Glossary

1866 Stamp Act: A U.S. law implemented in 1866 that introduced a range of new tax measures, including the requirement for revenue stamps to demonstrate payment of taxes on documents and commodities as a post-Civil War revenue measure.
1875 Law Repeal: Refers to the specific repeal of tax laws enacted during and after the Civil War, including the abolishment of many stamp taxes, which directly influenced the usage and types of revenue stamps issued.
1905 Stamp Legislation: Comprehensive legislation passed in 1905 which updated the tax code, including the provisions for the use of revenue stamps to document and collect taxes on various goods and transactions.
1907 Stamp Act: Legislation passed in 1907 that further refined and imposed taxes that required the use of revenue stamps to document the payment of these taxes, particularly affecting luxury goods and certain business transactions.
19th Century U.S. Stamps: Refers to postage and revenue stamps issued by the U.S. government throughout the 19th century, encompassing a wide variety of designs and uses, highlighting economic and postal developments.
Almanac: An annual publication listing a calendar of events, including astronomical data and weather forecasts, vital for daily planning in pre-digital eras.
American Bank Note Company: An engraving company established in the 19th century that was contracted by the U.S. government to print a variety of secure documents including currency and revenue stamps, known for their intricate designs and anti-counterfeiting features.
Auxiliary Markings: Additional postal markings applied to mail beyond the basic cancellation, which can include routing information, handling instructions, or explanations for delays.
Backstamps: Postmarks or cancellations applied to the back of an envelope, often used for transit or receiving marks.
Bogey Face Cancel: A whimsical type of fancy cancel featuring cartoon-like faces.
Breach of Contract: The failure of a party to fulfill their obligations under a contract without a lawful excuse, which can lead to legal consequences such as financial damages or specific performance.
Broadside: A large sheet of paper printed on one side only, historically used to communicate official announcements or advertisements.
Bull's-eye Cancel: A postmark that falls squarely and legibly on the center of a stamp.
Cancellation: A postal marking applied to a stamp to show it has been used and is no longer valid for postage.
Cartography: The art and science of mapmaking. Collectible ephemera in this category includes antique maps and atlases.
Case Studies: Detailed examinations of individual patients or groups of patients to investigate symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes.
Chromolithography: A method for making multi-color prints, popular in the 19th century, used for producing decorative posters, labels, and advertisements.
Cigarette Inserts: Collectible items such as cards or silks included in cigarette packages to attract customers and promote brand loyalty.
Cinderella Stamp: A stamp-like label that is not issued for postal duties by an official government or postal administration, such as promotional or commemorative labels.
Clinical Practice: The application of medical knowledge and skills to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness in patients.
Collectible Revenue Stamps: Revenue stamps that have become highly valued by collectors due to their historical context, rarity, and unique designs, spanning various periods and tax laws.
Collectibles: Items valued for their rarity and historical significance, often sought after by collectors.
Combination Cancels: When different types of cancellations (e.g., handstamp and machine cancel) are applied to the same piece of mail.
Commemorative Cancel: A special cancel designed to commemorate a specific event or occasion.
Conflicts of Interest: Situations in which individuals or organizations may be influenced by personal, financial, or professional considerations that could compromise their objectivity or integrity.
Cork Cancel: A common type of fancy cancel made by carving designs into cork, resulting in various patterns like crosscuts, cogwheels, or sunbursts.
CTO (Cancelled-to-Order): Stamps cancelled by the issuing postal administration before being sold to collectors, not used for actual mail delivery.
Damages (Legal): Monetary compensation awarded by a court to compensate a party for losses or injuries suffered as a result of another party's breach of duty or legal obligation.
Die Cut: A process of cutting shapes from paper or card using a die, often used for decorative ephemera like Victorian cards.
Die-Hub Cancel: A type of modern fancy cancel created using metal die-hub machines, often producing intricate designs.
Digital Age: The era characterized by the widespread use of digital technologies, including the internet and electronic publishing.
Duplex Cancel: A cancellation that combines a dated postmark with a separate "killer" portion to cancel the stamp.
Duplex Cancel: While not multiple separate cancels, this refers to a single device that applies both a postmark and a "killer" (cancellation mark) in one stamp.
Early 20th Century Fiscal Documents: Official documents from the early 1900s that required the use of revenue stamps as legal proof of tax payment, including business licenses, excise taxes, and legal documents.
Editorial Policies: Guidelines established by a journal's editorial board to govern the selection, review, and publication of articles.
Empirical Evidence: Information gathered from observation or experimentation that is systematically analyzed to support or refute hypotheses.
Ephemera: Transient printed materials, often intended for a single use, such as tickets, pamphlets, posters, and postcards, which have historical, collectible, or informational value.
Ephemeron: A single piece of ephemera, typically rare and highly valued for its unique historical context.
Ethical Considerations: Moral principles and values that guide decisions and actions in the practice of medicine and medical research.
Ex Libris: A bookplate used to indicate the owner of a book. It is a form of ephemera often collected for its artistic and historical significance.
Fancy Cancel: A decorative or pictorial postmark used to cancel stamps, often created by creative postmasters for their own amusement or to increase postal activity.
Fashion Plate (1800s): A fashion plate is a printed illustration demonstrating the prevailing styles of clothing and accessories during a specific period. In the 1800s, these plates were typically found in women's magazines and were used as a guide for dressmaking or shopping. Fashion plates depicted everything from everyday attire to more formal garments, showcasing detailed designs, fabric patterns, and color choices. They were often hand-colored and served not only as a reflection of current fashion trends but also as a form of artistic expression and social communication within the era.
First Day Cancel: A postmark or cancellation applied on the first day of issue of a new stamp.
Fiscal Stamps: Stamps used specifically to indicate the payment of taxes or duties on goods, services, and legal documents, as part of governmental fiscal policy.
Forwarding Marks: Cancellations or postmarks applied when mail is redirected to a new address.
Fraternal Organization: A society or club formed for mutual benefit, social interaction, and charitable activities, often with rituals and a shared identity.
Golden Age Cancel: Refers to fancy cancels from specific periods, such as the 1860s or the Depression era, known for their creativity and artistry.
Hand-Carved Cancel: Fancy cancels created by postmasters using hand-carved tools, often resulting in unique designs.
Incunabula: Early printed materials, particularly those printed before 1501. These items are among the earliest examples of print ephemera.
Indemnity: The principle that a party should be compensated for any losses or damages incurred, typically covered under a surety bond to protect against financial loss due to the principal's failure to fulfill obligations.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS): The U.S. government agency established in 1862 responsible for tax collection and enforcement of the Internal Revenue Code, which includes the administration of revenue stamps used in tax collection.
Killer Cancel: The part of a duplex cancel designed to deface the stamp, often containing geometric patterns or numbers.
Killers: Cancellations designed to obliterate or "kill" the stamp to prevent reuse, often featuring geometric patterns or bars.
Layered Cancels: When multiple cancellations overlap on a single stamp or piece of mail.
Leaf Cancel: A common type of fancy cancel, especially in Canada, featuring leaf designs (e.g., maple leaves).
Legal Liability: The obligation to bear the consequences of violating a law or legal duty, which may include compensating others for harm or damage caused.
Letter Cancel: Fancy cancels featuring letters, monograms, or town names.
Lithography: A printing process based on the repulsion of oil and water, used for producing posters, maps, and artist prints in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Machine Cancel: A cancellation applied by a machine rather than by hand.
Machine Cancel: A mechanically applied cancellation, which can sometimes produce fancy designs.
Manuscript Cancel: A cancellation made by hand with a pen or other writing device.
Manuscript: A document written by hand, not printed; manuscripts can include personal letters, diaries, or original drafts of published works.
Masonic Cancel: A type of fancy cancel featuring Masonic symbols or imagery.
Medical Breakthroughs: Significant discoveries or advancements that have a profound impact on medical science and patient care.
Medical Literature: Published writings that report on research, clinical studies, and advancements in the field of medicine.
Missent Markings: Cancellations or postmarks applied when mail is accidentally sent to the wrong post office and needs to be rerouted.
Multiple Cancellations: A general term for when a piece of mail has more than one cancel or postmark.
Mutual Aid: Support provided by members of a fraternal organization to each other in times of need.
Negative Cancel: A fancy cancel where the design appears in white against a dark background.
Numeral Cancel: Cancellations featuring numbers or years.
Obliterator: A cancellation device designed to deface stamps to prevent reuse.
Open Access: The practice of making scholarly research freely available to the public, without restrictions on access or use.
Order of Sparta: A fraternal organization inspired by the values and traditions of the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta.
Pamphlet: A small booklet or leaflet containing information or arguments about a single subject, often ephemeral in nature due to its temporary relevance.
Patriotic Cancel: Fancy cancels featuring patriotic symbols or designs, such as flags or eagles.
Peer Reviewed: A process by which articles submitted for publication are evaluated by experts in the field before being accepted for publication.
Perforated Revenue Stamps: Revenue stamps that are mechanically perforated with holes to facilitate easy separation and use, marking a technological advancement in stamp production that began in the mid-19th century.
Performance Bond: A type of surety bond where the surety guarantees satisfactory completion of a project or contract by the principal according to the agreed terms.
Pharmacology: The branch of medicine concerned with the study of drugs and their effects on living organisms.
Philately: The study and collection of stamps and postal history, often an integral part of ephemera collecting.
Pictorial Cancel: A type of fancy cancel that features a recognizable image or design, such as animals, objects, or symbols.
Positive Cancel: The opposite of a negative cancel, where the design appears in dark ink against the stamp's background.
Postmark: A postal marking applied to mail showing the date and place of mailing.
Precancel: Stamps cancelled before being affixed to mail, often used for bulk mailings.
Principal: The party in a surety bond agreement who has the primary obligation to perform a contractual duty or obligation.
Programme: A printed schedule of the events occurring at a performance, sporting event, or other entertainment, collected for its connection to specific historical events or figures.
Provenance: The history of ownership of a particular item of ephemera, tracing its origin and any hands it has passed through before coming into a collection.
Receiving Postmark: A postmark applied at the delivery office to show when mail arrived.
Revenue Stamp Design: The design aspects of revenue stamps which include specific motifs, denominations, and security features intended to prevent forgery and ensure the stamps’ validity.
Revenue Stamps: Stamps issued by a government to certify payment of taxes on various goods, services, and documents, which were mandatory for legal validation in many transactions.
Scrapbook: A book containing a collection of ephemera such as photographs, printed media, and artwork, assembled by an individual for personal interest.
Sheet Music: Printed music for singing and playing instruments, often collected for its cover art as well as its musical content.
Slogan Cancel: A cancel containing text or an image promoting an event, cause, or message.
Spartan Ethos: The values and principles of ancient Sparta, including bravery, discipline, and resilience.
Stamp Collecting: The hobby or practice of collecting stamps from postal and fiscal authorities, which includes categorizing, preserving, and studying stamps for their historical value and artistic merit.
Surety Bond: A contract where a third party (surety) agrees to be responsible for the debt or obligation of another party (principal) if the principal fails to meet their obligations.
Surety: The party who guarantees the performance of the principal's obligation under a surety bond, becoming liable if the principal fails to fulfill their obligations.
Therapeutic Gazette: A pioneering medical journal founded in 1884 in Detroit, Michigan, dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and practices.
Therapeutics: The branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of disease and the promotion of health.
Ticket Stub: A small piece of paper or card issued as a voucher for admission to an event, valued for its association with cultural and sporting events.
Tobacco Silk: A small piece of printed fabric included in cigarette packages as a collectible item in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Topical Cancel: A fancy cancel that relates to a specific theme or subject, appealing to topical collectors.
Trade Card: A small card used by businesses to advertise services or products, often collectible for their historic graphical representations.
Transit Postmark: A postmark applied as mail passes through intermediate post offices en route to its destination.
United States Revenue Society: An organization comprised of collectors and scholars interested in the study and collection of U.S. revenue stamps, focusing on their history, varieties, and significance in U.S. fiscal policy.
Volenti Nil Difficile: A Latin motto meaning "Nothing is difficult for the willing," emphasizing determination and resilience.
With It or Upon It: An ancient Spartan saying meaning to return from battle with one's shield (victorious) or upon it (deceased but honorable).