Primitives (stamps)
Encyclopedia
Primitives in philately
, also called natives, refer to postage stamps that were crudely designed and printed as compared with the sophisticated productions of industrialized countries such as the United Kingdom or the United States. A number of such stamps were produced in the classic stamp
period in remote or undeveloped locales such as Mauritius
. Due to their charm and sometimes rarity, primitives are among the most popular stamps with stamp collectors
.
Several well known primitives copied the designs of standard postage stamps of major countries. For example, the early stamps of Mauritius
were crude, locally produced copies of the then current postage stamps of the United Kingdom. Similarly, the stamps of Corrientes, a province in northern Argentina, were inept imitations of earlier stamps of France, depicting the agricultural goddess Ceres. Other primitives are of their own unique design.
Other primitives include the following:
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...
, also called natives, refer to postage stamps that were crudely designed and printed as compared with the sophisticated productions of industrialized countries such as the United Kingdom or the United States. A number of such stamps were produced in the classic stamp
Classic stamp
A classic stamp is a postage stamp of a type considered distinctive by philatelists, typically applied to stamps printed in the early period of stamp production, e.g., before about 1870. However, as L. N. Williams puts it, "the term has never been satisfactorily defined"...
period in remote or undeveloped locales such as Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. Due to their charm and sometimes rarity, primitives are among the most popular stamps with stamp collectors
Stamp collecting
Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is one of the world's most popular hobbies, with the number of collectors in the United States alone estimated to be over 20 million.- Collecting :...
.
Several well known primitives copied the designs of standard postage stamps of major countries. For example, the early stamps of Mauritius
Postage stamps and postal history of Mauritius
Mauritius, a small island in the southwest Indian Ocean, is of towering importance in the world of philately for a number of reasons. Its first two postage stamps issued in 1847, the so-called "Post Office" stamps, are of legendary rarity and value. They were the first stamps issued in any part...
were crude, locally produced copies of the then current postage stamps of the United Kingdom. Similarly, the stamps of Corrientes, a province in northern Argentina, were inept imitations of earlier stamps of France, depicting the agricultural goddess Ceres. Other primitives are of their own unique design.
Other primitives include the following:
- British GuianaPostage stamps and postal history of British GuianaA privately run packet services for mail existed in British Guiana 1796, and continued for a number of years. Postage stamps of Britain were used at Georgetown and Berbice.- Cottonreels :...
"Cottonreels", 1850-51. - Cape of Good HopeCape of Good HopeThe Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
Wood block triangle stamps of 1861. - IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
stamps of 1854. - Various Indian Native Feudatory State stampsPostage stamps and postal history of the Indian statesFor postage stamps and postal history of India, see Postage stamps and postal history of IndiaThe postage stamps and postal history of the Indian Princely States is a complicated subject; British rule was not a uniform exercise of authority, and many states ran their own postal services...
. - Some early stamps of Mexico
- New CaledoniaNew CaledoniaNew Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
Napoleon III, 1859.