201 0(2'I!

I-Jj iii ii, STAMP VALUES

u.s. SPECIALIZED BY GRADE SPRING
EDITION

Extended Values in Eight Different Grades for Selected United States Stamps
EDITOR

W
elcome to the thineenth edition of the Scott United States Specialized Valuing Supplement. With
James E. K10etzel this edition, we are changing the name of the publication to Scott Stamp Values: U.S. Specialized by
ASSISTANTEDfTD!! Grade. Scott Stamp Values values sound stamps in eight different grades and, in addition, numerical
Charles Soee grades are assigned to the verbal grades commonly used. Thus, all stamps are now valued in the grades of
Superb·9S, Extremely Fine·Superlr95, Extremely Fine-90, Very Fine·Extremely Fine·8S, Very Fine·SO, Fine·
VALUINGANAlYST Very Fine-75, Fine·70 and Very Good·SO.
Sleven R. Myers The stamps listed are generally those with higher catalog values and greater susceptibility to value
pESIGN MANAGER differentials based on grade changes. They consist of Scott I through 71S (including coil pairs, coil joint line
Teresa M. Wenrick. pairs and booklet panes), 720b, 832·834a, 1053, CI·C31, EI·E 14, FI, JJ.J86, KI·KI8, 0 1-0126 (including
the spedal Jrintings), PRI·PRI2S, 0 1-012, JOJ.JOS, OE j .QE4a and RW I·RW7SA.
GRAPHIC PESI!>NERS This publication is designed to fill the needs of collectors who want to know what they might expect
Cinda McAJexander to pay for s:amps in grades other than Scott's benchmark grade of Very Fine. Scott Stamp Values should
Angie Stricker aid those who want to buy higher·grade stamps and need to know what kinds of premiums over the
ADVE!ITISING benchmark Very Fine value they might be required to pay. It also will aid budget·conscious collectors who
PhyHis Stegem~ler want to know what discounts they might expect to receive when buying stamps in grades lower than Very
Fine. And for those interested in selling stamps, this important valuing information should help form more
PRODOCT Pl!OMQTI{)/I MANAG£R realistic expectations.
Tim Wagner Two trends have emerged from the marketplace in the past six months or so. The first is the steady and
YICE PB ESIDElITlEDIT!IfIIAI AND PBOD!!CDON often dramatic increases in the values of the truly rare United States stamps. A glace at the new values for
Sieve Collins such unusej stamps as Scott SA, 28A and 8SB, and used stamps such as Scott SO, 80a, 81 , 82, 8S0, 8SF
and I [ I will prove that point emphatically.
PRESI!lfNT The secood recent trend is the general weakening in the selling prices of the mid· to high·grade unused
William Fay stamps that are not rare. This trend is evident in new, lower values for a great many stamps in the grades
especially riVery Fine·Extremely Fine as, Extremely Fine 90 and Extremely Fine·Superb 95. Lower prices
COPYRIGHT NOTICE are evident in most areas, and the decreases are larger in the 20th·century versus the [9th·century listings.
n. CU1IInts ~ this b:d; In CMIl!Id I~ by Sec!! I'ItIIfiIQ It is notewonhy that used stamps are bucking the trend. Values for used stamps are steady and, in some
Cc , nl !ll rljilstheretllMlJftll'lldIlll!f~~Ar1'II!!i3lm
lklIYersaI~i':ooYer!Iims.
cases, actu~lly rising.
~02tm"'SroII ~ t..l., Simey, ()i. The reasons for the falling prices in the marketplace seem to be twofold. First, the current poor economy
""""" .,.
Pri1!Ed i1 U,s.A

P8rr\'is:IiIlIi h!Rtrf,wn kr lIB WI rI rratP iltm Im:ItIIlid

CCYel!db\'~I:{alThl!rmt\rillis~,.~ ma1lfA",
cm.mOl'gri:elElsfah!pIfJlIlIect~~b'saleOl'
the bi,i!iless 0/ ~ n '*'"
~atlhllpri:esbldl'lfrEll;n~iWlll!ltlisiloilertalil
sWr(III nils 1miB:IIn!ll:qle 11K!
~Le., 1~!IIIrmtIIl!ltJ!I&1liaIpatmctlh!llIaIl'II1'tw
dst.m;sissul!db\'..,.ClU'It'jOl'rI..,.!I)fdIIC3.~r1~
d fII'/ cxuiry; oj ~ &I:h rnal!:!aI is rdUS!ld as ~ ct III)'
.:at;q, ~ alItIII 01' ~ II oller sysIem based I4DI
the Scott caID;I rurbir$, II il lrl)' ~ \'aUIflns d strI1fII net
dfnlb_OI'p:rdla'lt;lI'IIlld)iWllIII!lIrD~iIIII
the 00silBss d h ~ - : nlle} SLdI Will b d(f1aI
~ iI~ il1hl!IJnnrla1ides0l'~,
_ I:r COO"CliIr Idtw:n II h SI'fI!tzaIiJl 0/ Ixm II stEIl
~b'Vll*:hsepm!M1IIEIl pmnissmll~.
m, WI !IIthema!!l!lallnlhlsbi:O:let.llllldl roes!III satisfy aI
the ~ aMtiIlS is fIrbDIen iI fII'/ krill IIi!!ss penrOs8iJn
II ea:II ilstn:e is ~ iI 'IIlD1g by !he I'.Op)'IYJ:It OWI'I'!!'.
TRADEMARK NOTICE
The II!rms scan,scmts, SCOTT OON..oo.E 1t.Id8EIftl S'I'SITJ,!,
rom 00Jl1KlE ~ sCim Y.HBER l1l1I ItIIrMitioos
ttmoI, n~ clScottPldslq CAl" used Il tIni!y ~
~mlb~~b~nlctmiI)t1g
\IlStaoe ~ b IIeaI!n n cdei:IDrs. TIm! ~ in to
bIlll'l!d rd! willi h Ita ~ d Sed! I'Id!Iq Co.
Ho~oIthiswocknwjbll~ ~iIl'/fam ab)'~
lTI8ffIS,eiltclrtlicalll!Cfallc3,~~Mttrot
pennI:miIl ~ 'IIIIIIg Irrrn Sect! F'ltII~ Co., P.O. Bw m.
SIro!y, [)i ~.
~ 97a489481--444-1
CopyrlghtQ 200;1 by
Scott Publishing OJ.
91 1 vandem.rk Rood, Sidney, OH 45365·0828
A division of AMOS PRESS. INC., puhlishers of
Scott SldmpMonll1ly, linn's Stamp News,
Cafn World, CarsB-Partsand
Cars & Parts COl'Wluemagazine.
no doubt is having its effect on the marketplace. Second, the numbers of stamps receiving high grades
during certification is growing, and collectors are paying more attention to the numbers available of the
various stamps in the various grades. The Professional Stamp Experts organization publishes a "Population
Report" on graded certificates it has issued, and this most interesting report is available on their website.
We believe that a generally common and appropriate system for grading the highest·grade stamps is being
very consistently adhered to by all the main participants who are in the businesses of publishing valuing
guides and/or actually grading stamps. Those participants are Scott Publishing Co., Professional Stamp
Experts in California, and The Philatelic Foundation in New York.
While Scott, PSE and The Philatelic Foundation agree on the standards of the highest·grade stamps,
collectors should be made aware that there is a disagreement concerning the definition of a Very Good
stamp betWff'n Scon and other traditionalists on the one hand and PSE on the other. In the Scott definition,
a Very Good stamp will have the margin or perforations clearly cutting into the deSign, while PSE defines
a Very Good stamp as one whose perfs just touch the design or cut just slightly. In Scott's experience, perfs
just touching versus cutting slightly creates a large difference in value. Traditionalists and Scott would
define a stamp with perfs just touching as the split grade Very Good·Fine. In the PSE framework, there
cannot be such a split grade for a sound stamp, even though there are split grades for all other grades
in their system. In addition, PSE does not place values on Fine·Very Fine stamps, while Scott considers
this commmly occurring grade to be of great importance and well wonh valuing for most collectors and
dealers.
See page:; 6·7 for definitions and illustrations of representative stamps in each of the eight grades that are
valued for each stamp. Please study both definitions and illustrations carefully. The values in this publication
match the grades described and Illustrated. Descriptions used by some buyers and sellers of stamps may not
match the grades described and illustrated in this Scott Stamp Values publication. We believe strongly that
the Scott m ndards and definitions match most accurately the traditional marketplace usages. Therefore,
in order to accurately judge a stamp's value, it is essential that users match values and grades accurately in
accordance with the strict standards of Scott Stamp Values.
SCOII Stamp Values: Us. Specialized by Grade is issued twice a year: in April, coinciding with the
release of \\Jlume [ of the Scott Standard catalog, and again in October, in conjunction with the release of
the ScOI/ S;;ecialized Catalogue oj United States Stamps and Covers. In the spring edition Scott Stamp
Values, the vaiues for stamps in the grade of Very Fine will match the values in the Volume I catalog. In
the fall edition Scott Stamp Values, the values for stamps in the grade of Very Fine will match the values in
the U.S. Specialized catalog. Extended values in Scott Stamp Values also will be updated in each edition.
2010 Scoll Stamp Values , Spring Edition 5