pdf format - American Philatelic Society

Authentication Service
We Expertize the World!
Since 1903 the American Philatelic Expertizing Service
(APEX) has reviewed more than 206,000 postage stamps,
covers, and other philatelic material. APEX utilizes the
services of more than 110 specialists and a variety of
high-tech equipment to provide guaranteed opinions.
Anyone may submit material to the service, but APS
members receive discounted rates. Member rates, based on
catalogue value of the material submitted, begin at $20 for items
valued at up to $200. Each item is returned with a certificate
bearing a color scan and a written opinion detailing its identity
and condition.
The Need for Certification
Why Expertize
• To avoid financial loss and disappointment
• To have a warranty of genuineness
• To have proper identification of paper, color, watermark
and grills
• To know if a stamp is never hinged or has been regummed
or had a cancel removed
• To know if a stamp has been repaired or has hidden flaws
• To know if an item has been reperforated or perfs have
been trimmed to resemble a coil or imperforate stamp
• To make it easier to sell your item!
While outright counterfeits may not be as prolific today as
they once were, modern alteration and or repair of genuine items
to increase their value has been spurred by the demand for highquality
material. The desire for perfection has led to extensive
repairing and regumming of the classic issues of all countries.
To Submit an Item
Each item must be accompanied by a submission form.
Forms may be downloaded from the APS website or obtained by
sending a self-addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope to: APEX, 100
Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823. Guidelines and fees
for submitting items are printed on each form.
Once Submitted
• Each item received is assigned a number and scanned.
That scan is kept on permanent file and is printed on
the certificate when it is returned to the owner after the
process has been finalized.
• Items are directed to experts by registered mail. (Your name
will not be shared with the experts; and, likewise, the
identities of the experts are not shared.)
• A formal opinion is printed on the certificate and the item
is returned to the owner. Any comments from the experts
become part of the permanent file kept by the service.
• On average, the process takes less than 45 days from receipt
to return. However, because the service is operated via
the mail and your stamp may be reviewed by up to five
experts, we ask that you allow 90 days before contacting
us. An item will not be accepted for expertizing if the
owner insists upon a deadline for its return.
• All items are insured for their full value from receipt until
we return them to you.
Occasionally, when the required unanimous opinion cannot
be reached by experts, the service declines to render an opinion
and refunds all fees, minus a nominal administrative charge.
The APEX Guarantee
APEX is the only major expertizer that provides a guarantee.
APS will compensate the owner of a philatelic item that has been
wrongly certified as genuine or misidentified up to $5,000. Full
details of the guarantee are provided on every certificate.
The service renders opinions only on genuineness; it
respectfully declines requests for market value and for
statements of centering and numerical grading, but it will note
defects and alterations not readily apparent.
Reference Collection
Many items that have been judged “not genuine”
subsequently have been donated to the American Philatelic
Reference Collection of Fakes and Forgeries. This provides a
tremendous resource and also removes spurious material from
the marketplace. The collection is housed in the American
Philatelic Center, and researchers may use it there. Donations of
known counterfeits are welcomed at any time.
For More Information visit
www.stamps.org
Call: 814-933-3803, ext. 205 or 206
E-mail: mercer@stamps.org or krharter@stamps.org
APS Handbook of Services 13