Stamps and first day covers
This section records individual postage stamps, stamp issues and first day covers in the collection.
Add a new page
Collection summary
| Record type | Number of pages |
|---|---|
| First day covers | 49 |
| Owned first day covers | 0 |
| First day covers wanted | 18 |
| Individual stamps | 129 |
Browse by country
Isle of Man
Naming conventions
Individual stamp pages
Use the following page-title format:
CC-Catalogue-NumberVariant
Examples:
IM-SG-9999IM-SG-9999aDE-Mi-385
The parts are:
CC— two-letter country codeCatalogue— catalogue abbreviation, such as SG or MiNumber— catalogue numberVariant— optional suffix, such as a, b or c
Use the same identifier for the principal image filename:
IM-SG-9999a.jpg
Additional images may use descriptive suffixes:
IM-SG-9999a-back.jpg IM-SG-9999a-detail-1.jpg
First day cover pages
Use:
Country – Issue title – Year
Where several different covers exist for the same issue, include the producer or cover type:
Country – Issue title – Producer – Year
Catalogue abbreviations
The countries shown are examples rather than complete coverage lists. Countries currently included in this collection's country-code table are shown in bold.
| Catalogue | Identifier abbreviation | Example countries or postal areas covered |
|---|---|---|
| Stanley Gibbons | SG
|
United Kingdom, Isle of Man, Australia, Canada |
| Michel | Mi
|
Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Ukraine |
| Zumstein | Zum
|
Switzerland, Liechtenstein, United Nations Geneva |
| Scott | Scott
|
United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan |
| Yvert et Tellier | YT
|
France, Monaco, Switzerland, Belgium |
| Sakura | Sakura
|
Japan, Ryukyu Islands and historical Japanese-administered territories |
| AFA | AFA
|
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands |
| Facit | Facit
|
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands |
| Minkus | Minkus
|
United States, Germany, France, Japan and worldwide issues |
| Sassone | Sass
|
Italy, San Marino and Vatican City |
| Edifil | Edifil
|
Spain, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea and former Spanish colonies |
| Unificato | Unif
|
Italy, San Marino, Vatican City and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta |
| Philex | Philex
|
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France and Spain |
Notes:
- Sakura is principally a Japanese catalogue. Its additional coverage includes historical postal administrations rather than a second modern sovereign country.
- Minkus is retained for older collections and references, but its independent worldwide catalogue and numbering system are no longer actively published.
- Philex country catalogues normally reproduce Michel numbering. Where that is the case, use
Miin the stamp identifier rather thanPhilex.
Country codes
Stamp identifiers use the two-letter ISO country code of the issuing country or postal authority.
| Country or postal authority | Code | Example identifier |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | DE
|
DE-Mi-385
|
| Isle of Man | IM
|
IM-SG-9999a
|
| Kyrgyzstan | KG
|
KG-Mi-123
|
| Liechtenstein | LI
|
LI-Mi-123
|
| Switzerland | CH
|
CH-Zum-123
|
| Ukraine | UA
|
UA-Mi-123
|
| United Kingdom | GB
|
GB-SG-1234
|
First day cover types
Use the broad value in the cover-type field and record the specific organisation or company in cover-producer.
| Cover type | Description | Example producers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard cover | Standard cover produced or commissioned by the postal authority. | Royal Mail, Isle of Man Post Office |
| Commercial cover | Privately produced cover created for sale to collectors. | Cotswold, Mercury, Philart, Stuart, Abbey |
| Official or sponsored cover | Cover officially produced or sponsored by an organisation connected with the issue. | Museum, charity, regiment, government department or event organiser |
| Commemorative cover | A cover marking an event or anniversary that is not necessarily the official first day cover for a stamp issue. | Various |
| Other | A cover that does not fit one of the standard classifications. | Record the details in cover-producer and collection-comment
|
Postmark types
| Postmark type | Description |
|---|---|
| Special handstamp | A special pictorial or commemorative handstamp produced for an issue, event or location. |
| First Day of Issue postmark | A postmark specifically identifying the first day of issue. This includes Royal Mail FDI postmarks used from 1964 to 1988. |
| Counter date stamp | An ordinary circular date stamp applied at a post-office counter. |
| Slogan postmark | A cancellation containing wording, advertising or a commemorative slogan. |
| Machine cancellation | A mechanically applied cancellation, normally containing a date stamp and cancelling lines. |
| Meter mark | A postal marking produced by a postage meter rather than an adhesive stamp. |
| Other | Any postmark that does not fit the standard types. Add an explanation in postmark-notes.
|
Stamp classifications
Stamp type and subtype
| Stamp type | Suggested subtypes or descriptions |
|---|---|
| Commemorative | General commemorative; anniversary; historical event; notable person; thematic issue |
| Definitive | Monarch or reign; regional definitive; country pictorial; long-running definitive series |
| Occasions and greetings | Christmas; wedding; birthday; greetings; festival; seasonal issue |
| Special-purpose | Airmail; postage due; official; charity or semi-postal; newspaper; express |
| Other | Explain the classification in the page notes |
Stamp format
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| Stamp | An individual stamp issued in an ordinary sheet. |
| Se-tenant pair | Two attached stamps with different designs. |
| Se-tenant strip | Three or more attached stamps with different designs. |
| Se-tenant block | A block of attached stamps with different designs. |
| Miniature sheet | One or more stamps issued together within a specially designed sheet margin. |
| Sheetlet | A small sheet containing a limited number of stamps. |
| Booklet stamp | A stamp issued as part of a stamp booklet. |
Record self-adhesive or conventional gum in the paper-gum field rather than using it as a stamp type or format.
Adding a new issue or cover
- Upload the main first day cover image and, if available, its reverse image.
- Upload each individual stamp image using its catalogue-based identifier as the filename.
- Select Create a new FDC page.
- Complete the issue, cover, postmark, signature and collection fields.
- Complete the first
FDC stamp rowin the preloaded stamp table. - Duplicate the complete
FDC stamp rowblock for every additional stamp in the issue. - Preview the page and check that the automatic stamp count is correct.
- Save the FDC page.
- Follow each red stamp-identifier link and use the stamp creation form to create its individual page.
- On each individual stamp page, add a link back to the associated FDC page using the
fdc-pagesfield.
Suggested image names
| Item | Example filename |
|---|---|
| Front of first day cover | IM-Example-Issue-2026-FDC.jpg
|
| Reverse of first day cover | IM-Example-Issue-2026-FDC-back.jpg
|
| Information sheet | IM-Example-Issue-2026-information-sheet.jpg
|
| Individual stamp | IM-SG-9999.jpg
|
| Stamp variant | IM-SG-9999a.jpg
|
| Additional stamp detail | IM-SG-9999a-detail-1.jpg
|