Bond Paper

Bond Paper: A security paper of high quality, used to a limited extent in early stamp printing. Originally, bond was made from rags. The modern paper used for first-day covers is usually a bond quality paper.

A variety of different paper types have been used for the production of stamps: blueprint paper, bluish rag paper, bond paper, cardboard, cartridge paper, coated paper, colored paper, enameled paper, ...

Papers commonly used in making postage stamps are rag paper, bond paper, blueprint paper, cardboard, cartridge paper, colored paper, enameled paper, prelure (semi-transparent paper), silk paper, granite paper, manila paper, and ruled paper.

Sometimes the pattern can be seen by simply holding a stamp up to light as is normally the case for quality bond paper. Watermarks on stamps from Italy are among those most easily seen.

Bond paper: a thin crisp high quality paper with a hard surface; 1862-71: used for early US revenue stamps, proofs and essays.
Bond, Wm. & Co.: private die match proprietary stamps.
Bone: now Annaba, Algeria.

See also: Printing, Machin, Perforations, Watermark, Perforation