What’s new for 2025 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers?

From the Scott Editors by Jay Bigalke

Many important value and editorial changes enhance the historic 103rd edition of the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers.

In the past couple of years, we have received feedback on the definitive identifier section and the graded stamps section being separate books and decided this year to place both sections back in the Scott U.S. Specialized catalog. Also, a substantial number of value changes were made in the graded section, most notably in the highest grade ranges of classic issues. Additional changes were made throughout the listings.

The large essays and proofs section continues to be offered as a separate Scott catalog as we first did in fall 2023. That section and the United Nations section, removed in prior years, remain in the Scott Catalogue Digital Subscription.

Before we turn our attention to the specifics of this new catalog, we salute Scott editor emeritus James E. Kloetzel for working tirelessly on the thousands of value changes and hundreds of editorial changes. Kloetzel and the other Scott editors have been busy adding and expanding listings and making significant improvements throughout the catalog.

Valuing overview

For 2025, value changes were a mixed pattern. Some of the great rarities of U.S. philately sold at auction in the period of late 2023 through mid-2024. Most notable, of course, was the sale of the Bill Gross U.S. singles collection. Most of the sale’s rarities sold very well indeed, and some substantial value increases resulted.

In postmasters’ provisionals, Scott 7X1 in unused condition previously was valued with a dash, indicating it was known to exist but a lack of sales information made accurately valuing it impossible. That changed in 2024, and a value of $300,000 replaces the dash. The value for Scott 7X1 in used condition jumped to $60,000 from $50,000 last year. Other expensive postmasters’ provisionals moved up or down in value based on sale results.

Serious collectors are quite aware of how difficult it is to find classic stamps in genuine very fine condition. Some of these early stamps in very fine condition sold recently at high prices, resulting in value increases in the catalog. One obvious example is Scott 34, the 1857 10¢ green type IV, in unused condition. From $50,000 last year, its value leapt to $75,000 in the 2025 catalog. In unused condition, Scott 77, the 1866 Lincoln issue, increased in value from $5,000 to $8,500.

And, as has been widely reported, the only example publicly available of Scott 85A, the 1¢ blue Z grill, sold in 2024, establishing a new catalog value of $4,365,000, up from $3,000,000 last year.

Other classic issues showed smaller value increases, and a few even dropped slightly in value. A soft spot for values was found in Scott 192-204, 205C and 211D, the 1880-83 Special Printings of the 1879-83 issues. Disappointing auction sales for these issues resulted in decreased values in the catalog.

Overall, 20th-century issues, including such staples as Scott 459, 460, 477-479, 523, 547, 572-573 and 630, tended to also suffer small value decreases in the 2025 U.S. Specialized catalog.

Back-of-the-book issues were fairly quiet in 2024, quite possibly because collectors were concentrating on, and paying significant dollars for, front-of-the-book issues.

Values of forever stamps were updated to reflect the new 73¢ postage rate that took effect July 14, 2024.

Counterfeiters continue to reproduce many forever stamps. Collectors need to be vigilant when attempting to purchase a legitimate stamp for their collections.

Editorial enhancements

Seven new earliest documented uses (EDUs), from Scott 93 to 581, plus Scott 409H in the imperforate flat plate coil section, make an appearance for 2025.

Some interesting and important information has been added concerning the definition of the American Bank Note Co. paper type and the identification thereof. Collectors should review the changes to the long note preceding the listing for Scott 182, including the “Identification by Paper Type” note.

These updates in the notes will explain why the American Bank Note Co. paper is now identified as “soft porous linen paper.” Thanks to paper expert Albert J. “AJ” Valente for his knowledge and ideas on how to improve the Scott coverage of this subject.

Another clarifying note pertains to the values for imperforate sheet stamps for issues between Scott 314 and 611. This note points out that values for imperforate sheet stamps are for examples that are completely imperforate and without vending and affixing machine perforations.

The note points out that in many cases, especially for stamps with Schermack type III vending machine perforations, and especially for used examples, values for imperforate issues with vending machine perforations are lower or much lower than the completely imperforate stamps without perforations valued in the Postage section.

As always, other notes are clarified with new information, and some additional notes are added to aid collectors and dealers.

The Test Stamps section received its regular thorough updating, with some new major listings added.

Numerous footnotes were added in the modern postage listings to indicate counterfeit examples exist. A new edition of the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Counterfeits, scheduled for publication this fall, could double in size from the 2024 edition.

Lastly, new essays were added to the Canal Zone section.

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