Philatelist lays out $100,000 to solve decades-old stamp mystery
In 1918, 100 stamps were mistakenly printed with the image of a biplane upside down. A famous block of four of these 'Inverted Jennies' stamps was stolen in 1955. Two were recovered, two have never been found. Now, stamp collector Donald Sundman is putting up $100,000 U.S. to find them....
In 1918, 100 stamps were mistakenly printed with the image of a biplane upside down. A famous block of four of these 'Inverted Jennies' stamps was stolen in 1955. Two were recovered, two have never been found. Now, stamp collector Donald Sundman is putting up $100,000 U.S. to find them.
The four stamps belonged to a prominent collector of the day, Ethel B. Stewart McCoy, and constituted a sizeable share of the handful still in existence by the mid-fifties. They were stolen from an exhibit.
'If the stamp was sold under normal circumstances - it would turn up.'
Sundman tells Carol he believes that the stamps likely ended up in the hands of collectors who wanted the stamps, but were unwilling or unable to pay market value.
He hopes that the reward and the publicity, will help to bring people forward who may have inherited the stamp, or stamps, and don't know what they should do with them.
The first of the stolen stamps reappeared in 1958. The second shortly after Ms. McCoy's death in 1980.
'There's one stamp that was sucked up a vacuum cleaner. That one sold for ten thousand dollars.'
As to their value, so far this year, five other Inverted Jennies have been sold at auction, garnering anywhere from $126,500 to $575,000 each. Other Inverts have gone for more than a million dollars.
Those ones were acquired legitimately and with the provenance required for the purchase of a collectable of this value.
If you have any information about the missing stamps, email Donald Sundman at jenny@stamps.org
The famous 'Inverted Jenny' (Photo: REUTERS)