Knowledge / Postmarks / Postmark Inscriptions

Stamp inscription: text that is in a postmark

Noble postmark: philatelic term for a pre-philatelic postmark that has a preposition in front of the location (e.g. “von” or “de”)

Office code: number after a location with which the post offices were numbered consecutively

Adaped postmark: postmark in which the inscriptions were partially or completely removed

Letter postmark: postmark that contains letters (and graphic elements) but no numbers

Date postmark: postmark that only contains the posting date

Department postmark: postmark that contains a location and the corresponding department number

Year postmark: provisional postmark that contains a location and the year

Lower case postmark: postmark that contains a location in lower case instead of upper case letters

Minute postmark: postmark that contains a location, the posting date and a minute

Number postmark: postmark that contains numbers (and graphic elements) but no letters

Location postmark: postmark that only contains a location

Location date postmark: postmark that contains a location and the posting date

Location number postmark: postmark that contains a number instead of the loc-ation that can be assigned using a directory

Postal code postmark: postmark that contains a location and the associated postal code

Rayon postmark: postmark that contains a location and the associated postal fee zone (rayon)

Repdigit number postmark: philatelic term for a postmark that only contains the same numbers or a sequence of numbers

Cursive postmark: philatelic term for a postmark with letters in cursive

Skeleton postmark: philatelic term for a postmark on which neither the date nor the time has been set although this would have been technically possible

Thrifty postmark: philatelic term for a postmark on which the time was not set even though this would have been technically possible

Silent postmark: postmark that contains graphic elements but no letters or numbers

Hour postmark: postmark that contains a location, the posting date and an hour

Distinctive letter: postmark with a letter as a distinguishing feature if there are several identical stamps at a larger post office

Word postmark: postmark that contains letters and numbers (and graphic elements)

Decorative postmark: postmark that contains decorations and / or ornaments or is cut into a decorative shape