Our ten-cent piece, the dime, was first authorized in 1792, the year that the U.S. adopted the decimal system of coinage, and in 1796 production began.  The word “dime” was derived from the old French word “disme,” meaning “tenth part” or “tithe.”
The dime’s composition consisted of 89.24 percent silver and 10.76 percent copper until 1837, [...]

Most people who pursue stamp collecting became seriously interested at a young age. They noticed a foreign stamp or read an article about some of the million dollar stamps that have been discovered in an odd location. They get intrigued by the history behind these miniature works of art. Eventually, they became more than avid [...]

Due to the Mint Act of April 2, 1792, which stated that certain coins had to have an image that represented liberty along with the word “liberty” and on the other side an eagle and the term “The United States of America,” the quarter’s design was specified.  For the first 115 years of the quarter’s [...]

Collecting stamps is a never ending source of interest. You can collect for a lifetime and still be on the hunt for that rare gem, that odd bit of history that is captured by a stamp. Along the way, you may have a lull where the good ones just aren’t coming along at a price [...]

Once you’ve learned to prepare your stamps by careful soaking or other methods, you’ll want to store them safely and stylishly. There are dozens of different items to choose from. Choices range from simple glassine envelopes placed on stockpages in three-ring binders to dehumidifying cabinets and safes.
For ordinary stamps, a simple shoebox might serve as [...]

Before the nickel was introduced, small silver coins called half-dimes were used as five-cent pieces.  After America was first discovered by Europeans, silver was plentiful so many American coins were made of silver, until the American Civil War when silver became scarce.  From this point on (and to this day) five-cent pieces were made with [...]

Each individual will have his or her preferred way of preparing, mounting and storing stamps. But despite personal choices there are common tools that most collectors will find useful, regardless of his or her own way of working.
 
Most collectors will want to separate newly acquired stamps from the cover (envelope, packaging, etc) to which they [...]

Technology and art often combine in philately. The art aspect is obvious to the naked eye. But sometimes the technology is invisible, as in the case of fluorescent stamps.
Beginning in the 1960s several countries around the world, most prominently those in Scandinavia, employed a curious property of certain compounds in ink.
They used the ability of [...]

Part of the joy of collecting stamps is examining them - to discover their origin and history, or simply to enjoy them as works of art. But a close examination has a practical side as well. It can help detect a forgery or form part of the assessment of the stamp’s value. Part of that [...]