Pre‑philately refers to the postal period preceding the introduction of adhesive postage stamps, covering letters and circulated documents from the seventeenth century to the mid‑nineteenth century. These items include manuscript postal markings, pre‑stamp handstamps, rate notations, paid and unpaid markings, postal routes and administrative references that illustrate how mail services operated before standardized philatelic systems. In Portugal, pre‑philately is especially significant due to the variety of regional markings, the evolution of postal reforms and the documentary richness associated with the country’s historical provinces. Its collectible scope includes circulated letters, origin and destination markings, transit handstamps, postal rates, official correspondence and items that reflect postal practices, administrative circuits and both domestic and international routes. This category provides a general framework for Portuguese pre‑philately, serving as the foundation for the subsequent geographic subdivisions, allowing collectors to explore national postal history with accuracy, authenticity and historical context.