Social Philately is a relatively new concept in collecting. The origins of "Social
Philately" are credited to Australia back in the 1980s. Social Philately attempts
to link philately with the social or economic history of the selected subject or
topic. It can cover such events as the history of a town, the history of a
business, the history of an industry, the history of an individual or in fact
the history of anything you can imagine. It can contain philatelic items and
non-philatelic items which relate directly to your topic. It can contain letters,
newspaper clippings, tickets, leaflets, souvenirs, photos or anything else
that you think is suitable.
The function of the non-philatelic items is to amplify your collection not
to add decoration to it. You will need to collect information and learn as much
as you can on the subject, so that you can write an interesting history on
the topic.
As any good thematic collection tells a story so a social philately collection
should also do the same, taking full advantage of the freedom to include a
broader range of items.
Exhibiting Social Philately
Many collectors once they have formed
such a collection are then keen to display it and opportunities for this
exist at all levels, local national and international. To exhibit at a competition
in an "Open Class Philately" section, up to about 50% non-philatelic material
is generally allowed.
Internationally, Social Philately is judged by the following:-
Treatment (20) and Importance (5 for philatelic and 5 for social) - 30
Philatelic and related Social Knowledge, Personal Study and Research - 35
Condition - 10
Rarity - 20
Presentation - 5
Total - 100
Social Philately
By Prashant H Pandya If we want to define Social Philately in single sentence we can say that Social Philately is the Social History
told by way of mail and ephemera (pamphlets, notices, hand bills, tickets etc)...
Ceylon to Hong Kong Newspaper Wrapper
from Stamp Domain
A wrapper addressed to Arthur H Limpus on HMS Terrible with a very rare "RECEIVED IN FORWARD BAG" handstruck marking
Australian Postal History & Social Philately
by Maurice Mishkel A comprehensive site with over 500 philatelic papers. All papers have an Australian connection, a few of them have only a
tenuous connection with Australia, for the covers were sent from Australia to interesting people &/or places, in other countries.
A letter from a WWII Polish Soldier to his bank!
from Stamp Domain Envelope with a 1945 postmark of Field Post Office 252 and a Polish postal cryptonym P/40 S addressed to the Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh.
The Cologne Post 1921 - 1929
from Stamp Domain On 31 March 1919 the first issue of a daily newspaper for British Armed Forces in Germany was published.
The newspaper, the Cologne Post, continued to be published till 17 January 1926.
