MARYLAND Cit,mg,tov,·,r' "-•~-,~• - ,,..-01-DH_R_SIA_ MP~ ........_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.., ., .. p ~c 0 Ii .)!~1~~~i ... BOWAND4AAOW 60 51987-88S1.25,black011yrllow.blackseNIII 60 61988-89SJ.SO,blackon)"ellow,blac kserialli 60 Hunter Duck Stamp (RWH) 719S9-90SJ.SO.bloekonyellow,blackserial# Cioa,,gel(}Jtomp.twilh/eftrah 6, 41986-87S12.1 ,blackonycllow.blac kscrill ll oq:R STAP,1 503704 FEDERAL 85A SIOO,same.u•A.olln'.SOU•'ttllfsbISIOnn] ~ 872020SH,Bi.cl<-b,lwlll. . Dod"IEddool.cRc,y].0 H202112S.L ..serSelor1[Gu~Ctinen6n] 4ll01156,Amer1<111Wi1oon1[Cl,tk;Smilhl Ul01956,Pimlllsll'lul8rid•ffr/nl ,.,,,u:1r,, dtt ronup()nding,J,u1-,, 6519'9!$15,Barrow'sGGlde"'")·• 661999SlS,Grea1erSc""p 672000SIS.MotdcdDuck 68200ISIS,Pin11.il a 692002S IS,B'-<:k S<:ot<• 702003S IS,Snol'· Gccse 7l2004SIS.Rcdlieod 72200.SS!S.HoodcdMcrpoS.iJlton 78 20llSlS,l>.'hit~fron~Gttsc 7920l2SlS,WoodOuck ll9&4Sl,blackonbro"n.redSfflllli 80 20ll SJS, Common GGldt-nC)-c 812014$1$,CllWlS*ks 82201SSH,Rllddy0..Cks Bow & Arro'!t' Dfer Stamp (MD-ORB) SiamPJ ,...,,,,,.1ywilidfaru,J,111gdttr,.·uh l,a,,,•andam,w !!8S ;~:~ :;~: $2S, ~=~- 201B Mallards &62019$2S,WoodDuck B72020S2'.Bl1ck·bdliedWhi>lhngDucks ,.., U202JSH.Le5SC1Snupd!ue SU,np Duck Stamp Minishttts (RWM) 1198~5~.blackmiblue,mlscrillll ~ la ~c.Same,ovp0NA-80WIS1251-IO-I 400 IJl9USJ.15,C....i.GocsclJohirMorteM 1419'9SJ8',Wicl!"""'(Dwtmorl.llRlllrC)I ISl9'JOSJU,\\'oodDuds[Rodl.l"=icc] 161991SJ.S,,8J.._,.,..,..iToaJ(to"ren«CDr)) 171992$J.15, M01poocnJlleinerHortho1J 11199JU.S,,lloododM.....,...[Clltt.Solh•·an) 1919'UU.IS,8!1Hqw"' ...,,..jor/O.f.l0I). ~,o,:o/J«_ l 1984Sl.2$,blockon)·olk>",rcdsmal• Cloang,1ou,ia/krJ,a,,,p 2 1984•8S~.b!ockon1rttn,no....-ill~ l 19SS-86~.b!IK'kon1..-i,,nos.,rillf c1ta,.,.,... ldt,11""'fll "'JO "'JO 117 N1t11tbtru,g11t01ftl'arsons] 2 1\19,1 S5. Hooded Me,pnscr [Cwl We.an•I 3 1!mS5,PinllilO...k[J>1Huanal 4 l \!96 $5. C••-.sb..:k Ou,;:k [Cllrk W••·erJ Sl997lS. C--.loGoosc[S<:onR\ll,$CI] 61991lS. Rll,;kO...:k[Eri,;Pn:rior,] 7 1999$5.WoodDuck(R)-anK,rt,y] llOOOS5, Pin11ilDud(Bonni.,seo,i[l>IWWilleyJ l6200ISS,1<,;,..GoosefSu,;:k[AbrahlmHunler] 2020J2$S. SorlhmiPtmail[Cluis1ineCll)l0e-,..""T,,"'1z1•1t'1rl1ti""ro,"Jp(>lldillf"""'/,t,,,/'~ 21977$ll0, W11h...,illnumbor11b )50 F-,,~=.-•-:- :- "'u~•·7aa==,_-, :::-:"' -i,- ',!,,----,-,,-,1,:-.-,=---u.401 :;::~W~..=it.;"°Ha)c:".:i1 ;~ '5 CMll/lfro•IIUJJl,C'""-'=,. , =...;;;-- , ~===~~ 94415 ll9?6$l10,Wooc1DucklOlatW..t.h] S 219nu10,c.,_b[LatT)'ttl)"dolll JOO Jl971$l!O, Mallaido(lh:llanlTanmf 2S 41979lll0,C--Gtnt[An!h.K,.,....,,.) 6S , 19111 S.US. Ln,u Staup II.an) ll1)den] l0 61911$J.7S,IM!lo111ellk[Dic1muKrumrtyJ H 119l2$J.7S.~O.QI0 '>'•F--,·- J H ••wSJ.7!,WoodDucks[Rodl.l"r...,.I H 91ff.lU7!...... ibll.l"ffilO.nh"odeld.droullb 41979$2.10, \>,nh"odetddmsllb !!l'l30$l.l 0,Wolh"Jdoaddlfflllb !1 s,,,,,.ndtd 10 10 10 ~.:,a::,,i;;a D" u,1/teb«~aflll.,,,,/~-i,,,,qf 10 lO l) --Ti~~~r10 l1916U,"ik"'-,;,:,,,Jlffdtd l 1917SJ.red0"D,bl""• 51990$l,blodonblll0D,bloc:k.O 61991U.,~!Olt,wtd,d 7!992$J.Jr.,•ooblueD,l'fftl• ~ 3!99lU,,,,,,,,,__Jlffdtd s!,~9:;!,"d on pink 0, red # H~=~:=~r.-:::-,"=·l !~ :~ ~=~~$1~:n~. . ~.1 :i 10 ll200JSS,C••-kl~I.Nllltt)J I l'JlOO'SS.WoodO.Ck(Tn,....,_ldl I )(1200,S.,, llhM-"'ntToall lOSmllhl I Jll006S.,,\\i,-(""'1M.ih;o.l J22001'5,,._.ls(llodt1.,.,..,,..I 10 10 10 10 10 ~=~:;:.=~[~,!::j<>I :~ J52010SS, B•fflrilelld[J P Ed>.'l:dJJ 10 Managrd Watrrro~I StHo n (MI -WSU) =:...~- ·s"ur11w1i«q,""""""""'"''"""'i,,,•~ ,,, ~- i S 06 11 2 126 comprehensive listing to one place is exactly what a stamp catalog must do. Each section starts with the series name and series abbreviation followed by a brief description or explanation. The substantial majority are illustrated with a representative stamp from the series. It is a reasonable expectation that an issued stamp would contain sufficient information to enable a researcher to find the right series in this catalog. However, that is not always the case. The series illustrations enable one to turn to the correct state and browse the samples until the correct series is located. Within each series, stamps are listed individually. The series code appears at the beginning of each series section and not duplicated with each entry. The individual listing structure is Catalog number (with varieties), Year of issue, Denomination, Stamp description, Artist (if known), Unused and used catalog value. In terms of organizational structure and comprehensiveness, this Cotton catalog achieves the primary purpose of any catalog. Introductory foundational information For collectors without their own philatelic libraries, the introductory material found in nearly every successful catalog is the major source of specialized information. Few specialists are experts. Most rank themselves as either beginners or “early stage” intermediate collectors. These are precisely the collectors most in need of targeted introductory information. 284 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / MARCH 2021 Perhaps the author considers the considerable accomplishment of the listings as sufficient to his task. But from the users’ standpoint, the absence of introductory information is a major lack. The author does cite his Principle Sources and there is a helpful page of Useful References at the back. But this is not sufficient for a robust philatelic catalog. There is a companion volume (Handbook #11) issued concurrently that contains Cotton’s complete taxonomy. While this smaller volume is not reviewed here, we can state that it is a necessary accompaniment to this Cotton catalog. Perhaps it would have been more useful to include this material as part of the introductory information. Pricing guide for collectors Pricing is one of the most challenging of tasks for any cataloguer. The Scott series of catalogs go to great length to research their pricing, explain their methodologies, and caution users about the challenges in quantifying “catalog values.” Author Cotton also explains his research methodologies and his approaches when priced transactions are lacking. He consults public records, auction catalogs, and dealer websites - all reasonable and necessary sources. He seems to be on firm foundation in his approach. However, as with so much else in philately and elsewhere, the devil is in the details. And that is where the problems are found. In the world of philately, a very large proportion of stamps – let us say perhaps 95% or 98% of all stamps – are either common or uncommon, but not “rare.” For each of