2023 Scott Classic Specialized catalog overview

From the Scott Editors by Jay Bigalke

The 2023 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 29th edition this year.

Many important value and editorial changes enhance this latest edition of the Scott Classic Specialized catalog.

We recognize the tireless efforts of Scott editor-at-large Donna Houseman, who serves as the lead editor of the Scott Classic Specialized catalog. Houseman was assisted by Bill Jones, a former Scott associate editor. Together, they provided numerous updated values and significant editorial enhancements throughout the 2023 Scott Classic Specialized catalog.

Since the first edition was published, special editorial consultant Sergio Sismondo has worked diligently each year to help the editors expand the editorial content and listed values in the Scott Classic Specialized catalog, and this year was no exception.

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

An abundance of editorial additions can be found throughout the catalog. Various notes and footnotes have been clarified or expanded 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 forerunner listings, local stamps, and other important features.

New on-cover listings were added for Italian Colonies (almost 50 listings), Italian East Africa (1) and San Marino (approximately 125).

The most significant changes in this year’s catalog occurred in India Feudatory States, where we began a thorough review that is likely to span a few catalog seasons. The 2023 catalog includes a reorganization of listings of feudatory states from Alwar through Dungarpur. This review resulted in more than 2,600 value changes and more than 700 number changes and additions.

Also, the Bahawalpur listings in Pakistan were revised with more than 100 value changes and 52 number changes and additions made.

A couple of hundred value changes were made to Canada and the provinces for this year’s catalog. A number of the changes, a mix of increases and decreases, were the result of auction realizations.

Great Britain received a thorough review with almost 1,400 value changes made to major number and to minor and unlettered minor varieties.

British Offices Abroad also received a careful review, and 225 value changes were made alongside a number of new minor letter varieties being added.

The island of Aitutaki was reviewed with approximately 60 value changes made. And Bechuanaland Protectorate had approximately 100 value changes.

Almost 80 value changes were made for Bolivia.

China’s Treaty Ports received just over 500 value changes, and new minors were added.

An extensive review of Hong Kong netted more than 1,500 value changes. Most of the value changes reflected increases. One example was the 1862 2¢ Queen Victoria stamp (Scott 1), which moved from $500 in unused condition to $650 and from $110 used to $140.

Approximately 200 value changes were made for Jamaica and a little more than 100 for Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika.

Nauru was reviewed with about 70 value changes made and new minors added to the listings.

Nigeria, Niue and the Pitcairn Islands were looked at, and approximately 40, 170 and 40 value changes were made, respectively.

St. Kitts-Nevis had about 100 value changes. The listings for the King George VI stamps of 1938-48 (Scott 79-90) were reorganized, and 26 new minors were added.

The stamps of San Marino were looked at, and approximately 250 value changes were made in addition to the new on-cover listings mentioned earlier in this article.

Lastly, a handful of value changes were made for Sarawak, Somaliland Protectorate and Zanzibar. New varieties were also added for Zanzibar.

Mint, never-hinged values were added or updated for a number of countries throughout the catalog.

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

And for those with interest in the Scott Digital Catalogue Subscription, images of stamps not pictured in the print catalog but shown in the digital version were added to a number of countries, with most new images appearing in Austria. Overall, approximately 400 new images were added to the online catalog.

To purchase the 2023 Scott catalogs, contact your favorite dealer, or call Amos Media at 800-572-6885.

Also visit Amos Advantage online.

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