Grading
U/M – Unmounted Mint or Never Hinged. Has not been mounted on the gum side by a stamp hinge.
VLM/M – Very Lightly Mounted Mint. Stamps with a small trace of being hinged with nearly full original gum
LM/M – Lightly Mounted Mint. As above but the stamps have slightly more evidence of being hinged
M/M – Mounted Mint. Stamps which have been more heavily hinged with possible hinge remnants
F/M – Fine Mint
VFU– Very Fine Used. Used Stamps with a light cancel or Circular Date Stamp (CDS) or equivalent
F/U – Fine Used. As above but these stamps are with slightly heavier or smudged cancel.
G/U – Good Used. Collectable stamps with perhaps heavier cancel and minor faults, crease, short perforations etc
Abbreviations
FDC – First Day Cover
P/P – Presentation Pack
PHQ – Postcard
S/A – Self Adhesive
MS – Miniature Sheet
SG – Stanley Gibbons. The SG is either followed by a number or a letter. This reference can then be used to look up the stamp in the Stanley Gibbons catalogue.
CDS – Circular Date Stamp postmark
HS – Handstamp
MS – Miniature Sheet
NW – North West
NE – North East
SW – South West
SE – South East
TBA – To be announced
Values
Catalogue values are taken from Stanley Gibbons current catalogue. This is for information only and is not intended to imply the stamp’s retail value. Stamps are listed with the country, year of issue, denomination, colour, SG number and grading. Descriptions, where appropriate, will provide more information about the stamps. Note that all catalogue numbers quoted on this website remain the full copyright of Stanley Gibbons Ltd.