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Stamp identifier
for iPhone

Photograph one stamp, crop it to the perforations and tap Identify. In a few seconds you read the issuer, the year, the series and the catalog numbers, with a rarity score and, with Premium, a price range from eBay listings.

Download on the App Store

iPhone only. Free download; 1 identification every 24 hours without a subscription.

Recorded in the app: the photo is cropped to the stamp, uploaded and read.

Take a photo it can read

Most wrong answers start with the photo. Five habits make the biggest difference.

  1. One stamp at a time

    Take the stamp out of a crowded album page or crop tightly to it. Two stamps in one frame make the app guess which one you mean.

  2. Flat and in daylight

    Lay the stamp on a plain, light surface near a window. Avoid direct flash: it bleaches colours and hides fine lines of the engraving.

  3. Out of the sleeve

    Glassine and plastic mounts add glare. If the stamp is safe to handle, use tongs and photograph it bare.

  4. Crop to the perforations

    Drag the frame so the whole stamp, teeth included, fills it. The edges help tell perforated and imperforate issues apart.

  5. Read the result, then check it

    Compare the catalog number with your catalog or a trusted online listing before you buy, sell or file the stamp.

The crop screen of the app: white handles around a red two-cent Washington stamp on a dark background
The crop screen: drag the corners to the edge of the stamp.

What a scan returns

  • Issuer and year The country, colony or postal administration that issued the stamp, and the year. If the issuer is not in our directory, the app tells you instead of guessing.
  • Catalog numbers Scott, Michel or Stanley Gibbons numbers when they can be found, so you can check the stamp in the catalog you already use.
  • Series and description The issue the stamp belongs to and a short description of the design, the person or the event it shows.
  • Perforation and printing Perforation, printing method, format and emission as listed for the issue. A photo cannot measure perforation, so check close calls with a gauge.
  • Colours and designers The colour names collectors use for the issue, and the designers and engravers when they are recorded.
  • Rarity score A score from 0 to 10 that shows at a glance whether the stamp is common or worth a closer look.
  • Your collection Save a result with one tap and search your saved stamps later. From app version 2.0 the collection comes back if you reinstall on the same iPhone.
  • Similar eBay listings Premium Listings for stamps that match yours, with photos and asking prices, so you can compare condition and format.
  • Reference price range Premium The lowest and highest price among matching listings in one currency. Shown when at least two listings match.

Classic or modern

The app reads 19th-century classics as well as current issues, definitives as well as commemoratives, from countries that still exist and from those that do not. These four are typical of what people photograph.

What a photo cannot show

Some differences between a common stamp and a valuable one are invisible on a phone screen. The app tells you what the stamp is; these checks are still yours.

Watermarks
Many classic issues exist with different watermarks in the paper. You need watermark fluid or a detector to see them.
Perforation gauge
A difference of half a tooth per 2 cm can change the catalog number. Measure with a perforation gauge.
Shades and paper
Colour shades and paper types are hard to judge from a photo, and screens change colours.
Condition
Centring, gum, hinge marks, thins and repairs decide much of the value. The app does not grade condition.
Reprints and forgeries
Some reprints and forgeries look like the original in a photo. For anything valuable, ask for an expert certificate.

Questions about identification

It is most reliable with a sharp, evenly lit photo of a single, common stamp. Rare varieties can be missed because watermarks, perforation and paper are not visible in a photo. Check the catalog number before you rely on a result.

The result lists Scott, Michel or Stanley Gibbons numbers when they can be found. Not every stamp gets all three, and other catalogs such as Yvert et Tellier are not shown.

Yes. It reads the design, inscription, denomination and colours from the photo alone, so you do not need album pages or a watermark to get the issuer, year and series.

Yes. The photo is sent to our server to be identified, so the app needs a connection while it reads the stamp.

If the issuer is not in our directory of 1,214 issuers, the app says so instead of inventing a match. You can then search the directory on this site by name or inscription.

No. Condition, centring and gum need to be judged by eye or by an expert. The rarity score and price range do not account for faults on your copy.

Start with
one stamp

Download the app, point the camera at a stamp and tap Identify. Your first identification every 24 hours costs nothing.

Scan a stamp to identify it

Snap a photo and get instant details, catalog numbers, and value

Identify
The app's first screen. The button opens Stamp Identifier in the App Store.