Function help

Help
Adding stamps
Adding to your collection
Album
Area
Catalog value
Catalogue numbers
Color
Currency
Date
Denomination
Description
Design
Design type
Emboss
Function
Image
Issue
Issuer
Item
Joint issue
Looking at the catalogue
Note
Object
Occupation
On
Original issuer
Overprint
Overprint color
Owner
Paper
Paper color
Sheet
Sorting
Stamp
Stamp page
Thing
Unissued
Upload
Value
Variant
Visibility
Watermark
A stamp's function (sometimes also called type) is the purpose for which it is intended. Functions range from "postage" for normal postage stamps, to "airmail", to "special delivery", to the many types of revenue stamps.

There are only a small number of functions in common use, plus several-score additional types that appear here and there.

  • postage - used for regular mail service

  • semipostal - used for regular mail service, but mailer pays an extra fee that typically goes to charities

  • airmail - use for mail being transported by air