top of page
Abbreviations & Philatelic Terminology
Listed below are a number of philatelic and stamp abbreviations commonly used in the profession.
Abbreviation/ Term | Definition |
|---|---|
(O) | Good Used, Fine Used or Very Fine Used |
(P) | Photographed |
A.A.M.C. / Eustis | Australian Air Mail Catalogue (Nelson Eustis) current edition |
A.S.C. | Australian Stamp Catalogue (Seven Seas Stamps) Current Colour Edition |
AAT | Australian Antarctic Territory |
ACSC or B/W | Brusden White Aust. Commonwealth Specialist Catalogue |
AP | Australia Post |
ASBA | Australian Booklet Specialist Album |
ATM | Automatic Teller Machine |
B/S | Button Set |
BAT | British Antarctic Territory |
BCOF | British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Japan) |
BIOT | British Indian Ocean Territory |
Bklt / B | Booklet |
C of A | Commonwealth of Australia |
CC | Collector Card |
CN | Collection |
CP | Campbell Patterson – New Zealand Catalogue |
CPS | Counter Printed Stamps ( Face Value Printed on Stamps at P.O. Counter ) |
CTO | Cancelled to order (Generally from PO "specimen" packs) |
Cat. / CV | Catalogue Value |
Commem | Commemorative or Special Issue sets |
Defin | Definitive or Regular long term issue stamp sets |
Env. | Envelope |
F.D.C. | First Day Cover |
F.V. or FV | Face Value |
FDI | First Day of Issue |
GRI | Georgus Rex Imperator |
GU / FU / VFU | Good Used, Fine Used or Very Fine Used |
GU / VGU | Good used, Very Good Used |
H & G | Higgins & Gage (Postal Stationery Catalogue) |
HB | Heritage Book |
IPM | Imperforate Margin |
Imp. | Imprint |
Imperf | Imperforate |
KEVII | King Edward VII |
KGV | King George V |
KGVI | King George VI |
LC | Lettercard |
M/S | Miniature Sheets / Souvenir Sheets |
MLH * | Mint Lightly Hinged |
MUH ** | Mint Unhinged – Unmounted Mint, Mint Never Hinged |
Marg. | Marginal (Copy of Stamp Adjacent to Selvedge of Sheet) |
Mi | Michel German Catalogue |
Mi or Michel | Michel (German) Catalogue. Current edition and prices in Euros |
N.W.P.I | North West Pacific Islands |
O/C | Appreciably Off-Centre – Usually in two Directions |
O/W | Otherwise |
OS | Official Service – Official Use |
Opt. | Overprinted |
P | Portfolio |
P.O. | Post Office |
PC | Postcard |
POA | Price on Application |
POP | Post Office Pack |
PPM | Part Perforated Through Margin |
PSE | Pre-Stamped Envelope |
PTM | Perforated Through Margin |
Perf | Perforation |
QE II | Queen Elizabeth II |
QV | Queen Victoria |
R/C | Reasonably Centred |
S | Specimen |
S/S | Seven Seas |
SC | Souvenir Cover |
SC or Scott | Scott Catalogue number current edition and price in $US |
SCDAA | Stamp & Coin Dealers Association of Australasia |
SG | Stanley Gibbons catalogue number – usually “Part 1″ Br. Commonwealth in £ GBP £ Sterling. |
STC | Stated to have a catalogue value of…………… |
Selv. | Selvedge |
Shtlt | Sheetlet |
Superb | Perfect! No faults |
U | Used |
Unadd | Unaddressed |
Unc. | Uncirculated |
Unused / (*) | Mint or Uncancelled without Gum – (Generally on earlier issues Pre-1900) |
VF or V.F. | Very Fine: Refers to overall condition, not just |
VST | Victoria Stamp Traders |
W/C | Well Centred |
WCS | Wesley Cover Service |
Wmk | Watermark |
Zum | Zumstein Catalogue |
b/s | Back stamp |
c.d.s. | Circular date stamp cancellation |
h/s | Handstamped or Handstamp |
bottom of page