What to Collect ?

Here are some of the collateral materials besides stamps that are highly valued by Rotary stamp collectors:

• Cancellations, especially cancellations on the first day of a stamp's issue
• Envelopes with cachets (designs on the envelope characterizing an event) from Rotary conventions and other events
• Entire envelopes using Rotary stamps for ordinary mailing
• Entire envelopes with Rotary address and/or Rotary return address or the Rotary emblem
• Imperforate issues of stamps Rotary-on-Stamps has numerous checklists to help collectors determine values of Rotary stamps and other materials. Contact the fellowship for more information.

Some common stamp terms:

• cancellation: a mark on the stamp showing that it has been cancelled and is no longer valid as postage.
• imperforate: a stamp that has straight lines along the outside, rather than the normal perforated variety, often issued specifically for stamp collectors.
• overprint: any later printing over an officially issued stamp, as in the 1931 Austria stamp (see photo gallery above).
• philately: stamp collecting; stamps collectors are also called philatelists.
• souvenir sheet: Designed for philatelists, souvenir sheets contain stamps as well as an inscription or design outside of the margins of the official stamp, to celebrate a special event or theme.