Stamp probate valuations
from £30
HMRC-compliant stamp valuations
delivered in 1-3 days
No home visits needed. Send us your photos.
Our specialist art valuers do the rest.
Rated ‘Excellent’ on Google and Trustpilot
Online or in person valuation? Both Available
Most stamp collections can be valued accurately from photographs. The way albums are organised, mounted and written up tells our specialists a great deal about the collection and where value may lie. In-person visits are generally only needed for larger or specialist collections
Online Valuation
£30 single item – £60 multiple items
Ideal for around 95% of stamp probate valuations. Clear photographs of the albums and representative pages usually allow us to identify the type, quality and likely value of the collection. More than five albums? Simply purchase another valuation. HMRC-compliant, delivered in 1–3 working days.
In-Person Valuation – from £298
Usually only needed for very large collections or specialist material requiring physical verification. A visit allows closer inspection of condition, gum, watermarks, perforations and other details that photographs cannot always confirm. For a high number of albums, an in-person valuation can also be more cost-effective.
“Valuations are the biggest single area of risk, accounting for a large part of our compliance checks. You are strongly advised to instruct a qualified independent valuer.”
Source: Inheritance Tax Toolkit, HMRC, Published July 2018
What we can value
We value everything from ordinary inherited stamp albums to specialist collections, postal history and rare individual stamps. Our specialists know where value is most likely to be found, and where it usually isn’t.
STAMP VALUATIONS
Great Britain & Commonwealth
British stamps from Queen Victoria onwards, including Penny Blacks, line-engraved issues, King George V and VI, and Commonwealth collections.
Worldwide Stamp Collections
Mixed albums covering Europe, Asia, the Americas and the rest of the world, whether carefully collected or simply accumulated over many years.
First Day Covers & Presentation Packs
Royal Mail first day covers, presentation packs, PHQ cards, year books and commercial covers from makers such as Benham and Cotswold.
Postal History
Pre-stamp mail, envelopes, entires, postmarks, cancellations, airmail, military mail and other material collected for its postal history rather than simply the stamp.
Specialist Stamp Collections
Collections arranged by plate number, watermark, perforation, shade, control, cylinder block or other specialist varieties, often carefully written up by the collector.
Printed Albums & Complete Runs
Stanley Gibbons, Windsor, Davo, Lighthouse and similar printed-space albums, including complete or near-complete country and reign collections.
Accumulations & Inherited Albums
Sculpture
Loose stamps, stockbooks, packets, kiloware and mixed albums built up over decades. Even apparently ordinary collections can contain individual items worth closer inspection.
Your stamp probate valuation in 3 easy steps
Swift Values provides a simple, cost-effective way to meet your probate valuation obligations. Here’s how it works:
Take photos
For each album, photograph the front cover, the first page and four other pages of your choice. There is no need to photograph every individual stamp.
We value the items
Our specialist stamp valuers assess the albums, looking at how the collection is organised, its age, contents, condition and any areas that may require closer attention.
Receive your HMRC compliant report
Typically delivered within 1–3 working days and fully prepared under Section 160 IHTA 1984—ready to submit to HMRC with confidence.
Why six photographs, and what happens if we need more?
We do not need a photograph of every stamp. The binder, the mounting and the handwriting tell a valuer more than any single page does, and that is what indicates where value sits.
Every valuation gives you a figure for the IHT407. What varies is how tight that figure is.
For common used worldwide albums and first day covers, six photographs are enough and the range will be narrow.
For better albums we will ask for more pages, perhaps one of every single page. There is no extra charge for this.
For specialist material, a range for £60 will be a wide one, because small differences in shade or perforation carry large differences in value. Narrowing it takes research time, which we quote for separately. A wide range is still acceptable for probate, and many executors take it and move on.
Learn more in our guide here.
See exactly what you’ll receive
Every Swift Values report is a professionally formatted PDF, ready to submit with your probate application. It includes:
Fully illustrated PDF reportHigh-value item breakdown for IHT 407Valuer notes to detail specificsSection 160 compliance statementSigned declaration for IHT400Valuer bio
What kind of stamp collection do you have?
Not a stamp collector yourself? Most inherited collections fall into one of three broad groups.
How the albums are organised often tells us as much as the stamps themselves. It helps our valuers quickly identify where closer attention may be needed.
Accumulations & childhood collections
These are usually mixed worldwide albums, stockbooks, loose stamps, packets and envelopes built up from whatever happened to come along. Many started as schoolboy collections, with stamps bought in packets, swapped with friends or soaked from envelopes and hinged into albums.
They can contain hundreds or even thousands of stamps and look impressive simply because of their size. In most cases the material is common and values are relatively modest, although older stamps occasionally found amongst them can justify a closer look.
Completed albums & organised collections
These collections were built around a structure provided by somebody else. Stanley Gibbons, Windsor, King George VI and other printed albums have spaces showing the collector which stamps are needed, with the aim often being to complete as many spaces as possible.
First day covers, presentation packs, year books and similar complete runs broadly sit in the same category. They show considerably more organisation and commitment than a casual accumulation, but completeness itself does not guarantee high value. Age, scarcity, condition and exactly which spaces have been filled are much more important.
Specialist collections
With a specialist collection, the collector decided the scope themselves. The albums may actually look plainer, with blank pages, handwritten notes and stamps arranged according to a particular country, reign, issue, plate number, watermark, perforation, postmark or variety.
You may also find specialist catalogues, society journals, auction catalogues or certificates alongside the albums. Postal history collections can include envelopes and entire letters rather than rows of stamps. These collections require the greatest expertise because small differences can have a significant effect on value — and the most important album may not be the most attractive-looking one.
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Why executors choose
Swift Values for art valuations
Most executors have no idea what inherited art is really worth
Trusted by thousands of executors
Rated ‘Excellent’ on Google. Over 1,000 valuations completed UK-wide.
What’s included in your probate valuation?
For each album, simply send us a photograph of the cover and up to five representative pages. There is no need to photograph every stamp.
If anything requires specialist input, we’ll tell you early and confirm any additional costs before proceeding. No surprises.
Service
Single album
Up to 5 albums
Price
£30
£60
Ready to start your art probate valuation?
From just £30. Delivered in 1-3 working days.
HMRC-compliant – guaranteed, or your money back.
Questions? Call the office on 0330 088 4099