Cover from 1872 with two large shield (Brustschild) stamps – each stamp has its own Michel number, here 5 and 19

Se-tenant with a St Andrew’s cross field and two Germania stamps – se-tenants have their own numbers, here W 4

Germania with an advertising label for cider (“Apfelwein”) – a vertical se-tenant with its own number, here S 1.7

The number in the catalogue

The Michel number is the number under which a stamp is listed in the MICHEL catalogue – the most widely used stamp catalogue in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Within a collecting area the issues are usually numbered in the order in which they appeared.

Important: the same number exists again in every area. A stamp is only clearly identified by area and number, for example “German Reich Michel number 5” or “Bavaria Michel number 1”.

Reading the additions

The number is often followed by letters or symbols. They distinguish stamps that look the same at first glance:

• Lower-case letters (a, b, c) – usually different shades of the same stamp.
• Roman numerals (I, II) – different types, i.e. small differences in the design.
• Capital letters (A, B) – often different perforations, depending on the area also other features.
• x, y or watermark additions – differences in paper or watermark.
• Separate number series for souvenir sheets, booklets, se-tenants, postal stationery and official stamps – for example W 4 or S 1.7 for se-tenants.

What it is used for

Other countries, other catalogues

In the English-speaking world Stanley Gibbons and Scott are common, in France Yvert & Tellier. Each catalogue has its own numbering – a Michel number cannot simply be translated into another catalogue number.

Michel numbers in our shop

In our stamp and cover listings we quote the Michel number – so you can see at once which stamp you are buying. If you would like to sell your collection, you do not need to identify anything yourself: we do that for you.