Postage stamp block

In philately, a block is a group of four or more un-separated stamps.

Blocks of stamps from the edges of the original sheet or pane often include sections of the sheet's margin, which may have a wide variety of information.

An imprint block includes the name of the printer, while for many United States stamps the zip block includes a promotional mention of the ZIP code.

Although blocks of rare stamps are highly valued, a block's price may actually be so high that no buyers can be found, leaving the owner with the agonizing prospect of breaking up the block, so as to be able to sell the stamps individually.

In some cases, dealers have publicized plans to break up a famous block, in the hopes of that someone will come forward to save the block from destruction.