Stamp Desk
A stamp from somewhere. Read the clues. Which country? Learn the names countries print on their own stamps, from HELVETIA and SVERIGE to СССР and 大日本.
A mixed round takes ten stamps from across all 17 packs.
17 packs of ten
Packs are teaching groups chosen by the kind of clue: own-language names, other alphabets, no name, currency, plain names and a mixed bag; then hidden names, crowned heads, pounds and dollars, wild places, transport, and people and places; then scripts of the world, still no name, emperors and queens, centesimi and reales, and a world tour. They are not complete or official groupings; a country can appear in several packs.
Own names
Countries that sign in their own language: Helvetia, Sverige, Norge, Suomi, Danmark, Nederland, Ísland, Latvija and more.
Other alphabets
Cyrillic, Greek, Japanese and Devanagari: learn the few letters that name the country.
No name at all
The United Kingdom never names itself, and many early stamps skipped the country too. Read the other clues.
Money talks
Øre, kopeks, shahiv, lepta, annas, sen: the currency often tells you where a stamp is from.
Name in plain sight
English and French names written right on the stamp: a warm-up with famous designs.
Mixed bag
Helvetia, Germania and Wilhelmina, numerals and overprints: ten stamps that mix every kind of clue.
Hidden names
No country name, a name in Thai or Japanese, a Latin seal or a name under a postmark: the hardest pack, so look closely.
Crowned heads
Queen Victoria rules most of this pack, so read the name around her: Tasmania, New Zealand, India, Canada. A king and a prince join in.
Pounds and dollars
Halfpennies and shillings, cents, dollars and centimes: the money narrows it down, the name settles it.
Wild places
Kiwis, huias, kangaroos, bison, gorges and waterfalls. Animals and landscapes are good hints, but English names are everywhere.
On the move
Steamers, express trains, an early car, a biplane, a racing schooner and a war canoe: transport stamps from three countries that all write in English.
People and places
Explorers, a president, Jamestown and Pocahontas, a world map, mountains and lakes: the captions tell a story, the frame tells the country.
Scripts of the world
Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic, Ge’ez and Thai: learn the few letters that name Greece, Serbia, the Ottoman Empire, Ethiopia and Siam.
Still no name
Spain and Switzerland printed no country name on their first stamps. A queen, a cross on a shield, and Spanish or Thai words are your clues.
Emperors and queens
Habsburg emperors, Hawaiian kings and queens, a Romanian prince and a Japanese crown prince’s voyage.
Centesimi and reales
Italy counts in centesimi, Mexico in reales and Iceland in aurar: read the money, then find the name.
Around the world
Brazil’s anniversaries, Iceland’s numerals and Japan’s eagle and sun: a mixed tour from the tropics to the Arctic.
Names to know
Many countries sign their stamps in their own language or alphabet. These are the ones in Stamp Desk so far.
| On the stamp | Country |
|---|---|
| HELVETIA | Switzerland (Latin name) |
| SVERIGE | Sweden |
| NORGE | Norway |
| DANMARK | Denmark |
| ÍSLAND | Iceland |
| SUOMI | Finland (FINLAND is the Swedish name) |
| NEDERLAND | the Netherlands |
| POCZTA POLSKA | Poland (“Polish Post”) |
| ČESKO-SLOVENSKÁ | Czechoslovakia |
| LATVIJA | Latvia |
| ΕΛΛΑΣ, ΕΛΛ. | Greece (Hellas) |
| СССР | the Soviet Union (USSR) |
| ПОЧТОВАЯ МАРКА | the Russian Empire (“postage stamp”) |
| УКРАЇНСЬКА | the Ukrainian People’s Republic |
| 大日本 | Japan (“Great Japan”) |
| जय हिन्द | India (“Jai Hind”) |
| REICHSPOST, DEUTSCHES REICH | the German Empire |
| K.K., ÖSTERREICH | Austria |
| RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE, RF | France |
| no name, a monarch’s head | the United Kingdom |
| PRINCIPAUTÉ DE MONACO | Monaco |
| VAN DIEMENS LAND | Tasmania (its name until 1856) |
| โสฬส (Thai script) | Siam, today Thailand |
| POST OFFICE | Mauritius (the famous 1847 stamps) |
| SIGILLUM … AUST. (a Latin seal) | New South Wales |
| POSTE ITALIANE | Italy |
| CORREOS, a queen and no name | Spain (1850–51) |
| RAYON, ORTS-POST and a cross on a shield | Switzerland (1850–52) |
| ISLAND | Iceland |
| СРБИЈА | Serbia |
| MEJICO | Mexico |
| E. U. DO BRASIL | Brazil (“United States of Brazil”) |
| HAWAII, KENETA | the Kingdom of Hawaii |
| ኢትዮጵያ | Ethiopia |
| عثمانیه | the Ottoman Empire |
All 177 stamps
Own names
- Switzerland, 1907 (5, green)HELVETIA
- Sweden, 1855 (3 skilling banco, green)SVERIGE
- Norway, 1872NORGE
- Denmark, 1870DANMARK
- Iceland, 1907ISLAND
Finland, 1917 (5, green)SUOMI
Netherlands, 1913NEDERLAND
Poland, 1919Poczta Polska
Czechoslovakia, 1918 (25, blue)POŠTA
Latvia, 1918LATVIJA
Other alphabets
- Finland, 1856 (5 kopeks, blue)5 KOP.
- Finland, 1856 (10 kopeks, rose-red)10 KOP.
- Greece, 1861 (20 lepta, blue)ΕΛΛ. ΓΡΑΜΜ.
- Greece, 1896ΟΛΥΜΠ. ΑΓΩΝΕΣ
- Russian Empire, 1909ПОЧТОВАЯ МАРКА
Soviet Union, 1937А.С. ПУШКИН 1837
Soviet Union, 1957ПОЧТА СССР
Ukrainian People’s Republic, 1918 (40 shahiv, trident)УКРАЇНСЬКА НАРОДНЯ РЕСПУБЛІКА
Japan, 1937大日本帝國郵便
India, 1947 (1½ annas, lion column)जय हिन्द
No name at all
- United Kingdom, 1840POSTAGE
- United Kingdom, 1864POSTAGE
- United Kingdom, 1913ONE POUND
- Norway, 1855FRIMÆRKE
- Denmark, 1851KONGELIGT POST FRIMÆRKE
Netherlands, 1852POST ZEGEL
Austria, 1850KK POST-STEMPEL
German Empire, 1900REICHSPOST
Russian Empire, 1857ПОЧТОВАЯ МАРКА
Russian Empire, 1913ПОЧТА
Money talks
- United Kingdom, 1924BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION 1924
- France, 1876POSTE
- Norway, 1877NORGE
- Denmark, 1920DANMARK
- Netherlands, 1899NEDERLAND
Austria, 1910KAISERLICHE KÖNIGLICHE ÖSTERREICHISCHE POST
Greece, 1861 (10 lepta, orange)ΕΛΛ. ΓΡΑΜΜ.
Ukrainian People’s Republic, 1918 (50 shahiv, large numeral)50 ШАГІВ
Japan, 1888JAPANESE EMPIRE
British India, 1854INDIA
Name in plain sight
- United States, 1847U S
- United States, 1869UNITED STATES
- United States, 1893UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- France, 1849REPUB. FRANC.
- France, 1903RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE
France, 1900POSTES
British India, 1931INDIA POSTAGE
India, 1947 (3½ annas, flag)जयहिन्द
Canada, 1851CANADA POSTAGE
Australia, 1913AUSTRALIA POSTAGE
Mixed bag
- United Kingdom, 1929POSTAL UNION CONGRESS LONDON 1929
- Ireland, 1922Rialtas Sealadach na hÉireann 1922
- Switzerland, 1908HELVETIA
- Switzerland, 1907 (3, pink)HELVETIA
- Sweden, 1855 (3 skilling banco, yellow)SVERIGE
Denmark, 1902DANMARK
Finland, 1917 (40, lilac)SUOMI
Netherlands, 19231898 1923
Czechoslovakia, 1918 (100, red)POŠTA
German Empire, 1916DEUTSCHES REICH
Hidden names
- Belgium, 1849 (10 centimes, brown)POSTES
- Belgium, 1849 (20 centimes, blue)POSTES
- Mauritius, 1847 (Post Office one penny)POSTAGE
- New South Wales, 1850 (one penny, red)POSTAGE
- New South Wales, 1850 (three pence, green)POSTAGE
Siam, 1883 (one solot)โสฬส
Japan, 1871 (48 mon)錢四十八文
Japan, 1872 (10 sen)10SEN
Portugal, 1882 (25 réis)PORTUGAL (under the postmark)
Austria, 1908 (25 heller, blue)KAISERLICHE KÖNIGLICHE ÖSTERREICHISCHE POST
Crowned heads
- British India, 1854 (four annas)INDIA
- Tasmania, 1855 (Van Diemen’s Land)VAN DIEMENS LAND
- Tasmania, 1870 (ten pence)TASMANIA
- Tasmania, 1891 (halfpenny)TASMANIA
- New Zealand, 1882 (1d, red)NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand, 1882 (2d, mauve)NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand, 1882 (8d, blue)NEW ZEALAND
Canada, 1897 (Diamond Jubilee)CANADA
Australia, 1914 (1d, King George V)AUSTRALIA
Monaco, 1885 (5 centimes)PRINCIPAUTÉ DE MONACO
Pounds and dollars
- Australia, 1913 (½d, green)AUSTRALIA
- Australia, 1913 (£2, rose and black)AUSTRALIA
- New Zealand, 1882 (6d, brown)NEW ZEALAND
- New Zealand, 1882 (1 shilling)NEW ZEALAND
- United States, 1898 (1 dollar, cattle)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
United States, 1898 (2 dollars, bridge)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
United States, 1898 (50 cents, prospector)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Canada, 1908 (5 cents, Champlain’s Habitation)CANADA POSTAGE
France, 1902 (Rights of Man)POSTES
United States, 1923 (2 cents, Harding)UNITED STATES POSTAGE
Wild places
- New Zealand, 1898 (3d, huia)NEW ZEALAND
- New Zealand, 1898 (6d, kiwi)NEW ZEALAND
- New Zealand, 1898 (5d, Otira Gorge)NEW ZEALAND
- New Zealand, 1898 (4d, White Terraces)NEW ZEALAND
- Australia, 1913 (4d, orange)AUSTRALIA
Australia, 1913 (9d, violet)AUSTRALIA
United States, 1898 (4 cents, bison hunt)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
United States, 1898 (2 cents, farming)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
United States, 1901 (5 cents, Niagara)COMMEMORATIVE SERIES 1901
United States, 1898 (10 cents, covered wagon)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
On the move
- United States, 1901 (1 cent, lake steamer)COMMEMORATIVE SERIES 1901
- United States, 1901 (2 cents, express train)COMMEMORATIVE SERIES 1901
- United States, 1901 (4 cents, automobile)COMMEMORATIVE SERIES 1901
- United States, 1901 (10 cents, ocean liner)COMMEMORATIVE SERIES 1901
- United States, 1918 (24 cents, Jenny)U.S. POSTAGE
United States, 1898 (8 cents, wagon train)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
United States, 1901 (8 cents, canal locks)COMMEMORATIVE SERIES 1901
Canada, 1929 (50 cents, Bluenose)CANADA
Canada, 1908 (20 cents, Cartier’s ships)CANADA POSTAGE
New Zealand, 1898 (8d, war canoe)NEW ZEALAND
People and places
- United States, 1863 (2 cents, Black Jack)U.S. POSTAGE
- United States, 1898 (1 cent, Marquette)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- United States, 1898 (5 cents, Frémont)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- United States, 1907 (2 cents, Jamestown)COMMEMORATIVE SERIES 1907
- United States, 1907 (5 cents, Pocahontas)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
New Zealand, 1898 (1d, Lake Taupo)NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand, 1898 (2d, Pembroke Peak)NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand, 1898 (9d, Pink Terraces)NEW ZEALAND
Canada, 1898 (map stamp)CANADA POSTAGE
Australia, 1913 (5d, brown)AUSTRALIA
Scripts of the world
- Greece, 1896 (25 lepta, chariot race)ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ
- Greece, 1896 (2 drachmas, Hermes)ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ
- Greece, 1896 (5 drachmas, Nike)ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ
- Greece, 1896 (40 lepta, amphora)ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ
- Greece, 1896 (2 lepta, wrestlers)ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ
Serbia, 1904 (5 para)КРАЉЕВИНА СРБИЈА
Ottoman Empire, 1865 (1 kuruş)دولت عثمانیه
Ottoman Empire, 1865 (20 para)دولت عثمانیه
Ethiopia, 1895 (4 guerche, lion)ኢትዮጵያ
Siam, 1883 (one att)อัฐ
Siam, 1883 (one sio)เสี้ยว
Siam, 1883 (one sik)ซีกหนึ่ง
Still no name
- Spain, 1850 (6 cuartos)6 CUARTOS
- Spain, 1850 (12 cuartos)12 CUARTS
- Spain, 1850 (6 reales)6 REALES
- Spain, 1851 (2 reales, red)CERTFDO
- Spain, 1851 (2 reales, blue error)CERTFDO
Switzerland, 1850 (Orts-Post 2½ rappen)ORTS-POST
Switzerland, 1850 (Rayon I, 5 rappen, 1850)RAYON I.
Switzerland, 1850 (Rayon II, 10 rappen)RAYON II.
Switzerland, 1851 (Rayon I, 5 rappen, 1851)RAYON I.
Switzerland, 1852 (Rayon III, 15 rappen)RAYON III.
Siam, 1883 (one salung)สลึงหนึ่ง
Emperors and queens
- Austria, 1910 (2 kronen, Schönbrunn)1830
- Austria, 1910 (1 heller, Charles VI)1830
- Austria, 1910 (3 heller, Joseph II)1830
- Austria, 1910 (25 heller, Franz Joseph)1830
- Austria, 1908 (30 heller, young Franz Joseph)KAISERLICHE KÖNIGLICHE ÖSTERREICHISCHE POST
Hawaii, 1853 (13 cents, Kamehameha III)POSTAGE
Hawaii, 1866 (5 cents, Kamehameha V)HAWAII
Hawaii, 1871 (18 cents, Kekūanāoʻa)HAWAII
Hawaii, 1883 (1 dollar, Queen Emma)HAWAII
Hawaii, 1891 (2 cents, Liliʻuokalani)POSTAGE
Romania, 1872 (25 bani)ROMANIA
Japan, 1921 (3 sen, crown prince)3 SEN
Centesimi and reales
- Italy, 1863 (1 centesimo)POSTE ITALIANE
- Italy, 1863 (5 centesimi)POSTE ITALIANE
- Italy, 1863 (10 centesimi)POSTE ITALIANE
- Italy, 1863 (30 centesimi)POSTE ITALIANE
- Italy, 1863 (40 centesimi)POSTE ITALIANE
Mexico, 1856 (half real)CORREOS MEJICO
Mexico, 1856 (1 real)CORREOS MEJICO
Mexico, 1856 (2 reales)CORREOS MEJICO
Mexico, 1856 (4 reales)CORREOS MEJICO
Mexico, 1856 (8 reales)CORREOS MEJICO
Iceland, 1876 (10 aurar)ISLAND
Around the world
- Brazil, 1900 (100 réis, ships)E. U. DO BRASIL
- Brazil, 1900 (200 réis, independence)ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRASIL
- Brazil, 1900 (500 réis, freedom)E. U. DO BRASIL
- Brazil, 1900 (700 réis, republic)ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRASIL
- Brazil, 1922 (100 réis, Ypiranga)BRASIL CORREIO
Iceland, 1873 (2 skilling)ISLAND
Iceland, 1882 (20 aurar, blue)ISLAND
Iceland, 1876 (40 aurar)ISLAND
Japan, 1875 (45 sen, eagle)郵便切手
Japan, 1879 (50 sen, Koban)IMPERIAL JAPANESE POST
Japan, 1921 (3 sen, postal jubilee)郵便創始五拾年記念
About the stamps
Every stamp is a public-domain scan from Wikimedia Commons, chosen under a recorded rule (for example, its designer died more than 70 years ago). Shown at screen size for learning; these are illustrations, not valid postage. Every source and rule.
What is Stamp Desk?
A stamp mode inside Atlas Play: you see a real historical postage stamp and pick which country issued it from four choices. The reveal shows where the clue is, translates the inscription and adds the year and one fact.
Is there a daily stamp round?
Not yet. Stamp Desk starts with practice packs and mixed rounds of ten. A daily stamp round will only be added after a person has checked the rights of every stamp.
Do stamp rounds change my streak?
No. Stamp results are kept separately from your flag results and never change your daily flag streak.