Scott numbers

What the Scott catalog is

John Walter Scott, a New York stamp dealer, published the first Scott catalog in September 1868. It was a 21-page pamphlet. The catalog has since grown into a multi-volume reference: Wikipedia counts fourteen large volumes as of 2021, including the worldwide Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps & Covers and a Classic Specialized volume.

Scott no longer sells stamps; it publishes the reference that buyers and sellers use. Amos Media published the catalogs for years and sold them, with two related magazines, to Scott Stamp LLC in October 2025. The United States Stamp Society calls Scott "the most widely accepted and comprehensive catalogue of United States philatelic material," which is why US auction listings, dealer price lists and album pages all speak in Scott numbers.

How a Scott number is built

Every listed stamp from every country gets a unique Scott number within that country's listing. Regular postage stamps get plain numbers, assigned in sequence with occasional gaps for renumbered or reserved series. Scott 1 for the United States is the 5¢ Benjamin Franklin of July 1, 1847, the first US postage stamp. Scott C3 is the 24¢ Curtiss Jenny airmail of 1918.

Three extra layers make the number precise:

• Prefix letters mark special-purpose stamps. C3 is an airmail because of the C; J1 would be the first postage due stamp.
• Lowercase suffixes mark minor varieties such as shades and errors. C3a is the famous Inverted Jenny, the C3 design with the airplane printed upside down.
• Capital-letter suffixes are added when a stamp turns up that must sit between existing numbers. The 1¢ Franklin Z grill, of which only two are known, is listed as Scott 85A. See grills for why it matters.

According to Linn's Stamp News, the present system of prefixes and suffixes was adopted in the 96th edition, published in 1940. Linn's also points out that the prefixes grew up under many editors and are not perfectly consistent, so always read the heading of the section you are in.

Common Scott prefixes for US stamps

These are the prefixes most US collectors meet. The definitions follow the United States Stamp Society glossary, which uses numbering from the Scott Specialized Catalogue of U.S. Stamps and Covers.

The same logic runs through Scott's listings for other countries, so B means semi-postal and C means airmail whether you are in the United States, France or Japan.

Scott vs. Stanley Gibbons, Michel and Yvert

Scott is the standard in the United States. Collectors elsewhere often work from a different catalog, and the numbers do not translate one-to-one. Each catalog arranges regular and special issues differently and gives different weight to paper, perforation and watermark varieties.

The values are not interchangeable either. The American Philatelic Society notes that each catalog has its own relationship to market pricing and may use different condition standards and treat gum differently. Scott's publisher also claims copyright on its numbering system and licenses it only narrowly, which is why some free databases avoid Scott numbers.

How to find your stamp's Scott number

The number is never printed on the stamp. You match the stamp to its catalog listing, and that takes a few steps:

• Pin down country, denomination and design. The inscription, currency and portrait narrow it to a few listings. StampSnap's photo identification gives you the country, year, series and denomination as a starting point.
• Check the details a photo can't settle. Measure the perforation with the perforation gauge and look for a watermark with the watermark finder. Many US stamps of 1908–1922 share one design but carry different Scott numbers because of these two features.
• Read the catalog listing. Scott's world volumes run alphabetically by country; US collectors use the Specialized catalog. Each listing shows the illustration, number, denomination, color and separate unused and used values.
• Cross-check with dealer listings. Many US dealers organize stock by Scott number. Mystic Stamp Company, for example, titles its listing "1 - 1847 5c Benjamin Franklin".

If two numbers seem possible, the cheaper one is usually right. Rare varieties are the exception, which is exactly why they are worth more.

Why catalog value is not a selling price

Scott says its catalog prices are retail prices, meaning what you might pay a dealer, and its values assume a stamp in Very Fine condition unless a listing says otherwise. The catalog's own introduction warns that "the actual price you pay for a stamp may be higher or lower than the catalogue value."

Three things pull real prices below catalog:

• Minimum values. Scott prices every used stamp at a minimum of 25¢ and every mint stamp at roughly twice face value, as philatelic writer John Hotchner explains. That minimum reflects part of a dealer's cost of preparing a single stamp for sale. The catalog itself cautions that a set made up mostly of minimum-value stamps may be worth less than its listed total.
• Condition. A stamp that is off-center, thin, creased or toned is not the Very Fine stamp the catalog prices. See stamp grading for how centering moves value.
• Retail vs. buying price. Hotchner writes that "it is unusual that actual price will equal or exceed the Scott Catalogue value," and the APS notes that for much material a discount from catalog is the norm. A dealer buying your stamps pays less than retail, because they have to resell them.

Treat catalog value as a way to compare stamps, not as cash. For real money figures, look at what the same stamp in the same condition actually sold for, or try the stamp value checker for an indicative range.