Philately - The British Library

At the British Library you can study stamps and postage material. We have millions of philatelic items covering every country and period. Our collection includes airmail envelopes, original artwork and printing plates.

Collection guides

Artwork for postage stamps
Original artwork prepared in the production of postage stamps
Chinese stamps
19th and 20th-century stamps from China
Revenue stamps
A wide range of stamps for collecting tax
Security printing
Examples of dies, plates, and presses for security printing of stamps
Pioneer airmails
Stamps, envelopes and souvenir postcards carried by early aeroplanes
Americas and Oceania philatelic material
Stamps and related philatelic items from a wide area

View all related guides

The Philatelic Reading Room in the British Library

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Philatelic Reading Room

To explore our philatelic materials, please contact our Philatelic Reading Room and make an appointment.

If you can, try to contact us at least 10 days before you intend to visit. We'll ensure our experts are available to help you.

You'll need a Reader Pass.

Email: philatelic@bl.uk

Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7635

Related events

The Philatelic Exhibition permanent exhibition

Exhibition FREE

The Philatelic Exhibition

Mon 1 Jan 0001 - Fri 4 Jan 2030

Discover some of the rarest and most significant stamps from one of the world's greatest collections

View all events

Collection highlights

Cape of Good Hope: 1855-63 1 shilling bright yellow-green unused

Cape of Good Hope: 1855-63 one shilling bright yellow-green

1885-63

The world's first postage stamp

1840

USA: Revenue 1765 Newspaper and Pamphlet One Penny. A proof sheet of 26, showing the registration certificate.

America: 1765 Tax stamps

1765

China: 1897 3 cents red revenue with 2 cents surcharge double, both inverted, unused. From the Murray Collection.

China: 1897 Red Revenue 3 cents with 2 cents surcharge double inverted

1897

Jamaica: 1956-58 £1 chocolate and violet, unissued

Jamaica: 1956-58 unissued £1

1956-58

Mauritius 1847 Post Office 1d. orange-red, used, on cover

Mauritius: 1847 Post Office 1d orange-red

1847

New South Wales: 1850 1d and 3d essays of the Sydney View issue

New South Wales: 1850 Sydney View essays

1850

St Helena: 1961 Tristan Relief Fund 5c.+6d., 7½c.+9d., and 10c.+1/-, used on a postcard

St Helena: 1961 Tristan Relief Fund

1961

Switzerland Basel 1847 2½ rappen ‘Basel Dove’ carmine, black and blue, an unused pair

Switzerland: 1847 Basel Dove 2½ rappen

1847

Library experts

Paul Skinner

Paul Skinner

Lead Curator, Philatelic Collections

Richard Morel

Richard Morel

Curator, Philatelic Collections

External links

The British Library is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

British Library Philatelic Collections

A Wikipedia category list of all our collections

Royal Philatelic Society, London

The oldest philatelic society in the world