Stamps & Postal History

Proofs, Essays & Specimens: What to Record

Designs, proofs, colour trials and specimen stamps from the production of a stamp issue.

The Data Sheet for Proofs, Essays & Specimens

The 35 fields worth recording for proofs, essays & specimens, grouped as in the ordicio app. Fields marked with a broader category come from it; the others are specific to proofs, essays & specimens.

Identification

Country Text Stamps & postal history: Country of origin or issue, by its usual English name (historic states as named at the time, e.g. Kingdom of Bavaria).
Catalogue numbers Text Stamps & postal history: Numbers in the main catalogues with the catalogue named, e.g. Scott 245, SG 186, Michel 52, Yvert 140, WNS DE012.05.
Reference link Link Stamps & postal history: Web page about this object or its reference entry (catalogue, database, sale).
Issue date Date Postage stamps: First day of issue.
Face value Text Postage stamps: Denomination as printed, with currency, e.g. 5 c, 1/2 d, 0,80 EUR.
Set / series Text Postage stamps: Set or series the stamp belongs to, e.g. Europa 1962, Famous Germans.
Stamp type Choice, or your own Postage stamps: Purpose of the stamp as classified by the catalogues.
13 choices
Definitive
Commemorative
Airmail
Semi-postal / charity
Postage due
Official
Express / special delivery
Registration
Parcel post
Military / field post
Newspaper
Local / private post
Personalised
Format Choice, or your own Postage stamps: Whether the item is a single stamp or a multiple.
Single
Pair
Strip
Block of four
Larger block
Sheet / pane
Souvenir sheet / miniature sheet
Booklet / booklet pane
Coil
Se-tenant combination
Topic Text Postage stamps: Themes for thematic (topical) collecting, e.g. birds, ships, space, Olympic Games.
Subject Text Postage stamps: What the object depicts or is about.
Proof / essay type Choice, or your own: Kind of pre-production or archival item.
Essay
Die proof
Plate proof
Colour trial
Specimen overprint
Imperforate proof
Printer's waste

Condition

Condition notes Text Stamps & postal history: Faults, wear and damage in detail.
Certificate / expertise Text Stamps & postal history: Certificates of authenticity or expert opinions, with issuer, date and number.
Gum / usage Choice Postage stamps: State of the gum for mint stamps, or how the stamp was used.
Mint never hinged (MNH, **)
Mint lightly hinged (MLH, *)
Mint hinged (MH, *)
Mint, no gum ((*))
Used
Cancelled to order (CTO)
On piece
On cover
Grade Choice Postage stamps: Grade by centering and soundness in the US terms used by dealers and PSE/PSAG; a faulty stamp is graded down.
11 choices
Gem
Superb
Extremely fine to superb
Extremely fine (XF)
Very fine to extremely fine
Very fine (VF)
Fine to very fine
Fine (F)
Very good (VG)
Good
Poor
Numeric grade Whole number, 1 to 100 Postage stamps: Grade from a certificate on the 100-point scale (PSE / PSAG), e.g. 100 Gem, 98 Superb, 90 XF, 80 VF, 70 Fine, 50 Very good.
Cancellation Text Postage stamps: Type, place and date of the cancellation, e.g. circular datestamp BERLIN 12.3.1921, pen cancel, numeral obliterator.

Acquisition

How and when the object came into the collection.

Acquisition date Date Stamps & postal history: Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own Stamps & postal history: How the object came into the collection.
Purchase
Auction
Gift
Inheritance
Exchange / trade
Self-collected / found
Commission
Acquired from Text Stamps & postal history: Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount Stamps & postal history: Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text Stamps & postal history: Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).

Value

Estimated and insured value.

Estimated value Amount Stamps & postal history: Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date Stamps & postal history: Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice Stamps & postal history: What the estimated value is based on.
Own estimate
Recent sales / auction results
Dealer offer
Catalogue value
Professional appraisal
Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount Stamps & postal history: Sum the object is insured for.

Collection record

Your own inventory data.

Inventory number Text Stamps & postal history: Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text Stamps & postal history: Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.

Production

How the stamp was made; the details catalogues use to tell issues apart.

Printing method Choice, or your own Postage stamps: How the stamp was printed.
Recess / engraving (intaglio)
Typography / letterpress
Lithography
Offset lithography
Photogravure
Embossing
Combination of methods
Digital printing
Colour (catalogue) Text Postage stamps: Colour name as given in the catalogue, e.g. carmine-rose, deep blue.
Separation Choice Postage stamps: How the stamps were separated from each other.
Perforated
Imperforate
Rouletted
Die-cut (self-adhesive)
Perforated and imperforate sides
Perforation gauge Text Postage stamps: Perforation as measured with a gauge, horizontal x vertical, e.g. 14, 12 1/2, 14 x 13 1/2.
Watermark Text Postage stamps: Watermark as identified in the catalogue, e.g. Crown CA, Multiple crosses, none.
Paper Text Postage stamps: Paper type, e.g. wove, laid, chalk-surfaced, granite, fluorescent, phosphor-tagged.
Variety / error Text Postage stamps: Plate flaws, missing colours, inverted centres, perforation shifts and other varieties, with the catalogue's variety number.