Stamp Collecting Encyclopaedia Letter I & J

Imperforate

Early stamp sheets were not issued perforated because this technique was either not invented or the printing house could not fulfil this task yet.
The first stamps in The Netherlands were issued imperforated. The perforation-process was invented and used in Great-Britannia several years at that time, but the Dutch printer was not informed about that development.
In modern issues imperforated stamps are a rarity and are usually prized higher, because these stamps are often issued in a limited edition.

Impression

In the early days line-engraving plates were made by transferring. With high pressure the image of the stamp was transferred with a transfer roller into the plate. The image of a postage stamp transferred by pressure to a duplicate die or transfer roller is called impression.
This term is also used for the printed image impressed on to the paper.

Imprimatur

Before stamp sheets are printed for issue to the public often an imprimatur is made. After the printing plate is finished some test prints are made and these are called imprimaturs.
These sheets are not always printed on the same paper later used. Sometimes even the colour differs and in many cases these stamps are on ungummed paper and imperforated.

Imprint

The name or initials of the printer found on the margin of a postage stamp, sheet or on any other printing job is called imprint.
An imprint block is a marginal block of four, six or more stamps including the imprint.
On Dutch stamps or sheets the printers name is usually not stated. In 1944, during wartime, a series was printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. Ltd.; these stamps have an imprint on the margin of the sheet.

Interior service stamps

Interior service stamps are not valid to countries of the Universal Postal Union. Usually these are the stamps issued before the country became a member of the U.P.U.
The first stamps of many countries (e.g. Reunion, Cape of Good Hope, Switzerland, etc) and all stamps of certain others (small Indian states, Shanghai, etc) could not be used on foreign mail.

Item

In general "item" is the term for any philatelic object such as a postage stamp, a cover, a booklet, a die or a proof.

Joint issue

When two or more countries issue stamps to commemorate the same event, topic, place or person it is called a "joint issue".
If some countries issue such stamps, an agreement to do so is commonly made beforehand. Sometimes the United Nations requests her members to issue stamps on an important topic.
Examples of joint issues: Europe, Year of the child, International Telecommunication Year, United States of America 200 hundred years, Etc.

Jude, Samuel

The Englishman Samuel Jude, also known as "The Travelling Post" established a postal messenger service in 1625. He took care of his own letters and those of his business colleagues and contacts.
Jude transported mail between London and Plymouth and is considered to be an early example of a private enterprise in postal matters.

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