In the 1980s, when I was compiling my book UPU Specimen Stamps (published 1988) I decided not to extend the subject to include postal stationery. The principal reason for this decision was that I wanted every item listed to be confirmed by two criteria as having been distributed by the UPU.
Firstly, examples of the stamp should be found in several collections known to have been formed from UPU distributions and not subsequently adulterated by additions from other sources. In the case of stamps this presented little difficulty as there were several suitable collections available for examination. However, none of these included any postal stationery.
Secondly, in nearly all cases I was able to find the stamp recorded and adequately described in the International Bureau Circular that covered the distribution. In the case of postal stationery it was common for items to be described in insufficient detail for the individual items to be identified with certainty. An extreme example is the 1886 distribution of United States of America envelopes which are described as “46 stamped envelopes which differ in their value and format.”
Over the past twenty years I have received numerous requests to compile a listing of postal stationery of the world that was distributed by the UPU with some form of protection (overprinting, handstamping, perforating, etc.) with the word Specimen (or the equivalent such as Muestra, Muster, etc.).
Whilst I am certain that this present effort will contain many omissions, errors and items which should have been excluded, there is no sign that this work will be undertaken by another in the foreseeable future.
Much of what is contained in the initial sections of UPU Specimen Stamps together with the Addendum thereto on my web site regarding the Universal Postal Union, specimen stamps in general, the distribution of specimens and the receipt thereof by members of the UPU, applies equally well to postal stationery.
There are an estimated 130 to 150 countries and postal territories that distributed some form of specimen postal stationery. Most of these are the former colonies of the European powers and include in rough order of importance colonies etc. of Great Britain, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium.
Since my knowledge of the postal stationery is far from world-wide I am enlisting the help of dedicated collectors to compile the listings for their specialities. The List of Countries shows where specialist help is still needed. However, every collector of the postal stationery of any country should be able to contribute by reading what has so far been recorded and by advising details of corrections and additions, and asking general and specific questions. Some entries in the lists are preceded by “???” to indicate that assistance will be particularly welcomed.
It is very possible that this project will not in the foreseeable future, or ever, be published as a printed book. So that all will not in due course be lost I am arranging for the relevant part of my web site to be archived by the British Library and the American Philatelic Research Library. It may be that some collector or philatelic society will come forward and volunteer to maintain the contents when I am no longer able to do so.
List of countries Classification of specimen types