The Madoff Of France

The Madoff of France

A Billion-Dollar Scandal Turns the 'King of Manuscripts' Into the 'Madoff of France'

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/...e-books.html

Q/ And how did the 'King of Manuscripts' get his start, you ask?




And if that does not ring a bell:

Linn's ... Stamp scandal may involve Prince Rainier of Monaco
19981207 ... SCF blocks the author's site

Guardian ... Stamps scandal leaves mark on royals
https://www.theguardian.com/world/1...08/jonhenley

He's ba-a-a-a-ck.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who will remember this story the next time he is outbid by some lunatic who seems to be buying everything in sight)

That article is written by someone who doesn't understand what's going on and can't communicate what's going on. About par for the course about stamps in the general press. Commemorative stamps are not valid for postage? Do tell.

In a blocked link repeating a Dec. 7 1998 Linn's article from the same time:
This one makes more sense, the "upselling" of proofs and trial colors. Wonder what became of this? Because...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/...e-books.html
This is perhaps where the money went and for even further "upselling". So then nothing happened in the Monaco incident.

Which reminds me, whatever became of stamp investment guy Marc (Armand) Rousso and his wall of bank boxes probably full of Sand Dunes sheets? And his US stamps certified by... Scott(!)? It's not the art investment guy, who is too young.

Apropos of the lack of knowledgeable writing about stamps in newspapers:

A few days ago I found at the bottom of a box an old (1970s) newspaper clipping from the Philadelphia Inquirer which discussed the dynamics of the plate block market. The byline noted the writer was the "stamps editor." Made me wonder when the last newspaper sacked the final "stamp editor" in existence.