Face Value
Also: denomination, nominal value, FV
Face value is the postage value printed on a stamp — the amount it is worth for paying postage — as opposed to its market or catalogue value to collectors.
Glossary Term
Scott Number
A Scott number is the identification number assigned to a stamp by the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, the most widely used stamp catalogue in the United States.
Also known as: Scott catalogue number, Scott #, catalogue number, SG number, Michel number, Yvert number
A Scott number identifies a stamp in the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, the leading stamp catalogue in the United States. Dealers, auction houses and collectors use Scott numbers as a common shorthand: “Scott 1” is the first US stamp, the 1847 5-cent Benjamin Franklin.
History of the Scott Catalogue
The catalogue traces back to the price lists issued in the 1860s by John Walter Scott, a New York stamp dealer. It grew into a multi-volume world catalogue, supplemented by the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps & Covers for detailed US listings. Values are updated with each edition.
How Scott Numbers Work
- Basic numbers identify each distinct stamp, usually in order of issue.
- Prefixes identify types: C for airmail, B for semi-postals, J for postage dues, O for officials, E for special delivery, and others.
- Suffix letters identify varieties or later insertions — shades, papers, perforations, or new numbers inserted between existing ones.
- Minor numbers in the listings cover lesser varieties of a major number.
Other Major Catalogues
Every major market has its own numbering system:
- Stanley Gibbons (SG) — Great Britain and the Commonwealth.
- Michel — Germany, widely used in Europe.
- Yvert et Tellier — France and French-speaking countries.
- Sakura — Japan.
The same stamp has different numbers in each catalogue, so always state which catalogue a number refers to.
Catalogue Value Versus Market Price
Catalogue values are a guide, not a guaranteed price. For many common stamps, a minimum value reflects dealer handling costs rather than scarcity. Scarce stamps in exceptional condition may sell above catalogue; faulty or poorly centred copies below.
Using Scott Numbers
When buying, selling or cataloguing your collection, recording Scott (or equivalent) numbers makes stamps easy to identify precisely — including varieties, grills and perforation differences that can transform a stamp’s value.
Frequently Asked Questions About Scott Number
What is the Scott catalogue?
The Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue is a multi-volume reference listing stamps of the world with numbers, illustrations and values. It traces its origins to the price lists of stamp dealer John Walter Scott in the 1860s.
Are Scott numbers used outside the US?
They are recognised internationally, but many markets use other catalogues: Stanley Gibbons (SG) in Britain and the Commonwealth, Michel in Germany and much of Europe, and Yvert et Tellier in France.
Why do Scott numbers have letters and prefixes?
Prefixes identify categories — such as C for airmail, J for postage due and B for semi-postals — while suffix letters mark varieties or later additions, such as a shade, perforation or paper variety of a basic number.
Related Terms
Philately
Also: stamp collecting, philatelist, philatelic
Philately is the collection and study of postage stamps, postal history and related items, including how stamps were designed, printed and used.
Variety
Also: stamp variety, plate flaw, constant variety, re-entry, shade variety, EFO
A variety is a stamp that differs in a recognisable, usually minor, way from the normal version — such as a shade, plate flaw, re-entry, paper or perforation difference.