Philately – A Popular Hobby
Stamp collecting, which is known as philately, is a popular hobby for all age groups around the world. Stamp is an official seal, generally used to show that tax or fee has been paid. The most common form is the postage stamp, used to prepay the mailing of letters and parcels. Postage stamps are printed on paper that have glue on the back. The Dutch were among the first to use tax stamps in 1624. Postage stamps were first use by Great Britain in 1840 and other countries quickly followed. Stamp collection started within 20 years of the introduction of postage stamps in 1840.