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What stamp is this, and is it worth anything?
Two stamps that look identical can differ in catalogue value by three orders of magnitude, and the difference is usually a perforation count or a watermark rather than anything visible in the design. Which is why the order matters: country first, because catalogues are organised by it, then the technical characteristics that decide which entry you are actually looking at.
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- Country first, then the detail
- Where the value actually hides
- Honest notes on what it is worth
1.Where is it from?
optionalIf there is no country name at all and the design shows a monarch's head, it is Great Britain — the only country entitled to omit it.
2.How was it printed?
optionalRun a fingertip across the design. Engraved ink stands proud and you can feel it; lithography is completely flat. This separates issues that look alike, and it is how most classic forgeries are caught.
3.How are the edges?
optionalPerforation is the single most important measurement in the hobby, and a gauge is the first tool worth buying. Counting the holes per two centimetres separates stamps that are otherwise identical.
4.Anything else on it?
optionalPick anything that applies. Overprints and surcharges are a large category and among the most faked things in philately.
- British Machin Definitives1967 onward
- Cinderellas and Labels1860s onward
- Commonwealth King George VI Issues1937-1952
- Condition and Centring1840 onward
- Errors and Varieties1840 onward
- Overprints and Surcharges1850s onward
- Perforation Varieties1854 onward
- Printing Methods1840 onward
- Revenue and Fiscal Stamps1850s onward
- Stamps With No Country Name1840 onward
- US Definitive Series1847 onward
- Watermarks1840 onward
Where to start
The checks that do most of the work.
All topics
The questions that come up most in identifying a stamp.
Questions people ask
Which country has no name on its stamps?
Great Britain. It issued the first postage stamp in 1840 and by convention is the only country entitled to omit the country name — a monarch's silhouette stands in for it.
Why do identical-looking stamps have different values?
Perforation, watermark and printing method. The same design was often issued over decades on different paper with different perforations, and those differences are separate catalogue entries that can differ enormously in price.
Is my old stamp collection worth anything?
Usually much less than people expect. Stamps were printed in the hundreds of millions and most twentieth-century material is common. Value concentrates in early issues, specific varieties, errors and condition.
Should I soak stamps off envelopes?
Not always. The cover — the envelope with its postmarks and routing — is frequently worth more than the stamp on it, particularly for older or unusual mail. Soak only common modern stamps.
How do you check a watermark?
Place the stamp face down in a black tray with a few drops of watermark fluid. The design shows as a darker outline. Never use water on a mint stamp with gum or a used stamp with a coloured cancel.
What does the app do that this site does not?
It identifies from a photograph, which is quicker for working through a large accumulation. This key is about the technical characteristics — perforation, watermark, printing method — that a photograph cannot show and that decide the value.