What Is A Cover in Stamp Collecting and Philately
A cover is an envelope that may or may not have had a letter inside, that has travelled through the postal system and has markings showing its journey. A first day cover is an issue of a stamp memoralised onto an envelope by the postal service of its country. It sometimes is also accompanied with a pictorial representation of the origins of the stamp design. Early First Day Covers (FDC) will only be recognised if you know the date of issue and can see it in the cancellation or post mark of the post office. A cover may also be referred to postcards that used stamps and travelled through the postal service.
Why Are They Valuable
As with stamps themselves, covers become more valuable with age. Covers are considered to be a piece of history that can give the stamp itself a place and time which validates the history of the stamp and how it was used. Some rare stamps can only be found on covers and there are still some stamps that are yet to be found on covers.
Some covers are more valuable as they may have a complete series of stamps on them making it even more valuable.
Stamp collecting became an endevour almost immediately and enthusiasists would send each other special stamps or releases all over the world to collect certain cancellations or markings from the postal services in which the cover traelled.
Why Are They Collected
A number of reasons that don’t even include the stamp at all. Philatelists like to study the mode in which mail travelled around the world in the early years. They study steam ships, air mail, the routes of travel, how many countries and towns a cover had to pass through to get to its destination. The more difficult a journey is for a cover the more valuable it can become to a collector and those who study the history of philatelic transport.
Covers are also collected for the cancels themselves. There are a myriad of cancellations used around the world and some, like everything in stamp collecting and philately, are more rare than others and hence more valuable.
Covers are also collected for the stamps themselves and some stamps are removed from the cover and sold individually for a higher price, although in some circumstances, a cover is far more valuable left on the envelope than off.
Which Covers Are The Best Covers
The most valuable covers are usually, but not always, found pre-1950 but there are also some Vietnam War covers that are quite valuable. Generally, the older the cover, the more valuable it is, however exceptions remains especially during the war years when letters were delivered to prisoners of war camps and through temporary army stations.
Covers that also have a stamp error on them are highly sought after as a unique piece of philatelic history.
Where Should I Start If I Want to Collect Covers
Start with your own country or a country that you have some knowledge of, particularly geography. Having said that you can learn anything that interests you. Some collectors are fascinated by Antartactic mail and also the European countries. Islands are also fascinating as transport to remote islands in the earlier years was quite sporadic.
Covers are a great entry to philately which although this term refers to stamp collecting, philately in practice really refers to the deeper study of countries, mail transportation, who received mail and the significance of the sender and a myriad of other intricacies. Start with what interests you even if it is just how beautiful the stamp or cover is.
The wonderful thing about collecting anything in philately or stamp collecting is that there are no rules as to what you can collect and be interested in. There is only history demonstrated on little pieces of paper that travelled all over the world.
