The Term Used

Had the pleasure of corresponding with a Philatelic Lawyer over the term used. It was very interesting.

I presented a definition of the term "used" Being "Used can mean from 1st Day Cover, Maxicard, by mailing, cancelled to order, special cancels and no gum or cancel etc. I also add Pen, Fancy Cancels & Stamp show cancels."

The reply I received was"I would not apply the term USED to an official first day cover or maxicard with postmark simply because this is how these items were released for sale in the first instance. Interpretation of the term when used in this way is very open."

How do you take that as a stamp collector.......

I am primarily an FDC collector, but in my experience most collectors think "postally used" when they think of a used stamp.

I don't think this should apply, though, to a "flown" cover. Many early first day, event, and flight covers were flown. Thus they were "used." If a distinction is warranted, it would be that this is philatelic usage, not commercial usage.

But why didn't your philatelist lawyer also object to calling CTC "used." I think "used" should indicate that the stamp entered the mail stream at some point.

That just boils down to two different perspectives: Is it new or used, and is it mint or used?

From my perspective, used means no longer valid for postage due to being cancelled.

KGV, interesting question. For me, "used" can mean different things. I have a mini-U.S. used collection in my Scott Intenational Part 1 album. For that collection, "used" means having what appears to be a legitimate postmark. For foreign stamps in that International collection, "used" pretty much means anything that's not mint. A "used" stamp can be postmarked, CTO, or without gum. For early U.S. revenues, a stamp needs to have some original gum to be considered unused. Otherwise, a stamp without a cancellation is merely considered uncancelled. In other words, these revenue stamps are "used" if they aren't OG.

A bit more.....

My question "How does a pen cancellation fit into your comment?"

Reply to me "A pen cancellation is a recognised philatelic cancellation of a stamp by an postal employee.

Pen cancellation is applied where a suitable postmark is not available at the time, and there is a need to ensure that the stamp cannot be reused.This method of cancellation became more common in the 19th and 20th centuries in line with the increase to the number of letters being posted, and the numbers being delivered."

Yes the lawyer's definition of "Used" for CTO would be "not used" even it the CTO cancel was hand cancelled.

The definition used is strictly postally only. Far too narrow a definition to be used in philatelic arena.

I am going to stick to my definition to the term "Used".

I am from the school of simplicity. If it has been cancelled, it is used. It cannot be put on an envelope and put into the mailbox. It is like a car. Once it has been driven off the dealer's lot, it is a used car.

In the broadest sense, any stamp that has been marked as either having paid postage, or for some philatelic purpose, is used. For stamp collecting purposes, the term used is generally taken to mean postally used. If a seller describes a lot as 'used', then he or she should be intending to mean postally used. To sell cancelled to order (CTO) or otherwise not postally used material without adding that information to the description would be deceptive and unethical.

For me, "used" means having been cancelled while going through the mail stream. A cancelled stamp that has not done this duty is exactly that -- cancelled (not the same as used).