Definitive stamps are those that are used from day to day and can be bought over the post office counter or in shops. Although they may be used to indicate payment of revues or taxes to government departments their prime function is for use on ordinary mail and parcels. Where as commemorative stamps are issued for a special anniversary or to celebrate an event, achievement, famous person or any other theme.

Definitive Stamp Designs

Although some postal administrations change the design of definitive stamps every few years or so mostly they keep the same design for many years or even decades. Definitives may show just the portrait of the head of state (or past heads), symbols associated with the issuing country some countries have pictorial definitive stamps showing birds, animals or views.

For instance the stamp with the world’s longest unchanged design is the ‘post horn’ issue of Norway. It is an instantly recognisable design and which along with the other definitive stamp design, a lion rampant holding an axe are enduring symbols of the country.

The United States uses its flag the Stars and Stripes and images of past presidents. Canada and other Commonwealth countries that have Queen Elizabeth II as head of state issue definitive stamps with her image or featuring their national flag.

French Definitive Stamps

France has for many years issued definitives with a profile of ‘Ceres’ she is the Goddess of agriculture, it was issued in 1849 and was France’s first stamp. Modern French definitives have featured a mythical female named Marianne who is the embodiment of French revolutionary fervour. She is depicted only as a head in profile and was first shown on the stamps of 1944.

British Definitive Stamps the Machin and Wilding

The style of British definitive stamps has been fairly consistent for over a century, simply showing the three-quarters or full profile of the monarch sometimes surrounded by a decorated frame others with no frame. The current Queen Elizabeth II definitive issue, known as the Machin’s was first issued in 1968 and harks back to the simple beauty of the first postage stamps the Penny Black and Two-penny Blue.

Pictorial Definitives

Other countries issue definitive stamps which show their flora, fauna and countryside.

Definitive Stamp Denominations

A commemorative stamp may have just four or five different values but definitives have to do a large job of pre-paying any amount of postage. So they their face value spans the range from the lowest upwards. The usual definitive values are sub-divisions and multiples of 10, in the UK for instance (as in all other countries) the lowest value is 1 penny and increases in graduations to a five pound value. There are many denominations in between.

Definitive Airmail Stamps

Some countries issue special definitive stamps for the use on air mails the USA has issued these special airmail stamps for many years. The designs vary but perhaps the most attractive are those showing famous early aviators.

Non-Value Indicators

Printing stamps is expensive so many post offices now issue definitive first and second class stamps without a value so that when basic postage rates increase there is not the need to print new stamps with new values. And it is possible for the customer to use NVI stamps bought five years ago at a lower rate to post letters at the new higher rate. This can be a considerable saving.

Great Britain is Different

Like commemorative stamp issues definitive stamps have the name of the issuing country printed on them. The exception to this is the United Kingdom which shows an image of the ruling monarch. This is in recognition that the United Kingdom was the first country to issue labels for the pre-payment of letters.

Definitives may be the workhorses of the postal system but they offer a fascinating collecting theme in themselves.