Stamp Expertizing Certificates


Stamp collecting has been an extremely popular hobby for several generations - almost since the day the world's first postage stamp was issued, in 1840.  Stamp collecting is fun, educational, and not at all stressful; in fact it can be quite relaxing and rewarding in a laid-back way.  But in addition to having all those qualities, stamp collecting can also, sometimes, be financially rewarding.  It's likely that at least part of the reason stamp collecting is so popular is the stories we all hear about valuable stamps. 

Almost all of us have heard of stamps that are worth thousands of dollars.  In fact, a very few stamps are worth much more than that - a million dollars or more.  Finding one of these stamps is every philatelist's dream. 

Just like many other collectible items, stamps can be counterfeited or forged.  And the great popularity of stamp collecting sadly motivates some bad people to create forged stamps.  Fortunately, we can protect ourselves from these bad people because any stamp can be sent to a stamp expertizing service.  These stamp expertizers carefully evaluate every stamp that is submitted to them and determine whether it is genuine and authentic or a counterfeit or forgery.  They certify the result of their findings by means of an expertizing certificate that they issue.

Stamp expertizing services are especially helpful when a stamp collector is thinking of purchasing an expensive stamp.  If the stamp is submitted and certified as genuine, the sale can go through.  But if the result indicates it's a forgery, the stamp collector can back out and save a great deal of money.

The American Philatelic Society - the APS - runs one of the most sought-after expertizing services in the world, and it has been helping stamp collectors since 1903.  It's called the American Philatelic Expertizing Service - APEX - and it's an official division of the APS.  The process is simple:  just send the stamp to APEX in Pennsylvania, along with their minimal fee.  The stamp is numbered, photographed and examined by a team of up to five expert stamp collectors that are members of the service.  It can take a bit of time to have a stamp expertized, and al the experts on the panel must agree.  If they don't, APEX refunds the fee and declines to give an opinion.  If they do agree, the expert opinion of the panel is set forth on a certificate and send to the owner of the stamp, along with the stamp itself.  If the stamp owner disagrees the stamp can be re-examined within one year. 

APEX opinions are limited to whether a stamp is genuine - they never comment on a stamp's value.  But all items certified as genuine by APEX carry a guarantee - if a collector buys a stamp that's been certified as genuine by APEX but it later is shown to be a fake or misidentified, APEX will pay up to $5,000.  APEX and several other stamp expertizing services have fees that are minimal, and it's an easy way to be sure.