D

D: 1: Pneumatic Post, (Italy) Scott catalog prefixes to identify stamps other than standard postage. 2: (With no country name, with value and Queen's cameo) Great Britain. 3: with eagle and United States of America: Virginia Custom House revenue seal, 1813-16. 4: abbreviation of devuelvase (Sp.), to return, written on front of envelopes to be returned to sender. 5: in three corners of triangular 50th personal delivery; postage due of Czechoslovakia.
d', dkl': (Ger.) "dunkel" catalogue abbreviation for dark/deep.
Dabber: cloth pad, sometimes with an ink roller, which is used by the printer to cover the printing surface of the plate with ink.
Dacca: now Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Dachau Allach: local post, German displaced persons camp, 1945.
Dag: registered trademark of Acheson Colloids Ltd. for their graphite, Naphthadag.
Dahlak Islands: labels produced for scientific expedition to explore Ethiopian coastal islands.
Dahomey: 1894-1946: a French colony in West Africa; 1899-1945: first stamps, replacing Benin issues, postmarked 'Hait Dahomey', 1946: made an Overseas Territory of France, 1945-59: used stamps of French West Africa, 1958, Dec. 4: became an independent republic within French Community, issued own stamps, 1975, Nov. 30: name changed to People's Republic of Benin.
Daimiel: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937.
DAK: 1: Dakota Territory, when used in a postmark. 2: Indian States term for mails, post.
Dalmacija: bogus, Jugoslavia.
Dalmatia: former Italian enclave in Yugoslavia; 1919, May 1: stamps of Italian surcharged, occupation, 1921, Feb.: stamps of Italy overprinted in local currency for Zaro, 1921-22: stamps of Italy surcharged for use in occupied Dalmatia, 1923: stamps of Italy used, 1945: became part of Yugoslavia, 1991: bogus overprint from Jugoslavia, Croatia.
Dalmatia, Austrian Limited Company of Steamship Navigation: lines included Trieste-Metcovich, Trieste-Curzola, and 30 additional shuttle service lines; started in 1908.
Dalton, Ga. Paid 5: see: Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Dalziel, Commonwealth of: bogus, non-existent entity.
Damaged: flaw, resulting from external factors or defect printing materials, such as where the stamp design has been cut into, rubbed or seared, or paper is creased, thinned or torn.
Damaged label: USPS "Received in Damaged Condition" self-adhesive label initiated Fall, 2000, can also be used to seal torn mail.
Damaged mail: mail damaged in transit and may have received a special marking applied by the postal administration.
Damanhour: Egypt, see: Interpostal seals, 1864-84.
Dam Batai: bogus issue from Burma.
Damiette: Egypt, see: Interpostal seals, 1864-84.
Dañado: (Sp.) damaged.
Da Nang: now Tourane, Vietnam.
Dandy roll: wire roller which bears down on the paper pulp as it comes from the vats and gives the finished paper its watermark.
Dänemark: (Ger.) Denmark, field post of the Danish Legion, German occupation, 1944. Danimarco: (It.) Denmark.
Dänisch Westindien: (Ger.) Danish West Indies.
Danish West Indies: islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, former Danish territories; 1855, Nov.: own stamps issued, 1865-79: used British stamps on packet letters, postmark C51, 1917, April 1: U.S. purchased the islands, now known as the American Virgin Islands, 1917, Sept. 30: Danish West Indies stamps valid until this date.
Danish West Indies, forged issues: 1: 1874 crown and post horn, Sc. 5-7, 9, 12. 2: 1902 postage dues, Sc. J1-J4. 3: 1905 postage due numeral, Sc. J5.
Dankof: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1873-1016.
Danmark: (Den.) Denmark.
Danmarks poststempler: (Den.) Danish cancelers.
Danmörku: (Ice.) arrived cancel for uncanceled mail.
Danneggiato: (It.) damaged.
Danske Statsbaner: local post, Denmark railway parcel.
Dansk Vestindien: (Den.) inscription on early stamps of Danish West Indies.
Dantzig: (Fr.) Danzig.Danube Steam Navigation (Packet) Company: founded in Vienna; 1829: secured contracts to carry Austrian Consular Post to all countries on the Danube River, 1866: issued Levant local post stamps, valid until 1880.
Danubian Principalities: Moldavia and Wallachia; 1850-post: Turkish post offices handled mail, 1859: declared independence and united, 1861: became principality of Romania.
Danville, Va. 5 cents, Paid 10: see: Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals
Danzica: (It.) Danzig.
Danzig: Baltic seaport; 1657: included in British Post Office Act of commercial important towns, 1854-55: base of British Baltic Fleet during Crimean War, operated a postal service, 1872: incorporated into the German Empire, 1920: awarded by League of Nations to Poland with German stamps initially used, 1920, June 15-23-1939: overprints for Free City and State of Danzig used, 1925-39: Polish post office issued overprinted stamps "Port Gdansk", 1938: Polish post office issued a set for 20th anniversary of Polish independence, 1939, Sep.18: occupied by Germany, 1945: Danzig awarded to Poland and renamed Gdansk.
Danziger Verkehrsbureau: local post, Germany for Danzig.
Danzig, Exilregierunbg der Freien Stadt: bogus, Danzig for Free State, exile group.
Danzig Study Group: Germany Philatelic Society section dealing with stamps of Danzig.
Daphso Island: bogus issue for island in South China Sea.
Dara: Egypt, see: Interpostal seals, 1879-80.
Dardanelles: Egypt, see: Interpostal seals, 1871.
Dar el Beida: also known as Casablanca, Morocco.
Darmstadtbrief: (Ger.) experimental cover of the postal technical bureau of Darrmstadt.
Darmstadt label: proof of South Africa's Riebeeck's ship stamp made on floral design watermarked paper as a demonstration of a new process to the South African government.
Darnah: formerly Derna, Libya.
Dashes, electric-eye: marks on sheet margins that activate machines that perforates the stamps after they have been printed.
Das Island: British post office in use Dec. 1960-Mar. 29, 1964, used stamps of the British Postal Agencies of Eastern Arabia; see: Abu Dhabi.
Data d'emissione: (It.) date of issue.
Datapost: British Post Office term for express mail service introduced in 1971 with next-day delivery in any part of the United Kingdom.
Date: statement on a stamp of date when issued.
Date cut: cuts or dots on the Jubilee lines of some sheets of King Edward VII stamps; markings represent year of printing (1911-12) by De La Rue & Co.
Dated: a U.S. precanceled stamp that includes a date in the cancel.
Dated corners: several sheets of French area stamps have the date printed in the margin, 1922.
Dated stamps: stamps that include the date of manufacture in their design.
Date marks: cuts in the Jubilee Line of some of the King Edward VII British stamps show the year of printing; if under the last stamp in the bottom row, it indicates stamp printed in 1912.
Date stamp: postmark that shows the date and sometimes the hour of the cancellation.
Date stamp, earliest: devised by Henry Bishop, postmaster general of Great Britain, who made it in reply to criticism of letters delayed in the post.
Daugavpils: formerly Dunaburg, USSR.
Datum: (Ger.) date; statement on a stamp of when made.
D.A.V.: Disabled American Veterans, major user of U.S. coil stamps affixed with donation appeals.
Davaar: local post, Great Britain carriage label for island off coast of Scotland, 1964-1973.
Davis, G.W.H.: see: Private die match proprietary stamps.
Davis's Penny Post: U.S. local post, Baltimore, Md., 1856.
Dawk: (Hindu) post.
Day Dream Island: publicity label produced by Queensland hotel.
Day of the Stamp: started in 1936 by the International Federation of Philately (FIP) for nations to celebrate "The Day of the Stamp" on one Sunday each year.
Day's folly: the intentionally produced inverted issue of the Dag Hammarskjold memorial stamp, refers to Postmaster General Day, who authorized the invert reprint.
Dazio: (It.) tax or duty on letters and packages, used by Venetian government, 1667-88.
DBP: (Ger.) abbreviation for Deutsche Bundepost, Federal post office.
D.B.S.R.: Danube and Black Sea Railway.
DBZ: Deutsche Briefmarken-Zeitung, German language philatelic publication.
DC: USPS abbreviation for District of Columbia.
D.C.: District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.
DCDS: Double Circular Date Stamp.
DDR: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
DE: 1: Germany, country code as used by UPU. 2: USPS abbreviation for Delaware.
Dé: (Fr.) die.
Deacidification: term used to describe a chemical treatment that neutralizes the acid in paper.
Dead country: a country that has ceased existence as a political entity, and no longer issues stamps.
Dead letter: term for an item of mail that is undeliverable due to poor address or addressee is deceased or untraceable.
Dead Letter Office (DLO): a post office branch that opens undeliverable mail to ascertain the name and address of the sender, if possible.
Dead mail: mail that is undeliverable as addressed and cannot be returned to sender, may be nonmailable, sender unknown, or the mail class paid for does not provide return service.
Death mask: term given to Serbian commemorative series of 1904; when stamp is inverted, the features of the previous assassinated monarch, King Alexander, is revealed.
Debrecen: located in Austro-Hungarian Empire, part of Romania; 1918, Dec. 1: stamps of Hungary overprinted in Romanian currency, many overprints exist, 1919, Nov. 20-1920: occupied by Romanian forces.
Debreczin, S.S.: steamship of the Danube Steam Navigation Company; 1850s: built for the express mail Lower Danube lines.
Deb's Colony Postage: fantasy from American Journal of Philately.
Decal: design or text affixed to a cover to act as a cachet.
Decalco: (It.) offset.
Décalé(e): (Fr.) shifted, displaced.
Décaler: (Fr.) offset.
Decazeville: local provisional, France, 1944.
Décédé: (Fr.) deceased, dead.
Décentré(e): (Fr.) off center.
Déchirure: (Fr.) tear.
Dechna: Egypt, see: Interpostal seals, 1879-82.
Dechromed: softened state of a printing sleeve, after the removal of the chrome coating, so that the surface can be repaired and then rechromed.
Decimal denomination: a stamp whose value includes a fraction of a cent.
Decimal provisionals: provisional surcharges on the stamps of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland for the introduction of decimal currency in 1961.
Deckel: (Ger.) cover (booklet).
Deckle straps: papermaking term for straps on machine to keep the pulp from flowing over the sides to maintain width of sheet.
Decoder: a clear acrylic lens sold by the USPS, that can be used to find hidden messages as part of the design on recent U. S. stamps; see: Encoded designs, Scrambled indicia.
Decorative watermark: usually a coat-of-arms or various ornaments.
Découpage: (Fr.) the cutout or built up "overlay" of the printer to produce a better impression of the printed stamps; parts of the printed sheet were "cut away" or scraped out, or pieces added to change the pressure of parts of the printing plate to give a lighter or deeper impression.
Découverte: (Fr.) discovery, find.
Dedeagh: 1874-1914: French post office opened, 1893: French stamps overprinted Dedeagh, Offices in Turkey for city in Greece, about 1902: inscription used, 1912: overprints on stamps of Greece and Bulgaria when occupied by the Bulgarians, 1919: ceded to Greece, called Alexandroupolis; see: Alexandroupolis.
Deep edge: variety with excessive color along one, or more edges of the design.
Def: abbreviation for definitive; see: Definitive.
Defaced plate: printing plates after end of usage are sometimes marked or scratched as defacement to prevent misuse.
Defaced stamp: stamp marked with written, printed or stamped characters; private perforations of a company is not considered defacement.
Défaut: (Fr.) defect, fault.
Defective stamp: a stamp with one or more major faults such as a piece of the stamp is missing or a tear.
Defecto: (Sp.) defect, fault.
Défectueux: (Fr.) defective.
Defectuoso: (Sp.) defective.
Defekt: (Ger.) defect, imperfection.
Deferential cancel: cancellation designed so that the effigy of the ruler is not defaced when canceled.
Defin.: abbreviation for definitive.
Définitif: (Fr.) definitive.
Definitive: a term used to distinguish a normal, everyday issue of stamps; term developed after World War I to indicate the new stamps made to replace the many temporary issues of new countries.
Definitivo: (It., Sp.) definitive.
Deflocculated: separation of ink pigment into very fine particles; when inks dry, the particles join or flocculate.
D,E.I.: abbreviation for Dutch East Indies.
Dekernes: Egypt, see: Interpostal seals, 1884.
Delacryl: secret printing process developed by de La Rue printing firm that is supposed to combine four different printing methods, such as the 1969 Great Britain post office set.
De la Rue, Thomas: a famous British stamp printing firm.
Délavé: (Fr.) washed out (color).
Delayed mail: mail held up in delivery and marked by means of a label or cachet applied by a postal authority.
Delaware: 1: State Revenue issue, Oct. 1, 1793-Feb. 7, 1794. 2: Federal Revenue issue, July 1, 1798-Feb. 28, 1801.
Delegacoes: (Port.) Red Cross franchise stamps of Portugal, issued 1926 in Lisbon, elsewhere in 1936.
Delgado: (Sp.) thin.
Deliberate error: mistake repeated by a postal administration; such as the reprinting of the U.S. Dag Hammarskjold stamps with the background color inverted.
Delivery confirmation: provides date and time of delivery for Priority Mail and Standard Mail for small fee; USPS term; see: Electronic option, Retail option.
Delivery grippers: mechanism that grips the paper between descent of the perforation pins.
Delivery tax stamps: Spanish postage due labels issued in 1931, but later used as ordinary postage stamps.
Delle: local provisional, France, 1944.
Deltiology: post card collecting.
Demandé: (Fr.) wanted, required.
Demarcacion postal: (Sp.) postal district.
Demiansk: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1868-78.
Deming's Penny Post: United States local post, Frankford, Pa., 1854.
Demnat Marrakech: local post, Morocco, 1906.
Demnin (Vorpommern): (Ger.) local post, Germany post WWII.
Démonétisé: (Fr.) see: demonitized.
Demonitized: term given stamps that are no longer valid for postage; usually done by a government proclamation.
Demopolis, Al. Paid 5: see: Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals.
Denaro: (It.) money.
Denia: local post, Spanish civil war, 1937.
Denmark: local bypost, Copenhagen, 1880-89.
Denmark: 1624: royal mail service established, 1851, Apr. 1: first stamps issued, numeral cancels used to indicate town of origin, 1905: wavy line and figure denomination first used, still current, 1940-45: Danish stamps used while occupied by Germany.
Denomination: the face value appearing on a stamp.
Denomination, highest: stamp issued during German inflation era of 1923 with a face value of fifty billion marks.
Dent(s): (Fr.) perf(s).
Dentado: (Sp.) perforated.
Dentado de peine: (Sp.) see: Comb perforation.
Dentélé: (Fr.) perforation, used to designate stamps from sheets regardless of perforation type.
(non) Dentelé: (Fr.) imperforate
Dentellato: (It.) perforated.
Dentellatura a pettine: (It.) see: Comb perforation.
Dentelure en peigne: (Fr.) see: Comb perforation.
Denticulated, Dentilated: stamps with a series of small teeth, or commonly called, perforated.
Dents: suggested term, 1800s, for perforations.
Departmentals: official stamps intended for use in certain departments; official stamps used by all departments are known as "Service Stamps."
Departmento de Rezagos: (Sp.) Dead Letter Office.
Department of Foreign Affairs: officials for Hawaii.
Department stamps: official stamps as used by various government departments; such stamps for the Post Office Dep't., War Dep't., Department of Justice, etc.
Dependency: area administered from a different location.
De Pinedo: Newfoundland's 1927 issue honoring Marchese de Pinedo, Italian aviator.
Deporte: (Sp.) sport topic or theme.
Depositado Despues de Salir el Expreso: (Sp.) Too Late marking; item received after train departure.
Dépouillé(e): (Fr.) well-contrasted engraving.
Déprécier: (Fr.) to lose value.
Depredation: USPS Inspection Service term for robbery or pilfering of funds from the mail.
Dept: USPS abbreviation in address for department.
Depto Zelaya: Nicaragua, Department of Zelaya.
Derecho de Entrega: (Sp.) delivery fee in addition to normal postage, collected by postman, except for mail from abroad.
Derna: now known as Darnah, Libya.
Derry, Free: fantasy from National Lampoon.
Deruluft: airline formed by Lufthansa and the Russian government in 1922 to carry mail and passengers from Berlin to Moscow via Konigsberg and Smolensk.
Des.: abbreviation for 'designed by.'
Descentrado: (Sp.) off center.
Desconocido: (Sp.) unknown at address indicated.
Descriptive filler: term for an insert placed inside the envelope that may have additional information about the event being commemorated; also known as a stuffer; may be illustrated.
Desert Island: unissued Great Britain cinderella by David Horry, 2001.
De service: (Fr.) official (philatelic).
Design: artwork, printed portion of a stamp, that which is not blank paper.
Design error: errors in the printed design, such as wrong number of stars on a flag, or misspelling of a name.
Desinfectado: (Sp.) disinfected (letter).
Desinfiziert: (Ger.) disinfected.
Desmit Rbl: desmit rubli, ten rubles overprint on stamps of Latvia.
Despatch Post: several U. S. locals are inscribed with this term.
Dessin: (Fr.) drawing, see: Design.
Dessinateur: (Fr.) designer.
Dessouk: Egypt, see: Interpostal seals, 1868-82.
Despacho: (Sp.) office.
Despues de la salida: (Sp.) too late markings, applied to mail which was received after mail dispatch.
De status: (Fr.) rule.
Destinaire: (Fr.) one to whom anything is addressed.
Destinatario: (It., Sp.) one to whom anything is addressed.
Détaché(e): (Fr.) (stamp) off cover.
Détaillé(e): (Fr.) lot broken up for sale individually.
Detmold: local post, German displaced persons camp, 1946.
Dette Publique: Ottoman public debt; French Colony revenue inscription.
Deuil: (Fr.) mourning (letter), black bordered cover.
Deutlich Schreiben: (Ger.) "Write clearly" hand stamp.
Deutsche Abstimmungsgebeit: (Ger.) plebiscite area.
Deutsche Bundepost: (Ger.) Germany postal administration, Germany Federal Republic, from 1951.
Deutsche feldpost: (Ger.) military field post, Germany.
Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH): (Ger.) firm using small float planes for catapult flights.
Deutsche Neu-Guinea: (Ger.) German New Guinea.
Deutsche Oestr. Postverein: (Ger.) German-Austrian Postal Union, German States; Baden, Wurttenberg, Thurn & Taxis.
Deutsche Ostafrika: (Ger.) German East Africa.
Deutsche Privat-Post Lloyd: (Ger.) local post, Berlin, Germany, 1906.
Deutschland: (Ger.) German World War I submarine that carried mail to the U.S.
De valor: (Sp.) valuable.
Devant: (Fr.) front (of a cover).
Devanagari: alphabet in the Indian language that appears on some stamps of India as an inscription.
De Villayer, Jean-Jacques: may have operated a mail service in Paris in mid-1600s, installed first mail boxes.
Devolucion: (Sp.) mail marking not accepted by addressee and returned to sender.
Dextrine gum: form of starch, when used in gum for stamps, is heated in a solution alone, or with other chemicals, gets any color from the heating temperature of the solution.
Dezentriert: (Ger.) off-center.
DG: catalog abbreviation for disturbed gum.
DGK: (Ger.) Deutschland-Ganzachen-Katalog, Michel German Postal Stationery catalog.
D'Haiti: Republic of Haiti.
Dhaka: formerly Dacca, Bangladesh.
Dhar: India Feudatory State; 1897-1901: first local post stamps, 1901, Mar. 31: separate stamps discontinued, used stamps of British India, then stamps of India.
Dhufar: bogus, anti-Omani, Arabia; in exile, propaganda labels sold as stamps.
Dia de la Hispanidad: (Sp.) Spanish National Day, Oct. 12th.
Dia del sello: (Sp.) day of the stamp.
Diadem: circlet of gold and jewels forming Queen Victoria's headdress on the earlier issues.
Diagonally laid paper: where wires, used in the papermaking process, are laid diagonally across the paper.
Diamond roulette: cuts that are X shaped, giving appearance of diamond shaped perforations.
Diamante: (It., Sp.) diamond topical or thematic specialty.
Diamond Jubilee Label: name given to British charity labels made in 1897-98 for the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria.
Dia Mundial del Sello: (Sp.) World Stamp Day, May 6th.
Diapositive: thick photographic plate used for multiple repetitions of the design, made from the master negative; also known as multipositive.
Dicitura: (It.) inscription.
Dickinson paper: continuous silk thread paper containing one or more silk threads to make counterfeiting difficult.
Die: 1: a block of metal that has been hand or machine engraved from which plates are prepared to print stamps. 2: terms Die I, Die II, etc. denote first and later states of the same die. 3: terms Die I, Die II, etc. are also used to designate stamps printed from these dies.
Die crack: damage done to the original engraved die, before printing plates are created.
Die cut: a mechanical process that cuts through the stamp paper but not the backing paper that keeps the stamps together, is used to separate most self-adhesive stamps; accomplished by crushing the stamp paper fibers.
Die cut size: number of peaks on either side of a die cut coil stamp; written as L10/R10, for ten peaks on both the left and right side.
Die essay: print made from a die engraved with an incomplete or unadopted design.
Die flaw: blemish or unusual mark on a die and shows on every stamps reproduced from that die.
Die imprint: any item printed directly from a die.
Diego Suarez: French naval base: 1885-pre: overprint on stamps of French Colonies General Issues, 1885-96: first stamps issued, 1892: stamps of French Colonies overprinted Diego-Suarez, 1896, May 30: replaced by issues of Madagascar.
Die proof: an image taken from the original die to check design progression.
Dienstbotenpost: (Ger.) official courier mail.
Dienstmarke: official stamp, first issued in 1866 in British India.
Dienstsegels: (Dut.) Netherlands. official stamp.
Dientes: (Sp.) perforations.
Die plain: embossing without the use of color.
Die proof: a die made print or impression, usually in black ink on a smooth white card or fine-calendered or coated paper, inspected in great detail, to show what a stamp design will look like.
Die-Reducing machine: makes a relief steel die in a smaller size.
Die sinkage: the impression of a die block which appears as a depression in the cardboard of a die proof.
Die sinker: an engraver of dies used for stamping and embossing.
Die stamping: raising of colored reliefs on an uncolored ground using a recessed die in the stamping press.
Die wheel: a wheel drilled with holes that accept the pins of the rotary perforator.
Di favore: (It.) favor cancellation.
Difetto: (It.) defect, fault.
Digital postage: postage applied by a mechanical device such as a printer attached to a computer.
Di gran valore: (It.) valuable.
Dilar: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1937.
Diligence d'eau: (Fr.) water coach, carried mail on canals in France; see: Canal Boat Mail.
Diligencia: (Sp.) stagecoach carrier issue of Uruguay, 1856-57.
Dimension: tax based on size of the document; French Colony revenue inscription.
Diminué(e): (Fr.) partly removed or thinned (gum), cut down, trimmed.
Dinamarca: (It., Port.) Denmark.
Dindings: 1874-1935, Feb.: used stamps of Straits Settlements.
Diplomatic mail: correspondence transported by diplomatic pouch or indicated diplomatic mail.
Dirección: (Sp.) the place to which mail can be sent.
Direct mail: industry term for advertising mail sent to targeted markets.
Directory markings: postal markings that indicate a failed delivery attempt, stating reasons such as "Address Unknown".
Direct printing: any form of printing where the printing plate is in direct contact with the paper.
Dirigere: (It.) the place to which mail can be sent.
Disaster mail: mail being transported that was damaged in transit; the post office usually puts special marking on the item to explain the damage; also known as wreck mail.
Discount postage: stamps sold by stamp dealers at a discount from face value; usually denominations that are no longer current but valid for postage.
Disegno: (It.) design.
Diseño: (Sp.) design.
Disinfected mail: mail that has been fumigated so that the letter will not be a carrier of disease.
Disney stamp: stamps issued by several nations with a Walt Disney movie theme.
Dispensé d'affranchissement (de timbrage): (Fr.) free of postage.
Distilled Spirits Excise Tax: inscription on U. S. Internal Revenue Service tax stamps, 1950-59; usually found with staple holes or punch cancels, indicating payment of excise taxes on distilled spirits.
Distinguished Americans: series of stamps issued by the U.S., renamed Great Americans on July 20, 2000.
Distretto: (It.) district.
Distributeur automatique (de timbres): (Fr.) stamp vending machine.
Distrito: (Sp.) district.
Disturbed gum: unused stamp with original gum that has been altered, usually by application of a hinge.
Divided back: postcard, allowing the message and address to appear on the same side.
Dividing marks: circular floral ornaments on plates produced by Perkins, Bacon on 1851; placed between rows J and K, helps placement to cut sheets in half, replaced by an arrow.
Diwan: Indian States term for chief revenue officer of province.
DJI, DJF: Djibouti.
Djibouti; formerly Afars and Issas: 1894-1902: French Somali Coast overprint DJ or Djibouti on stamps of Obock for Djibouti, 1902: replaced by French Somali Coast Protectorate, 1977: Afars and Issas stamps overprinted and surcharged Republique de Djibouti," 1977, June 27: Republique de Djibouti stamps; see: Afars and Issas.
DK: 1: Germany volume of the Michel catalogue, Deutschland-Katalog. 2: precedes the European postal code on addresses in Denmark, such as DK-2770.
DLDC: double line, double circle postmark.
DLH: see: Deutsche Lufthansa.
D.L.O.: see: Dead Letter Office.
DLR: De La Rue; stamp printers, Great Britain.
DM: 1: Deutsche Mark, German currency since June 21, 1948. 2: Dominica, country code as used by UPU.
Dmitrief: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1871-74.
Dmitrof: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1874.
Dnieprovsk: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1866-95.
DNK: Deutschland Netto Katalog.
DO: Dominican Republic, country code as used by UPU.
Doane cancels: Doane cancels have a number in the killer bars to the right of the circular date stamps; introduced in 1904.
Dobeln: local post, Germany, 1945.
Doble: (Sp.) double.
Doc: abbreviation for document.
Docket[ing]: a brief written summary of a document, usually found on the outside of covers, legal or commercial documents.
Dockwra's Post: private postal service covering London and its suburbs established by William Dockwra; introduced his own distinctive postmark in 1680; used from 1680-82.
Doctor blade: device used to wipe excess ink from a printing press cylinder.
Dodecanese Islands: 1912-pre: used stamps of Turkey, 1912-43: stamps of Italy overprinted "Egeo", 1916: first stamps without overprints, 1920: Turkey ceded islands to Italy, 1943, Sept.: Italy surrendered and islands proclaimed union with Greece, 1943-45: Germany reoccupied islands, 1945-47: stamps of Britain overprinted MEF, and Greek stamps overprinted SDD used, 1947-summer: stamps of Greece used; see: Aegean Islands, MEF, SDD.
Dogra: alphabet in the Indian language that appears on some stamps of India as an inscription.
Dogs: hauled mail carts in Sussex, England, late 19th century.
Doha, Qatar: British postal service established in 1950 using stamps of the British Postal Agencies of Eastern Arabia; now known as Ad Dawhah.
Doland: Donald Evans bogus issue, 1960-70.
Dollfus Issue: Austrian Dollfuss stamp, issued on July 25, 1936.
Dolllar Error: wine revenue stamp for one dollar and four-fifths cents where dollar is spelled dollar.
Dolores: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937.
Domestic mail: USPS term for mail transmitted, among, and between the U. S., its territories and possessions, army and fleet post offices and United Nations, N.Y.
Domestic Mail Manual (DMM): directive that contains basic USPS standards for domestic mail services.
Domestic stamp: also known as nondenominated stamp used for rate increase period.
Domestogramme: Canadian version of the aerogramme, introduced Oct. 13, 1973.
Domfil: Spanish publisher of thematic catalogues and albums.
Dominica: an island in the British Leeward islands group, then became part of the Windward islands. 1858-60: British stamps used at Roseau, with 'A 07' cancel, 1874, May 4: had its own stamps, 1890, Oct. 31-1903: stamps of Leeward Islands used, 1903-40: Dominica used own stamps again along with those of Leeward Islands, 1958, Apr. 22: joined the West Indies Federation, then became an Associated State of Great Britain, 1978, Nov. 1: became independent as the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Dominicaine: (Fr.) Dominican Republic.
Dominical label (tablet): a small label attached by perforation to the bottom of some Belgium stamps stating "Do not deliver on Sunday".
Dominican Republic: 1861-65: Spain used stamps of Cuba/Puerto Rico, 1865, Oct. 18: first stamps, 1868-71: British stamps used in Puerto Plata with 'C 86' cancel, 1876-80: British stamps used at Santa Domingo with 'C 87' cancel, 1916-24: occupied by American forces, used Army post offices, 1925, 1927: special delivery stamps copied from those of the U.S.
Dominican Republic, forged issues: 1: 1879 coat of arms, Sc. 34, 34a, 35. 2: 1900 map, Sc. 111-19. 3: 1931-33 Solar, Sc. C10-C17.
Dominido: British Colonial Royal Wedding frames from "Surreal Stamps and Unreal Stickers".
Dominikanische Republik: (Ger.) Dominican Republic.
Dominique: (Fr.) Dominica.
Dommagé: (Fr.) damaged.
Dom Pedros: Brazil's 1866-79 issue featuring portraits of Emperor Dom Pedro.
Donau: (Ger.) Danube.
Donau Dampschiffahrt Gesellschaft: Danube Steamship Co. issued stamps, 1866-74, for mail carried on the Danube River.
Donetsk: local post provisional, USSR 1990s.
Donez: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1879-90.
Dongola: Sudan, Egypt, see: Interpostal seals, 1872-82.
Donko Mulas: April Fool prank-valued in either cents or ore.
Don River Railway Society: Tasmania fantasy sheet.
Doolittle, W.E.: see: Private die match proprietary stamps.
Doppeldruck: double impression, re-entry.
Doppia stampa: (It.) double impression, re-entry.
Doppia Incisione: (It.) re-entry.
Dorpat: also known as Tartu, now part of the USSR, WW I: surcharge on stamps of Russia by occupying German forces, WWII: Germans issued specially designed stamps.
Dorso: (It.) back, as opposed to the front of a philatelic object.
Dos: (Fr.) back.
Dotted paper: paper with small dots forming a greyish-appearing pattern.
Double cancels: covers with two separate postmarks.
Double centre: (Fr.) having the middle part of the design printed twice on the same side of the paper.
Double comb perforator: perforates, in one operation, a single row or column of stamps on all sides and perfs (the legs) between the next row or column.
Double embossing: two impressions of embossed stamps on the same piece of paper, one impression may be colorless.
Double flown: cover flown once, then readdressed and flown again.
Double frappe: (Fr.) re-entry.
Double Geneva: 1843 issue by the Swiss Canton of Geneva of a 10¢ stamp printed in a double design of two 5¢ stamps, each half being usable as a 5¢ stamp.
Double grill: stamp showing two or more separate grill impressions.
Double gum: a second layer of gum was applied to the Egyptian issue of 1887 when the Egyptian government complained that the original layer was not adhering to envelopes.
Double impression: two impressions of the design of a stamp; see: Double print.
Double overprint: clear double impression of the entire overprint due to the sheet having been passed twice through the printing press.
Double paper: a stamp printed on the overlapping portion of a paper joint.
Double perforations: two sets of perforations caused by the sheet being cut off center; found on early U.S. revenue stamps.
Double plate: two printing bases that are used to print a monochrome or bi-colored stamp.
Double print: two impressions of the same stamp done intentionally; such as the 20 öre 1876 Sweden issue.
Double ring c.d.s.: circular date stamp contained within two concentric circles.
Double roulette: rouletting applied twice to the same part or entire sheet.
Double strike: die molds where the registration varies slightly, causing doubling of lines in the design.
Double surcharge: an error when a new denomination overprint is mistakenly applied to a stamp twice.
Double transfer: this term is used for a stamp printed from a design which in error was impressed, either wholly or partially, twice by the master die in preparing the plate; can be identified by its "out of focus" appearance.
Dougerthy & Hesperies islands: bogus Pacific island group, 1966.
Dougherty, A.: U.S. private die playing card stamp.
Douglas City Dispatch: U.S. local post, New York, N.Y., 1879.
Douglas double paper: patented paper used 1881-82 in the U.S. to prevent cleaning and re-use of used stamps.
Douanes: (Fr.) customs.
Dounane: South Africa customs duty.
Dove: add-on rate U.S. nondenominated stamp, valued 3¢, placed on sale Dec. 13, 1994.
Down: any non-printing area within a design.
Downer heads: British stamps designed by W & D Downey showing a three-quarter view of King George V.
DO-X: international registration number of the German Dornier multi-engine plane; 1932: first to fly the Atlantic from West to East.
DPO: discontinued, or dead post office.
D.P.O.: (It.) "debito pubblico Ottomana" Ottoman public debt, see: A.D.P.O.D press: six-color offset and three-color intaglio Goebel combination press used by the B.E.P.DPRK: abbreviation for North Korea, 1977 to present.
Dragonera: Greek island "stamps" repudiated by government in 1963.
Drake, P.H. & Co.: U.S. private die medicine proprietary stamp.
Drake's Island: Great Britain local carriage label, off Devon coast.
Drammen bypost: Norway local bypost, 1869-88.
Drau, S. S.: steamship of the Danube Steam Navigation Company; 1870s; built for the middle Danube lines.
Draw out: printer's term for a piece of type "drawn" out of the form by the printing roller, leaving a word with one letter.
Dreierstreifen: (Ger.) auction term for strip of three (connected stamps).
Dresden: local post, Germany post WW II.
Dresdener Transport und Lagerhaus A.G.: (Ger.) local post, Dresden, Germany 1898-1905.
Drina, S.S.: steamship of the Danube Steam Navigation Company; 1870s: built for the Middle Danube lines.
D.R.L.S.: despatch rider letter service.
Droits de l'Homme: (Fr.) human rights.
Drop: USPS term for lobby slot or opening where customers deposit mail.
Drop letter: letter delivered from the same post office where originally posted.
Dropped letter: 1: a missing letter in typesetting caused by letter being lost of broken off during printing. 2: a letter which is out of alignment with rest of letters; usually found in typeset overprints.
Dropped mail: mail dropped from the air for forwarding to destination.
Druckauflage: (Ger.) printing.
Druckfehler: (Ger.) printing error.
Druckprobe: (Ger.) essay, proof.
Drucksache: (Ger.) printed matter.
Drumso: local post, Finland, 1895.
Dryden Brothers: London manufacturer of an embossing press used for cameo stamping.
Dry dock: Bermuda 1902 stamp design given that name because design looks like a dry dock.
Dry print: stamp image or overprint deficient in ink.
Dry printing: printing method which allows the use of heavier, stiffer paper creating a whiter, high-sheen printing surface.
Drying book: after a stamp is soaked from an envelope, the stamp must be dried and pressed flat; the stamp drying book, made of blotting paper, is used for this purpose.
DS: abbreviation for date stamp.
Dschibuti: (Ger.) Djibouti.
D.S.I.L.: Diritto Sardo Italiane Lire, Italian accountancy mark on mail going to an Austrian territory to indicate amount owed to the Sardinian Post office, result of 1853 treaty between Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia.
DSK: (Ger.) Deutschland-Spezial-Katalog, Michel Germany Specialized catalog.
DT: abbreviation for double transfer.
Dubai: Persian Gulf Sheikdom; 1909, Aug. 19: stamps of India used at Indian post office, 1909-47: stamps of India canceled "Dubai Persian Gulf", 1947, Oct.-Mar. 31, 1948: used stamps of Pakistan, 1948, Apr. 1-Jan. 6, 1961: used stamps of British Postal Agency, 1961, Jan. 7-71: used own stamps inscribed Trucial States, 1963, June: British postal agency withdrawn, 1971, Dec. 2: became part of the United Arab Emirates.
Dubrovnik: formerly Ragusa, Yugoslavia.
Due: (It.) catalogue name given by Stanley Gibbons to Portuguese keytype used for colonial postage dues.
Dues: postage due stamps.
Duckstad: bogus, Donald Duck's own country; from the Netherlands.
Duck stamps: U.S. Bird Hunting Permit stamps.
Dues stamp: 1: adhesive label to record postage due on delivery because of insufficient payment. 2: stamp that indicates membership dues or fees; may be considered a cinderella.
Dukhovstschina: local post, Russian Zemstvo, 1873-82.
Dulac, Edmund: 1882-1953, designer of British stamps including the 1973 Coronation issue.
Dull gum: water activated stamp gum having no light reflective quality, incorrectly referred to as dry gum.
Dulwich mark: double arc dated postmark started in Britain in 1894, used for many years.
Dumb cancellation: postmark that shows neither the date nor place of cancellation.
Dummy: term usually used for booklets with stamp and cover layout in blank printed outline.
Dundee Circular Delivery Co.: local post, Dundee, Great Britain, 1867.
Dunaburg: now known as Daugavpils.
Dungarpur: Indian State, 1933-47.
Dunham, E. P.: see: Private die match proprietary stamps.
Dunhams Post Office: local post handstamp, New York, N.Y., 1850-52.
Dunkelgrau: (Ger.) dark/deep grey (color).
Dungarpur: India Feudatory State.
Dunhams Union-Square Post Office: U.S. local handstamp, New York, N.Y., 1850-52.
Dunham, E.P.: matches, private die proprietary stamps.
Dünn: (Ger.) thin.
Duplex cancel: a two-part cancel, one part containing the postmark, and the other part with the cancellation, first recorded use was in the London District Post, 1853 for stamping "too late" mail.
Duplex paper: two-ply paper; see: Safety paper.
Duplicates: extra copies of stamps that are already in the collection; they should be examined carefully for variations of color, watermark and perforation.
Dupuy & Schueck: U.S. local post, New York, N.Y.,1846-48.
Durability: paper's ability to withstand wear and tear; storage and other factors affect durability.
Durango: local post, Spanish civil war, Republican, 1937.
Durcal: local post, Spanish civil war, Nationalist, 1936-37.
Durchschnitt: (Ger.) average.
Durchstich: (Ger.) rouletting.
Durland Catalog: lists all known plate numbers on U.S. stamps.
Duttia (Datia): India Feudatory State; 1893-21: first local post stamps, 1921: separate stamps discontinued, now uses stamps of Republic of India.
Duty die: back up die made from the master die, with no country name, figures or other symbols of denomination.
Duty plate: plate used to print the value, or the name and value on stamps; used in conjunction with the head or key plate.
D.Y.: (Turk.) Demir Yol Railroad.
Dyeaskagway: U.S. local post.
DZ: Algeria, country code as used by UPU.