Identification
Stamp Condition Grades Explained
Stamp condition is described by a set of grades, from superb at the top down through fine to poor, judging how well a stamp has survived. Mint stamps are also graded by their gum, from never hinged down to no gum, and all stamps are judged on centring, margins and freedom from faults. Grading is partly a matter of judgement, so honest, consistent description matters, and condition is the single biggest factor in most stamps' value.
The condition grades
| Grade | Roughly means |
|---|---|
| Superb / Extremely Fine | As near perfect as a stamp gets |
| Very Fine | Excellent, well centred, fresh |
| Fine | Sound and presentable, minor imperfections |
| Good / Average | Noticeable faults or poor centring |
| Poor / Space-filler | Heavily faulted, value mainly as a filler |
What grading means
Grading is the language collectors and dealers use to describe how good a stamp is. It takes account of several things at once, how well centred the design sits, the margins, the freshness of colour, the state of the gum on a mint stamp, the cancellation on a used one, and any faults, and sums them into a single grade.
Because some of this is judgement, two people may grade a stamp slightly differently, which is why honest, consistent grading matters so much, as our own quality and grading standards explain.
The grades, from best to worst
- Superb / Extremely Fine. As near perfect as a stamp comes: beautifully centred, fresh, sound, with no faults. The finest, and scarcest, grade.
- Very Fine. Excellent in every respect, well centred and fresh, perhaps with the most trivial imperfection. A highly desirable grade.
- Fine. Sound and presentable, with minor imperfections, slightly off-centre, or a small flaw, that fall short of finer grades. A common and perfectly collectable grade.
- Good / Average. Noticeable faults or poor centring: a stamp that fills the space and shows the design, but with clear shortcomings.
- Poor / Space-filler. Heavily faulted, damaged or worn, valued mainly as a temporary filler until a better example is found.
Centring, margins and faults
Three things weigh heavily within any grade. Centring is how evenly the design sits within the perforations or margins, well centred being far preferred. Margins, especially on imperforate stamps, are the clear space around the design, where a four-margin example is prized, as our guide to perforated versus imperforate stamps explains. And faults, thins, tears, creases, stains, heavy cancellations, repairs, pull a stamp down sharply, whatever its other merits. A faultless, well-centred stamp earns a high grade; a faulted one cannot, however attractive. Our guide to condition and value explains how these translate into worth.
Mint grades, and honest description
Gum, and honest grading
Mint stamps carry a second layer of grading, for their gum, since the gum is part of a mint stamp's condition. The grades run from mint never hinged, with perfect, undisturbed gum, through lightly hinged and hinged, to unused without gum, as our guide to gum and hinging explains in full, with the caution that regumming, adding fresh gum to fake a finer grade, is a trap to watch for. Above all, grading must be honest. We describe every stamp's condition plainly, including its faults, so you know exactly what you are buying, because a stamp honestly graded can be bought and sold with confidence. Values are a guide only and depend on the individual stamp and its grade.
Frequently asked questions
A set of grades describing how well a stamp has survived, from superb at the top through fine to poor, taking account of centring, margins, freshness, gum, cancellation and faults. Condition is the biggest factor in most stamps' value.
Sound and presentable, with minor imperfections, slightly off-centre, or a small flaw, that fall short of the finest grades. It is a common and perfectly collectable grade, below very fine and superb.
By its overall condition and, importantly, its gum: from mint never hinged (perfect, undisturbed gum) through lightly hinged and hinged to no gum. Our guide to gum and hinging explains.
Because condition is the single biggest factor in most stamps' value, and grading is partly judgement, so honest, consistent description is essential. A stamp honestly graded can be bought and sold with confidence.
This is a general guide. For an honest assessment of your own stamps' condition, send clear photographs for a free valuation.
Superb to poor, honestly graded
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Founder and stamp dealerLast updated June 2026