How can you tell if a stamp is vintage?

Look for an inscription. While some stamps don’t display the country and currency, they have inscriptions, or letters, words, and numbers that are part of the stamp design. A simple internet search for the inscription on your stamp can help easily identify a stamp’s country of origin.

What does RF mean on a stamp?

“RF” monograms (for “Republique Francaise”) in the upper corners indicate this 1938 issue is from France. A coat of arms again is substituted for a country name, on Switzerland’s first stamp, issued in 1850.

What does overprint mean on stamps?

An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage or revenue stamp, postal stationery, banknote or ticket after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but they are also employed in public mail.

What does SG mean in stamp collecting?

SG. This stands for 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. Each country’s first issue is normally SG1, however there are some exceptions.

What does SCV mean stamps?

Scott Catalog Value (stamps)

Are misprinted stamps worth anything?

Stamps with printing errors are strongly coveted by collectors, some being valued thousands of times higher than their nominal price. The philatelic value of an error stamp is defined by its visual appeal and relative scarcity. The more visible the printing mistake is the more chances are for the stamp to sell big.

Are overprint stamps valuable?

In general, rarity and demand will determine the value of overprints. Some stamps, for example, are overprinted in error and may be rare and valuable. Some cancelled stamps are cancelled by having a postal authority write “specimen” on them by hand, creating a rarer specimen.