Stamp Gradings and Abbreviations

General Abbreviations

SG

Stanley Gibbons - Reference number as used by Stanley Gibbons (UK). From Concise, Collect Great British Stamps or Specialised Catalogues. Some items may have a code or additional code added. This is my own reference number where Gibbons do not provide a number

SCOTT

Reference number as used by Scott (USA) catalogue

UM

Unmounted Mint - Unused with Full Original Gum. No Trace of Hinge

FMM

Fine Mounted Mint - Unused. Light to Reasonably Mounted with Original Gum

AMM

Average Mounted Mint - Unused with Gum. Will have some defect

VFU

Very Fine Used - Fine stamp. With light postmark

FU

Fine Used - Fine stamp. Good moderate postmark

GU

Good Used - Sound Stamp with heavier postmark

AU

Average Used - Stamp with slight defect, such as pulled perfs or slight thin

DU or S/F

Defective Used - Stamp with Faults, such as trimmed perfs, thinned or small tear

POA

Price On Application/Request - Please contact me for availability and Price

FDC

First Day Cover - Stamp(s) used on an envelope on the first day of issue.

See additional notes below.

PACK

Presentation Pack - All packs are as supplied by Royal Mail (Post Office). Consisting of an Information Card and containing Unmounted Mint Stamps in a clear Plastic (early Issues are Cellophane) Sleeve

FROM

Where this is stated in the description, this is my lowest price for this item and and grade. If I am unable to supply at this price, I will advise of the price I can supply at

MARGINS

Refers to the number of clear margins for Queen Victoria Issues.

Specific Abbreviations

Queen Elizabeth II Great Britain Commemorative's

VERY FINE USED

Most strips, M/S, blocks and Self Adhesives will be supplied on paper. This is due to the fact that they can easily fall apart when trying to remove them. We STRONGLY advise you to leave them on the paper and just cut the paper close to the stamps. This is particularly true of the Self Adhesives issued from 2008 Christmas and later, as the gum used by Royal Mail makes it almost impossible to remove from the paper it has been affixed to when posting. This is an acceptable practice.

FIRST DAY COVER

Images of the Stamps only, not the First Day Cover. As First Day Covers supplied can be by different producers, different Illustration or different Layout. The first three issues listed 1924 to 1929 are supplied as plain envelopes as illustrated do not exist. All subsequent issues are on Illustrated Envelopes.