How can I tell if a stamp is CTO?

Look at the back. A "used" stamp that still has full original gum, with a neat cancel often in one corner, is very often cancelled to order.

Are CTO stamps worth less than used ones?

Usually, yes. Because they were produced in bulk and never did postal duty, they are generally worth less than genuinely postally used examples.

No. They are legitimate stamps, neither forged nor damaged, simply cancelled to order rather than used in the post.

Why is my colourful collection worth less than I expected?

A common reason is that much bright packet material is cancelled to order, which is worth less than postally used.

Glossary

What Is CTO (Cancelled to Order)?

A cancelled-to-order (CTO) stamp is one cancelled in bulk by the postal authority rather than by actually passing through the post, usually to be sold cheaply to the stamp trade. CTO stamps often keep full gum on the back and carry a neat, light cancel, frequently placed in one corner. They are generally worth less than the same stamp genuinely postally used, so it is a useful distinction to recognise.

Cancelled in bulk

Often full gum

Usually worth less than used

CTO

Cancelled, not posted

At a glance

MeansCancelled in bulk, not used in the post

Often hasFull gum, and a neat corner cancel

Made forThe cheap packet trade

ValueUsually less than postally used

Is it a fake?No, simply a different thing

Quick tell"Used", yet with full original gum

What CTO means

Most used stamps did a job: they paid for a letter and were cancelled as they went through the post. A cancelled-to-order stamp did not. Instead, whole sheets were cancelled in bulk by the postal authority or its agents, without carrying any mail, and then sold off cheaply.

Much of this material went to the packet trade, to be made up into the large, colourful packets and sets sold to beginners. The cancellation was applied to order, which is where the name comes from.

How to recognise a CTO stamp

Full gum on the back. This is the clearest sign. A genuinely postally used stamp has usually been soaked off an envelope and has lost its gum, whereas CTO stamps were often cancelled while still in full sheets and keep their gum.
A neat, light cancel, often tidily placed in one corner, and frequently identical across many stamps.
Sold cheaply and in bulk, often in large mixed packets or ready-made sets.

No single sign is absolute, but a "used" stamp with full original gum and a tidy corner cancel is very often cancelled to order.

A cancel on the front, yet full original gum on the back: a stamp that was cancelled without ever passing through the post is very often cancelled to order.

Why CTO matters to value

CTO stamps were produced in great quantities for the trade, and they never did any postal work, so they are generally worth less than the same stamp genuinely used in the post, and often less than a mint example too.

For a collector who values genuine postal use, a postally used stamp is the one to have. This is also one of the most common reasons a large, colourful collection turns out to be worth less than it first appears: a great deal of inexpensive packet material is cancelled to order. If you are weighing up a collection, it is well worth knowing.

CTO is not a fault or a fake

A particular thing, not a bad one

It is worth being clear: a cancelled-to-order stamp is perfectly legitimate. It is not a forgery, and it is not damaged. Many CTOs are bright and attractive, and they are an enjoyable, affordable way to collect by theme, to fill spaces, or to start out. Some early or particular CTOs are even collected in their own right.

The point is not that CTO is bad, only that it is a particular thing. Knowing what you have is what lets you value it correctly.

How we describe CTO

Where a stamp is cancelled to order, we say so plainly, and we show it front and back, so the gum and the cancel are both visible and there is no confusing it with a postally used stamp. You can read more on our quality and grading standards page.