In the philately, a precursor is a postage stamp used in a country or territory before its own stamps are issued. Often these are the stamps of the motherland used in a colony. Sometimes it is the stamps of a state that has fallen apart (Czechoslovakia) or an area has separated.

Precursors are stamped and preferably saved on a postal item, because only in that way it can be determined that the stamp has been used in the area that subsequently issues its own stamps.

Examples: Other meanings

In the philately, the term "precursor" is used in more meanings. For example:

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