Every stamp carries clues about where and when it was issued. Most can be identified in a few minutes if you check them in the right order. This guide walks through the process collectors use, from the obvious details to the subtle ones.

1. Find the country name

Start with the inscription. Most countries print their name on every stamp, but often in their own language or script, so it may not match the English name. Helvetia is Switzerland, Magyar Posta is Hungary and Suomi is Finland. Our guide to reading country names on stamps lists the common ones.

There is one famous exception. Stamps from the United Kingdom carry no country name at all, only a portrait or silhouette of the reigning monarch. Britain issued the first stamp, the Penny Black, in 1840, and has kept that privilege ever since.

2. Read the denomination and currency

The face value tells you more than the postage rate. Currency names narrow down both country and era:

  • Pfennig / Mark (Germany before 2002), Kreuzer / Heller (Austria-Hungary)
  • Centimes / Francs (France, Belgium, Switzerland and many former colonies before the euro)
  • Pence / Shillings (UK before decimalisation in 1971)
  • Sen / Yen (Japan), Kopecks / Roubles (Russia and the USSR)

A stamp with no value printed at all, only a letter or a word like "Forever", is a non-denominated stamp. They are common in the USA and UK since the 1970s.

3. Look for a date

Many modern stamps print the year of issue in small type along the bottom margin. Older stamps rarely do, so use other hints instead: the ruler on the portrait, a historical event or anniversary in the design, or the printing style. Engraved, single-colour designs are typical of the 19th and early 20th century. Multicolour photogravure and offset printing became common from the 1950s.

4. Check the design details

Two stamps can look almost identical and still be listed separately in catalogues, and sometimes their values differ a lot. Compare:

  • Colour shade. The same design was often reprinted in slightly different inks.
  • Perforations or roulettes. See how to measure perforations and find watermarks.
  • Watermark in the paper.
  • Overprints. Extra text printed on top of an existing stamp, often to change its value or its country.

5. Confirm it in a catalogue

Once you know the country and approximate date, look the stamp up in a standard catalogue such as Scott (USA), Stanley Gibbons (UK), Michel (Germany) or Yvert et Tellier (France). Each gives the stamp a number, which is the easiest way to describe it to other collectors and dealers. Catalogue values are a guide rather than a price: see are my old stamps worth anything?

Tips for handling stamps

  • Use stamp tongs rather than fingers, since skin oils damage paper and gum.
  • Don't peel stamps off envelopes. Soak used stamps in cool water, or leave valuable ones on the cover.
  • Use a magnifier with good light to read tiny inscriptions and printer's marks.

Shortcut: photograph the stamp with AI Stamp and it will suggest the country, denomination, issue year and an estimated value, which you can then double-check with the steps above.