Glossary
There are so many Glossaries in the philatelic domain. There is no complete list. There are US biased lists, UK biased lists and so on. This list we think combines enough to help you understand the more frequently used, and perhaps some so not frequently used, abbreviations. If you find one missing please contact the General Secretary.
Glossary
There are so many Glossaries in the philatelic domain. There is no complete list. There are US biased lists, UK biased lists and so on. This list we think combines enough to help you understand the more frequently used, and perhaps some so not frequently used, abbreviations. If you find one missing please contact the General Secretary.
Abbreviations & Philatelic Terminology
| Abbreviations | Definitions |
|---|---|
| ###v | Variant that doesn’t have an assigned Scott Number |
| (O) | Good Used, Fine Used or Very Fine Used |
| (P##x##) | Perforated ##x## |
| (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 |
| A: | Album or Year Album |
| AAT | Australian Antarctic Territory |
| ACSC or B/W | Brusden White Aust. C’Wealth Specialist Catalogue |
| AP | Australia Post |
| ASBA | Australian Booklet Specialist Album |
| ATM | Automatic Teller Machine |
| Attd | Attached Se-tenant |
| Av. | Margins cut into design |
| B(4) | Block of 4 |
| b/s | Back stamp |
| B/S | Button Set |
| BAT | British Antarctic Territory |
| BCOF | British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Japan) |
| BE | Bull’s eye perforated |
| BEP | Burea of Engraving and Printing |
| BIOT | British Indian Ocean Territory |
| BK | Booklet |
| Bklt / B | Booklet |
| BP | Blunt Perfs |
| C of A | Commonwealth of Australia |
| c.d.s. | Circular date stamp cancellation |
| C | Cover |
| Cat. / CV | Catalogue Value |
| CC | Collector Card |
| Ccl | Cancel |
| CN | Collection |
| Commem | Commemorative or Special Issue sets |
| CP(20) | Convertible Pane or Booklet |
| CP | Campbell Patterson – New Zealand Catalogue |
| CPS | Counter Printed Stamps ( Face Value Printed on Stamps at P.O. Counter ) |
| Cr | Crease |
| CTO: | Cancelled to order (Generally from PO “specimen” packs) |
| Defin | Definitive or Regular long term issue stamp sets |
| dg | Dull gum, when used as a Scott # suffix |
| DG | Disturbed Gum |
| Env | Envelope |
| F | Margins close on 1 or more sides |
| F.D.C. | First Day Cover |
| F.V. or FV | Face Value |
| FDC | First Day Cover |
| FDI | First Day of Issue |
| F-VF | 4 margins |
| GRI | Georgus Rex Imperator |
| GU / VGU | Good used, Very Good Used |
| GU / FU / VFU | Good Used, Fine Used or Very Fine Used |
| H | Hinged |
| H & G | Higgins & Gage (Postal Stationery Catalogue) |
| h/s | Handstamped or Handstamp |
| HB | Heritage Book |
| HDG | Heavily Disturbed Gum |
| HH | Heavy Hinged |
| HPVG | Horizontal pair (left-right) with a vertical gutter between |
| HPVL | Horizontal pair with a vertical line between |
| HR | Hinge Remnant |
| Hz | Horizontal, when used after the catalog number indicates a block that is attached left to right |
| IMP | Imperforate |
| Imp | Imprint |
| Imperf | Imperforate |
| IPM | Imperforate Margin |
| KEVII | King Edward VII |
| KGV | King George V |
| KGVI | King George VI |
| LC | Lettercard |
| lg | Low Gloss gum |
| LH | Lightly Hinged |
| LP | Line Pair |
| M/S or MS | Miniature Sheets / Souvenir Sheets |
| Marg | Marginal (Copy of Stamp Adjacent to Selvedge of Sheet) |
| Mi or Michel | Michel (German) Catalogue. Current edition and prices in D.Marks |
| MLH or * | Mint Lightly Hinged |
| MP | Micro-Printing in the design of the stamp |
| MNH or MUH or ** | Mint Unhinged – Unmounted Mint, Mint Never Hinged |
| N.W.P.I. | North West Pacific Islands |
| NG | No Gum |
| NH | Never Hinged, gum as issued |
| O/C | Appreciably Off-Centre – Usually in two Directions |
| O/W | Otherwise |
| OG | Original Gum, may be hinged |
| OP | OverPrint |
| Opt. | Overprinted |
| OS | Official Service – Official Use |
| P# | Plate number |
| P(#) | Pane of (#) |
| P.O. | Post Office |
| P | Portfolio |
| PB | Plate Block. If there is no other description then assume a plate block of 4 |
| PC | Postcard |
| Perf | Perforation |
| POA | Price on Application |
| POP | Post Office Pack |
| PPM | Part Perforated Through Margin |
| PSE | Pre-Stamped Envelope |
| PTM | Perforated Through Margin |
| QEII | Queen Elizabeth II |
| QV | Queen Victoria |
| R/C | Reasonably Centred |
| RG | ReGummed (not OG) |
| S | Specimen |
| S/S | Seven Seas |
| SC or Scott | Scott Catalogue number current edition and price in $US |
| SC | Souvenir Cover |
| SCDAA | Stamp & Coin Dealers Association of Australasia |
| SE | Straight edge |
| Selv | Selvedge |
| Setenant | Block containing stamps with different designs |
| SG | Stanley Gibbons catalogue number – usually “Part 1″Br. Commonwealth in £Stg. |
| Sheet | A sheet of stamps as issued |
| Shtlt | Sheetlet |
| SP | Short Perforation |
| STC | Stated to have a catalogue value of…………… |
| Superb | Perfect !!! No faults !!! |
| U/Un | Used/Unused, may also be cancelled to order (CTO) |
| U | Used, may also be unused or CTO |
| Un | Unused, may be hinged, OG, DG |
| Unadd | Unaddressed |
| Unc. | Uncirculated |
| Unused / (*) | Mint or Uncancelled without Gum – (Generally on earlier issues Pre-1900) |
| VF | 4 large margins |
| VF or V.F. | Very Fine: Refers to overall condition |
| VPHG | Vertical pair (top-bottom) with a horizontal gutter between |
| VPHL | Vertical pair with a horizontal line between |
| vr | Vertical, when used after the catalog number indicates a block that is attached top to bottom |
| VST | Victoria Stamp Traders |
| W/C | Well-Centred |
| WCS | Wesley Cover Service |
| Wmk | Watermark |
| XF | Centered with 4 large margins |
| Zum | Zumstein Catalogue |