In philately, an essay is a design for a proposed stamp submitted to the postal authorities for consideration but not used, or used after alterations have been made.Mackay, James. Philatelic Terms Illustrated. 4th edition. London: Stanley Gibbons, 2003, p.50. By contrast, a proof is a trial printing of an accepted stamp.
Both essays and proofs are rare, as usually just a few are produced. Although intended for internal use by printers and official bodies, essays sometimes find their way onto the philatelic market.
See also Prince Consort Essay
References
External links
Anglo-French Union The British Postal Museum & Archive Edward VIII Postage Stamp Essay Royal Philatelic Society of Canada Essay for the embossed stamp submitted after 1839 by Charles Whiting The British Postal Museum & Archive Flashback: Essays, The Stamp Designs That Also Ran The Collectors Weekly George VI stamps The British Postal Museum & Archive Newfoundland bogus "Essay" Switzerland extracts from Essay Proof Journal 1945–1961