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Stamp watermark finder
Watermark finder
Find and name a stamp watermark
2. Follow the steps: Black tray + watermark fluid
Step 1 of 5
Step 1
Get the right fluid
Use a commercial watermark fluid made for stamps. The APS recommends it over lighter fluid, and non-flammable, non-toxic fluids such as Clarity are available.
Good to know: Fluid made for stamps evaporates quickly and should not affect the gum on unused stamps (APS). Don't substitute naphtha or lighter fluid, which may affect the ink, and keep benzine away from photogravure stamps, whose inks dissolve in it. Yellow and orange stamps are often reluctant: a tray in a complementary color can help.
4. Compare with the reference library
21 of 21 watermarks shown. Drawings are simplified, not to scale.
Small Crown
Great Britain
From 1840; replaced in 1854 or 1855 (sources differ)
One small crown per stamp. It appears on every Penny Black. The dandy-roll bits were formed from small pieces of brass wire.
Source: Stanley Gibbons; American Philatelic Society; Evert Klaseboer, online stamp catalogue
Large Crown
Great Britain
From 1854 or 1855 (sources differ)
A larger single crown that replaced the Small Crown. It exists in two very similar types, I and II.
Source: Stanley Gibbons; Evert Klaseboer, online stamp catalogue
Garter
Great Britain
1855 to 1857 types (4d carmine)
A garter shape, used in small (1855), medium (1856) and large (1857) types on the surface-printed 4d.
Source: collectgbstamps.co.uk
Emblems
Great Britain
From 1856 (6d and 1s), repeated on later values
National emblems in the four corners of the stamp: two roses, a thistle and a shamrock. Error versions with three roses exist.
Source: collectgbstamps.co.uk
Spray of Rose
Great Britain
1867 to 1880 series
A single spray of rose, used on the 1867–80 surface-printed series with large colored corner letters.
Source: collectgbstamps.co.uk; Evert Klaseboer, online stamp catalogue
Orb (globe with cross)
Great Britain
1870s (Klaseboer gives 1876)
An orb topped by a cross, used on the 2½d mauve and blue during the 1873–80 issues.
Source: collectgbstamps.co.uk; Evert Klaseboer, online stamp catalogue
Imperial Crown
Great Britain
1880 to 1883 series
A crown watermark used on the 1880–83 surface-printed series, including the 1d Venetian red.
Source: collectgbstamps.co.uk; Evert Klaseboer, online stamp catalogue
Tudor Crown (E2R)
Great Britain
1952 to 1954
A Tudor crown with the letters E2R, on the first Queen Elizabeth II Wilding definitives.
Source: Royal Philatelic Society London; Wikipedia
St Edward's Crown (E2R)
Great Britain
1955 to 1958
A St Edward's crown with E2R, on Wilding definitives printed from 1955.
Source: Royal Philatelic Society London; Wikipedia
Multiple Crowns
Great Britain
From 1958 or 1959 (sources differ)
St Edward's crowns without the E2R letters, on later Wilding printings. Later regional issues had no watermark.
Source: Royal Philatelic Society London; Wikipedia
Crown CC
British colonies
From 1865 in most colonies (dates vary by colony)
A crown over the letters CC, for Crown Colonies.
Crown CA
British colonies
From 1880 (dates vary by colony)
A crown over CA, for Crown Agents, replacing Crown CC.
Multiple Crown CA
British colonies
From 1904 (Transvaal used it in 1902)
Crown and CA repeated across the sheet, so several appear on one stamp.
Multiple Script CA
British colonies
From 1921
Like Multiple Crown CA, but the letters CA are written in script.
Block CA
British colonies
Introduced in 1957 (first Jamaican issue on it that year)
The letters CA in block capitals rather than script.
Source: Royal Philatelic Society London
Double-line USPS
United States
1895 to 1910 (Scott watermark 191)
The letters USPS in double-line capitals. Most stamps show only part of the watermark, sometimes a small part of one letter.
Source: American Philatelic Society
Single-line USPS
United States
1910 to 1916 (Scott watermark 190)
USPS in single-line capitals. The APS notes these are particularly hard to see. Unwatermarked paper was first used in August 1916, for US #462.
Lozenges (Rauten)
Germany
1905 to 1919 issues of the German Empire
An even pattern of lozenges (diamonds) repeated across the whole stamp.
Source: Wikipedia
What is a watermark on a stamp?
A watermark is a design that shows as a density variation and increased translucence in the paper. It is part of the paper, not the printing.
In most watermarks the paper fibers are compressed where the design is, leaving the paper slightly thinner there. The tool for this is the dandy roll, invented by John Marshall in 1826. It carries “bits” in the shape of the watermark, which are pressed into the paper as it passes.
Postal authorities used watermarked paper as a security measure, to make stamps harder to forge. Catalogs describe a watermark differently: Scott and Michel show it as seen from the back of the stamp, Stanley Gibbons as seen from the front.
Why watermarks matter for identification and value
Stamps that look identical but differ in watermark generally get separate catalog numbers, and the price gap can be large.
The APS puts it plainly: a watermark may be the only difference between a very common stamp and one valued in the hundreds of dollars or more. Watermarks can also be inverted, reversed, sideways or a combination; “watermark inverted” is listed for nearly all the Penny Black plates.
US collectors see this with the change to unwatermarked paper. It was first used in August 1916 for US #462, issued that September. After that, US stamps were no longer intentionally printed on watermarked paper, although Mystic notes two well-known errors, US #519 and #832b.
Perforation often separates the same issues, so measure it too with our perforation gauge.
Watermark fluid: what to use and what to avoid
Use a commercial fluid made for stamps in a black tray. Skip lighter fluid, naphtha and benzine.
Lighter fuels and benzene were once the usual choice, but the APS warns that their health and accident dangers are considerable. Benzine also dissolves the inks of photogravure stamps. The Éire Philatelic Association adds that naphtha or lighter fluid may affect the ink, and Mystic's advice is to use only substances made for stamps.
Electronic and mechanical detectors exist as well, such as the Safe Signoscope and the Morley-Bright detector, which uses ink in a sealed sachet that flows over the stamp under thumb pressure. The APS author's own verdict: nothing beats traditional watermark fluid.
Can a phone detect a stamp watermark?
Not reliably. A phone camera photographs the printed face, while a watermark is a difference in the paper itself.
The established methods all depend on light passing through the paper or on fluid against a dark tray, and even then watermarks are hard to see. The APS singles out single-line US watermarks as particularly difficult. What a phone can do is record the watermark once fluid has made it visible, before the fluid evaporates.
What StampSnap does and doesn't do
Stamp watermark FAQ
What is a watermark on a stamp?
A design built into the stamp paper when it was made. The paper is compressed or slightly thinner where the design is, so it shows as a density difference and looks more translucent. Postal authorities used watermarks to make stamps harder to forge.
What is watermark fluid, and is it safe for stamps?
A quick-drying fluid made for stamps. You put the stamp face down in a black tray and add a few drops, and the watermark shows as dark lines. The APS says it evaporates quickly and should not affect the gum on unused stamps. Some brands, such as Clarity, are non-flammable and non-toxic.
Can I use lighter fluid to find a stamp watermark?
Collectors have, but it is not recommended. The APS recommends commercial watermark fluid instead, lighter fuels carry real health and fire risks, and the Éire Philatelic Association warns that naphtha or lighter fluid may affect the ink. Benzine dissolves photogravure inks.
Can my phone or a stamp app detect a watermark?
Not reliably from an ordinary photo. A watermark is in the paper, not the print, and the established methods rely on light through the paper or fluid in a dark tray. Once fluid has made the watermark visible, a phone photo can record it. StampSnap identifies the stamp's issue; you confirm the watermark by hand.
Why does a watermark matter for value?
Stamps with the same design that differ only by watermark generally get separate catalog numbers. The APS notes that a watermark can be the only difference between a very common stamp and one valued in the hundreds of dollars or more.
Sources & References
- Expertizing Basics: Watermarks (2021) - American Philatelic Society
- Watermarks – A Philatelic Introduction (Doug McGill, 2022) - American Philatelic Society
- All About Watermarks on Postage Stamps - Mystic Stamp Company
- Tools for Philatelists – Watermarks (Raymond Murphy) - Éire Philatelic Association
- 185th anniversary of the Penny Black - Stanley Gibbons
- Catalogue Great Britain Watermarks - Evert Klaseboer, online stamp catalogue
- Collecting the Victorians 4: The Surface-Printed Issues, 1855–1883 (James Watson) - collectgbstamps.co.uk
- GB Queen Elizabeth II Wildings (Frank Walton display), page 10 - Royal Philatelic Society London
- Jamaica display (Jarvis & Wright), page 327 - Royal Philatelic Society London
- This Day in History: September 27, 1916 - Mystic Stamp Company
- Postage stamps and postal history of India - Wikipedia
- Postage stamp paper - Wikipedia
- Wilding series - Wikipedia