Shell

In a nutshell, this describes the commercial aspects of Christmas in North American and probably most of the rest of the Western world.

Backing: the process of filling the shell with molten metal to form a printing plate. Backing paper: liner on self-adhesive coil stamps that stamps are affixed to.

The three objects in the foreground of the first issue were intended in the design … to represent one a turtle (Producing Tortoiseshell) in the center, the others a mother of pearl shell and a large green snail shell." (Franks) ...

Watermarks that have been used include lotus flowers, lions, pineapples, castles, an umbrella, a conch shell, an elephant's head, a pyramid, a honeycomb, turtles, roses, shamrocks, thistles, and aeroplanes. Even the common crown watermark varies.

A duplicate coin created by the electrolytic method, where metal is deposited into a mold made from the original. The obverse and reverse metal shells are then filled with metal and fused together.

See also: Stamp, Used, Series, Philatelic, Cover