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vintage postage stamp

vintage postage stamp

7.8
A small old paper used to pay for sending letters and often kept by collectors
  • noun
  • /ˈvɪn.tɪdʒ ˈpoʊ.stɪdʒ stæmp/
translation icon : sello postal vintage
  • He carefully removed a vintage postage stamp from an old envelope.

Examples

  • Collectors gathered to exchange rare vintage postage stamps at the annual fair.

  • She displayed her most valuable vintage postage stamp in a glass-covered case.

  • She collects vintage postage stamps from around the world.

  • He found a rare vintage postage stamp at the flea market.

  • Collectors gathered to exchange rare vintage postage stamps at the annual fair.

  • He found a rare vintage postage stamp at the flea market.

  • She displayed her most valuable vintage postage stamp in a glass-covered case.

Synonyms

antique
vsvintage postage stamp
109 5.6

An object made long ago and valued for its age or beauty

is specific to small collectible items tied to mail history and philatelic interest

How Rare

vintage postage stamp
7.8
rare coin
2 5.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

vintage + postage + stamp

The meaning 'a postage stamp that is old/collectible' is directly and compositionally derived from 'vintage' (from an earlier period) modifying 'postage stamp' (a stamp showing payment). This simple adjective + noun construction is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand the phrase.

Etymology

Vintage postage stamp uses the word vintage, from old wine talk about a good year's grapes, which came to mean 'from a past time'. So a vintage postage stamp is an old postage stamp that collectors keep because it is rare and worth a lot.