Philatelic Terms

I was searching the web for description of the philatelic term MNH which is commonly mentioned in Auction sites like eBay and I came across this site.

http://alphabetilately.com/glossary.html

It gives a good description about philatelic terms with examples(although they are in the US context). There is an interesting story which is mentioned in this site, regarding the invention of postage paid stamps. Rowland Hill, the man credited with the establishment of cheap postage and the use of postage stamps in England, was inspired to develop the concept by witnessing a scene in a country village - the postman presented a letter to a village maiden, who glanced at it, then handed it back, saying she could not afford to pay the postage. Hill, in sympathy, paid the postage and handed it to her. Once the postman had left, the girl confided to Hill that she did not want the letter at all, since the message it conveyed was written in a private code on the exterior, and she had read it when the postman first handed it to her. Whether the story is true or not, it illustrates the major weaknesses of the older system, in which rates were very high, so most mail was sent Due, and the recipient was under no obligation to pay it.

And what does the term MNH mean - it means Mint, Never Hinged.