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Guidelines for Judging Postal Stationery Exhibits INTRODUCTIONThese Guidelines are issued by the FIP Postal Stationery Commission to further explain the Special Regulations for the Evaluation of Postal Stationery Exhibits (SREV) which were approved by the 54th FIP Congress in 1985 in Rome (Revised at the 61st FIP Congress in 1992 in Granada). They are intended to provide general guidance regarding: A. The definition and nature of postal stationery B. The principles of exhibit composition, and C. The judging criteria of exhibits of postal stationery, and should be read in conjunction with both the Special Regulations referred to above and the General Regulations for the Evaluation of Competitive Exhibits at FIP Exhibitions (GREV). Whilst the Commission was unanimous in recognising that any collector is perfectly free to build and develop a collection in any way he or she considers appropriate, the Commission felt that it had a duty to inform and guide in relation to the collection of postal stationery so that the true nature and purpose of the various classes of material commonly grouped under this heading can be properly appreciated by all those who have an interest. To this end, an attempt has been made to produce a generally acceptable definition of postal stationery with suitable qualifications covering associated material. A. Definition and Nature of Postal Stationery1) A generally accepted traditional definition of postal stationery can be stated as follows:Postal Stationery comprises postal matter which either bears an officially authorised pre-printed stamp or device or inscription indicating that a specific face value of postage or related service has been prepaid. N.B. whilst traditionally the presence of a printed stamp impression has been fundamental to an item being generally accepted within the definition of postal stationery (ref. SREV, article 2), a number of countries issued so-called "formula" items which were sold to the public bearing adhesive stamps, prior to the issue of postal stationery items with impressed stamps. More recently a growing number of Postal Administrations have introduced postal stationery which, while sold to the public at a specific price, merely indicates that a particular service/postage rate has been prepaid without indication of value - termed "non value indicators" (NVI). Such material would of course be appropriately included in collections and exhibits of postal stationery. The position regarding items which are similar or identical in format to normal postal stationery but which do not bear either a stamp impression or an indication of value or service is more open to debate, and at the present time, exhibits consisting entirely of such unstamped items are probably best shown out of competition in FIP International Exhibitions. The situation is however a developing one and the Commission may well wish to produce further guidance on this aspect in due course. 2) The physical form of the paper or card on which the stamp etc. has been printed depends upon the specific purpose for which a particular item of postal stationery is intended. The earliest stamped items of postal stationery were usually letter sheets (termed covers) and envelopes. The other forms of postal stationery commonly include postcards, wrappers (newspaper bands), registration envelopes, certificates of posting, letter cards, and air letter sheets (aerograms), but other types of documents bearing impressions of postage stamp designs have been produced by a number of countries. Other categories of stamped stationery which are designed to prepay related but strictly non-postal purposes and which are commonly included in postal stationery collections are telegraph forms and postal orders. N.B. In some cases the imprinted stamps found on telegraph forms are actually inscribed "POSTAGE" and were accepted as postage stamps when detached from their original form. 3) Postal Stationery can be grouped into the following classes according to the manner of its availability and usage: a) POST OFFICE ISSUES: Stamped stationery prepared to the specification of and issued by Postal Administrations for public use. It is important to distinguish unofficial private modifications of normal Post Office issues made for philatelic purposes which are often termed "REPIQUAGES". b) OFFICIAL SERVICE ISSUES: Stamped stationery produced for the use of Government Departments only. Imprinted stamps may be similar to those found on Post Office issues or of a special design. Alternatively, Post Office issues may be adapted for Official Service by overprinting etc.. c) FORCES (MILITARY) ISSUES: Stamped stationery produced for the use of members of the armed forces. Imprinted stamps may be similar to those found on Post Office issues of special design. d) STAMPED TO ORDER (PRIVATE) ISSUES: Stamped stationery bearing stamps of Post Office design applied with Postal Administration approval and within specified regulations to the order of private individuals or organisations. Imprinted stamps may cover a wider range of denominations and hence designs to those found on Post Office issues. N.B. It is important to distinguish within the stamped to order class between those items which where produced for genuine postal usage and those produced for philatelic purposes. e) LOCAL POST ISSUES: Stamped stationery produced by private postal agencies with varying degrees of Postal Administration recognition or support. It is also possible to classify postal stationery according to the type of postal or associated service for which it is intended. Examples of such services include the following: f) POSTAGE: Surface/airmail - local, inland, foreign, - letters, post cards, parcels, newspapers, etc. g) REGISTRATION: Inland, foreign. h) TELEGRAPH: Inland, foreign, etc. i) RECEIPT: Receipt of posting - letters, parcels. j) MISCELLANEOUS FEES ETC: Postal orders, money orders, other documents bearing impressions of stamp designs etc. B. Principles of Exhibit CompositionAn exhibit of postal stationery should comprise a logical and coherent assembly of unused and/or used items of postal stationery as defined by the guidelines produced by the FIP Postal Stationery Commission to illustrate one or more of the categories set out below. The plan or concept of the exhibit should be set out on an introductory sheet (ref. GREV, Article 3.3).a) The issues of a particular country or associated group; b) The issues of a particular chronological period; c) The issues of a particular class of postal stationery; (ref. section A 3) a - e; d) The issues of a particular type of postal or associated service; (ref. section A 3 f - j; e) The issues relating to a particular physical form of the paper or card; (ref. section A 2). Postal stationery exhibits should normally be of entire items. Where certain items are very rare in entire form or are only known to exist in cut-down (cut-square) form they would be acceptable as part of an exhibit, as would a study for example of variations in the stamp dies used or those with rare cancellations etc. The use of postal stationery stamps as adhesives would also properly form part of an exhibit of postal stationery. C. Judging of Postal StationeryIn agreement with Articles 4.3 and 4.10 of the General Regulations of the FIP Exhibitions (GREX), General World and International Exhibitions should provide for a specific Postal Stationery Class to be exhibited as an entity in one part or room of the exhibition.In other exhibitions where no separate class has been designated it is desirable that postal stationery exhibits be grouped geographically within the Traditional Philately Class except for airmail items which may be more appropriately exhibited within the Aerophilatelic Class. In Judging a postal stationery exhibit the jury will use the following general criteria (ref. GREV, Article 4.2): a) Treatment of the exhibit - ref. GREV, Article 4.3 b) Importance of the exhibit - ref. GREV, Article 4.4 c) Philatelic and related knowledge, personal study and research - ref. GREV, Article 4.5 d) Condition and Rarity - ref. GREV, Article 4.6 e) Presentation - ref. GREV, Article 4.7. Exhibitors should be aware of the need to consider carefully the various aspects which combine together to maximise the award an exhibit can attract. Some indications are given below of the basic elements underlying each individual criterion. a) Treatment of the Exhibit Degree of advancement, originality, completeness of exhibit: Does the exhibit show the greatest degree of advancement in terms of the material exhibited? Is the approach orthodox, or has an unusual or original interpretation been used? How complete is the treatment of the subject chosen? Has the subject been chosen to enable a properly balanced exhibit to be shown in the space available? Does the material exhibited properly correspond with the title and description of the exhibit? b) Importance The "importance" of an exhibit is determined by both the significance of the actual exhibit in relation to the subject chosen and the overall significance of that subject to the field of Postal Stationery in general. c) Philatelic and related Knowledge, Personal Study and Research The exhibit should demonstrate a full and accurate appreciation of the subject chosen, and a detailed study of existing information. The jury should take due account of the personal study and any research carried out by the exhibitor (ref. GREV, Article 4.5). d) Condition and Rarity The items should be in the best possible condition. The jury should take account of any really exceptionally fine or rare items present and whether all the accepted rarities in the chosen subject are included. N.B. Unless a postal stationery item is of extreme rarity, is unknown as entire, or the exhibit is primarily concerned with variations in the stamp impression only, it is desirable that it be shown in the form of entires. Commercial examples of privately stamped items are to be preferred to philatelically inspired ones. e) Presentation The write-up must be clear, concise and relevant to the material shown and to the subject chosen for the exhibit. The method of presentation should show the material to the best effect and in a balanced way. With entires it is important to avoid unduly uniform arrangements. N.B. No advantage or disadvantage shall apply as to whether the text is handwritten, typewritten or printed. Brightly coloured inks and coloured album pages should be avoided (ref. GREV, Article 4.7). Relative Terms of EvaluationPostal Stationery will be judged by approved specialists in this field and in accordance with GREX Section V Articles 3.1 - 4.7 - ref. GREV, Article 5.1.1. Treatment (20) and Philatelic Importance (10) 302. Philatelic and related Knowledge, Personal Study and Research 35 3. Condition (10) and Rarity (20) 30 4. Presentation 5 Total 100 Concluding ProvisionsIn the event of discrepancies in the text from translation, the English text shall prevail.
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