Stamp Evaluation Guide
Stamp valuation guide: How to determine the value of your collectibles?
Stamp appraisal is the science that distinguishes amateurs from professionals. A stamp's value depends not only on its historical rarity, but also on its condition, which plays a major role in determining its final price at international auctions. Whether you own antique Arabic stamps or vintage European issues, using precise examination criteria is your first step.
Digital laboratory for evaluating postage stamps
A professional tool for determining preservation conditions according to international standards.
Visual Centering Guide
The design is perfectly balanced in terms of style.
The design is strongly biased towards one side.
The perforation teeth penetrate the character's design.
Glossary of Terms
Top quality; perfect geometric centering and original untouched glue.
Excellent centering with very wide margins, marred only by a slight microscopic deviation.
The preferred condition; the character is visually balanced and the margins are clear from all sides.
Structurally sound character, but the centering is clearly skewed to one side.
A virgin stamp, with its original adhesive as it came out of the printing press, and no adhesive hinge was used.
It was previously attached using a small piece of adhesive paper, which left a mark in the glue.
Digital laboratory standards for stamp evaluation
Our tool is based on three main pillars followed by global ranking experts (such as the Philatelic Foundation):
1. Centering accuracy
It is the degree to which the design is centered within the paper frame. In evaluating postage stamps, "perfect" centering is very rare in issues prior to 1900 due to outdated hand-cutting techniques.
2. Gum Condition
The background of the stamp tells us a lot. Stamps marked MNH (Mint Never Hinged) are the most expensive because their original adhesive has not been touched or affected by moisture or paper “hinges”.
3. Structural defects (Faults)
Even rare stamps can lose their 90% value if they have a crease or a small tear. Our lab automatically deducts points when these imperfections are selected to give you a realistic result.
You can use the tool Stamp perforation gauge To help complete the evaluation process
Begin by examining the face to ensure it is centered, then turn the stamp over to examine the glue under strong light to detect the hinge marks.
Not always; some rare historical seals (such as those of foreign post offices in Egypt) may increase the value of a stamp more than its unused state.
This means that the stamp is unused and in the same condition it was in when it left the mail.
