The World Encyclopedia of Stamps and Stamp collecting. Dr James Mackay. Postage stamps have been collected since their inception. More than 10,000 . are printed in the world. stamp issues per year, and largely due to this philately is one of the most popular types of collecting. A unique edition written by the famous Scottish philatelist and historian James McKay, who spent most of his life studying and collecting stamps. His work has resulted in numerous books, articles and one of the largest collections of stamps and philatelic materials in the world. From this book you will learn about the history of mail. the appearance of stamps, History and Evolution of Philately , the specifics of maritime stamps , Aviation, Wartime Railway and Post Office , on stamps of special issues and on non-postal and stamp marks , learn about such important elements of philately as collecting whole things, Envelopes, booklets and labels , History of the Legendary Marks , Known Mistakes , Scams, frauds and scandals in the world of stamps. You will also learn about the types and themes of stamps, about the technology of collecting and replenishing the collection, about the principles of determining the cost and about ways to distinguish originals from fakes. In addition, the publication presents a brief catalog of stamps and a dictionary of philatelic terms and significant concepts. Immerse yourself in the diverse and fascinating world of philately - make your discoveries, be surprised, step by step getting acquainted with postage stamps and everything connected with them! James Alexander Mackay (1936-2007) Scottish writer and collector . Author of 207 books and about 10 thousand articles on the history of mail, philately, numismatics, etc. Famous popularizer of philately and collectibles in general. Chairman and Secretary of the Glasgow Philatelic Society, Curator of Philatelic Departments and Collections at the British Museum. Over the course of his life, James McKay amassed a significant collection of postage stamps, as well as stamps, stickers, envelopes and special receipts, and non-postage stamps. In total, McKay's collection was stored in more than 250 albums - for specialized and thematic collections, and an additional seven cabinets - for current issues around the world, and his library had up to 2,000 books on the history of mail and philately. His reputation was significantly damaged as a result of accusations of theft of several stamps from the British Museum, but despite this, James McKay remained a recognized specialist in the field of philately for the rest of his life. specifically for www. infanata. com!cm. Also by James McKay . Coins. The Great Encyclopedia