Stamp Mount

A stamp mount (also called a hingeless mount) is a small rectangular sleeve of plastic — open at one end — into which a stamp slides for display in an album. The mount is then affixed to the album page by its backing, holding the stamp securely in a protective pocket that covers the face without any adhesive touching the stamp itself. Unlike a stamp hinge, a mount preserves the stamp’s original gum completely intact, making it the correct choice for mint never-hinged (MNH) stamps where condition and value are priorities.

Why Mounts Replaced Hinges for Mint Stamps

As the philatelic market matured through the mid-20th century, collectors and dealers recognised that hinged gum — even with peelable hinges — left visible disturbance to original gum, and that the premium for never-hinged stamps was increasing. By the 1970s and 1980s, MNH had become the dominant standard for serious mint stamp collecting, and the stamp mount became the primary tool for protecting valuable mint material. Today, any mint stamp worth more than a few pence or cents is typically expected to be mounted in a hingeless mount rather than hinged.

Types of Mount

Clear-backed mounts have a transparent backing, so light passes through from both the front and the back of the stamp. These are preferred by collectors who want to check watermarks without removing the stamp from the mount, or who display stamps on white album pages where the clear back allows the page background to show through naturally.

Black-backed mounts have a black rear panel that creates a dark, contrasting background for the stamp. These are popular for display purposes because the black background makes stamp colours and designs appear more vivid, but they prevent watermark detection and are slightly heavier.

Pre-cut individual mounts come in specific sizes (expressed in millimetres, width × height) to fit standard stamp formats. Suppliers list common sizes for GB definitives, US commemoratives, souvenir sheets, and so on. Pre-cut mounts are convenient but may not fit unusual stamp dimensions.

Strip mounts come in continuous strips of various heights. The collector cuts the strip to the exact width needed for each stamp. Strip mounts require more work but allow precise sizing and are more economical when mounting many different-sized stamps.

Archival Quality

Not all plastic mounts are equal. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic releases acidic gases over time — known as “off-gassing” — that can damage stamp paper, causing yellowing, brittleness, and damage to the gum. Quality philatelic mounts are made from polyester or polypropylene, which are chemically stable and acid-free. Always look for mounts described as “archival quality” or “acid-free.” Major philatelic suppliers sell appropriate materials; avoid repurposing general-purpose plastic sleeves.

Sizing Stamps for Mounts

Stamps should fit snugly in their mount without being forced or buckled. To size a stamp correctly, measure it with a millimetre ruler: measure the width (horizontal) and height (vertical) of the stamp including its full perforations. Add 1–2 mm to each dimension to allow easy insertion without jamming. If a mount is too loose, the stamp may slide and its perforations may be damaged against the open edge.

Popular Brands

Hawid (Leuchtturm/Lighthouse group) is one of the most widely used brands worldwide, with a broad range of pre-cut sizes and strips. Hawid mounts are made in Germany and are widely regarded as a benchmark for quality.

Showgard is the dominant brand in the North American market, with similar sizing options to Hawid.

Lighthouse (Leuchtturm) produces both Hawid-branded products and its own range, and is the parent company of the Hawid brand. Their catalogues list hundreds of pre-cut sizes cross-referenced to major country definitive formats.

Cost Versus Hinges

Mounts are significantly more expensive than stamp hinges — a sheet of pre-cut mounts costs many times what a packet of hinges costs. For large used collections, hinges remain practical. For mint stamps with any meaningful catalogue value, mounts are the correct investment.