Conditions

When buying or selling stamps through online auctions, responsible sellers usually provide a description of the stamps. In addition to the country, year of issue and catalog number, the state of the brand must be indicated without fail. This is important because it is not always possible to scan both sides of the stamp. And depending on the state of the adhesive side, the price of a clean brand can often change tenfold.

Therefore, over many years, including sales at face-to-face auctions or direct sales between dealers and philatelists, the terminology that is used today has developed.

For example, I will give a picture from the American magazine "Scott Stamp Monthly", describing the state of the stamp:

Used abbreviations (abbreviations) for stamp condition:

MNH (mint never hinged): clean, no damage or stickers = **

MH (mint hinged) or UH (unused-hinged): clean with damaged adhesive, sticker or sticker residue = *

MLH (mint lightly hinged): clean, slightly damaged adhesive, light sticker residue = *

MVLH (mint very lightly hinged): the same, but even less damaged, barely noticeable trace of the sticker = *

OG (original glue): native glue

o.G.: Stamp issued without glue.

Used: used, slaked

Status designations in catalogs:

✳✳ - brand without stickers and/or their traces

✳ - sticker or footprint

☉ - a circle with a dot inside - canceled (mail went through)

Filled circle - STO (stamp with courtesy cancellation made in the printing house)