page_title: Philatelic cover
section_title: Types
hierarchical_section_title: Philatelic cover / Types
caption_attribution_description: English: A philatelic cover postmarked Officer, Colorado on the last day of service. Officer was in Las Animas County, Colorado. According to the American Philatelic Society, from which this cover was obtained, mail from this discontinued post office was handled subsequently at Villagreen, Colorado, now a discontinued post office itself. Русский: Конверт последнего дня работы закрытого почтового отделения в Оффисере (штат Колорадо, 1938).
context_page_description: A philatelic cover is an envelope prepared with a stamp and address and sent through the mail delivery system for the purpose of creating a collectible item. Stamp collectors began to send mail to each other and to themselves early on, and philatelic mail is known from the late 19th century onward. While some collectors specialize in philatelic covers, especially first day covers and cacheted covers, others regard them as contrived objects that are not reflective of real-world usage, and often will pay a higher price for a cover that represents genuine commercial use. However, mail sent by stamp collectors is no less a genuine article of postage than is mail sent with no concern of seeing the mailed item again. Philatelic covers include mail from first airmail flight and first day of stamp issues ceremonies. Over the years there have been numerous Expositions where special postmarks are made and where a post office is set up where mail can be sent from on the given date of the Expo'. Like any other genuine item of mail these covers include postage stamps and postmarks of the time period and were processed and delivered by an official postal system.
context_section_description: The possible kinds of philatelic covers are only limited by the imagination of creative collectors, but there are a number of well-known categories:
  First day covers, mailed on the first day of issue of a stamp.
  Cacheted covers, sent on envelopes with additional artwork, usually relating to the theme of the stamp.
  Covers with special or commemorative cancellations used temporarily by a post office.
  Covers with cancellations from unusual places.
  Covers sent to collect particular postal markings.
  "One of everything" cover, all stamps of a new or old issue affixed to the cover.
  Unnecessary mixed frankings.
  Last day of service of a discontinued post office
caption: Last day of service cover from the discontinued post office at Officer, Colorado
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