A Find Of A Life Time...#32

XYYZ Circuit books are made by fellow collectors who wish to sell surplus stamps to other collectors. Once the stamps are placed in the book they are sent to the sales department of perhaps the BNAPS, RPSC, or APS to name a few organizations. The sales department sorts the books into appropriate topics and then combines say ten books from that group into a mailing. The mailing is assigned names and addresses of collectors interested in the topic. The books are sent to the first recipient on the list. That person has a certain amount of time to review the books of stamps and select any that they wish to purchase then the circuit is sent to the next person on the list enclosed with the books. The last person returns the circuit to the originator of the circuit. The sales department then matches the buy markings with payments received. After a few circuit mailings the books are retired and any remaining stamps are returned to the person who made the book. The sales department sends payments of sold items to the book owners. This is some what simplified but should give you an idea of what a circuit book is.

Wow ! Watermark, what an incredible story !! My sincere congratulations. Yes, the find of a lifetime and, the dream come true of all collectors. You certainly deserve it. Take you so much for sharing this with all of us. You did the right thing in deciding to sell it. Impossible to keep such a valuable stamp in a normal collection unless you are very rich. You must of gone through so many things since finding this item. Be happy and enjoy the benefits.
Very happy for you :-)

Thank you Michael for being so open and candid about the events surrounding your marvelous find. I must say that, as the forensics guy on the Greene Foundation Expert Committee I truly appreciated the opportunity to handle and examine your stamp for the four months it was in our possession.
The combination of your stamp and our new VCS6000 provided an interesting opportunity for us to establish a new and very scientific approach to stamps on laid paper. We chose not to request the other known stamps for comparison because we decided that the examination of your stamp was to be done strictly on the merits of your stamp and that there could be no real benefit in comparing it with others.
The new world of expertizing goes well beyond the customary "touchy-feely" approach in that the application of sophisticated forensic tools allows us to examine stamps and covers in ways that could never be done previously. Although the committee still relies on the knowledge and experience of the members, the application of forensics now gives an even greater level of confidence to our decision making and certificates (both good and bad).
Thanks again for allowing me the privilege of working with your stamp. I am also hoping that the buyer of Ron Brigham's stamp later this month will submit it for a new certificate as it would be fun to be able to handle 2 of the 3 known stamps within a 12 month period.
GJP

So you are the lucky stiff who found the 32! Congratulations big time. When I sell stamps the cash always goes back into my collection. Guess you'll be going on a shopping spree at your next bourse!
Just kidding. Good on ya, and good luck at your auction.

I find it fascinating that this stamp has opened avenues that will be used to improve techniques in expertizing stamps. As you can gather I used the old tried and true touchy feely method at my house to see that I could well have the third reported copy. My tools although primitive were accurate. But the examination and detailed scientific study by the foundation more than verified my findings they actually proved beyond doubt it was genuine. Thank all of you at the foundation for going way beyond what I thought could be verified. The scientific approach is truly amazing and a great advancement for philately.

Watermark, thanks for sharing your experience and your feelings too. I had read the VGG report a while back, and last night read the piece in the BNAPS journal - what a great story. I have sometimes wondered what I would do if I found such a thing, or got a winning lottery ticket - what do you do with it until you can confirm it? You must have had some nervous times before you got it in safe hands.

WOW! What a story and incentive for all of us interested in this fantastic hobby. I heard of your story through the press and that is what got me going on stamps. I just can't stop buying and hoping for a discovery. I quit buying lotto tickets so I could afford stamps. CONGRATS ON YOUR WIN!

Amazing! Congrats !

I was so excited and nervous the day I found it I did not know what to do or how to handle getting it certified. Here I was holding potentially the most valuable thing in my possesion. Who do I contact and how do you send it for an expert opinion? I contacted a very good friend I knew was on the VGG Foundation expert committee and he gave me excellent advice and his help is greatly appreciated. I have been in touch directly and indirectly with many philatelists who have offered advice and opinions that have been very helpful. I hope to get to meet many of them personally some day but they show what a great collecting community we have. The hunt continues for more philatelic beauties. The best find I had made from a circuit prior to this one was a 3c Small Queen perforated 12.5 X 12.5 for which I paid 15 cents. A great return if I ever sell it but this stamp will or should over shadow that find.

Gportch- Did not realize you were on VGG's team . (note I did try and get you a steak dinner). As a collector/hunter the fact watermark is sharring this venture sorta lets us all share the ride . Don't want to add any pressure but things like this should surely boost the hobby especially when shared respectfully and modestly as watermark is doing. Gotta say I'm honored to be part of the forum with so many talented good people. I plan on sharring the story with my couple grankids this weekend to help re inforce their drive for collecting.

Was one of the stamps discovered in the United Kingdom, the other one in Canada and the most recent one in the United States?

Glenn Archer wrote an article in the latest copy of BNA Topics the following info is contained in that article and a Confederation News Letter BNAPS Large and Small Queens Study Group:

Philip von Ferrary (1850-1917) assembled most complete worldwide collection of his day. The first known 2c LQ on Laid paper was in his collection. The first copy is at least in Germany at the time of WWI.

The second copy apparently was found in a Persian stamp dealers stock around 1900.

The third copy found 2013 in the USA.

More info is available from Topics and Confederation newsletter.

Do you know who sold you the stamp in the circuit book or whose circuit book it was by any chance?
Are all three of # 32 from Hamilton and is that a clue where it's from?
Also, were they all from 1870 and does this indicate a late printing or mailing usage?
Sorry, I am just a curious philatelist. Thanks.
P.S. I remember many months ago asking someone if their avatar on here was a picture of the just newly discovered stamp.
Was it you who I asked about their avatar back then?

The circuit book owner is unknown.

My copy is clearly from Hamilton (note postmark) so is the second copy with the two ring "5" cancelation of Hamilton. Both in period postmarks. The first copy straight line REGIISTERED cancelation in blue is believed to be from Hamilton because blue cancelations were used in Hamilton in period of usage.

It is not late printing probably printed in late 1869. Usage was in period.

I guess you noticed my avatar is the new #32. Someone else made that comment.

WOW...!