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SI (Metric System) Unit Names
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SI (Metric System) Unit Names
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Below are checklists of SI (metric system) system unit names on postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.). Currently nineteen (19) SI units are named after prominent scientists who were involved in some aspect of physics relating to the unit named after them. The unit names are listed in order of complexity, starting with SI base units, followed by simpler and then more complex derived units. (Note about capitalization: unit names when spelled-out are not capitalized [Celsius being the exception], the first letter of the unit symbols are capitalized, and when the person and not the unit is meant, the names are capitalized.) Catalog numbers, years of issue, and notes on the items featured are given when available. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the author using the e-mail address at the bottom of this page.
Additional examples of spelled-out metric unit names can be found among the many postal items featuring the metric system. Those items are not double-listed here. This page focuses on the metric-named personalities, not on the metric units named after them.
| SI (Metric System) Unit Names (the scientists behind the units) | ||
|---|---|---|
| SI Unit Name* | Unit Symbol | Person (birth-death years) |
| ampere | A | André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836) |
| becquerel | Bq | Antoine-Henri Becquerel (1852–1908) |
| (degree) Celsius | °C | Anders Celsius (1701–1744) |
| coulomb | C | Charles Coulomb (1736–1806) |
| farad | F | Michael Faraday (1791–1867) |
| gray | Gy | Louis Harold Gray (1905–1965) |
| henry | H | Joseph Henry (1797–1878) |
| hertz | Hz | Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (1857–1894) |
| joule | J | James Prescott Joule (1818–1889) |
| kelvin | K | Lord Kelvin (William Thomson) (1824–1907) |
| newton | N | Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727)2 |
| ohm | Ω | George Simon Ohm (1787–1854) |
| pascal | Pa | Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) |
| siemens | S | Werner von Siemens (1816–1892) |
| sievert | Sv | Rolf Sievert (1898–1966) |
| tesla | T | Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) |
| volt | V | Alessandro Volta (1745–1827) |
| watt | W | James Watt (1736–1819) |
| weber | Wb | Wilhelm Eduard Weber (1804–1891) |
| Summary (by metric system unit name) | ||
*Note that all unit names when spelled out, except Celsius, are not capitalized, to distinguish the unit name from the same name for the person. The symbols for these named SI units, however, are capitalized.
| ampere (A) | 
| André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836) |
|---|
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afars and Issas | C92 (Mi131) iC92 | Imperforate | 1975 | (200th anniv. birth) "Ampere" |
| Afars and Issas | C92 fdc | Stamp and (text) cancel and (blue and black printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| Albania | 2205b (Mi2293) | One of strip of 4 (2205 (a-d)) (Mi2292-2295) | 1986 | (150th anniv. death) "Andre Amper" |
| Albania | 2205a-d fdc | One of four stamps on FDC | ||
| Albania | 2206 (BL87) | On (center) label of SS1 | ||
| Altai | Unknown c (Mi?) | One of MS8 (a-h), also from imperforate MS8 (a-h), and from self-adhesive MS28 | 2011 | |
| Congo (People's Republic, Brazzaville) | 358 (Mi503) | 1975 | (200th anniv. birth) "André-Marie Ampère" | |
| France | 306 (Mi313) | 1936 | (100th anniv. death) "André-Marie Ampère" | |
| France | 306 maxi | Maxicard, also back | ||
| France | 306 proof1 | Un-issued proof | ||
| France | 306 proof2 | Un-issued proof (different) | ||
| France | 626 (Mi852) | 1949 | "Ampère" (at right in stamp, at left in maxicard design) | |
| France | 626 maxi | Maxicard, also back | ||
| France | 626 ds | Deluxe sheet | ||
| France | 626 proof | Signed proof | ||
| France | 625-628+C28 ds | Compound deluxe sheet (625-628+C28) | ||
| France | B339 (Mi1293) | 1960 | Ampère (cable-laying ship)3 | |
| France | B339 maxi | Maxicard | ||
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | 554 (Mi944) | From MS20 (554a (20x 554)) | 2017 | "Vallée Ampère, Kerguelen" |
| Germany (East) | 1629 (Mi2029) | 1975 | (200th anniv. birth) "André-Marie Ampère" | |
| Île Roy (France) | Local1 | Local post stamp | 1975 | 200th anniv. birth "Ampère" |
| Île Roy (France) | Local2 | Local post stamp | ||
| Île Roy (France) | Local3 | Local post stamp | ||
| Île Roy (France) | Local4 | Local post stamp | ||
| Île Roy (France) | Local5 | Local post stamp, overprinted "specimen" | ||
| Ivory Coast | Unknown a (Mi none) | One of MS2 (a-b) [known illegal issue] | 2017 | "André-Marie Ampère" |
| Ivory Coast | Unknown fdc | MS2 on FDC | ||
| Macedonia (North) | 844 (Mi911) | From MS9 (844a (9x 844)) | 2020 | "200th anniv. Ampère's magnetic theory" and "André-Marie Ampère" |
| Macedonia (North) | 844 fdc | Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (North Macedonia Post) cachet on FDC | ||
| Mali | C258 (Mi505) | 1975 | "André-Marie Ampère"; (200th anniv. birth) | |
| Mali | Unknown b (Mi none) | One of MS2 (a-b) [known illegal issue] | 2011 | "André-Marie Ampère" |
| Mali | Unknown ms fdc | MS2 on FDC | ||
| Marshall Islands | 1032f (Mi2929) | One of MS20 (1032 (a-t)) (Mi2924-2943) | 2012 | "André-Marie Ampère" |
| Monaco | 1001 (Mi1186) | 1975 | "André Ampère"; (200th anniv. birth) | |
| Monaco | 1001 fdc1 | Stamp and (CEP) cachet on FDC | ||
| Monaco | 1001 fdc2 | Stamp and (Éditions J.F.) cachet on FDC | ||
| Monaco | 1001 fdc3 | FDC card | ||
| Monaco | 1001 maxi | Maxicard | ||
| Russia | 8037 (Mi2713) | From MS9 (8037a (9x 8037)) | 2019 | "Ampère meter" (ammeter, in Cyrillic text) |
| Russia | 8037 fdc | Stamp on FDC | ||
| United States | None | (Text) cancel and (black printed) cachet (return address) on cover | 1914 | "Ampere NJ" (post office) |
3Ampère name for cable-laying ship is noted in description in Michel catalog.
| joule (J) | 
| James Prescott Joule (1818–1889) |
|---|
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2480 cover (Mi? cover) | (Black and green and yellow printed) cachet on (un-canceled) cover | 2018 | "Joule" |
| Guinea-Bissau | Mi4446A Mi4446B | From MS5 (Mi4444A-4448A) Imperforate | 2009 | "James Prescott Joule"; (120th anniv. death) |
| Macedonia | 777 (Mi831) | From MS9 (777a (9x 777)) | 2018 | "James Prescott Joule"; 200th anniv. birth |
| Macedonia | 777 fdc | Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (Macedonia Post) cachet on FDC | ||
| Macedonia | None | Postcard | 2018 | "James Prescott Joule"; 200th anniv. birth |
| coulomb (C) | 
| Charles Coulomb (1736–1806) |
|---|
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | B352 (Mi1351) | 1961 | "Coulomb" | |
| France | B352 fdc1 | Stamp and (text) cancel on FDC (blank/no cachet) | ||
| France | B352 fdc2 | Stamp and (text) cancel and (Éditions J.F.) cachet on FDC | ||
| France | B352 fdc3 | Stamp and (text) cancel and (Éditions PAC) cachet on FDC | ||
| France | B352 fdc4 | Stamp and (text) cancel and (black printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| France | B352 fdc5 | Stamp and (text) cancel and (Éditions P.J.) cachet on FDC | ||
| France | B352 maxi1 | Maxicard | ||
| France | B352 maxi2 | Maxicard (different) | ||
| Mali | Unknown a (Mi none) | One of MS2 (a-b) [known illegal issue] | 2011 | "Charles Coulomb" |
| Mali | Unknown ms fdc | MS2 on FDC (Mali Post cachet) |
| farad (F) | 
| Michael Faraday (1791–1867) |
|---|
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faraday (on non-launch-cover postal items) | ||||
| Benin | Unknown ms (Mi none) | MS2 (a-b) [known illegal issue] | 2017 | 150th anniv. death "Michael Faraday" |
| Benin | Unknown fdc | MS2 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| Benin | Unknown ss (BL none) | SS1 [known illegal issue] | ||
| Benin | Unknown fdc | SS1 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| British Antarctic Territory | 76-81 fdc (Mi? fdc) | (Text) cancel on FDC | 1980 | "Faraday Base" |
| British Antarctic Territory | None | (Text) cancel on postcard, also back | 1985 | "Faraday" (Station, Antarctica) |
| British Antarctic Territory | 86-88 cover (Mi? cover) | (Text) cancel and (black rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | 1985 | "Faraday Station" |
| British Antarctic Territory | None | (Text) cancel and (black rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | 1990 | "Faraday" (Station, Antarctica) |
| British Antarctic Territory | 176-179 fdc (Mi177-180 fdc) | (Text) cancel and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC, also insert and insert back | 1991 | "Faraday Station" (Antarctica) |
| British Antarctic Territory | 188 (Mi189) | Like 184 inscribed in blue | 1991 | "200th anniv. birth M. Faraday" |
| British Antarctic Territory | 189 (Mi190) | Like 185 inscribed in blue | ||
| British Antarctic Territory | 190 (Mi191) | Like 186 inscribed in blue | ||
| British Antarctic Territory | 191 (Mi192) | Like 187 inscribed in blue | ||
| British Antarctic Territory | 188-191 fdc | Four stamps and (text) cancel and (BAT Official) cachet on FDC | ||
| British Antarctic Territory | 198 (Mi199) | Also gutter-pair | 1992 | "Faraday" (Station, Antarctica) |
| British Antarctic Territory | 198-201 fdc | One of four stamps on FDC, also insert and insert back | ||
| British Antarctic Territory | 344 (Mi385-386) | On one of pair (a-b) | 2004 | "Faraday Station" (Antarctica) |
| British Antarctic Territory | 344c | Ten of MS20 (10x (344 (a-b))) | ||
| British Antarctic Territory | 342-344 fdc | One of three pairs of stamps on FDC | ||
| Cambodia | 2053 (Mi2148) | 2001 | "Michael Faraday" | |
| Canada | 1135-1136 fdc (Mi? fdc) | (Fleetwood) cachet on FDC, also back | 1987 | (120th anniv. death) "Michael Faraday" |
| Chad | Unknown b (Mi?) Unknown ib | One of MS2 (a-b) One of imperforate MS2 (a-b) | 2014 | "Michael Faraday" |
| Chad | Unknown ss (BL?) Unknown iss | SS1 Imperforate SS1 | ||
| Cuba | 3580 (Mi3758) | 1994 | "Michael Faraday" | |
| Djibouti | Unknown a (Mi?) Unknown ia | One of MS4 (a-d) One of imperforate MS4 (a-d) | 2006 | "Michael Faraday" |
| Djibouti | Unknown ms fdc Unknown ims fdc | MS4 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC Imperforate MS4 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| France | None | (Text) cancel and (black rubber-stamp) cachet on postcard, also back | 1948 | "Faraday" |
| Great Britain | None | Cinderella (poster stamp) | 1931 | "Michael Faraday centenary exhibition" |
| Great Britain | 658 (Mi584) | 1971 | Faraday Building, Engineering Faculty, University of Southampton | |
| Great Britain | 1360 (Mi1320) | 1991 | "Faraday"; (200th anniv. birth) | |
| Great Britain | 1360 fdc1 | Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (Benham silk) cachet on FDC | ||
| Great Britain | 1360 fdc2 | Stamp and (Fleetwood) cachet on FDC (Edinburgh cancal) | ||
| Great Britain | 1360-1363 fdc1 | One of four stamps on FDC (Royal Mail cachet, Canterbury cancel) | ||
| Great Britain | 1360-1363 fdc2 | One of four stamps on FDC (Royal Mail cachet, Twickenham cancel) | ||
| Great Britain | 1360-1363 fdc3 | One of four stamps on FDC (Fleetwood cachet) | ||
| Great Britain | P384a | 20 pounds (banknote) | 1990—1991 | "Michael Faraday" |
| Great Britain | P384b | 20 pounds (banknote) | 1991 | "Michael Faraday" |
| Great Britain | P387 (like P384) | 20 pounds (banknote) | 1993 | "Michael Faraday" |
| Great Britain | 1869 (Mi?) | 1999 | "Faraday's electricity" | |
| Great Britain | 1869 card | PHQ card | ||
| Great Britain | 1869 pane | Prestige pane of 4 (4x 1869) | ||
| Great Britain | 1867-1870 fdc (Mi1819+1820C+1821C+1822A fdc) | One of four stamps on FDC (Benham cachet) | ||
| Guinea-Bissau | Mi4444A Mi4444B | From MS5 (Mi4444A-4448A) Imperforate | 2009 | "Michael Faraday" |
| Macedonia | 753 (Mi804) | From MS9 (753a (9x 753)) | 2017 | 150th anniv. death "Michael Faraday" |
| Macedonia | 753 fdc | Stamp and (signature) cancel and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| Malagasy (DR) | 1100e (Mi1482) | One of MS16 (1100 (a-p)) | 1992 | "Michael Faraday" |
| Malawi | Unknown b (Mi none) | One of MS2 (a-b) | 2008 | "Michael Faraday" |
| Marshall Islands | 1032g (Mi2930) | One of MS20 (1032 (a-t)) (Mi2924-2943) | 2012 | "Michael Faraday" |
| Palau | 538j (Mi1596) | One of MS17 (538 (a-q + label)) (Mi1587-1603) | 2000 | "Faraday" |
| Sierra Leone | Unknown d (Mi none) Unknown id | One of MS8 (a-h) One of imperforate MS8 (a-h) | 2011 | (220th anniv. birth) "Michael Faraday" |
| Sierra Leone | Unknown margin (Mi none margin) | In (right) margin of MS8 (a-h) (different) In (right) margin of imperforate MS8 (a-h) | ||
| United States | None | (Black printed) cachet on cover | 1992 | "Faraday" (Station, Antarctica) |
| Country | Cancel Date | Cancel Location | Type of Item | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faraday (on satellite launch covers) | ||||
| United States | 1975-12-14 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on DSP-5 launch cover | "Faraday Cup" instrument |
| ohm (Ω) | 
| George Simon Ohm (1787–1854) |
|---|
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1829 (Mi1732) | 1994 | Discovery of Ohm's Law: "Entdeckung des Ohmschen Gesetzes" | |
| Germany | 1829 fdc1 | Stamp on FDC | ||
| Germany | 1829 fdc2 | Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (FIDACOS) cachet on FDC | ||
| Germany | 1829 fdc3 | Stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (yellow-orange and green and black printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| Ivory Coast | Unknown ms (Mi?) | MS2 (a-b) | 2016 | "Georg Ohm" |
| Ivory Coast | Unknown ms fdc | MS2 and (cyan printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| Ivory Coast | Unknown ss (BL?) | SS1 | ||
| Ivory Coast | Unknown ss fdc | SS1 and (cyan printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| Mali | Unknown b (Mi none) | One of MS2 (a-b) [known illegal issue] | 2011 | "Georg Ohm" |
| siemens (S) | 
| Werner von Siemens (1816–1892) |
|---|
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central African Republic | 841 (BL401A) | SS1 | 1986 | |
| Germany (Berlin) | 9N90 (Mi97) | 1952 | "Werner v. Siemens" | |
| Germany (West) | 968 (Mi528) | 1966 | (150th anniv. birth) "Werner v. Siemens" | |
| Germany | 1768 (Mi1642) | 1992 | (100th anniv. death) "Werner von Siemens" | |
| Paraguay | 1929a (Mi3249) | One of strip of 7 (1929 (a-g)) | 1979 | "Werner von Siemens" |
| weber (Wb) | 
| Wilhelm Eduard Weber (1804–1891) |
|---|
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China (People's Republic) | None | Postal card back1, also front | 2009 | Statue of Weber (standing) and Gauss in Göttingen |
| China (People's Republic) | None | Postal card back1 (different), also front (same) | 2009 | Statue of Weber (standing) and Gauss in Göttingen |
| Germany | None | (Marke Individuell) personalized postage | 2011 | Statue of Weber (standing) and Gauss in Göttingen; (120th anniv. death) |
| Germany | None | (CitiPost) private post stamp | 2012? | Statue of Weber (standing) and Gauss in Göttingen |
| Germany | None | 2012 | 175th anniv. Göttingen seven: "W.E. Weber" | |
| Germany | 2699 (Mi2962) | 2012 | 175th anniv. Göttingen seven: "Wilhelm Eduard Weber" (in middle-right) |
1These postal cards are only some of a large number of similar cards issued by China for various scientists. No effort is made to list all such cards.
| gray (Gy) | 
| Louis Harold Gray (1905–1965) |
|---|
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No postal items found | ||||
| sievert (Sv) | 
| Rolf Sievert (1898–1966) |
|---|
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | None | (Red pictorial) meter | 1959 | "Sievert" (but nothing to do with the scientist Sievert) |
The table below is a Summary (by metric system unit name) of postal items listed in the tables above. This summary is also available in spreadsheet form.
| SI Unit Name | Unit Symbol | Honoring | Number of Countries | Number of Items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ampere | A | A.-M. Ampère | 10 | 18 |
| becquerel | Bq | A.-H. Becquerel | 11 | 33 |
| (degree) Celsius | °C | A. Celsius | 8 | 17 |
| coulomb | C | C. Coulomb | 2 | 10 |
| farad | F | M. Faraday | 13 | 46 |
| gray | Gy | L.H. Gray | 0 | 0 |
| henry | H | J. Henry | 1 | 56 |
| hertz | Hz | H.R. Hertz | 15 | 59 |
| joule | J | J.P. Joule | 1 | 1 |
| kelvin | K | Lord Kelvin (William Thomson) | 11 | 15 |
| newton | N | Sir I. Newton | 80 | 301 |
| ohm | Ω | G.S. Ohm | 2 | 4 |
| pascal | P | B. Pascal | 14 | 78 |
| siemens | S | W. von Siemens | 5 | 5 |
| sievert | Sv | R. Sievert | 1 | 1 |
| tesla | T | N. Tesla | 25 | 175 |
| volt | V | A. Volta | 13 | 36 |
| watt | W | J. Watt | 24 | 47 |
| weber | Wb | W.E. Weber | 2 | 6 |
| Summary: 18 out of 19 names | Summary: 908 items |
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