War and Philately
are even more widespread than stamps. Perhaps the most commonly seen war-related materials are censor markings. Other markings include postmarks from war zones or occupied cities (One collector I know has complete sets of the Germany "Hitler Heads" through the 80pf for several occupied cities in Europe). Military postmarks and postal routing instructions are also widespread, and provide a field of specialization within itself. Such postal markings date at least to our own Civil War! Postal routing markings, returned mail, and other such unusual philatelic instances can enhance a collection of war-related material significantly. Prisoner-of-war mail and internee mail are other areas of specialization related to war.
The final war-related topic is recovery and reconstruction. War has a devastating effect on people and property. Hoards of people may become displaced, and it's not unusual for there to be a large number of refugees, orphans, and other charity cases that need support and succor. Whole cities were devastated in both Europe and Asia during World War II, and had to be rebuilt. Thousands of stamps, especially semi-postal issues, have been issued promoting these themes. These stamps are usually issued after the war is over, and recovery is possible. The end of war is also the time many countries use to honor those who made outstanding contributions to the war effort, or just to honor its military services.
War-related items usually have a higher-than-average valuation, mainly because they are available in limited quantity, and there is usually a fairly strong market for them. They have a significant historical context, and help provide information on activities that may be clouded in obscurity or confusion. Whether any materials gleaned from the current disaster in the United States, or elsewhere during the conduct of the current war, will add to or confuse historical perspective, remains to be seen.
I don't expect to see the United States issue Occupation stamps during this war, but it might, perhaps as a United Nations mandated issue. Provisional issues are a strong possibility, especially for such areas as Afghanistan, where there is an opposition Alliance fighting the ruling Taliban government. I would expect propaganda-type to appear in many nations, and if any other nation other than the United States is attacked, I would expect to see semi-postal stamps issued for recovery and reconstruction. Military stamps have become outdated, with most nations offering free franking for its military service members in
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