Manual and Identification Guide to the United States Regular Issues, 1847 through 1934 by Charles N. Micarelli (1979, Book, Illustrated)

The Micarelli Identification Guide to United States Stamps – Regular Issues 1847 – 1934

(by Charles N. Micarelli)

This identification guide to United States stamps is a very well organized book. It is divided into nine chapters for each early group of stamps. The most important chapters being:

Chapter 2 – series of 1851
Chapter 3 – series of 1861
Chapter 5 – series of 1870
Chapter 7 – series of 1894
Chapter 8 – series of 1908
Chapter 9 – series in 1922

Each chapter is divided into sections for each stamp in that series. Then pertinent information is placed into grids along with a picture of the stamp above and footnotes below. The grids usually display color, Scott numbers, perforations, printing method, watermarks, and date of issue. At times, the grids also display paper type, gum, plate types, grill, secret marks, and printer. Once you have a stamp to identify use the Scott catalogue to determine the series it may come from and then use the Micarelli Guide to code out the Scott number by using the stamp’s technical properties. The book is so well organized that virtually all United States stamps can be easily determined. If needed the explanatory notes before the grids help one determine paper type, secret marks, and other properties.

This wonderful guide is essential to the collector of early United States stamps. Be sure to add it to your philatelic literature soon.