Recently, I acquired ( as part of a much larger Lot) about 50 British covers and cards sent from stamp dealers to their clients circa 1890 - 1960. Some pretty items, some rubbish. I went through them a first time and noted the better ones - maybe £5 to £20 each - then I looked through the rejects wondering how to use them. I came to this dirty looking cover from a Strand stamp dealer:
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I was about to throw it in my £1 Box when I realised it felt a bit thicker than a normal envelope. And so I looked inside:
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I laughed. And even more so when I checked the catalogue. In 1932 this stamp cost Monsieur Fontein 35/- (thirty five shillings = £1.75). Today it is catalogued by Stanley Gibbons at £180 for hinged mint.
Obviously, the stamp should stay with the envelope and letter - it would make a nice page in an Iraq collection.
But perhaps I should put it in my £1 Box and see how long it takes for someone to spot it. Well, the stamp has been there since 1932 so maybe another 80 years ....
