Stamp catalog

Initially, such catalogs , published in the form of brochures and books , were only price lists for brand offices ( branded dealers ). In many cases, this feature of postage stamp catalogs remains one of the most important to this day.

With the development of philately as a collecting industry in catalogs, in addition to descriptions and prices , additional product details began to appear. The catalogs became illustrated (first in black and white, later in color), they began to indicate the dates of postal issues , types of printing , circulations , varieties of postage stamps, etc. ^[1]

Cover of the first Scott catalog (1868)

The first, very modest catalog of stamps appeared in September 1861 ^[1] in Strasbourg ( France ) through the efforts of the local bookseller Oscar Berger-Levro . He published his catalog of postage stamps and labeled envelopes “for friends” in a limited edition of 40-50 copies, entitled “Description of the Postage Stamps Still Known,” which by then totaled 973 pieces. His vintage list was not illustrated and contained a number of serious errors.

The beginning of Berger-Levro was picked up by the petty French official Alfred Potique . He finalized the Berger-Levro catalog, adding illustrations and missing prices, corrected some errors and expanded the database. His "Catalog of postage stamps created in different countries of the world" ( French "Catalog des timbres-poste crées dans les divers états du globe" ), which was published in December 1861 ^[2] , already contained 1080 stamps and 132 stamped envelope. In the same 1861, a similar catalog (like Berger-Levro, without illustrations) was published by the founder of the London Royal Entomological Society , zoologist John Edward Gray ^[3] in England .

The appearance of catalogs of postage stamps of all countries of the world, such as those published in Europe (A. Potique, 1861, France; J.-B. Moens , 1862, Belgium ; F. Bouty , 1862 ^[≡] , S. Gibbons , 1879, England) and the USA ( Scott , 1867), systematic collecting of signs of a postage is stimulated ^[2] .

If during the 1840-1850s only 64 postage stamps were issued in the world, then by the beginning of the 20th century there were 830 stamps a year. Already in 1921, the German catalog of Zenf brothers' stamps contained more than 50 thousand only basic numbers, without varieties. By the middle of the 20th century, the annual number of postage stamps issued in the world amounted to 4.5 thousand, and their total number exceeded 200 thousand. With an avalanche-like increase in the number of stamps, most catalogs became more specialized , covering only a group of states, two, three, or even one country. This made it possible to describe in more detail and more accurately in the catalogs all the features of each issue , circulation and further fate of the postage stamps of selected regions and countries.

Modern catalogs of stamps are divided, as a rule, in accordance with the types of philatelic collections and include ^[1] :

• universal (standard) catalogs - with brands in chronological order, by country;
• geographic catalogs - limited to continent , group of countries, one country;
• chronological catalogs - limited to a specific time period;
• thematic catalogs - limited by theme, motive ( flora , space , railways , Leniniana , fairy tales , etc.);
• specialized directories - limited to the type of mail, mail , printing method, etc.

The most famous and recognized are universal catalogs of postage stamps covering the whole world for all the times since the appearance in 1840 of the world's first postage stamp, " Black Penny ." However, they are few:

• " Stanley Gibbons " ( Eng. "Stanley Gibbons" ) ^[1] ,
• “ Scott ”
• " Iver and Tellier " ( French "Yvert et Tellier" ) ^[1] ,
• " Michel " ( German: "Michel" ) ^[1] .

Most authoritative catalogs are published, as a rule, in one of the common languages ​​and, for historical reasons (for example, the formation and collapse of colonial empires ), pays most attention to the postage stamps of "their" world.

In English

In English-speaking and many other ^[5] countries, the most popular publications are Stanley Gibbons ( Great Britain ) and Scott (USA). The Stanley Gibbons catalogs have been published in two volumes since the end of the 19th century and are updated monthly. The first volume covers the countries of the British Commonwealth , the second - the rest of the world. Scott's catalog, published in New York , has a long tradition and originally used a similar system: his first volume looked at the postage stamps of the English-speaking world (including the United States and the Commonwealth), the second - the rest of the country. The catalog now has six alphabetical volumes (or 21 CDs ), traditionally beginning with a description of US brands.

In both directories, service , airmail, and semi-mail (postal-charitable) stamps are distinguished into separate categories within each country. Both catalogs do not reproduce all brands in series , limited to images of only one or two examples. For political ( US embargoes ) and propaganda reasons, it is impossible to find any information on the postage stamps of the so-called “ rogue countries ” of the respective periods in Cuba ( Cuba during the reign of Fidel Castro , North Korea , Iran after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Iraq during the period of Saddam Hussein , etc. d.), which sometimes disorientates inexperienced philatelists .

In French

The French-speaking philatelic world traditionally appreciates the catalogs of postage stamps "Iver and Tellier", and since 1947 - "Ceres" (or "Ceres" ; French "Cérès" ) ^[6] . Both catalogs were originally three-volume: the first volume is France and its former colonies , the second is the rest of Europe, the third is the rest of the world. Now the volume of "Iver and Tellier" in the framework of the same classification is 18 volumes. Like the largest English-language catalogs, these catalogs do not fully reproduce the branded series, illustrating them only with examples. The prices indicated in these catalogs are indicative in nature and do not pretend to be a weighty argument in case of serious trade in postage stamps. Since 2006, simplified versions for young philatelists began to be produced in parallel - Little Iver from Iver and Tellier ( Le petit Yvert d'Yvert et Tellier ) and Ceres Junior ( Cérès Junior ).

Since 2001, one more catalog in French has been published and gained fame - “Dallay” . It is published in six volumes on CD-ROMs and indicates additional details (names of brand designers, the nature of the use of brands in times of troubles and wars, etc.). Dale declares the copyright- free nature of all the information it provides, but after a number of legal and judicial problems have arisen, the future of this catalog is in doubt.

In German

The largest catalogs of postage stamps of the German-speaking world are the German "Michel" and the Swiss "Zumstein" ^[1] . After the liquidation in 1990 of the Leipzig catalog “Lipsia” ( German “Lipsia” , GDR ) ^[1] , the only full-fledged universal philatelic catalog of the countries of the socialist world , on the German market, besides the listed ones, only “ Austria-Net ” ( Austria ) remained visible and catalogs of “Leuchtturm Albenverlag” and from Germany .

The Michel catalog has been published since 1910 and gained recognition in the interwar period. It is an excellent addition to the English-language “Scott”, giving information that is omitted in the latter (for example, circulations, format of a stamp sheet, etc.). In particular, this principle applies to information on postal issues of rogue states, as well as emissions recognized by the International Federation of Philately as undesirable (stamps of some Latin American countries at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and some Arab Emirates of the 1960s and 1970s) .

Michel does not consider it necessary to update every year all its volumes (and there are more than forty in total), issuing additions to the old ones. However, he reproduces all the vintage series in full and, unlike French-language catalogs, tries to indicate prices that are accurate and current for the market. There is an abbreviated "youth" version of "Michel" - "Junior-Katalog" , which applies only to German-speaking countries.

The Swiss “Zumstein” has been published annually since 1909 in Bern . It is bilingual (in German and French), which is unusual for large catalogs of postage stamps. "Zumstein" covers the mail emissions of European countries and consists of four volumes - on the countries of the northern, central, southern and eastern parts of the continent. Central European stamps in this catalog start with Switzerland; British southern European colonies ( Gibraltar , Malta , Cyprus , the Ionian Islands ) are assigned to Northern Europe by the location of the metropolis , and Andorra is given twice. The catalog is also the current price list of the company, and it contains a number of technical details that are difficult to find in other well-known catalogs - data on paper grades , perforation options, colors , etc., as well as warnings about the possibility of dissolution of paints of one or another postage stamp in water , gasoline , about exposure to light , glue , etc.

Other countries and regions

For philatelists specializing in Australia and Oceania , a notable authority is the catalog ^[7] published in Sydney since 1926, as well as English. "The Australasian Stamp Catalog" ^[8] . The history of postal emissions from the countries of Northern Europe and their former colonies since 1947 is covered by the Fazit Swedish catalog. In Spain and Latin America , the catalog isp. “Anfils” , and besides, from 1988 to 2006, the thematic catalog “ Domfil ” was published in two languages ​​(Spanish and English). Portuguese and Brazilian philatelists use the port catalog . Afinsa , Italians - Ital. Sassone , Bolaffi, and Catalogo enciclopedico italiano . Among fans of the Dutch philately, the NVPH catalog is considered a priority. Fisher is popular in Poland . For Chinese collectors published catalogs ; old China - 1878-1949), "Ma" ( PRC ) and ; Hong Kong ) ^[9] , and catalogs of the ( Japan Philatelic Society , abbreviated JPS ) - special (JSCA) and Sakura , as well as the local brand sellers association ( Japan Stamp Dealer's Association ) - JSDA .

  Russian Empire

In the Russian Empire, “The First Russian Descriptive and Illustrated Catalog of Postage Stamps with 200 Drawings” was published in 1901 ^[2] .

  USSR

Soviet catalogs of postage stamps ^[1] have been published since 1923. Reprinted in full approximately every 10-15 years. Until 1992, in the intervals between reprints, additional issues were annually published with a description of the stamps and blocks of the USSR issued the previous year.

  Russia

In the post-Soviet era, postage stamp catalogs of both the Russian Empire, the RSFSR and the USSR, and modern Russia have been published and continue to be published. Among them, for example, are catalog publications edited by V. Yu. Solovyov and V. B. Zagorsky ( Standard-Collection Publishing House). The Ministry of Communications of the Russian Federation also issues the “ Catalog of Russian Postage Stamps ”

In order to briefly review the electronic catalogs of brands recently developed on the World Wide Web, the following Internet resources can be mentioned:

• International catalog of world stamps "StampWorld" ^[10] . The catalog is free. It is also suitable for creating your own collection of stamps online. However, it supports only major issues of brands, including aviation. Variants of brands are practically absent, including toothless ones, if they completely coincide with perforated ones. The location of the stamps is standard, in series. The advantage is the presence of Latin names for fauna and flora. It is also worth noting the advanced search for brands in the selected country in many ways, including at face value. The catalog is perfectly aimed at selling and buying brands. Buying stamps does not require a monthly fee, as opposed to selling: to conveniently sell stamps, you need to buy a subscription.
• The international catalog of stamps and other philatelic materials of the world “Colnect” ^[11] . The catalog is free. It is also suitable for creating your own collection of stamps and other philatelic materials online, moreover, described in detail, including there are wide gradations in the quality of materials. Designed for a detailed description of all kinds of issues of materials and their options, as well as for exchange and sale. The materials described in detail are located one at a time, the series are only in the descriptions. Materials are sorted primarily by release date and Michel catalog, if not - by other catalogs. The user marks which materials in his collection and which are intended for exchange. To put up philatelic materials for sale, you need to buy a subscription.
• Catalog of Russian, Soviet and Russian brands "Standard Collection" ^[12] . Electronic analogues of Zagorsky catalogs are presented. In electronic versions, typos and inaccuracies are corrected. The numbering of brands is own.
• Catalog of postage stamps of Russia and the USSR "StampRus" ^[13] . Numbering of stamps is standard by CFA, as in the Solovyov catalog. The catalog collects and explores brand options.
• The catalog of Russian stamps and related philatelic materials issued since 1992 is maintained on the website of the Marka Publishing and Shopping Center ^[14] .
• A detailed summary of online stamp catalogs by country and subject catalogs can be found on the Philately web page ^[15] .

Despite the appearance of regular updates to catalogs of postage stamps, most philatelists widely use catalogs published in earlier years. Over time, such directories do not lose many of their valuable qualities:

• Firstly, many branded catalogs over the years greatly expand in volume, and therefore are forced to carefully monitor the latest releases, knowingly missing important details at times, while this information is present in catalogs of previous years.
• Secondly, many philatelists use catalogs, mainly to identify particular stamps and find out the details of their release and circulation. Current brand prices are not so important to them in this case.

In general, stamp catalogs are an essential and convenient tool for collectors. Gradually, they became the source of civilized regulation of the global philatelic market. As a rule, philatelists are guided by the data of well-known catalogs of postage stamps when concluding commercial transactions , exchanging, determining the status, authenticity of material, fakes and fantastic issues. The active use of one or more directories allows the collector of postage stamps to avoid unnecessary cash costs and disappointments.

• In English:
  • Online catalog of postage stamps "Stanley Gibbons" ^[16] .
  • Scott directories ^[17] .
• In French:
  • Catalogs "Iver and Tellier" ^[18] .
  • Catalogs "Ceres" ^[19] .
  • The Dale catalogs ^[20] .
• In German:
  • The online catalog "Michel" ^[21] .
  • The Zumstein catalogs ^[22] .

An International Federation of Catalog Publishers ( ASKAT , from the Association Internationale des éditeurs de catalogs de timbres-poste, d'albums et de publications philatéliques - ASCAT ^[23] ) was created to coordinate manufacturers' plans and define general principles for cataloging . catalogs and other publications describing postal issues . Another goal of ASKAT is to develop a unified attitude to speculative and other issues recognized by the International Federation of Philately (FIP) as undesirable . ASKAT works closely with FIP and participates in major philatelic exhibitions ^[24] .

• Karlovich E. 500% 20 philatelic% 20 riddles .pdf 500 philatelic riddles / Per. from polish. V. L. Kona. - M .: Communication, 1978. - P. 96. (Retrieved October 4, 2010) (unavailable link) Retrieved October 2018.
• Catalogs of stamps // Philatelic Dictionary / Comp. O. Ya. Basin. - M .: Communication, 1968 .-- 164 p.
• Kisin B. M. Country Philately / Ed. V. Nezdvetsky. - M .: Enlightenment , 1969. - S. 66. - 240 p. - 100,000 copies. (Retrieved July 15, 2016) Archived January 2, 2016.
• Sashenkov E. A new catalog was released. A new word about modern post issues - and not only ... // Nezavisimaya Gazeta . - 2001. - No. 209 (2519). - November 9. (Retrieved December 1, 2008)
• Articles beginning with the Catalog // Large Philatelic Dictionary / N. I. Vladinets, L. I. Ilyichev, I. Ya. Levitas ... [ and others ] ; under the general. ed. N.I. Vladinets and V.A. Jacobs. - M .: Radio and communications, 1988. - S. 125-127. - 40,000 copies. - ISBN 5-256-00175-2 .

• Catalog; Catalog price (unopened) . Philately: Young philatelist : Russian - English explanatory dictionary of philatelic terms : K. Minsk , Belarus : RUE Belpochta . Date of treatment July 24, 2017.
• Alphabetical List of Postage Stamp Catalogs at Stamp Shows Worldwide (English) (Retrieved December 1, 2008)
• Association Internationale des Editeurs de catalogs de timbres-poste, d'albums et de publications philateliques (ASCAT) - official website of the International Association of Postage Stamp Catalogs, Vintage Albums and Philatelic Publishers Association (English) (Retrieved December 1, 2008)
• Linn's Stamp News (United States) Website (Retrieved January 14, 2009) :
  • “Using the catalogs. There's a stamp catalog that's right for you ” - article by Michael Baadke
  • “Catalog options for the whole wide world” - article by Rick Miller Archived on April 23, 2007.
• Communique of the French Competition Commission on the lawsuit of Yvert et Tellier vs. Dallay dated March 18, 2005 (French) (Retrieved December 1, 2008)
• Catalog of Russian stamps and other philatelic materials (since 1992) on the website of the Marka Publishing and Shopping Center (Retrieved July 25, 2017)
• Philately: On-line catalogs of stamps by country (neopr.) (Inaccessible link) . References 110mb.com. - “Philately” - a list of online catalogs of stamps by country and subject catalogs on the website of the electronic collection of links. Date of treatment February 7, 2010. Archived on May 2, 2012.