USPS $2 Inverted Jenny "Collectors Edition" Stamps & Proofs

Yes...Sunday 09/22/2013 is the official "First Day of Issue" because it coincides with the opening of the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery at the National Postal Museum.

Unfortunately, US Post Offices with Sunday hours are few and far between; postal clerks with authorization to sell that new stamp on that day, are probably even scarcer.

All of the varieties of the inverted jenny are now available on the usps ebay listings.

Hello,

I work for the postal service and I have a question regarding the 2.00 Inverted Jenny stamp that goes on sale Monday. The sheet of 6 comes sealed in a cellophane envelope the back of the sheet is all one can see, the stamp side is covered by protective card board. You can't actually see what the stamps look like. There is a caution not to purchase an unsealed sheet.In addition I would assume many collectors will want an unopened set, wouldn't this be problem as the stamps are in contact with presumably acidic card board? I was curious if this is a marketing strategy by the post office to sell 2 sets, one to remain intact and a second to actually see the stamps? What do you collectors think?

Could care less. I'm buying more than one because I think they are cool. They are all getting opened and in fact I will use four stamps that day to send letters to my brothers just for something different.

Besides if the make a mistake on the stamp or it has bent corners I want to be able to return or exchange it that day. Oops I might have given back a real investment then.

Welcome, PMRBob, to the Stamp Community Family!

As to your question about the packaging of the $2 Inverted Jenny reprints, I refer you back to the link posted on the previous page of this thread that contained in the USPS employee website (USPS News Link) it has been alluded to that some "special announcement" is going to be made on the day of issue about why the special packaging. Rumors are all over the place about it ... perhaps there will be a limited number of "Inverted Jenny" stamps that are NOT inverted (?) or perhaps some buyers of the Souvenir Sheet will get a special "premium" in their package (i.e. maybe a free ticket to the new William H. Gross Stamp Gallery at the National Postal Museum in Washington, DC. (?)) No one except the higher ups at the USPS and their marketing subconractors have released any information yet, presumably to "create excitement" about the issue.

Personally, I hate these marketing schemes and would much rather the USPS just issue the stamps and be done with it.

I'm re-posting here the quote and link from the USPS about it:




https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link...news17s2.htm

Obviously, the "for other reason that will be announced at a later date" is the phrase that has everyone in suspense, as you would have to consider that the USPS would not go through the extra expense of marketing these stamps in a protective shell if there weren't some specific reason for it.

McGowan said the marketing tactics being used for the new Inverted Jenny stamp are a preview of imaginative marketing that will accompany the unveiling of future commemorative stamps.

It's marketing and a ploy to sell more stamps to the GP would be my guess. But I don't care I just want to buy stamps. SO I guess we will get more plastic wrap stamps in the future.

An interesting part of the story from the original inverted Jenny that I did not hear before.

Mark Rosenberg explained that many people often wonder why the clerk staring at the same sheet as Robey didn't notice the error, but legend has it that since it was only 1918, the clerk later stated that he had never seen a plane before, so how was he to know it was upside-down!


I don't know if that is true but It is really funny if it is. Sometimes the legend is better than than the real part of the story.

It is said to be correct ... here's the quote:



Actually, the entire story is being recounted many times over in the media because of the $2 Inverted Jenny reprint issue. However, one of the best stories (with illustrations) I have found is in the 2011 Siegel auction of one of the stamps at this link (beginning on page 7):

http://www.siegelauctions.com/2011/1010/1010A.pdf

If I was to won just one stamp it would be the Jenny Invert. For simple reasons it is a beautifully stamp and one of the best historic stories of stamp collecting.

I always wondered why Robey only took $30 that day even though he made a stop at the bank. What was he going to do if the other sheets he looked at were inverts? Did the post master tip him off and did they split the profits?

Why did he sell so fast? Yes their was pressure from the PO and the possibility of more on the market. Why didn't he buy one or keep one?

So many questions for such a simple stamp.

I will never own an original that is fact nut these are the closest except for a reproduction stamp that I can come.

I often wonder what would I have done differently if I this sheet that day. I am pretty sure I would have keep a single and a plate block. If I had I believe I would have been better off down the road.

Some of the questions posed may never be answered, but one has to remember that $30 in 1918 is equal to about $371.73 in today's dollars (adjusted for inflation). That was quite a formidable sum back in the day and not too shabby an amount of money to carry in cash, even by today's standards.

To re-read the story, especially the detailed one contained in the previous link by Siegel Auctions, there was a real possibility the post office might have taken action to seize the stamps sold to the original owner; so Robey wanted to turn it over quickly, as once the stamp changed hands it would be difficult, if not impossible, for the USPOD to touch it.

One also has to remember that at the time the error was discovered, no one really knew how common or rare the stamps were to become. No one really knew how many stamps may have been placed on the market or what post office(s) they were shipped to. When the error was discovered by USPOD officials, the remaining error panes from the sheet were destroyed, effectively increasing the value of the only pane that did make it into private hands.

Trust me if he was a collector and could take out $30 then it was not a financial burden. He has been described as having modest means which in those days implied wealth. After all if we are to believe the story he sent a letter out to a friend talking about finding inverts. So one would have to think he would have or should have been prepared to buy more than one sheet.

Why did he not buy the fist time but go back a second time? Hey I am shooting from the hip but was it the post man?

Wouldn't it be great if they put a real invert in one of these packages. I guess we will find out what is up with the plastic tomorrow.

I was thinking more along the lines of some of the Jenny reprints NOT being inverted in some of the packages!

As you say, I guess (I hope) we'll know tomorrow.

No big surprise at all. The packaging is ok for the most part it keeps this sheet in very nice condition. Ok what is in the sealed plastic? A sealed envelope that has more cardboard and the sheet.

Still a very cool looking stamp, small sheet but very cool.

The stamp has that nice engraved feel to it too. I have to work I guess some one will put some photos up prior to the time I would be able to do so. I don't know why but I bought three sets. I may use four stamps just for the heck of it, sending one to myself for the cancel.