Philatelic Expertise
The Philatelic Foundation maintains a reference collection of postage stamps and is a major source of authentication of rare and valuable postage stamps for stamp collectors who wish to know if the “valuable” stamp they have is authentic or counterfeit, and, if it is authentic, whether it is free of defect.
If the stamp submitted is authentic, a certification, containing a photo of the stamp and related technical details, is issued and sent to the person submitting the stamp.
Obtaining a certification of a valuable postage stamp by a stamp collector or a stamp dealer may be done for various reasons:
- personal satisfaction that the stamp purchased is authentic
- ease of subsequent sale of the stamp with its certificate of authenticity
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