My Worldwide collection is primarily numbered and cataloged using the Scott Numbering system.
Scott
For each country, my inventory database tracks the Year and Scott Number. The year is “generally” when the stamp was issued, HOWEVER, many definitive series of stamps have the year listed in which the series Starts.
For instance, a definitive series that issued 20 stamps between 1950 and 1952, will all be inventoried in my system with the year 1950. This is primarily based on when Scott lists the series. In some cases I have updated the years manually, but in most cases, this “year range” holds true.
Other Catalogs
When Scott doesn’t list a number, or a variety, I utilize other catalogs for numbering according to the following scheme:
| MI | Michel |
| SG | Stanley Gibbons |
| YT | YVert & Tellier |
| SW | StampWorld (stampworld.com) |
| ZS | Zumstien |
Not Cataloged
Many times I will find a stamp that is not cataloged (in any catalog I have). Usually these are Cinderellas, or other non postal stamps.
In these cases, the following scheme is used:
EBK. Major Numbers
EK. Minor Numbers
For the EBK numbers, the format will be: “EBK.12” or whatever number indicator makes sense for that specific stamp
For Minor numbers, I will include additional info that represents what it is according to the following table.
| EK.CV | Color Variety |
| EK.DV | Design Variety |
| EK.U | Used |
| EK.M | Mint |
| EK.CP | Coil Pair |
| EK.CS | Color Shift |
| EK.PNS | Plate Number Single – EK.PNS.12345 |
| EK.IP | Imperf Pair |
| EK.I | Imperf |
| EK.P | Paper Variety |
| EK.SS | Souvenir Sheet |
| EK.UI | Unissued |
| EK.SV | Attached Selvage |
| EK.F | Fake or Forgery |
| EK.C | Cancel Types or Varieties |
| EK.PP | Private Perf |
| EK.OVP | Overprint Variety |
| EK.TG | Telegram Stamp |
| EK.BL4 | Block of 4 |
| EK.BL6 | Block of 6 |
| EK.BLPV | Vertical Pair |
| EK.BLPH | Horizontal Pair |
| EK.PAIR | Pair |
| EK.PH | Phosphor |
| EK.PC | Pen Cancel |
| EK.IPBK / EK.BK[T,R,B,L] | Imperf edge from Booklet. Top Right Bottom or Left |
| EK.FD | First Day Cancel |
| EK.PLF | Plate Flaw |
| EK.PERFIN | Perfin |
| EK.PRECANCEL | Precancel |
Note: Sometimes, I am not consistent… Oh well.
For multiple items of the same “type”, I will add a number.
e.g. If I have 4 color varieties, they will be: “EK.CV1, EK.CV2, EK.CV3, EK.CV4”
Examples:
Scott number 568 in 2 color varieties will be:
568-EK.CV1
568-EK.CV2
The “EK” number is separated from the Scott number by a dash
This holds true for cataloged minor varieties.
Scott number 568a with a color variety will be:
568a-EK.CV1
Covers
Covers are numbered based on the year of the postmark
For example, the first cover in my collection from 1958 would be EBK.1958 The SECOND and further covers from that year would be EBK.1958.1, EBK.1958.2, etc. The number is based on when it was added to my collection, not the month order
Covers are also tagged in the notes with hashtags specifying details about the cover.
Cover types can be (among others):
| Type | Hashtag Code | |
| Airmail | #airmail | |
| Registered | #registered | |
| Special Delivery | #specialdelivery | |
| FDC (First Day Cover) | #fdc | |
| PostageDue | #due | |
| ReturnedToSender | #returned | |
| Postcard | #postcard | |
| Meter | #meter | |
| Censored | #censor | |
| Slogan Cancel | #slogan | |
| Postal Tax | #postaltax |