In philately

Philately

Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...

, an essay is a design for a proposed stamp

Postage stamp

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...

 submitted to the postal authorities for consideration but not used, or used after alterations have been made. By contrast, a proof

Die proof (philately)

In philately a Die Proof is a printed image pulled directly from the master die for an engraved stamp.As a stamp is engraved it is necessary to check progress and a series of proofs are printed or 'pulled' from the die. These are known as progressive or contemporary die proofs.Progressive proofs...

 is a trial printing of an accepted stamp.

Both essays and proofs are rare, as usually just a few are produced. Although intended for internal use by printers and official bodies, essays sometimes find their way on to the philatelic market.

External links

• Anglo-French Union The British Postal Museum & Archive
  The British Postal Museum & Archive
  The British Postal Museum & Archive is the leading resource for all aspects of the history of the British postal system. It operates three sites: The Royal Mail Archive at Mount Pleasant sorting office in Clerkenwell, London, a Museum Store in Loughton, Essex and The Museum of the Post Office in...
  
  
• Edward VIII Postage Stamp Essay Royal Philatelic Society of Canada
• Essay for the embossed stamp submitted after 1839 by Charles Whiting The British Postal Museum & Archive
  The British Postal Museum & Archive
  The British Postal Museum & Archive is the leading resource for all aspects of the history of the British postal system. It operates three sites: The Royal Mail Archive at Mount Pleasant sorting office in Clerkenwell, London, a Museum Store in Loughton, Essex and The Museum of the Post Office in...
  
  
• Flashback: Essays, The Stamp Designs That Also Ran The Collectors Weekly
• George VI stamps The British Postal Museum & Archive
  The British Postal Museum & Archive
  The British Postal Museum & Archive is the leading resource for all aspects of the history of the British postal system. It operates three sites: The Royal Mail Archive at Mount Pleasant sorting office in Clerkenwell, London, a Museum Store in Loughton, Essex and The Museum of the Post Office in...
  
  
• Newfoundland bogus "Essay"
• Switzerland extracts from Essay Proof Journal 1945–1961