Grading Notes

Unhinged Mint: muh/unh/MNH … as issued by the post office. Condition — no marks or attempts to mount the stamp. Finest grade — the best definition is "as issued".

Mounted Mint: lhm/hm/mlh/mint … as issued by the post office but the stamp has been mounted with a hinge from being in a previous collection. Lhm & mlh represents lightly hinged mint, hm - hinged mint.

Mint No Gum: MNG — mint unused stamp that has had the gum removed for various reasons.

Very Fine used: VFU, superb used. This grade is for stamps free from all faults plus lightly postmarked with a genuine contemporary datestamp (in period), the finest of used, grades, a clear date or part date is normal, datestamp normally of a circular type.

Cancelled to Order: CTO. The grade is free from faults but the stamp has been cancelled for the purposes of collecting either at the time of issue or at a later date. Generally revealed as a neat corner cancel with no date evident.

Fine used: FU. Fine used is a collectable grade free from faults. It is a better than average grade with a light postmark. It may be dated and it can also be of a lines machine nature not necessarily a circular datestamp.

Good Used: GU, Ave. Good used, general used, average used, as the names state this is the general average grade. The grade that a stamp is most likely to be found in, free from faults but just not as attractive in postmark quality or centering.

Spacefiller/Faults: As the name states, an ideal grade that has faults but good to fill a gap. The faults in this grade can vary widely.

First Day covers: Addressed/Unaddressed. It is accepted that in the case of New Zealand First Day Covers the prices quoted generally represent the following —Pre 1970 handwritten address. 1970 on, typed address or unaddressed. 1970 on, normally from a philatelic bureau source.