Vignette (philately)
Encyclopedia
In philately
, the vignette is the central part of a postage stamp design
, such as, a monarch's head or a pictorial design, which often shades off gradually to the edges of the stamp
.
The central vignette is often surrounded by a frame which may be printed separately and is normally of a different colour. The plate from which the vignette is printed is known as the vignette plate.
Printing errors have sometimes led to the vignette being inverted
. Perhaps the most famous example is the Inverted Jenny
.
s which do not have postal validity, such as those produced in France during World War One by Delandre
.
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
, the vignette is the central part of a postage stamp design
Postage stamp design
Postage stamp design is the activity of graphic design as applied to postage stamps. Many thousands of designs have been created since a profile bust of Queen Victoria was adopted for the Penny Black in 1840; some considered very successful, othersless so....
, such as, a monarch's head or a pictorial design, which often shades off gradually to the edges of the stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
.
The central vignette is often surrounded by a frame which may be printed separately and is normally of a different colour. The plate from which the vignette is printed is known as the vignette plate.
Printing errors have sometimes led to the vignette being inverted
Invert error
In philately, an invert error occurs when part of a postage stamp is printed upside-down. Inverts are perhaps the most spectacular of a postage stamp errors, not only because of the striking visual appearance, but because they are almost always quite rare, and highly valued by stamp...
. Perhaps the most famous example is the Inverted Jenny
Inverted Jenny
The Inverted Jenny is a United States postage stamp first issued on May 10, 1918 in which the image of the Curtiss JN-4 airplane in the center of the design was accidentally printed upside-down; it is probably the most famous error in American philately...
.
Alternative meaning
A different use of the term vignette in philately is to describe publicity labels or poster stampPoster stamp
The poster stamp was an advertising label, a little larger than most postage stamps, that originated in the mid-19th century and quickly became a collecting craze, growing in popularity up until World War One and then declining by World War Two until they are now almost forgotten except by...
s which do not have postal validity, such as those produced in France during World War One by Delandre
Delandre
Gaston Fontanille , also known just as Delandre, was a French entrepreneur and conman born in Valence, the son of a Magistrate.-The Delandre Vignettes:...
.