Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue 2013 by Stanley Gibbons
| Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue 2013 by Stanley Gibbons | |
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| Category: Reference | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: The 28th edition of this catalogue is as good as ever and invaluable for the serious collector who isn't yet in a position to make the move to the specialised catalogue series. Highly recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 472 | Date: May 2013 |
| Publisher: Stanley Gibbons | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0852598993 | |
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When I began collecting GB stamps Collect British Stamps was my bible and I eagerly awaited each new edition. After a while I came to realise that I needed a little more depth, but not to the level provided by the Specialised Catalogue Series not least because I was still at the stage of spending the money on stamps rather than books about them. There is something to fill the gap though and that's the Great Britain Concise catalogue. It's designed to meet the needs of the dedicated amateur rather than the specialist or the casual collector.
The format is convenient and easy to use. I particularly appreciate the fact that the decimal Machin definitives are separated out from the commemoratives which does make for greater ease of identification. All Machin collectors will find that the 2013 edition is vital as the Y series - the one with elliptical perforations - has been renumbered but there's a handy conversion list before the main catalogue entries. The change arises from a decision made six years ago to renumber on a regular basis to stop some of the numbers becoming complex and unweildy - and we can expect this to happen roughly once every five years.
The catalogue is printed on high quality, glossy paper which mean that images are reproduced particularly well and at three quarters linear size have real clarity and are a real aid to identification. Every Great British postage stamp is covered, from the Penny Black through to the Dr Who commemoratives issued in March 2013. You'll also find postage dues, telegraph stamps, booklets and sheets, covers, plate numbers, specimen overprints, major errors and flaws. From more recent years there are presentation packs, FDCs, gutter pairs, PHQ cards and yearbooks.
Prices have been revised, but they are subject to change without prior notice and there's the usual caveat that these are the prices to buy stamps rather than their value within a collection.
The copy of the catalogue which I've seen is the traditional soft-bound. If I had to quibble about anything it's that it's difficult to get it to lie flat in the first and last fifty or so pages but otherwise it's easy to work from and holds its place. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag: it's a book which does exactly what it promises every time.
The ultimate catalogue for the pre-decimal collector must be Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue 2013: Commonwealth and Empire Stamps 1840 - 1970 by Hugh Jefferies or for the world collector - Stamps of the World 2013.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue 2013 by Stanley Gibbons at Amazon.com.
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