Abbreviations & Philatelic Terminology

Listed Below are a number of philatelic and stamp abbreviations commonly used in the profession.

Abbreviations

Definitions

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