Kishangarh, Las bela, Morvi, Morvi, Nandgaon, Nawanagar, Orchha, Poonch, Rajasthan, Rajpipla, Sirmoor, Sorouth, Travancore, Travancore-Cochin, Wadhwan.
Feuille: (Fr.) sheet, page (album).
Feuille de timbres: (Fr.) sheet (of stamps).
Feuille-témoin: (Fr.) imprimatur sheet.
Fez Mequinez: Morocco local post, 1897.
Fez Sefrou: Morocco local post, 1894.
Fezzan-Ghadmes: see Libya.
Fezzan Occupation Francaise: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Italy and Libya for French occupation, 1943, see Libya.
Fezzan, Territoire du: see Libya.
FF: abbreviation for foreign flights.
F F, F fr: catalog abbreviation for currency in Andorra, France and Monaco, (Franc).
F F C: see First Flight Cover.
FFUS: abbreviation for first flights by US airlines.
F G: auction abbreviation for flag cancel.
F.G.N: Nigeria unissued official overprint.
F Grill: grill design used on US stamps in the 19th century.
F I: Finland, including the Åland Islands, country code as used by UPU.
FI: fiscals; a philatelic discipline recognized for FIP exhibitions.
F I A F: (Sp.) “Federación Interamericana de Filatelia,” InterAmerican Federation of Philately.
Fialovocerná: (Czech.) violet-black, purple-black (color)
Fialovocervená: (Czech.) violet-red, purple-red (color)
Fialovohnedá: (Czech.) violet-brown, purple-brown (color)
Fialovomodrá: (Czech.) violet-blue, purple-blue (color)
Fialovosedá: (Czech.) violet-grey, purple-grey (color).
Fialovy: (Czech.) violet, purple (color).
FIAP: Far East Philatelic Federation.
FICC: First Issues Collectors Club.
Ficha: (Sp.) small stock cards for mounting stamps.
FIDES: Economic and Development Fund; common theme on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1956.
Fidji: (Fr., Swed.) the Fiji Islands.
Fidschi-Inseln: (Ger.) Fiji Islands.
Fidzsi Szigetek: (Hung.) the Fiji Islands.
Fieldmail Supplies: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Field Post Office: a post office established for servicemen on active service.
Fiera di Trieste: (It.) overprint on stamps of Italy, Trieste, 1950-53.
Fiesta de la Hispanidad: (Sp.) national holiday celebrated on Oct. 12 to commemorate explorers of America.
Fifi: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from book “Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers.”
Fifth Clause Post: British handstamp pertaining to the 5th Clause of an Act of Parliament regarding village posts.
Fifth International Philatelic Exhibition: international stamps show held in New York City, 1956.
Figaro: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937.
Figure: 1: name given to 1914 French colonies postage dues with value in bold panel in center. 2: Name given to 1894 King Carlos portrait on Portuguese colonials.
Fijasellos: (Sp.) stamp mounts.
Fiji: member of British Commonwealth; group of 844 Pacific islands; currency: 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 100 cents = 1 dollar (1872, 1969) 1870, Nov. 1: No.1, 1 penny pink, first stamps were locally typeset, by Fiji Times newspaper, paper ran a letter and parcel service, 1871: stamps with cipher of native king, CR (Cakobau Rex), Fiji started own mail service, 1872, May 8: Fiji Times closed its mail service, 1874: overprinted V.R., “Victoria Regina” to mark change by King Cakobau to Crown Colony, 1916: first War Tax stamp issued, 1917: first postage due stamp issued, 1951, Sep. 17: first semipostal, 1970, Oct. 10: first stamps issued as independent territory, 1971, June 18: joined the UPU.
Fiji: 1: hurricane relief inscription, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001. 2: empty boat, unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001. 3: coxed fours, or four men in a boat; unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001. 4: man overboard; unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001. 5: two men in a boat; unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
Fiji øerne: (Dan.) the Fiji Islands.
Fila: (Sp.) row of stamps.
Filamentos de seda: (Sp.) silk threads found in stamp paper.
Filateli: (Nor.) philately.
Filatelia: (It., Sp.) philately, also a stamp shop.
Filatelica: (It.) philatelic; pertaining to stamp collecting.
Filalistisk frankering!: “Philatelic handling label” for careful canceling and handling of mail, supplied by postal authority, Austria.
Filatelista: (Sp.) philatelist.
Filatelistamplat Brev: (Swed.) philatelically canceled cover.
Fil de soie: (Fr.) silk thread.
File crease, file: postal item that has been kept folded over for a long period of time.
File proof: proofs taken from the finished master die to be kept in archival files of the printing firm.
Filet: (Fr.) frame line.
Filigrana: (Sp., It.) watermark.
Filigrana acostada: (Sp.) sideways watermark.
Filigrana de panales: (Sp.) honeycomb watermark.
Filigrana lazos: (Sp.) horizontal watermark, used in 1855 issue of Spain.
Filigrane: (Fr.) watermark.
Filigrane de fabricant de papier: (Fr.) paper maker’s watermark.
Filigranoscopio: (Sp.) watermark detector.
Filigranul, filigrane (filigranele): (Rom.) watermark, watermarks.
Filing crease: creases folded on a postal piece by recipient so that the mail item will fit into a folder.
Filing holes: holes punched by the recipient so that the postal piece can be filed.
Filipas Impresos: (Sp.) newspaper stamps of Philippines.
Filipperne: (also Philippinerne) (Dan.) Philippines.
Filipinas, Filip’as: (Sp.) Philippines.
Filippine: (It.) Philippines.
Filippinerna: (also Philippinerna, Philippinernsk) (Nor., Swed.) the Philippines, Philippine (adj.).
Filippinerne: (also Philippinerne, Philippinernsk) (Dan.) the Philippines.
Filippinernsk: (also Philippinerna, Philippinernsk) (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Philippine (adj.).
Filler: stiff piece of paper or cardboard used inside a cover to provided stiffness for a clear cancellation and provide protection against bending of the cover while in the mail stream.
Filo di seta: (It.) silk thread.
Fils: Abu Dhabi, Bahrain currency unit.
Final bid price: see Hammer price.
Fina marginaler: (Swed.) full margins, cmplete margins.
Final master proof: combination of all separations to produce the complete design in photogravure or offset printing.
Finanzstempel: (Ger.) revenue cancel. Fincastle, Va. Paid 10: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals.
Finbatt-UNDOF: Finnish Battalion, United Nations Disengagement Force serving in the Golan Heights, 1979-93.
Finchley Local delivery: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Finder’s fee: a fee paid to a broker or agent referring philatelic material for direct sale to a philatelic dealer, or for consignment to a philatelic auctioneer. The “Finder’s Fee” for this third party normally is a standard 5% of the purchase price or, in the case of the material being sold at public auction, 5% of the total “hammer price.”
Fine: design may be off center but will not touch any edge, imperforates may have small margins, very early perforated issues may have the perforations cutting into the design, used stamps wil have heavier than usual cancellations; ref.: Scott Catalogue.
Fine perforation: perforation with small holes and teeth close together.
Fine-Very Fine: stamps may be slightly off center on two sides, perfs are noticeably off center, imperforate stamp design will not touch any edge, some non-US stamps may be printed so that the design is naturally very close to the edges, used stamps will not have a cancellation that detracts fom the design; ref.: Scott Catalogue.
Fingerbølstempel: (Dan.) thimble-type cancellation, small diameter circular datestamp.
Fingerbøllstempel: (Nor.) thimble-type cancellation., small diameter circular datestamp.
Finger Lakes Steamboating: organized Dec. 15, 1819, stopped 1870, had a monopoly in carrying the mail on Cayuga Lake, N.Y.
Fingerbølstempel: (Dan.) thimble-type cancellation.
Finland: northern Europe on Gulfs of Bothia and Finland, official name of postal administration: Suomen Posti Oy currency: 100 kopecks = 1 ruble, 100 pennis = 1 markka, 100 cents = 1 euro (2002) 1809- Dec. 1917: former grand duchy of Imperial Russia, 1856, March 3: No.1, 5 kopecks blue, first stamps issued under Russian Empire, 1889: name on stamps in Russian instead of Finnish, 1891: Russian czar Alexander III decreed that all mail from Finland had to be franked with the dot-in-circle issue, (in four corners of the stamps), 1901: Nicholas II, of Russia, son of Alexander III decreed that all mail out of Finland had to bear Russian stamps, 1917, Mar. 21:independent state within Russian federation, 1917, Dec. 6: Finland declared independence from Russia, first stamps for independent country, 1918, Feb. 12: joined the UPU, 1922, May 15: first semipostal issued, 1930, Sep 24: first airmail stamp issued, 1941, Nov. 1: military stamps issued, 1941-45: occupied Russian territory of Eastern Karelia, “Karjala” overprint on stamps of Finland, 2002: stamps in markka denominations issued in 1963 or afterwards valid through end of 2011, then change to euros; see Aereo O/Y, Äland Islands, Aunus, Autopaketti, Ingermanland, North; Karelia, Eastern, Kenttäpostia.
Finlande: (Fr.) Finland.
Finlandez: (Rom) Finnish (adj.).
Finlandia: (It., Sp.) Finland
Finn: (Hung.) Finn
Finnland: (Ger., Ice.) Finland.
Finnorszag: (Hung.) Finland
Finn Valley & West Donegal Railway: Ireland local post.
Finn Valley Railway Company: Ireland local post.
Fino: (It., Sp.) fine quality, a state of excellence.
Finsk: (Dan, Nor., Swed.) Finnish (adj.).
Finska Jernvägens Post Kupéexped: (Swed.) “Finnish Railway Postoffice coach” postmark
Finske skeppspost: (Swed.) Finnish ship mail (ship post).
Finske skibspost: (Dan.) Finnish ship mail (ship post).
Finske skipspost: (Nor.) Finnish ship mail (ship post).
Finsko: (Czech.) Finland.
Finsky: (Czech.) Finnish.
Finsterwalde: (Ger.) Germany 1945-46 local post, town or area in former Soviet-occupied East Germany.
Finwell Despatch Service: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Fiolavá: (Czech.) violet, purple (color).
Fioletowy: (Pol.) violet (color).
Fiolett: (Nor.) violet (color).
Fiolettblå: (Nor.) violet-blue (color).
Fiolettbrun: (Nor.) violet-brown (color).
Fiore: (It.) flower (thematic).
F I P: Federation Internationale de Philatelie; International Federation of Philately, the group that sets rules and standards for international exhibitions, founded in Paris, 1926.
FIPCO: Federation Internationale de la Philatelie Constructive as a topical group, founded in 1950, merged with the FIP in 1964.
F I P E X: Fifth International Philatelic Exhibition, held in New York City, April 28-May 6, 1956.
F I P O: Federation of Olympic Philately.
Fire: (Dan.) four (number).
Firearms Transfer Tax: inscription and overprint on U. S. Internal Revenue Service tax stamps for special classes of firearms, such as machine guns; 1917 to date.
Fireblokk: (Dan.) block-of-4
Fire Hundre: (Nor.) four-hundred (number).
Firenze: Florence, Italy, allied occupation, local post, 1944.
Firestripe: (Nor.) strip-of-4.
Firma: (Sp.) signature, marks of genuineness on backs of stamps.
Firmato: (It.) see Expertise.
Firmenfreistempel: (Ger.) company meter marking.
Firs: (Dan.) eighty (number).
First acceptance: first airmail dispatch from a specified origin on an existing route ro service.
First aerial Post/1911/U.P. Exhibition Allhabad: see Aeroplane mail, first.
First Bureau Issue: first set of definitive stamps to be printed by the BEP, 1894.
First cachet: the very first cachet commercially produced by a cachetmaker.
First Class Card, Presorted: US nondenominated stamp, valued 15¢, placed on sale Mar. 17, 1995.
First Class Mail: a class of mail including letters, postcards and postal cards with all matter sealed or otherwise closed against inspection.
First-class USA: 1: flower; U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value 34¢, issued Dec. 15, 2000. 2: flag and farm; U. S. non-denominated postage stamp, value 34¢, issued Dec. 15, 2000.
First day: the day on which a stamp is first officially sold by the Post Office.
First day ceremony program: special items created for distribution to guests at first-day ceremonies
First day cover: a newly issued stamp affixed to an envelope and postmarked on the first day of sale at a city designated by the Postal Service.
First Day Objects (FDO): various non-philatelic objects to which a stamp and first day cancel was applied.
First day of issue (FDOI): the day on which a stamp is initially placed on sale by postal authorities.
First day of issue office: a post office authorized to sell a new postage item on the first day of sale.
First day of rate: postmark denoting the first day of usage of a new postal rate.
First direct flight: first flight without an intermediate landing.
First flight: initial flight of airline, route, or aircraft carrying official mail for the first time.
First flight cover (FFC): an envelope bearing a cancellation and usually having a special descriptive cachet affixed which has been at the point of origin and carried on a first flight opening a new air mail route.
First Foreign Trade Week: overprint on stamps of Philippines.
First international rocket flight USA-Mexico: triangular label to commemorate the 1936 event.
First issued: date when a philatelic item was first released to the public.
First Issue of Revenue Stamps: US issues 1862-1871 to help pay for the Civil War.
First Trans-Atlantic Air Post April, 1919: overprint on stamps of Newfoundland for transport on H.G. Hawker’s unsuccessful attempt to be the first crew to fly across the Atlantic Ocean; the crew and mail were rescued.
F I S A: Fédération International des Sociétés Aérophilateliques (International Federation of Aerophilatelic Societies).
Fiscal: non-postal revenue or tax stamp.
Fiscal cancellation: a cancellation applied to a stamp by pen, indelible pencil or rubber stamp, and used for revenue, rather than postal purposes. This usually reduces the market value of the stamp considerably.
Fiscally cancelled: a stamp available for both postal and revenue purposes which has been used in connection with the fiscal charge, is known as fiscally used or cancelled, to distinguish it from similar stamps being postally used.
Fiscal-postal stamp: a stamp valid for prepayment of postage and for revenue purposes.
Fiscal stamps: stamps intended to collect taxes, fees and duties for the revenue as opposed to prepay postage; see Revenue stamps.
Fiscal year: U.S. 12-month period uses for bookkeeping purposes; starts three months ahead of the calendar year.
Fiscaux-postaux: (Fr.) “fiscal post” stamps intended to collect taxes, fees and duties for the revenue as opposed to prepay postage.
Fisch: (Ger.) fish (thematic).
Fisher’s Express: private parcel firm serviced Boston and Stoughton, Mass., used a label; year unknown.
Fishing stamps: state revenue stamps that show prepayment of fees for fishing; may be all inclusive or limited only to certain types of fish.
Fiskal annullering: (Dan.) fiscal cancellation, revenue cancellation.
Fiskalmarke: (Ger.) revenue stamp.
Fiske & Co’s Express: private mail firm serviced eastern U.S. and Canadian towns; used a corner card; 1854?
Fiske & Rice’s Express: U.S. local express label,1851-54.
Fitch’s Express: private parcel firm serviced Chicago, Ill area; used a label, 1896-99?
Fitz & Choate’s Express: private mail firm serviced Boston and Ipswich, Mass., used a label, year unknown.
Fitz’s Express: private mail firm serviced Boston and Ipswich, Mass., used labels, year unknown.
Fiume: city and area on the Adriatic Sea; now called Rijeka; currency: 100 filler = 1 korona, 100 centesimi = 1 corona (1919), 100 centesimi = 1 lira 1870: stamps of Hungary used, 1871: Austrian stamps used, then stamps of Hungary used again 1915: stamps of Hungary overprinted Fiume for Italian annexation, 1918-19: Allied occupation, 1918, Dec.2: No.1, 10 filler rose, stamps of Hungary overprinted Fiume; first postage due stamp, 1919: first semipostal stamp issued, issued by Italian Free Corps, 1919-24: part of Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1920, Nov. 12: independent state, 1921: first overprinted stamp as a free state, separate overprints for the Carnero, Arbe and Veglia islands, 1924, Jan. 27 – 45: Fiume annexed to Italy, Italian stamps used, 1941, May: Fiume -Kupa, stamps of Yugoslavia overprinted “Zofk-Zona Occupata Fiumano Kupa” Fiume Kupa Occupied Zone, then Italian stamps used, 1943, Sept. 8: Repubblica Sociale Italiana, Italian Social Republic stamps of Italy used, 1945, May: Yugoslav occupation “Fiume/Rijeka,” 1945-46, July: provisional overprint on stamps of Italy for Fiume, 1947: annexed to Yugoslavia.
Fiume: now known as Rijeka, Yugoslavia.
Five and ten: referred to the 1847 five and ten cent U.S. stamps.
Five Cent Parcel Delivery Co.: private parcel firm serviced Boston, Mass., area; used stamps, 1890-91?
Five Cent Parcel Despatch Co.: private parcel firm serviced Boston, Mass., area; used stamps, 1893?
Five-digit presort: bulk mail presorted to five Zip Code digits and bundled.
F J: Fiji, country code as used by UPU.
Fjorten: (Dan.) fourteen (number).
FJV: Ferdinand J. Voight, BEP employee initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
F K: Falkland Islands (Malvinas), country code as used by the UPU.
F.K.S. Emergency P.S.: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
F L: 1: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Liechtenstein, such as FL-9490 Vaduz. 2: auction abbreviation for topical flowers. 3: USPS abbreviation for Florida. 4: USPS abbreviation in address for number of floor in building.
FLA: Frank L. Adrian, BEP employee initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
Fla.: abbreviation for Florida prior to Zip Code usage.
Flachdruck: (Ger.) flat plate printing.
Fläck: (Swed.) blemish, blot, spot.
Fladtryk: (Dan.) see Tryk – Flad
Flag cancel: cancellation with a flag as the obliterator.
Flaggenstempel: (Ger.) flag cancel.
Flag of Truce mail: postal route between the North and South during the American Civil War in operation from Sept. 1861 to Feb. 1862.
Flags: refers to the series of 13 U.S. stamps issued in 1943-44 picturing the flags of the overrun countries.
Flamme(s): (Fr.) duplex cancel, slogan cancel.
Flanders, A. H M.D.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Flap seal: the design on the flap of an envelope, usually an embossed design.
Flashline Postal Service: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Flat: 1: USPS term for large size mail that is sorted without bending. 2: format in which finished coil stamps of 100 are shipped to the Post Office.
Flat-bed printing: printing process done be pressure applied to the paper on a plate held flat on the bed of a press.
Flat plate: a stamp printed on a flat-plate or flat-bed press; this process is slower than the rotary press method of printing from curved plates.
Flat plate imperforate coil stamps: U.S. stamps issued in coils of 500 or 1,000, made for imperforate sheets of the regular issues, saved in strips of four or longer to authenticate.
Flat Plate Press: a printing press that prints from a flat plate vs a curved plate; used up to 1915 to print stamps.
Flavell’s Express: private parcel firm serviced firms in Mass., used a label; year unknown.
Flaw: a blemish in the stamp design that occurred during manufacture and may also be considered a variety.
Flèche: (Fr.) arrow, point, dash.
Fleck: (Ger.) spot, stain.
Fleet Mail Office (FMO): Canadian office in either Halifax or Victoria that handles mail for Canadian naval personnel.
Fleet post office: military postal facilities for serving men and women in the naval forces, staffed by military personnel.
Fleet ship letter: British term for letters posted on board ships and bearing a censor cancellation; may be stamped “Received from H.M. Ships.”
Fleet Street Strike: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Flekk: (Nor.) (a) blemish, blot, spot.
Fleming Bros.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Flemish and Walloon Legions: Belgium, German occupation 1941-42. (Scott not listed).
Flensburg: German local post, 1945-48.
Flera: (Swed.) several.
Flere: (Dan., Nor.) several.
Flerfarget: (Nor.) multicolored.
Flerfärgstryck: (Swed.) see Tryck – Flerfärgs
Fleur: (Fr.) flower (thematic).
Fleuron: (Fr.) a circular date handstamp with a floral design element.
Flexography: a type off letter press or relief printing that utilizes rubber or plastic plates that are molded around a printing cylinder; used mainly for stamped envelopes and precancels.
Flier: US canceling machine by International Postal Supply Company, introduced in 1888, since in service during 2000.
Flight cover: an envelope actually flown in the vehicle being commemorated.
Flight leg: a point-to-point dispatch or segment of a longer route.
Flix: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937.
Floating off: term used when stamps are placed on top of water, face up, to remove any dirt, old hinges, etc, on back side.
Floating plate numbers: plate block numbers whose positions vary from pane to pane creating a large number of combinations.
Floating safe stamp: special stamp issued by the Netherlands and Colonies in connection with specially constructed safes, installed on deck, which were designed to slide to slide into the sea and float in the event of the ship sinking, 1921.
Flocculate: particles of pigment flocculate, or join together when inks dry.
Flocked: powdered cloth adhered to the cachet on an envelope in the desired design.
Flødefarvet: (Dan.) cream (color).
Flood relief: surcharge on stamps of Bhutan, 1964, 1968.
Flor: (Sp.) flower (thematic).
Flora and Fauna stamps: series of stamps started in 1990.
Flor de Lis: (Sp.) fleur-de-lis, used as an overprint on French stamps in 1872.
Florence: also known as Firenze, Italy.
Florida: 1: Uruguay air mail issue for flights between Montevideo and Florida, Aug. 25, 1925. 2: U.S. territory March 30, 1822; state March 3, 1845; ceded by Spain, Feb. 22, 1819. 3: see Republic of West Florida, Territory of East Florida.
Florida Express: 1: possible local post or express company label. 2: S. Allan Taylor label.
Florin: currency unit in Austria offices in Lombardy-Venetia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Montenegro, Aruba, and the Netherlands Antilles..
Flota Argentina de Navegacion de Ultramar: (Sp.) Argentine Overseas Fleet, handstamp used on ship covers.
Fløtefarget: (Nor.) cream (color).
Flower: common theme on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1958-9.
Flown: carried on air flight and bearing evidence of being flown.
Flown cover: cover that has been carried by air, also known as flight cover.
Flown cover, official: cover that has been carried by air with postal authorization, bearing governmental agency markings or official overprinted/issued stamps.
Floyd’s Penny Post: U.S. local post, Chicago, Ill. 1860.
FLS: auction abbreviation for Folded Letter Sheet (with no contents).
Flt: auction abbreviation for fault.
Fluchtlingshilfe Montenegro: (Ger.) overprint on stamps of Jugoslavia for Montenegro, German occupation semipostal; 1944.
Flüechtlines hiles-aktion: (Ger.) label for donations to refugee aid station.
Flugblatt: (Ger.) propaganda leaflet
Flugfrimerki: (Ice.) Iceland, airmail.
Flugpost: (Ger.) airmails.
Flugpost Ausgabe: (Ger.) airmail issue.
Flugpostbrief: (Ger.) cover carried by air and postmarked at point of origin, departure or intermediate points on the route.
Flugpostmarke: (Ger.) stamp issued primarily for airmail use.
Fluorescent: an optical brightener that emits a distinctive, intense glow when viewed with either a long or short wave ultra-violet light; fluorescent tubes in fixtures can emit damaging quantities of UV light that can discolor stamps and covers.
Fluorescent coated paper (FCP): paper with material that causes the paper to fluoresce when exposed to ultraviolet light.
Fluorescent ink: ink that glows brightly when its luminescent ingredients are activated by ultraviolet light, and which ceases to glow when the light is extinguished.
Fluorescerende: (Nor.) (with) fluorescence.
Fluoreszierend: (Ger.) see Fluorescent.
Flushing & North Side Railroad Express Co.: express mail and parcel service on the Flushing and North Side Railroad in New York City; issued labels, 1870-74?
Flygbolag: (Swed.) airline.
Flygpaketmärken: (Swed.) air mail parcel post stamps
Flygplat: (Swed.) airport.
Flygpost: (Swed.) air mail.
Flygpostkuvert: (Swed.) airmail envelope.
Flying mail car: Fairchild plane designed to carry mail from New York to San Francisco, made first trip Oct. 1, 1946, sorting mail while in flight.
Flyktingläger: (Swed.) refugee camp..
Flyktinglägerpost: (Swed.) refugee camp mail
Flyktningpost: (Nor.) refugee camp.
Flyktningleirpost: (Nor.) refugee camp mail.
Flynn’s Penny Post: unknown origin label.
Flypost: (Nor.) airmail, see Luftpost.
Flyselskap: (Nor.) airline.
Flyspeck philately: term used for the microscopic study of stamps such as extra dots in the design, or a slight break in the frame line, etc.
Flyttebrev: (Swed.) Swedish term for redirected or forwarded mail to a new address.
Flyveselskab: (Dan.) airline.
Flyvemaskine: (Dan.) airplane.
F M: 1: USPS abbreviation for Federated States of Micronesia. 2: Micronesia (Federated States of); country code as used by the UPU.
F.M: (Fr.) see “Franchise Militaire.” France military overprint/inscription, permits free franking, 1901.
F M O: see Fleet Mail Office.
F.N.: watermark, Federation of Nigeria on Nigerian issues after independence.
FNC: Fairfax N. Coackley, BEP employee initials, 1906-1928; see Plate Finisher, Siderographer.
F.N.F.L: (Fr.) “Forces Navales Francaises Libres,” Free French Naval Forces, French colonies overprint.
F.N.M.T. -B: (Sp.) Fabrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre, “National Printer of Money and Stamps,”inscription on stamps commemorating the Barcelona Philatelic Exhibition in 1960.
FO: Scott Catalogue listing for foldover, where a foldover of the stamp sheet during printing may block ink from appearing on the
F O: 1: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Faröe Islands, such as FO-159, Torshavn. 2: Faröe Islands, country code as used by the UPU. 3: catalog abbreviation for currency in Hungary (Forint).
Fogazatt: (Hung.) perforated, perforation.
Fogg’s Express: parcel firm serviced Boston and Newburyport, Mass.; issued a label; 1888.
Foglietto: (It.) sheet of a stamp or stamps, surrounded with a paper margin issued for a specific event or purpose, souvenir sheet.
Foglio: (It.) sheet (of stamps).
Foil stamps: stamps printed on paper with a facing of metal foil.
Fold: 1. printing variety caused by the paper being folded when the ink was applied during the printing process. 2. em>(Dan.) crease (in a stamp or cover).
Folded business postcard: aka Commercial Correspondence Postcard and / or Self-Sticking Postcards (Ger.); Hygienic Postcards (UK); the desired address is typed above a fold mark, then the message is entered permitting the sender to seal the one to three strips of adhesive on the back of the card, fold it to show the address on the front and mail it; used mainly in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Approved for international use at the UPU 1910 meeting in Spain and officially discontinued in 1984, although known to have been manufactured as late as 2002 in Germany. Folded letter: one piece of paper with the message written on both sides, folded with a blank space to the outside, which is used for the address.
Folded transfer: in lithography, when a transfer, used in building up the design on the printing base, becomes folded and part of the stamp’s design show signs of the fold.
Foldover: accidental folds made at some point in the production of the material.
Foldvar, SS: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built about 1850’s for Middle Danube lines, also served on lower Danube in the 1860s.
Folkerepbulik Kina: (Dan.) Peoples Republic of China.
Folkstone Letter Deliv.: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Folus: India Faridkot currency unit.
Fomento-Aero-Comunicaciones: (Sp.) surcharge on air post postal tax stamps of Ecuador.
Foncé(e): (Fr.) deep, dark (color).
Fond: (Fr.) background.
Fonden’s Letter Delivery: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Fondo: (Sp.) bottom margin.
Fondon: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937.
Fondo unido: (Sp.) background same color as design;1854 issue.
Fondul Aviatei: (Rom.) Aviation Fund, Romania semi-postal inscription.
Fonopost: recording of a voice transmitted by mail; shown at UPU Congress at Buenos Aires April 1, 1937, sender had voice recorded on an unbreakable record which was mailed in a sealed envelope.
Font: a certain style and size of type.
Foochow, German: China diagonally overprinted on a stamp of Germany, surcharged “5 pf” for use in the German post office at Foochow, June 1, 1900.
Food Orders: stamps issued by U.S. Department of Agriculture, for welfare recipients.
Food stamp: U.S. Dep’t. of Agriculture certificate used for purchase of food items; also known as food coupon.
Forato: (It.) rouletted.
Förband: (Swed.) joined.
Forbin: Catalogue de Timbres-Fiscaux, 1915 (worldwide revenue stamp catalog).
Forbundet: (Dan.) joined.
Forbundsrepublik: (Dan., Nor.) federal republic.
Forbundsrepublik Tyskland: (Dan.) Federal Republic of Germany.
Forbundsrepublikken Tyskland: (Nor.) Federal Republic of Germany.
Forcados River: rubber stamp cancel on stamp of Great Britain for Royal Niger Company, 1894.
Force majeure: (Fr.) causes beyond control.
Forces Francaise Libres / Levant: (Fr.) overprint on stamps of Syria, Free French Forces, 1942-43.
Forces’ Postal Service: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Foreign: term used by collectors to describe stamps of all nations except their own.
Foreign Affairs, Dept. of: inscription on officials of Hawaii.
Foreign air mail (FAM): international contract airmail route flown by a U. S. airline under contract with the US Post Office to carry mail from a point in the USA to a foreign country and vice versa.
Foreign entry: when original transfers are erased incompletely from a plate, they can appear with new transfers of a different design which are then entered on the plate.
Foreign mail marking: designs used to indicate mail sent from New York City to foreign countries during 1871-77; about 200 different handstamps were used during that period.
Foreign mail stamps: stamps issued by some countries especially for use on mail addressed to other nations.
Foreign stamp: when used by an American, a description of stamp issued by a postal administration other than that of the U. S.
Foreign transfer: plate variety where bits of the design elements are visible on the finished stamp are those of a different stamp design.
Forente Nasjoner: (Nor.) United Nations.
Forente Stater: (Nor.) United States.
Forerunner: a stamp from one nation used in another area before the new nation had stamps of its own.
Fores: (Sp.) local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937.
Forfalskning: (Dan., Nor.) forgery, counterfeit, see Uægte.
Förfalskning: (Swed.) counterfeit, fake, forgery.
Førfilateli: (Nor.) pre-philatelic.
Förfilateli: (Swed.) pre-philatelic.
Forgalmi Idotartam: (Hung.) period of time of postal validity.
Forgery: reproduction of a genuine postage stamp made to defraud the stamp collector and/or the postal administration.
Forgery, autograph: someone other than the person signing that person’s name; in stamp collecting, it does not matter if it was done with or without permission, since it is not the original of the signer’s name.
Forgery busting: term applied to the ability to spot and identify the forger’s “signature” or trade mark.
Forgery, propaganda: made for air-dropped leaflets during a war, hopefully to be considered as normal mail in the country where mail was dropped.
Forgery signature: identification of the work of a forger as detected from certain characteristics of his previous forgeries.
Forgottonia: overprinted U.S. stamps for proposed republic in Western Illinois.
Forjadores de America: (Sp.) “Explorers of America,” on stamps issued Oct. 12, Spain’s National Day.
Förkortningar: (Swed.) abbreviations.
Førkrigspost: (Nor.) pre-war post, pre-war mails.
Formalities, Administrative: public services; French Colony revenue inscription.
Format: general physical characteristics of a stamp such as size, shape, dimensions, etc.
Formato: (It.) size.
Formosa: see China, Republic of, Taiwan, Nationalist China. Formosa, China: Formosa local post, 1887-88.
Formosa: Japanese occupation, 1945 (Scott- Japan Taiwan).
Formose: (Fr.) Formosa.
Fornede Arabiske Republic: (Dan.) United Arab Republic.
Forneden: (Dan.) below.
Fornede Nationer: (Dan.) United Nations.
Fornede Stater: (Dan.) United States.
Foro di Spillo: (It.) pin-hole.
Føroyar: (Dan.) Faroe Islands.
Foroven: (Dan.) above.
Førr: (Nor.) forty (number).
Førstedagsbrev: (Dan., Nor.) first day cover, FDC.
Förstadagsbrev: (Swed.) first day cover, FDC.
Førstedagsstempeletebrev: (Dan., Nor.) first day of issue cancellation cover.
Forsyth, Ga. Paid 10: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals.
Fort cancellations: markings originating in Army forts.
For Testing Purposes Only: inscription on self-adhesive dummy stamp used in Automated Teller Machines.
Fondul Aviatei: (Rom.) Aviation Fund, Romania semi-postal inscription.
Foochow, German: China diagonally overprinted on a stamp of Germany, surcharged “5 pf” for use in the German post office at Foochow, June 1, 1900.
Formula Cards: postal cards issued by the Post offices of several countries before the issuance of regular postal cards and without an imprinted stamp.
Forside: (Dan.) front (side).
Førstedagsbrev: (Dan.) first day cover.
Førstedagsstempel: (Nor.) first day of issue cancel.
Førsteflyvning: (Dan.) first flight.
Førstetryk: (Dan.) see Tryk – Første.
Forte valeur: (Fr.) high denomination.
Fort Jameson: now known as Chipata, Zambia.
Fort Lamy: now known as N’Djamene, Chad.
Fort Meyers: bogus, Florida, U.S. local post, mid-1990s.
Forty-sevens: the U.S. 5-cent and 10-cent stamps issued in 1847.
Forward: redirection of mail to recipient’s new address.
Forwarder’s handstamp: a postal marking indicating passage to and from one country to another, used in the Venetian Republic by Austria in1797, may be first usage.
Forwarding: the sending of a mail piece to an address other than the one on the cover.
Forwarding agents: collecting and routing agents for international mails; many added their own markings to mail they handled.
Forwarding markings: handstamps with words “Forwarded by” and name of firm, indicating forwarding to or from a post office or ship, usually found on covers prior to international mail agreements.
Fosforescente: (Sp.) phosphorescent.
Fósforos: (Sp.) matches, revenue inscription.
Fotocalcografia: (It.) photogravure.
Foua: Egypt, see Interpostal seals, 1880-82.
Four Bar Cancel: handstamp made up of a circular postmark and four bars.
Four pence: surcharge on Bahamas 1883 issue.
Four State Bar Code: each bar in the 31-digit code cane be in one of the four different shapes or sizes.
Fourth Bureau Issue: series of stamps issued in 1922, includes sheets, coils and booklets.
Fourth Class Mail: includes U.S. domestic parcel post, including bound printed matter and films.
Fowle, Seth W. & Son, J.P. Dinsmore: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Foxing: type of mildew damage which appears as tan or brown spots on surface of old paper; often insect or bacteria waste.
F P: 1: auction abbreviation for topical famous people. 2: Fiscal Philatelist (Great Britain).
“F.P.” handstamp: see Copenhagen Foot Post.
FPA: Filatelia Pan-American.
F P O: 1: Fleet Post Office postmark used for America’s servicemen attached to the U.S. Navy. 2: on a British origin cover, it indicates Field Post Office.
F Press: BEP webfed offset-intaglio press that produces four color offset, three color intaglio, 1991.
FR: international postal code for Faeroe Islands.
F R: French West Africa overprint on stamps of Mauritania and Senegal, 1943-44.
F.R.: France, country code as used by the UPU.
Fra: (Ice., Swed. ) “from” postal marking indicates country of mail origin.
Frachtstempelmarke: (Ger.) bill of lading tax stamp.
Fractional control: key letter separated by a rule or bar from the year numerals, found on stamps of Great Britain.
Fractional currency: paper money issued by the U. S. Treasury during the Civil War, due to shortage of currency, reproducing postage stamps; see Postage currency.
Fractional rates: early U.S. stampless covers had rates of 6 1/4, 18 3/4, which is old Spanish and Mexican reales, etc., which were considered as legal tender due to shortage of U.S. fractional currency.
Fractional stamps: stamps cut into halves, thirds, quarters, etc to mark a corresponding fraction of the original face value.
Fractured FDC: covers with additional markings that proved they passed through the mail.
Fragment d’enveloppe: (Fr.) cut square.
Fragmento: (Sp.) cut square, fragment, piece.
Fragtbrev: (Dan.) baggage tag for use on Postfærge “Postal ferry”; see Postfærge.
Frama: 1: adhesive postage label dispensed by an electric coin-operated machine producing postally valid labels of any denomination. 2: name of machine manufactured by Frama firm of Switzerland.
Frame: the outer printed border of a stamp design.
Frame bars: the tall bars at the beginning and end of the bar code that alert the bar code machine that a bar code is passing through and ending.
Framed mark: box or octagonal frame around “Ship Letter” or other instructional marking on mail.
Frame-only essay: a print of the frame portion of the stamp, without the design or vignette section; classified as an essay because it is not complete or approved.
Frammento: (It.) cut square, piece, fragment.
Framsida: (Swed.) front (side).
Från: (Dan.) “from” postal marking indicates country of mail origin.
Franc: Austria overprint, offices in Crete.
Franca: (Sp.) 1: overprint on stamps of Peru, used in postal district of Hairez, Peru in 1884. 2: marking on internal mail in Brazil and Mexico to indicate prepaid postage. 3: used in Ecuador, 1866, complicated diamond pattern to prevent washing of stamp for reuse, see Ancachs.
Franca Alta: (Sp.) now Monterey, California.
Francaise: (Fr.) France.
Franchaise stamps: : issued to nongovernmental organizations and some private citizens to permit their mail to be delivered without paying postage.
Franc de droits: (Fr.) “free of dues” label used on overseas packages meaning that customs duties have been prepaid.
France d’Outre-Mer: 1943; French Colonies semi-postal issue.
France: western Europe; official name of postal administration: La Poste currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc , 100 cents = 1 euro (2002) 1627: Cardinal Richelieu established postal service between Paris, Dijon, Toulouse, Lyons and Bordeaux, 1849, Jan. 1: No.1, 10 centimes bister, first stamp issued, features Ceres, goddess of the harvest, 1850-71: cancels in diamonds or circles, 1850-76: cancels in dots containing a number for office of dispatch, 1859: first postage due stamp issued, 1870: occupation stamps for Alsace and Lorraine occupation by Germany, replaced by stamps of the German Empire on Jan. 1, 1872, 1876, Jan. 1: joined the UPU, French Overseas Departments included: French Guinea, Guadeloupe, Martinque, Reunion, Mayotte, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Territories included: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Crozet Islands, Europa, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Glorieuses, Juan de Nova, Kerguelen Islands, New Caledonia, St. Paul and Amsterdam Islands, Terre Adelie, Tromelin, Wallis and Futuna Islands, 1901: military stamps issued, 1914: first semipostal issued, 1916: German stamps surcharged for their Western Military Command, 1916, 1927, June 25: first airmail stamp issued, 1940: occupation stamps for Alsace occupation by Germany, overprint on stamps of Germany, 1940: occupation stamps for Lorraine occupation by Germany, overprinted Lothringen on stamps of Germany, 1944: Allied Military Government of the U.S. and G.B. for civilian use, 1958, Jan.14: official stamps for European Council issued.
France: see: Affranch, Alsace, Alsace and Lorraine, Ambulante, Andorre, Anna, Benin.
France and Algeria: 1888: joined the UPU, 1907, Oct. 1: changed UPU affiliation to France.
France d’Outre-Mer: (Fr.) French overseas colonies, semi-postals, 1943.
France libre: (Fr.) “Free France” French Colonies overprint. France Libre
France, Offices in Palestine-Consular Post office in Jerusalem: 1948, Apr. 25: Due to the disruptions caused by the first Arab-Israeli War, the Mandate postal service ceased to function in Jerusalem, 1948, May 5: The French Consulate created a courier service to carry mail to Paris for the benefit of French civilians and businesses; overprints on consular revenues. 1948: Followed by overprints on french definitive stamps, 1949, Jan. 1: service ceased operations.
France, Offices in the Turkish Empire: 1885: first stamps for offices in the Levant, Cavalle, Dedeagh, Port Lagos and Vathy.
Franchise de Corps Épeditionnaire: (Fr.) label for fund raising for French Volunteer Legion against Bolshevism; sold to raise funds for volunteers to fight with the Germans on the Eastern Front.
Franchise militaire (FM): (Fr.) France military overprint/inscription, permits free franking, 1901.
Franchise stamps: issued by some governments for private charitable groups entitled to send mail free of postage; see Control number.
Francia: 1. (It., Sp.) France, stamped on mail from France, about 1870. 2. (Hung.) French.
Francia Antarktisz: (Hung.) French Southern and Antarctic Territories.
Francia Egyenlitoi Afrika: (Hung.) French Equatorial Africa.
Francia Guyana: (Hung.) French Guiana.
Francia India : (Hung.) French India.
Francia Indokina: (Hung.) French Indochina.
Francia Nyugat-Africa: (Hung.) French West Africa.
Francia Oceána: (Hung.) French Oceana.
Franciaország: (Hung.) France.
Francia Polinézia: (Hung.) French Polynesia.
Francia Posta: (Hung.) French post.
Francia Szomálipart: (Hung.) French Somali Coast.
Franciaország Gyarmatai: (Hung.) French colonies.
Franciaország Területei: (Hung.) French territories.
Francia Posta: (Hung.) French post.
Francie: (Czech.) France.
Francisco Bertrand: Honduras.
Franco: (Sp.) free frank, postpaid.
Franco: overprint on stamps of Hungary postage dues for regular use.
Franco betalt-stämplar: (Swed.) postage paid cancellations.
Francobollo: (It.) postage stamp, free frank.
Franco bollo: (Without country name) perforated stamps of Italy, imperforated stamps of Sardinia.
Francobollo au francobollo: (It.) stamps on stamps (thematic).
Francobollo di stato: (It.) inscription for official stamps.
Francobollo per expresso: (It.) special delivery stamp.
Francobolli loo anno: (It.) jubilee (century).
Francobollo commemorativo: (It.) commemorative stamp.
Francobollo d’Cenno di Ricevuta: (It.) stamp issued as a prepayment fee as an acknowledgment of receipt of a registered package.
Francobollo de governo in esilio: (It.) government in exile.
Francobollo di admissione: (It.) admission stamp.
Francobollo di franco bollo postale: (It.) (on stamps with crossed keys) Roman States.
Francobollo di guerra: (It.) war stamp, stamp issued during war conditions.
Francobollo di Posta Aerea: (It.) stamp issued primarily for airmail use.
Francobollo di Posta Aerea, semi-officiale: (It.) air mail stamp issued privately, but accepted by the postal agency; the U.S. “Buffalo Balloon” stamp is an example.
Francobollo di Posta Militare: (It.) field post stamp.
Francobollo di recapito autorizzato per pacco posali: (It.) authorized delivery stamp for parcel post, Italy.
Franco Bollo di Stato: (It.) Italy, official.
Francobollo di Toscano: (It.) Tuscany.
Franco Bollo Giornali Stampe: (It.) newspaper stamps of Italy and Sardinia.
Francobollo per lettere in ritardo: (It.) too late stamp.
Franco bollo postale: inscription on stamps of Roman States.
Franco Bollo Postale per Giornali: (It.) newspaper stamps, Fiume.
Franco Bollo Postale Romagne: (It.) Italian States-Romagne.
Franco Bollo Postale Toscano: (It.) Italian States-Tuscany.
Franco Bollo Provincie Modones: (It.) Italian States-Modena.
Francobollo recapito autorizzato per lettera: (It.) authorized delivery stamp for correspondence, Italy.
Francobollo ricordo: (It.) commemorative stamp.
Franco de Porte: (Sp.) free of charge.
Franco Marke: (Ger.) German States-Bremen 1856-60, official free frank.
Franco Poste Bollo: (It.) Italian States-Naples, Two Sicilies.
Franco Scrisorei: (Rom.) Romania-Moldovia-Walachia, 1862-63, free frank for letter.
Franco marke: Bremen, German States.
Francophonie: group of nations in which French is a first, official or culturally significant language.
Francouzská Guyana: (Czech.) French Guiana.
Francouzská Polynézie: (Czech.) French Polynesia.
Francouzsky: (Czech.) French (adj.).
Francouzsky Maroko: (Czech.) French Morocco.
Franco vignettes: Switzerland, used by postal authorities for official notification and forms, 1911-1970.
Frandia: Donald Evans bogus issue, 1960-70.
Frank: 1: a stamp, mark or signature that indicates payment of postage on a piece of mail. 2: mark on a cover which is authorized to be carried without postage charge due to position of sender; see Free frank. 3. currency unit of Albania.
Frankatura: 1. (Pol.) machine cancel. 2. (Czech.) franking (of postage stamp[s]).
Frankaturgültig: (Ger.) valid for postage.
Franked mail: 1: mail sent without postage prepayment by various officials. 2: a type of prepayment as in “folded letter franked with pair of 5¢ Franklin 1847.”
Frankeer Zegel Cent: 1: currency overprint on marine insurance stamps of Netherlands, Curacao, postally valid. 2: currency overprint on fiscal issue, Surinam, postally valid.
Frankenau: German local post, World War II.
Frankenberg: German Democratic Republic local post, 1946.
Franking: any postal payment with or without stamps.
Franking privilege: right of government officials to send letters and packages free of postage.
Frank, L.: see Private die match proprietary stamps.
Frankfurter Packetfahrt-Gesellschaft: Frankfurt, Germany local post, 1890-96.
Frankierung: (Ger.) franking.
Franklin; also known as Frankland: a “state” formed in August 1784 in the northwest corner of what is currently Tennessee; stopped its existence in 1788; never officially recognized.
Franklin, Benjamin: 1737: British crown appointed him Postmaster of Philadelphia, 1753: Franklin and William Hunter became co-Postmasters General for the American Colonies, 1774: British Crown dismissed Franklin due to his revolutionary activities, 1775: named Postmaster General of the United Colonies by the Continental Congress.
Franklin City Despatch Post: see Bouton’s Manhattan Express.
Franklin, N.C. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals.
Frankreich: (Ger.) France.
Frankeerzegel: Netherlands Antilles, Surinam overprint.
Frankokuvert: (Swed.) stamped envelope (postal stationery).
Frankovany: (Czech.) franked (with).
Frankreich: (Ger.) France.
Frankrig: (Dan.) France (adj.).
Frankrike: (Nor., Swed.) France
Franquedo S. Buenava: receiving handstamp authenticated delivery of a registered letter used by missions in California and Mexico City.
Franqueo: Arequipa provisional issue of Peru.
Franqueo deficiente: Ecuador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Salvador postage due inscription.
Franqueo oficial: Ecuador, Guatemala official postage.
Franqueo pagado: (Sp.) postage paid, used by Ministry of Communications.
Franquicia: (Sp.) Spanish franchise stamps.
Franquicia Postal, Espana Correos Ejercito Expeditionary Melilla 1893: (Sp.) “Postal Franchise, Spanish Posts Expeditionary Army Melilla 1893” labels, produced for each regiment and fleet.
Fraser & Co.: 1848-49; see Carriers’ Stamps.
Franqueo: (Sp.) postage, franking of a letter.
Franqueo Deficiente: (Sp.) postage dues.
Franqueo insuficiente: (Sp.) insufficient postage.
Franqueo Espana: (Sp.) Carlist issues of Spain, 1874-50.
Franqueo impresos: (Sp.) Spain, newspaper stamps.
Franqueo mecanico: (Sp.) meter frank.
Franqueo mixto: (Sp.) mixed franking.
Franqueo Oficial: (Sp.) official postage.
Franquicia Postal: (Sp.) mark, label or stamp indicating exempt from postage, 1881.
Fransk: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) French (adj.).
Fransk Ækvatorial Afrika: (Dan.) French Equatorial Africa.
Franska Ekvatorialafrika: (Swed.) French Equatorial Africa.
Franska Guiana: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) French Guiana.
Franska Guinea: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) French Guinea.
Franska Indien: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) French India.
Franska Indokina: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) French Indochina.
Franska Kongo: (Swed.) French Congo.
Franska Nigerområde: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) French Niger Territory.
Fransk Antarktis: (Dan.) French Southern and Antarctic Territiories.
Franska Oceanien: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) French Oceana.
Franska Polynesien: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) French Polynesia.
Franska Sudan: (Swed.) French Sudan.
Fransk Congo: (Dan.) French Congo.
Franske kolonier: (Dan.) French Colonies.
Franske zone: (Dan.) French Zone.
Franske skeppspost: (Swed.) French ship mail (ship post).
Franske skibspost: (Dan.) French ship mail (ship post).
Franske skipspost: (Nor.) French ship mail (ship post).
Franske Sone: (Nor.) French Zone.
Franske Zon: (Swed.) French Zone
Franske Zone: (Dan.) French Zone.
Fransk Guiana: (Dan.) French Guiana.
Fransk Indien: (Dan.) French India.
Fransk Indokina: (Dan.) French Indochina.
Fransk Nigerområde: (Dan.) French Niger Territory.
Fransk Oceanien: (Dan.) French Oceana.
Fransk Polynesien: (Dan.) French Polynesia.
Fransk Post av Egypten: (Nor., Swed.) French Post Offices in Egypt.
Fransk Post av Kina: (Nor., Swed.) French Post Offices in China.
Fransk Post av Kreta: (Nor., Swed.) French Post Offices in Crete.
Fransk Post av Tyrkiet: (Nor., Swed.) French Post Offices in the Turkish Empire (Levant).
Fransk Post av Utländsk: (Swed.) French Post Offices Abroad.
Fransk Post av Udlandsk: (Nor.) French Post Offices Abroad.
Fransk Post av Zanzibar: (Swed.) French PostOffices in Zanzibar.
Fransk Post i Egypten: (Dan.) French Post Offices in Egypt.
Fransk Post i Kina: (Dan.) French Post Offices in China.
Fransk Post i Kreta: (Dan.) French Post Offices in Crete.
Fransk Post i Tyrkiet: (Dan.) French Post Offices in the Turkish Empire ( Levant).
Fransk Post i Udlandet: (Dan.) French Post Offices Abroad.
Fransk Post i Zanzibar: (Dan.) French Post Offices in Zanzibar.
Fransk Somalikust: (Swed.) French Somali Coast..
Fransk Somalikyst: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) French Somali Coast.
Fransk Sudan: (Dan.) French Sudan.
Fransk Västafrika: (Swed.) French West Africa.
Fransk Västindien: (Swed.) French West Indies.
Fransk Vestafrika: (Dan., Nor.) French West Africa.
Fransk Vestindien: (Dan., Nor.) French West Indies.
Frantuzesc: (Rom) French (adj.).
Från utlandet: (Swed.) Swedish registration lab; used until the 1970s.
Franz Ferdinand, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built in the 1840s for middle and upper Danube lines.
Franz Joseph Land: bogus Russian area Republic; local post overprint and stamps; 1872: labels for a North Pole Expedition.
Franz Josef, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built about 1850’s for Levant lines.
Französisch Aquatorial Afrika: (Ger.) French Equatorial Africa.
Französisch-Geblete in der Antarktis: (Ger.) French Southern and Antarctic Territories.
Französisch Guiana: (Ger.) French Guiana.
Französisch Guinea: (Ger.) French Guinea.
Französisch Kongo: (Ger.) French Congo.
Französisch-Polynesien: (Ger.) French Polynesia.
Französisch Somaliküste: (Ger.) French Somali Coast.
Französisch Sudan: (Ger.) French Sudan.
Frappé (e): (Fr.) strike, struck.
Fraudulent: rubber stamp on covers for mail returned to sender because the receiving address was involved in illegal operation, such as a lottery.
Frazer & Co.: U.S. local post, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1845-51.
Frazionato: (It.) bisected parcel post stamp that is cut in half; postage half goes on the package, the other half is the receipt and shows the amount of postage paid.
Franz-Joseph Land: 1: North Pole bogus issue for Fiala-Ziegler Polar Expedition, 1903-05. 2: 2002, Jan. 14: illegal labels, purporting to be stamps, Russian Federation report to the UPU; not valid for postage.
Französisch Aquatorial Afrika: (Ger.) French Equatorial Africa.
Französische Besetzungsgebiet: (Ger.) French occupation.
Französisch Hinterindien: (Ger.) Indo-China.
Französische Kolonien: (Ger.) French Colonies.
Französisch Kongo: (Ger.) French Congo.
Frazer & Co. City Despatch: local mail service, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1845-51.
Fraziersville, S.C. Paid 5: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals.
Frazionato: (It.) bisected stamp.Frank: an indication on the front of an envelope that it is to be carried free of postage; In the U.S., usually limited to official correspondence such as Members of Congress or the President; also applies to servicemen’s mail while serving in war zones.
Freak: partial while error is total; an irregularity in a stamp that makes it different from a normal stamp such as albino, color shift, color smear, double print, foldover, inking smear, miscut, misperforation, paper crease, partial perforation, partial ink, streak, under and overinked stamp, etc.
Fredag: (Dan., Nor., Swed.) Friday.
Frederica bypost: Denmark local post, 1888-91.
Fredericia: Seaport, in Vejle county, Denmark, ca. 110 WSW of Copenhagen. Local post established August 1886, with first “Fredericia Bypost og Pakke Expedition” local stamps issued August 1888, and with several others issued through 1890. More than 80 different proofs and trial color proofs exist for the issues. The local post service closed 14 May 1891. See Denmark: Middlefart-Fredericia Flight, 1911 .
Fredericksb’g, Va. 10: see Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals.
Frederikshab: formerly known as Pamiut, Greenland.
Fredersdorf: town in former Soviet-occupied East Germany, local post, 1945.
Free: 1: permitted members of our armed forces to endorse the word “free” and their first-class mail would be accepted for delivery, Public Law 507, March 27, 1942. 2: inscription on World War II era labels , supposedly used by military personnel to indicate that their mail was being sent free of postage; postal regulations prohibited the use of such labels.
Free Derry: 1. fantasy from magazine, National Lampoon. 2. United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Freedman’s Bureau: envelope imprint denotes society organized after the Civil War to help liberated slaves in the war zone.
Freedom From Hunger: 1: common theme on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1963, 2: common design of the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1963.
Freedom Island: fantasy labels.
Free Ethiopia: charity labels made to look like postage stamps.
Free form: a stamp with an irregular shape.
Free frank: mail permitted to be used without payment of postage; by government officials as authorized; used by armed forces; also known as Soldiers Mail.
Free franking, earliest: The British Council of State, in 1652, permitted letters to pass free between Members of Parliament of some government officials; a wax seal was used to designate this class of mail.
Free franking, U.S.: mail sent free of charge as authorized by Congress in 1755 for its members, high ranking government officials and military commanders.
Free French Forces, Levant: see Levant; Free French Forces.
Free Ireland: triangular label issued in 1956 to protest the British presence in Northern Ireland.
Free mail: mail transmitted free of charge due to natural disasters, franking privilege, and troops on active service; granted to soldiers in the Continental Army, providing that mail was initialed by an officer, 1776.
Free matter: USPS term for mail sent to or by the blind and other disabled persons; must be marked “Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped.
“Freeman & Co.’s Express: U.S. local post, New York, N.Y., about 1855.
Freepost: British term for envelopes, postcards and labels permitting recipients to reply without paying postage; also known as Reply Paid
Free postage: 1: envelopes sent by military personnel where no postage is required. 2:internal mail of Andorra is free; internal and mail from Greenland to Denmark was free before Dec. 1938, except for parcels.
Free Postal Service: United Kingdom strike local post, 1971.
Free State of Obsession Stampalia: label, known as mail art.
Free Vinland: independent West Vinland.
Frei Durch Ablosung Nr. 16 (21): (Ger.) “Free Through Redemption” Prussia official use stamps, 1903, Baden,1905, (Prussia).
Freie Stadt Danzig: (Ger.) free town or city, Danzig.
Freimachung im Fenster: (Ger.) postage in window, vending machine labels.
Freim.-Ah.-Ausg.: (Ger.) provisional issue.
Freiman: (Ger.) German displaced persons camp local post, near Munich, 1945.
Freimarke: (Without country name) (Ger.) position where postage is to be placed (when indicated on stamp).
Freimarke: (Ger.) definitive stamp.
Freistaat Bayern: (Ger.) ‘Free State of Bavaria” Bavaria, Germany overprint.
Frei Stadt Danzig: (Ger.) Free State of Danzig.
Freistempel: (Ger.) printed meter marking.
Frejus: France semipostal overprint.
Fremdarbeiter Lager: (Ger.) Immigrant Worker Camps.
Fremont, Republic of: label for house boat on the left bank of the ship canal in Oregon.
French Colonies: currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1859-1906, 1943-44: stamps issued for French colonies which did not have their own stamps, inscribed “Colonies Empire Française,” “Repub Franc” or “Republique Française,” note that similar French stamps were perforated, stamps of French Colonies were imperforated, 1862: No.1, 1 centime pale blue, 1884: first postage due stamp issued in an imperforated version, 1885: stamps of French Colonies surcharged for St.Pierre & Miquelon, 1886: Cochin, China surcharge on stamps of French Colonies, also overprinted for use in Martinque, 1887: surcharged for Senegal, 1889: overprinted for use in Madagascar, Nossi-Be, 1890: surcharged for Diego Suarez, 1894: stamp issued for use in Ste.-Marie de Madagascar, 1943: first semipostal stamp issued, 1944; first airmail stamp issued. .
French Congo: central Africa; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1881: used French Colonies general issues, 1888, Dec. 11: made a colony incorporating Gabon, Ubangi-Shari and Chad, 1888, Dec. 11-Apr. 20, 1891: name changed to Gabon-Congo, 1891, Mar. 24: No.1, 5 centimes lilac blue, first provisional issues, Congo Français, overprint on stamps of French Colonies, 1894: Ubangi military bases attached to French Congo, 1900: Chad military bases attached to French Congo, 1904, July 1: colony redefined; central portion renamed Moyen (Middle) Congo and administered together with Ubangi, Shari and Chad, 1906: Gabon separated, French Congo did not exist, Chad and Ubangi stayed with Middle Congo and was renamed Ubangi-Chari-Chad, 1907: first stamps inscribed “Moyen (Middle) Congo,” 1910, Jan. 15: renamed French Equatorial Africa, but component colonies had its own postal administration, 1915: Ubangi-Chari-Chad made an autonomous civilian colony, 1920: Chad made a civil colony, 1937-59: used stamps of French Equatorial Africa, 1958, Nov. 28: became the Congo Republic.
French Equatorial Africa: north of Belgian Congo, south of Libya; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1862-88: first Gabon regime, 1889-91: Gabon-Congo regime, 1891-1904: first French Congo regime, administered Gabon, Middle Congo, Ubangi-Shari and Chad, 1904-10: second French Congo regime, administered Middle Congo, Ubangi-Shari and Chad all together, 1907: Middle Congo governed separately, 1910: Gabon and Middle Congo united as French Equatorial Africa, 1910-36: first A.E.F. Regime; Afrique Equatoriale Française, umbrella regime administered four colonies: Ubangi-Shari, Chad (from 1920), Middle Congo and Gabon; Chad was a military territory until civilian status was achieved in 1920, 1924: all current stamp issues were given A.E.F. overprints to indicate overall governing regime, Gabon governed separately until 1910, 1936, March 16-1940: No.1, 1 centime brown-violet, second A.E.F. Regime: name made first appearance on stamps as overprint “Afrique Equatoriale Française” on stamps of former colonies of Gabon and Middle Congo, postal services unified, 1937: first airmail, postage due stamps issued, 1938, Oct. 24: first semipostal stamp issued, 1940-59: third A.E.F. regime; return of administrative responsibilities to the various territories after 1947 in preparation for their autonomy in 1959, 1959: four territories became autonomous republics within the French community; two took new names; Middle Congo became People’s Republic of Congo, Ubangi-Shari became Central African Republic.
French Guiana: north-east coast of South America; currently Guinea Republic; home of Devil’s Island; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1860: French Colonies general issues used, 1886, Dec.: No.1, 5 centimes green, own stamps, French Colonial General issue overprinted “Guy. Franc” and surcharged 1915: first semipostal stamp issued, 1921: local stamps of Compagnie des Transports Aeriens Guyanais used to prepay internal airmail fee, 1925: first postage due stamp issued, 1940: first airmail stamp issued, 1946: became an overseas Department of France, stamps of France.
French Guinea: coast of west Africa; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1881: French Colonies general issues used, 1887-92: stamps of Senegal used, 1892: No.1, 1 centime lilac-blue, own stamps issued, 1905: first postage due stamp, 1915: first semipostal stamps, 1940: first air mail stamp, 1944-59: Guinea incorporated into French West Africa, stamps of French West Africa used, 1958, Oct. 2: became Republic of Guinea, 1959: issued own stamps.
French India: five former French settlements on coast of India; Karikal, Mahé, Pondichéry, Chandernagor and Yanaon; currency: 100 centimes =1 franc, 24 caches = 1 fanon (1923), 8 fanons = 1 rupie 1849: possibly used stamps of France, 1854-1947: stamps of India used in some settlements, 1859-92: used French Colonies general issues, 1892, Nov.: No.1, 1 centime lilac-blue, own stamps issued, 1916: first semipostal issued, 1923: first postage due stamp issued, 1942: first airmail stamp issued, 1949-54: absorbed into Republic of India.
French Levant: 1857-85: used stamps of France, 1885, Aug. 5: first stamps issued, 1812: French post office opened in Constantinople, suspended 1827-35, 1914, Oct. 13: post offices closed, 1921, Aug. – July 1923: Constantinople reopened, 1942: overprint of stamps of Syria for Free French Administration in Syria.
French Mailboats: see Mailboats.
French Mandate in Lebanon: stamps of France overprinted “Grand Liban” for use in Lebanon, 1924.
French Mandate of Alaouites: see Alaouties.
French Morocco: northwest coast of Africa; currency: 100 centimos = 1 peseta, 100 centimes = 1 franc (1917) 1862, Nov.: used stamps of France, 1863: first French post office opened, 1891: offices opened in Arzila, Casablanca, El Ksar el Kebir, Fez, Larache, Mazagan, Mogador, Rabat and Safi. 1891, Jan. 1: No.1, 5 centimes red, first stamps, 1896: first semipostal stamp issued, 1912: French protectorate established, 1915: first postage due stamp issued, 1922: first airmail stamp issued, 1942, March: amalgamated with Spanish post office, 1956, Mar. 2: Morocco became an independent kingdom with Spanish and Tangier Zones of Morocco, French Morocco stamps withdrawn, 1956-58: used French denominated stamps in the former French Protectorate, 1956-58: used Spanish denominated stamps in the former Spanish Protectorate, 1958: Spanish language stamps discontinued; see Morocco.
French Occupation of Germany: stamps inscribed “Zone Français” 1945.
French Occupation of Hungary: stamps of Hungary overprinted “Occupation Français” 1919.
French Occupation of Libya: stamps of Italy and Libya overprinted “Fezzan Occupation” and “R.F. Fezzan Français.’
French Oceania: see French Polynesia.
French Offices in Beirut: see Beirut.
French Offices in Cavalle: see Cavalla(e).
French Offices in China: see China, French offices.
French Offices in Crete: see Crete, French offices.
French Offices in Dedeagh: see Dedeagh, French offices.
French Offices in Egypt: see Egypt, French offices.
French Offices in Ethiopia: see Ethiopia, French offices.
French Offices in Japan: see Japan, French offices.
French Offices in Levant: see Levant.
French Offices in Madagascar: see Madagascar, French offices.
French Offices in Morocco: see French Morocco; Morocco.
French Offices in Port Lagos: see Turkey, French offices.
French Offices in Port Said: see Egypt, French offices.
French Offices in Saar: see Saar, French offices.
French Offices in Tangier: see Tangier, French offices.
French Offices in Turkey: see Ethiopia, French offices.
French Offices in Vathy (Samos): see Vathy, offices in Turkish Empire.
French Offices in Zanzibar: see Zanzibar, French offices.
French overseas departments: uses the stamps of France; includes former colonies of French Guiana, Guadaloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion and St.Pierre and Miquelon.
French Polynesia: French islands in the South Pacific Ocean; aka French Oceania; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc previously known as French Oceanic Settlements and Oceanic Settlements, includes Tahiti; 1880: French Colonial general issues, 1882: locally overprinted, 1892: No.1, 1 centime lilac-blue, first stamps issued, 1903: formed as French colony, including Tahiti, 1915: first semipostal issue, 1926: first postage due issue, 1934, Nov. 5: first airmail stamp issued, 1956: became French Polynesia, 1958: stamps inscribed Polynésie Française issued, 1977, June 10: first official stamp issued.
French Revolution: common design on stamps of the French Community of Nations, 1939-45.
French School of Philately: French philatelists were the first to try to classify stamps by the number of teeth or indentations that appeared along the length and width of individual stamps.
French Somali Coast: see Dijibouti Republic.
French Southern and Antarctic Territories: “Terres Australes et Antarctiques Française” currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc, 100 cents = 1 euro (2002) 1906-26: Kerguelen used stamps of France, 1928: used stamps of Madagascar, 1955, Oct. 28: No.1, 15 francs green/ultramarine, first stamps issued includes Adelie Land in Antarctica, islands of Nouvelle Amsterdam and St. Paul, and Crozet and Kerguelen archipelagos, 1956, Apr. 25: first air mail stamp issued, see Adelie Land.
French Sudan: northwest Africa, currently Mali Republic; currency: 100 centimes = 1 franc 1890: French Colonies general issues,1894, April 12: No.1, 15 carmine/rose, issued its own stamps, 1899: broken into Dahomey, French Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Senegambia and Niger (Upper Senegal and Niger), 1921-45: Upper Senegal and Niger named French Sudan, stamps inscribed Soudan Français, 1921: French Sudan issues resumed; first postage due stamp issued, 1938, Oct.24: first semipostal stamp issued, 1940, Feb. 8: first air mail stamp issued, 1945: French Sudan incorporated into French West Africa, 1959: autonomous republic within French community, French Sudan joined Senegal to form Mali Federation, 1960: Senegal seceded from the Federation and former French Soudan had its own stamps as Mali Republic.
French Voluntary Legion: French volunteers who fought with German Army in the Soviet Union, 1941-45.
French West Africa: northwestern Africa; joint administration of former Dahomey, French Guinea, French Soudan, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Upper Volta; 1943: No.1, 1 1/2 francs dark violet, surcharges on stamps of Senegal and Mauritania, 1944, Dec: first semipostal stamp issued as Federation of French colonies in West Africa, 1945: first definitive superceded separate issues, first airmail stamps issued, stamps inscribed “Afrique Occidentale Francaise” issued, 1947: first postage due stamp issued, 1958, June 2: official stamps issued, 1958: Guinea became a separate republic, others stayed within French community with their own stamps, 1959, March 21: inscribed Dakar-Abidjan, 1962: last usage of French West Africa issues; see Abidjan, A.O.F., French Guinea.
French West Africa: label used as promotion for Tarzan movie (in English).
French Zone of Germany: part of post-WW II occupation of Germany by Allies; includes Baden, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saar and Württemberg; 1945-46: general issue for the whole zone, 1947-49: separate issues for three areas without Saar who issued its own stamps, 1949: became part of West Germany.
Frentes y hospitales: (Sp.) charity stamps issued by Nationalists during the Spanish civil war to raise funds for hospitals.
Fresh: postal item in fine, original color.
Fresh entry: new entry on an engraved printing plate for one that was erased.
Freshwater Yarmouth, Newport Railway: British local post.
Fresno and San Francisco Bicycle Mail Route: United States local post.
Frestonia: area in London that seceded for publicity purposes.
Freudenstadt: German local post, World War II.
Frey’s Valentine Express: serviced San Francisco, Calif, possibly used a corner card; year unknown.
Friden Inc./Singer Business Machines/FME Inc./Friden Alcatel Corp./Friden Neopost: U.S. Postage meter machines from 1963 to current; acquired by Singer Co. in 1963, became Singer Business Machines Division in 1972.
Friederich, S.S.: steamship marking of the Danube Steam Navigation Company built about 1850’s for lower Danube lines.
Friedrich Wilhelmshafen: now known as Madang, Papua New Guinea.
Friendly Islands: see Tonga. Friend’s Boarding School: U.S. local post, Barnesville, Ohio 1877.
Frigiliana: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937.
Frimærke(r): (Dan.) postage stamp(s).
Frimärke: (Swed.) postage stamp.
Frimærkealbum: (Dan.) postage stamp album.
Frimærkeudstilling: (Dan.) stamp exhibition, stamp show, philatelic exhibition.
Frimærkeekspert: (Dan.) stamp expertizer.
Fri marke Kgl.Post: Denmark, 1851.
Frimarke lokalbref: (Swed.) “Free Stamp for Local Letters” Stockholm, Sweden free city postage, 1856.
Frimärken på försändelser: (Swed.) stamps on covers.
Frimärksdosor: (Swed.) stamp boxes.
Frimerke: (Nor.) postage stamp.
Frimerkehefte(r): (Nor.) unexploded stamp booklet(s).
Frimerkesamler: (Nor.) philatelist, stamp collector.
Frimerkeutstilling: (Nor.) philatelic exhibition.
Frímerki: (Ice.) stamp exhibition, Iceland.
Fr. Josip Earth: bogus label for Franz Joseph Land.
F R P S L: Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society, London.
Frnt: USPS abbreviation in address for front.
Froissé (e): (Fr.) crease, creased.
Fromage Colonaise Francaise: bogus French cheese colony stamps.
From the Franklin D. Roosevelt Collection Authenticated by H. R. Harmer Inc.: handstamp applied to back of tens of thousands of philatelic items from the president’s collection, 1946.
Front: the address side of a cover completely detached from the rest of the envelope; much less desirable than the entire cover; the exception being Mexico, South and Central America where the front of registered letters were returned to the sender as proof of delivery; entire registered letters from these countries are not found, only fronts which are highly sought after.
Frontales: (Sp.) see Front.
Front Atlantique: Atlantic Front, local post, German occupation, 1945.
Frontier letters: mail within 30 km of an European border country received special concessionary rates; 1880s.
Frontowa Poczta Polowa No 15: (Pol.) front field post office handstamp, 1919, Polish-Ukrainian War.
Frühststempel: (Ger.) earliest postmark or marking of a given type.
FRY: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Frye & Co.s Express: parcel firm serviced Boston, Mass. to Portsmouth, N.H.; used labels; 1876-82.
F S A T: auction abbreviation for French and Southern Antarctica Territories
F. Schroeter Local Post: see Bergen – F. Schroeter Local Post.
F Stamp Rate: United States non-denominated postage stamps, value 4¢, 1991.
F T B: Forced to Buy, as when a dealer prices covers at 3 for $10 and you can not purchase only one.
F.T.T. Trieste, Zone A: overprint on stamps of Italy.
F U: auction abbreviation for Fine Used.
Fu-chou: formerly Foochow, People’s Republic of China.
Fuengirola: (Sp.) local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937.
Fuente del Maestre: (Sp.) local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937.
Fuente de Piedra: (Sp.) local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937.
Fuente Obejuna: (Sp.) local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937.
Fuentes de Andalucia: (Sp.) local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1936.
Fuera de curso: (Sp.) obsolete, no longer available.
Fuerstentum Liechtenstein: Principality of Liechtenstein.
Fuerzas de bloqueo del Mediterraneo: (Sp.) Mediterranean Blockade Forces, used during the Spanish civil war.
Fu-Feng: Shensi, Northwest China local post, 1949.
Fugitive color: color that is liable to fade, wash out or change, used to prevent tampering with the stamp.
Fugitive inks: an ink that dissolves or disintegrates in water; used in the production of some stamps to prevent forgery and make it impossible for re-use; some stamps or Netherlands Indies are printed entirely with water soluble fugitive inks.
Fujeira: Oman Peninsula, Persian Gulf Sheikdom, part of United Arab Emirates; currency: 100 naye paise = 1 rupee 1952: became independent from Trucial States, 1964, Sept. 22: No.1, 1 naye paise multicolor, first stamps issued, 1965, Aug. 16: first airmail stamps issued, 1965, Oct. 14: first official stamps issued, 1971, Dec. 2: voted to join the United Arab Emirates.
Fukien-Chekiang-Kiangsi: 1931: Chinese Red Post, 1948: East China Liberation area, 1949: parcel post stamp issued.
Fulcrum: U.S. Navy code name during WW II for Auckland, New Zealand.
Full face McKinley card: widow of President McKinley did not like the portrait, cards ordered destroyed except for one box of 500.
Full Face Queens: nickname for full face portrait on stamps of Queen Victoria
Fulling effect: a light print of the stamp design seen on the back of the stamp, usually on letterpress printed stamps.
Full Length Victorias: nickname for stamps of Victoria, Australia, depicting Queen Victoria in a full-length pose, 1852-56.
Fully Imperforate: a stamp without perforations on all sides. See Imperforate, Semi-imperforate.
Fülöp Szigetek: (Hung.) the Philippine Islands, Philippines.
Fumigated mail: see disinfected mail.
Funafuti: One of the Tuvalu islands.
Funchal: capital of Madeira; Portuguese island off west coast of Africa; currency: 1,000 reis = 1 milreis 1868-80; Madeira had its own stamps, 1892-pre: used stamps of Portugal, 1892: No.1, 5 reis yellow, had its own stamps, 1905-31: stamps of Azores used, 1931: stamps of Portugal used. 1980, Jan. 2: stamps for Madeira reintroduced.
Fun Collectibles: nickname given to stamps issued by Third World countries that have no perceived financial growth potential
Functional watermark: parallel lines to act as a guide for the writer.
Fundo: (Port.) bottom margin.
Funfkirchen: now known as Pecs, Hungary.
Fungo: (It.) mushrooms (thematic).
Für die soldaten im felde: (Ger.) label from Austrian war welfare office, 1914-16.
Für Kriegs-beschädigte: overprint on stamps of Germany for semi-postal.
Furnace Cover: nickname for a 2¢ Hawaiian Missionary cover found in a furnace in a abandoned building in the early 1900s.
Furness Railway, The: British local post.
Fur’s fliegerheim: inscription for the airmen’s home; on German air labels, pre-WW I, portraits of early German airmen and the royal family; privately printed for forces personnel to apply to their mail, which was post free.
Furstentum: Principality of Liechtenstein.
Furusato: (Perfectural): stamps of Japan.
Fusée: (Fr.) rocket.
F US Postage: United States non-denominated postage stamp, value 29¢ cents, 1990.
Fussball: (Ger.) football (thematic).
Fussbotenpost: (Ger.) Berliner messengers established by Berlin merchants 1800-06.
Futbol: (Sp.) football (thematic).
Futschau: (Ger.) China diagonally overprinted on a stamp of Germany, surcharged “5 pf” for use in the German post office at Foochow, June 1, 1900.
Futsches Reich: Germany colloquialism for Ruined Empire from a British WWII propaganda forgery of a standard Hitler-head stamp.
Futuna: see Wallis and Futuna Islands.
Future delivery: overprint on U.S. revenue stamps for tax collection with goods to be delivered at a later date.
F/W: Franked With.
F V: Face Value.
Fyrblock: (Swed.) block-of-4.
Fyrfärgtryck: (Swed.) see Tryck – Fyrfärgs.
Fyrre: (Dan.) forty (number).
Fyrst: (Dan.) prince.
Fyrstedømme: (Dan.) principality.
FYRUM: Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.