Whether you are a collector – from beginner to advanced, expert or dealer, confidence in what you buy is essential. That’s why people turn to the Philatelic Foundation for expertizing their stamps. Our newly updated “Why Expertize” page will take you through some of the reasons – with real-life examples – as to why you should place trust in our opinions. This page will highlight what you can expect on a certificate, protecting your investment by getting a certificate, some challenging areas of collecting and what grading can do to value.
Updated Certificate Fee Rates
The Philatelic Foundation has had a change in certificate fee rates. Despite these nominal increases, the Philatelic Foundation remains the best value for expertizing and commands the greatest respect in the field of philately.
The changes in the rates will be as follows for all submissions:
– Fee: The percentage of submitted value has gone from 5% to 5.5%.
– Minimum Fee: The minimum fee has not changed and will remain at $27.00. Thus, not affecting most a majority of the volume of submissions.
– Maximum Fee: This will be raised from $650.00 to $1,000.00 (which only affects less than 2% of submissions)
The above fees will be regardless of the service requested (Standard, Priority and Express)
Foreign Stamps and Covers
– Minimum Fee: This will be $35.00 with the exception of a) overprints (including those not found genuine) and b) used examples in which the value is in the cancellation in which the minimum fee will be $50.00.
– Turnaround Time: While we do the best to turn around items within 30-35 business days, exceptionally difficult items may take 90-150 days.
– Services: As before, no Priority or Express services are offered on foreign stamps and covers and they cannot be in a “Keep Together” with U.S. submissions.
– Payment: Checks for payment must be payable to a US Bank. If payment is made by Euros, please add a 5% processing fee. If payment is made through PayPal, please add a 3% convenience fee.
Fakes and Forgeries Online
A 5 frame exhibit on U.S. Fakes and Forgeries from the Philatelic Foundation’s Reference Collection has been uploaded online. This sneak peak into the Philatelic Foundation archives is sorted by issue and shows some of the reference material on file to assist in the expertizing process. Click here to learn more…
PF Awards Certificate #500,000
A letter mailed from Fairfield, Conn. to John Hancock in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. Click here to learn more…
Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870
An essential tool for understanding the postal history of Hawaii. Decades in the making, Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870 is the author’s first major work on the islands’ philately in 50 years. Gregory has expanded the work of Meyer-Harris, the previous authority, and uncovered new evidence that leads to new conclusions. Students and collectors of 19th century Pacific Basin postal history will find this work essential— historians will enjoy going in-depth into this unique period in time. For more details about this exceptional book and to order it from the Philatelic Foundation, click here.