Marking on a mail piece showing that postage has been prepaid
In
philately, indicia are markings on a mail piece (as opposed to an
adhesive stamp)[1] showing that postage has been prepaid by the sender. Indicia is the plural of the Latin word indicium, meaning distinguishing marks,[2] signs or identifying marks.[3] The term
imprinted stamp is used more or less interchangeably,[1] but some indicia are not imprinted stamps. One example is the handstamp, which can be seen in a photo on this page.
Forms of indicia
Indicia can take a number of forms, including printed designs or handstamps where a stamp would normally be that indicate the pre-payment of postage. Imprinted stamps on
postal stationery are indicia.[4]
The term also refers to a
meter stamp impression[4] or the part thereof that indicates the value or postal rate.[5]