| GENERAL ABBREVIATIONS
|
| AAMC |
American Air Mail Catalog |
| ADD, ADDL |
Additional |
| ADDR |
Addressed |
| AIEP |
Association Internationale des Experts Philateliques (International Association of Philatelic
Experts) |
| ALB |
Album |
| APEX |
American Philatelic Society Expertising Service |
| APS |
American Philatelic Society |
| ASDA |
American Stamp Dealers Association |
| ATL, ATLC |
Air Transport Label Catalog |
| B |
Book (philatelic literature) |
| B, BK, BKLT |
Booklet (complete} |
| B&K |
Berthold & Kummer: Handbook of Zeppelin Letters, Postal cards, and Stamps |
| B&D |
Blau & Deighton: Graf Zeppelin Orient Flight |
| BALE |
Bale Catalog of Israel Postage Stamps |
| BEP |
Bureau of Engraving and Printing (U.S.A.) |
| BET, BTW, BTWN |
Between |
| BKSTP(D) |
Backstamp(ed) |
| BLK |
Block |
| BLK-OF-4 |
Block of four (or, six, nine, twelve, etc.) |
| BOES |
Boesman: 1793-1968 Balloon Posts World Catalog |
| BOL |
Bolaffi Specialized Italy Postage Stamp Catalog |
| BOT, BT, BTM |
Bottom |
| BP |
Booklet Pane |
| BPA |
British Philatelic Association |
| BPA Certificate |
British Philatelic Association Expertising Ltd. Certificate |
| BS, BSTMP |
Backstamp |
| BSM |
Bit(s) of selvage missing |
| BW |
Bradbury, Wilkinson (Stamp Printers, Great Britain) |
| C, CVR |
Cover or Postal Stationery Entire |
| CA |
Watermarked: Crown CA |
| CACH, CHT |
Cachet(ed) |
| CC |
Corner Card (printed return address on cover) |
| CC |
Corner Crease |
| CC |
Cut Cancel (knife-type cutting penetrates the stamp) |
| CC |
Watermarked: Crown CC |
| CCC |
Collectors Club of Chicago |
| CCNY |
Collectors Club of New York |
| CCR |
Corner Crease |
| CDS |
Circular Date Stamp (circular cancellation) |
| CHERUB |
Cherubin: Italian Air Mail catalog |
| CN, CXL |
Cancel |
| CPL, CMPLT |
Complete |
| CR |
Crampon: Pacific Flight Covers handbook |
| CR |
Crease |
| CTO |
Canceled to Order |
| CV |
Catalog Value |
| CMW |
Commonwealth |
| CYL |
Cylinder |
| D, DOC |
Document |
| DBL |
Double |
| DCDS |
Double Circular Date Stamp |
| DIFF |
Different |
| DIST |
Disturbed |
| DL |
Double Line (cancellation) |
| DLR |
De La Rue (Stamp Printers, Great Britain) |
| DR CDS |
Double-Ring Circular Date Stamp |
| DUPL |
Duplication |
| DS |
Date Stamp |
| E |
Essay |
| E, EST |
Estimated Net Value |
| ECV |
Estimated Cash Value |
| ED |
Edition |
| EDIFIL |
Spain and Spanish Offices & Colonies Specialized Postage Stamp Catalog |
| EKU |
Earliest Known Use |
| EL |
Envelope Letter (folded letter) |
| ELS |
Entire Letter Sheet (with contents) |
| ENG, ENGR |
Engraved |
| EPMM |
Erased Pencil Mark(s) in Margin(s) on complete stamp sheets |
| EU, EUS |
Eustice: The Australian Air Mail Catalog |
| EZ, E-Z |
Ellington-Zwisler: Rocket Mail Catalog |
| F |
Forgery |
| FAC |
Forwarding Agent Cachet |
| FACIT |
Facit (specialized Scandinavian postage stamp catalog) |
| FC |
Fancy Cancel |
| FC |
Folded Cover |
| FDC |
First Day Cover |
| FDI |
First Day of Issue |
| FFC |
First Flight Cover |
| FL |
Folded Letter |
| FLT, FLTS |
Fault(s) |
| FOR, FORBIN |
Catalogue de Timbres-Fiscaux, 1915 (worldwide revenue stamp catalog) |
| FPS |
Few Perforations Separated |
| FSAT |
French and Southern Antarctica Territories |
| FU |
Fine Used |
| F/W |
Franked With |
| GPO |
General Post Ofice |
| GPS Certificate |
Germany Philatelic Society Certificate |
| GTR |
Gutter |
| H |
Heavy |
| H, HORIZ |
Horizontal |
| H&G |
Higgins & Gage (worldwide postal stationery catalog) |
| HB |
Hardbound |
| HC |
Hand Cancel |
| HS, H/S, HNDSTMP |
Hand Stamp |
| IMP, IMPRF |
Imperforate |
| IMPT |
Imprint |
| INCL |
Including |
| INV, INVTD |
Inverted |
| JPS China/Taiwan |
Japan Philatelic Society Specialized China/Taiwan Catalog |
| JPS China/PRC |
Japan Philatelic Society Specialized Peoples Republic of China Catalog |
| JPS - Japan |
Japan Philatelic Society Specialized Japan Catalog |
| KPC |
Korean Specialized Postage Stamp Catalog |
| L |
Literature |
| L, LT |
Left (side) |
| LC |
Large Crown (British watermark) |
| LE |
Line Engraved (Victorian-era postage stamps, Great Britain) |
| LIP |
Light Impression of Plate No. (on U.S.A. Plate No. Blocks) |
| LITHO |
Lithographed |
| LKU |
Latest Known Use |
| LL |
Looseleaf |
| LP, LPR |
Line Pair (coil stamps) |
| LR |
Lower Right |
| LS |
Letter Sheet (without contents) |
| LTA |
Lighter than air (postage stamps and/or postal history) |
| M |
Map |
| M, MEM |
Memorabilia |
| MACH |
Machine |
| MC |
Machine Cancel |
| MC |
Maltese Cross (British obliterator cancel) |
| MCA |
Watermarked: Multiple Crown CA |
| Mi |
Michel (specialized German catalog) |
| MI |
Margin Inscription |
| MM |
Modified Margin |
| MM, mm |
Millimeter |
| MS, M/S |
Miniature Sheet |
| MS, M/S, MNS |
Manuscript |
| MTA |
Matched Typed Address |
| MU, MUL |
Muller: Catalogue des Aerogrammes du Monde Entier, 1950 (specialized worldwide First Flight
Cover Catalog) |
| NAT |
Natural |
| NGC |
Natural Gum Crease |
| NGS |
Natural Gum Skip |
| NNM |
Normal Narrow Margin |
| NORG, NORGE |
Specialized Norway Postage Stamp Catalog |
| NVPH Catalog |
Specialized Netherlands & Colonies Postage Stamp Catalog |
| Numerical Oblit |
Obliterator Cancel with Number Inserted (for Post Office Identification; may or may not
include additional Letter(s)) |
| Oblit |
Obliterator Cancel (e.g., Grid Cancel) |
| OLS |
Outer Letter Sheet |
| OnB |
On Board (Zeppelin Mail cachet) |
| OPP |
Opposite |
| ORD |
Ordinary (paper) |
| OVPT(D) |
Overprint(ed) |
| O/W |
Otherwise |
| P, PRF |
Proof |
| PB |
Perkins Bacon, Ltd. (Stamp Printers, Great Britain) |
| PB |
Plate Block |
| PC, PCD |
Postal Card, Post Card |
| PC, PCE |
Used Stamp on Piece |
| PERF |
Perforate(d) |
| PF |
Philatelic Foundation (New York) |
| PFC |
Philatelic Foundation (New York) Certificate |
| PH |
Photo, Photocopy |
| PHOTO |
Photogravure |
| PI |
Perf Intial(s) |
| PIP |
Partial Impression of Plate No. (on U.S.A. Plate No. Blocks) |
| PL # BLK |
Plate No. Block |
| PMK, PSMK |
Postmark |
| PMOG |
Pencil Mark on Gum |
| PNG |
Pencil Note(s) on Gum |
| PNT |
Plate No. Trimmed |
| POR |
Price Upon Request |
| POS |
Position |
| PPC |
Picture Post Card |
| PPM |
Pencil Mark(s) in Margin(s) on complete stamp sheets |
| PR |
Pair |
| PR |
Prices Realized |
| PREC |
Precanceled |
| PSE |
Postal Stationery Entire |
| PSE |
Professional Stamp Expertisers (Miami) |
| PSEC |
Professional Stamp Expertisers (Miami) Certificate |
| PSRE |
Postal Stationery Registered Envelope |
| R |
Reprint |
| R, RT |
Right (side) |
| R&S |
Reiche and Sendbuehler Nos. (Canadian small Queen issue re-entries) |
| RE |
Reinforced |
| REC |
Received |
| REC'G CDS |
Receiving Circular Date Stamp |
| RECON |
Reconstructed |
| REG, Regstrd |
Registered |
| REG |
Regular (issue) |
| REP |
Repair |
| REPR |
Reprint |
| RMNT |
Remnant |
| RPSL |
Royal Philatelic Society, London |
| RPS Certificate |
Royal Philatelic Society Certificate |
| RUCH |
Ruch (specialized Poland catalog) |
| S, SP, Sp, SPEC |
Specimen |
| SAN |
Sanabria's Air Post Catalog |
| SAS |
Sassone Specialized Italy Postage Stamp Catalog |
| SB |
Softbound |
| SB |
Stock Book |
| SB |
Suggested Bid |
| SC |
Small Crown (British Watermark) |
| SC, Sc |
Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalog |
| Script |
Watermark: Multiple Crown Script CA |
| SE |
Straight Edge |
| SEP(S) |
Separation(s) |
| SF |
Space Filler |
| SFL |
Stampless Folded Letter |
| SG |
Stanley Gibbons (Great Britain) Postage Stamp Catalogue |
| SG, SIEG |
Sieger.Zeppelinpost Spezial-Katalog (specialized Zeppelin Mail Catalog) |
| SH, SHT |
Sheet |
| SHM |
Staple Holes in Margin |
| SL |
Straight Line (cancellation) |
| SM |
Small |
| SON |
"Socked-on-the-Nose" (cancellation centrally struck on stamp) |
| SP |
Short Perf |
| SP |
Surface Printed |
| SR CDS |
Single-Ring Circular Date Stamp |
| SS, S/S |
Souvenir Sheet |
| STK, STKBK |
Stockbook |
| STMP(S) |
Stamp(s) |
| STR |
Strip |
| STR-OF-3 |
Strip-of-3 |
| SUM |
Sum Bid (for muiltiple auction lots) |
| SURCH |
Surcharge |
| T |
Top |
| T(S), TH(S) |
Thin(s) |
| TC |
Trial Color (Proof) |
| TNI |
Tiny Natural Inclusion(s) |
| TPE |
Tiny Paper Enclosure(s |
| TPO |
Travelling Post Office |
| TRD |
Temporary Rubber Datestamp (Cancellation) |
| TRNS CDS |
Transit Circular Date Stamp |
| TGS |
Tropical Gum Stain(s) |
| TR |
Tear |
| TS |
Tropical stain(ing) |
| TYPO |
Typographed |
| U |
Used |
| UDC |
Undated Circular Cancel |
| UCS, UT |
Unitrade Specialized Canada Catalog |
| UNL |
Unlisted |
| UL |
Upper Left |
| UNADDR |
Unaddressed |
| UNWMKD |
Unwatermarked |
| UPU |
Universal Postal Union |
| UR |
Upper Right |
| USPO |
United States Post Office Department |
| USPS |
United States Postal Service |
| V |
Violini: Catalog of Graf Zeppelin Mail |
| V, VERT |
Vertical |
| VAR(S) |
Variety (Varieties) |
| VD |
Van Dam Specialized Canadian Revenues catalog |
| VIG, VIGN |
Vignette |
| VL, Vl |
Vlastos (specialized Greece catalog) |
| W/ |
With |
| W/O |
Without |
| W/OG |
Without Original Gum |
| WMK(D) |
Watermark(ed) |
| YANG |
Yang (specialized Hong Kong catalog) |
| YD |
Year Date |
| YV, Yv |
Yvert et Tellier (specialized French catalog) |
| ZUM, ZM |
Zumstein Specialized Switzerland and Liechtenstein Postage Stamp Catalog |
