New print (philately)
Encyclopedia
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...

 a new print or afterprint is a new printing of a postage 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...

 not from the original printing plate, when the stamp is no longer sold at the post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...

 counter for postage purposes.

Where a new printing is from the original medium it is classed as a reprint
Postage stamp reprint
In philately a reprint is a new printing of a postage stamp from the original plates. A reprint is to be distinguished from a new print which is not printed from the original medium...

, but where the original medium is no longer available, perhaps because the original printing plates have been destroyed, it is classed as a new print or afterprint.

For instance, the 1856 10 kopek stamp from Finland was reprinted in 1862 by the same method as the original (typography) and from the original steel die. In 1892 the Russian Director of Posts and Telegraphs ordered the stamp to be printed again, however, the original die was not available and the stamp was therefore reproduced using lithography, making it a new print. Had the later stamp not been officially authorised it would be classed as a forgery.

Further reading

  • Stone, Jeffrey. "Afterprints of Finland: a Terminological Problem." in The London Philatelist, Vol. 112, pp.108-111, April 2003.
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