Knowledge / Other Categories / Condition Grades

Condition: recognizable external condition of a postage stamp, postal stationery or postal item

Piece Of Cover: conservation status for a part of a postal item with affixed postage

Used: general term for a conservation status of a postage stamp after its use

Stamped: conservation status of a postage stamp that was cancelled with a postmark during its postal use

Motive-free Used: conservation status of a used postage stamp in which the design print drawing is only slightly covered by the post-mark

Without Gum: conservation status of a postage stamp from which the original gum was removed or which was issued without gum

Paper-free: conservation status of a used postage stamp that has been completely removed from its base by soaking it

Mint Never Hinged: conservation status of a postage stamp without cancellation with the original gum intact and undamaged

Unused: conservation status of a postage stamp without cancellation with preserved original gum that is qualitatively impaired (e.g. hinge)

Unused With Fine Gum: misleading des-cription for a postage stamp with fake or manipulated real gum

Gap Filler: postage stamps in a poor con-servation status or repaired that are intend-ed to (temporarily) close a gap in the col-lection

Postage Stamp On Cover: conservation status of a postally used postage stamp on a postal item

Unstamped: conservation status of a post-age stamp used postally that was (inadvert-ently) not cancelled by a postmark

Unused: conservation status of a postal stationery before its postal use

Used: conservation status of a postal stationery after its postal use

Commemorative Sheet: paper sheet with a postage stamp and / or postmark that com-memorates a specific person or event

Postmark Sheet: paper sheet with postage stamps in order to obtain a cancelled to order

Conservation Status Change: postage stamp whose conservation status was changed intentionally or accidentally (e.g. mint never hinged -> used)

Conservation Status Parallel Issue: same postage stamps that are available at the same time in different conservation statuses (e.g. mint never hinged and used)