• MNH - Mint Never Hinged
• LMM - Lightly Mounted Mint
• MM - Mounted Mint
• HMM - Heavy Mounted Mint
• SU - Superb Used (Nice circular date stamps)
• VFU - Very Fine Used (Part circular or wavy lines)
• FU - Fine Used (Stamp design is not obliterated)
• Used - All other used stamps (maybe with faults)
• Poor - Not sold by Woolieback Collectables

HOW TO TELL A PHOTO FROM A LITHO STAMP (USUALLY UNDER MICROSCOPE) 

These variations are easy to spot under microscope and in some cases under your own eye.

Stanley Gibbons state:-

Photo - Uneven lines to value and frame formed by edges of screen.

Litho - Clear outlines to value and frame of stamp

WATERMARKS FOR ALL GB STAMPS

WATERMARK IMAGE	WATERMARK	YEARS  ISSUED
	Small Crown	1840-1846, 1848-1855
	VR	1854
	Large Crown (I)	1855-1862
	Small Garter	1855
	Medium Garter	1856
	Emblems	1856, 1862, 1864-1866
	Large Garter	1857, 1862-1863, 1865-1868, 1870, 1872-1873, 1876-1877
	1880 Large Crown (II)	1858-1862, 1864-1866, 1868-1879
	Spray of Rose	1867-1878
	Maltese Cross	1867, 1874, 1878
	Half penny	1870-1871, 1874, 1876-1879
	Small Anchor	1875, 1881, 1883
	Orb	1876-1881, 1883
	Imperial Crown	1880-1883, 1887-1892, 1896-1897, 1900-1912
	Double-lined Anchor	1881
	Single-lined Anchor	1881, 1883
	Large Anchor  (16mm)	1881, 1883
	Large Anchor (18mm)	1881-1885, 1887, 1890, 1902, 1905, 1911-1912
	Large Anchor (20mm)	1883-1885
	Three Crowns	1884-1886, 1891-1892, 1902, 1911
	Three Orbs	1888, 1890
	Simple Cypher	1912-1915, 1917, 1920-1925
	Multiple Cypher	1912-1913
	Single Cypher	1913-1915, 1918-1919, 1926, 1934
	Block Cypher	1924-1926, 1929, 1931-1936
	Large GVR Script	1929, 1934
	E8R	1936-1937
	GVIR (2 types)	1937-1942, 1946-1952
	Tudor Crown	1952-1955
	St. Edward's Crown	1955-1958
	Multiple Crowns	1958-1968
Stamps without watermark were issued in:  1847-1848, 1850, 1854, 1883, 1967-1968.