When most people think of postage, they imagine personal letters or parcels but for businesses, publishers, and nonprofits, the real workhorse of the postal system has always been printed matter. This class of mail, used to transmit circulars, catalogs, newspapers, samples, and other commercial papers, has played a vital role in global communication for over a century.
Not only has it allowed the cost-effective distribution of information, but it has also led to the creation of distinctive stamps, postmarks, and postal stationery that are now highly valued by collectors.
đź“„ What Is Printed Matter in Postal Terms?
Printed matter refers to mail that consists of pre-printed content, typically not personalized and sent in bulk. Examples include:
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Advertising circulars
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Magazines and newspapers
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Business catalogs and rate cards
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Sample brochures or leaflets
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Religious and educational materials
These items were often eligible for reduced postage rates, encouraging mass communication and commercial growth—especially before the digital age.
✉️ Historical Examples and Country Variations
Philippines (1886) & Cuba (1888)
Both countries were among the earliest issuers of stamps specifically marked for printed matter. These were inscribed “IMPRESOS”, the Spanish term for printed items. The use of such labels helped postal workers quickly distinguish and sort bulk materials, applying the appropriate rate and handling.
Czechoslovakia (1934)
Stamps were overprinted with “O.T.”, short for Obchodni Tiskopis—Czech for “commercial printed matter.” These stamps marked material sent in high volume, often by publishing houses or manufacturers.
Bohemia and Moravia (1940)
During the WWII-era German occupation, overprints were applied with “GD-OT”—a combination of Geschäfts Drucksache (German for “commercial printed matter”) and the Czech abbreviation. These multilingual overprints reflect both linguistic and political complexity in occupied regions.
🇺🇸 The U.S. System: Pre-Cancels, Bulk Rate, and Non-Profit Mail
In the United States, printed matter was typically mailed using:
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Very low or fractional denomination stamps, sometimes less than 1¢,
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Pre-cancels—stamps marked with city names or bars to show they didn’t need cancelling at the time of use,
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Inscriptions like “Bulk Rate” or “Authorized Non-Profit Org.”—indicating eligibility for reduced postage fees.
Though not always aesthetically elaborate, these stamps form an essential part of commercial and institutional postal history, especially for collectors focused on rate structures and usage types.
🔍 What Makes Printed Matter Philatelically Interesting?
For stamp collectors and postal historians, printed matter opens up a world of specialized collecting:
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Overprints and surcharge variations tied to inflation or political change,
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Commercial covers bearing original advertising and bulk handling labels,
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Rate studies, tracing how printed matter postage evolved over decades,
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Unusual uses, such as printed religious material during wartime or embargoes.
Though often overlooked in favour of more ornate commemoratives, printed matter stamps and covers are deeply rooted in real-world, practical postal history and frequently rare in fine condition due to their utilitarian nature.