What’s new for 2025 Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940?

[Editor's note: as of early May, the  2025 Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940 is sold out.]

From the Scott Editors by Jay Bigalke

The 2025 Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940, widely recognized as the best single-volume catalog for classic-era stamps of the world, celebrates its 31st anniversary. The publication of this edition was delayed from November and released in April.

Many important value and editorial changes enhance this catalog. More than 6,250 value changes were made to the 2025 Scott Classic Specialized catalog.

We recognize the indefatigable efforts of Scott editor-at-large Donna Houseman, who works diligently each year as the lead editor of the Scott Classic Specialized catalog. Houseman was assisted by Bill Jones, a former Scott associate editor who also provided substantial input by updating values and providing editorial enhancements.

James E. Kloetzel, editor emeritus of the Scott catalogs, provides thousands of value changes and significant editorial changes to the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers, many of which find their way into this specialized catalog for U.S. and worldwide classic stamps.

We also thank our many advisors who offer improvements each year to make this catalog an invaluable reference for worldwide classic stamps.

An abundance of editorial changes and additions can be found throughout the catalog. Various footnotes and editorial notes have been expanded or clarified to further explain complicated listings, and other notes have been screened carefully to ensure accuracy.

What sets the Scott Classic Specialized catalog apart from the six volumes of the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue are the thousands of never-hinged listings, on-cover listings, varieties, pre-stamp postal markings and forerunning listings, local stamps and other important features.

In this 31st edition, on-cover listings were added for Lebanon.

New listings for mint, never-hinged stamps were added for the following countries: Alexandretta, Algeria, Brazil, Egypt, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Jordan, Oman and Syria.

Classic Canada and provinces received a watchful eye with approximately 1,500 value changes that were an equal mix of increases and decreases. For example a set of seven King Edward VII stamps (Scott 89-95) from 1903-08 performed quite well, with an unused set moving from $2,585 to $3,237 and a mint, never-hinged set moving from $8,320 to $10,415.

For the Canadian provinces, there were approximately 900 value changes made throughout the five provinces.

Ireland was reviewed, and more than 400 value changes were made with increases outweighing the decreases. One example is the 1938 Father Theobald Mathew set of two stamps (Scott 101-102) that went from $11.50 to $14.25 in unused condition.

Nicaragua was another country that was looked at closely, with approximately 1,400 value changes made.

Uruguay was reviewed and more than 300 value changes were made, mostly slight increases. Many of the changes affected were for used values with most of those being increases.

Almost 1,900 value changes were made for Hungary, which was part of a larger review of the entire country for the Scott Standard catalog. These value changes for the classic era appear in the 2025 Classic Specialized catalog for the first time. One item that increased for Hungary was the 1938 Death of St. Stephen souvenir sheet (Scott B97) that increased from $32.50 unused and $20 used to $40 unused and used.

In Greenland the parcel post stamps were reorganized, and new minor varieties were added.

In Fiji there was a reorganization of Scott 40-58, with new listings added.

We encourage users of the catalog to pay special attention to the Number Additions, Deletions and Changes listing found in this catalog. We also strongly suggest reading the introduction, which includes an abundance of important information.

And for those with interest in the Scott Digital Catalogue Subscription, images of stamps not pictured in the print catalog but shown only in the digital version were also added to a number of countries.

To purchase the 2025 Scott catalogs, call Amos Media at 800-572-6885 or visit the Amos Advantage website.

To subscribe to the most current version of the digital catalog, visit the Scott Digital Catalogue subscription page.

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