The stamp, which was not officially in circulation, was found by a stamp collector in October 2023. He has been collecting postal items for about forty years or even more. Sometimes he bought stamps sold by weight (by the way, we have a very interesting article on this point, check this out). The collections contain different used stamps from Canada and the USA. Suddenly, he discovered a rarity while he was sorting through his collections.
It was a 1998 non-denominated Uncle Sam’s Hat H-rate stamp with "Postcard Rate" inscription and yellow background. This particular item has not been studied as well as estimated by experts yet.
It has a faint circle-shaped handprint at the top, closer to its right side. Although the item has never been officially released, it can be found on Scott catalog.
It was first discovered by "Linn's" experts on December 6, 1999. They wrote an article about two used examples on a business envelope that was postmarked on October 26, 1999.
On September 12, 1997, these stamps were delivered to the US Postal Service for the first time. The last delivery occurred on January 6, 1998. It happened eleven months before the official release. Between 1999 and 2006, Linn's consistently covered the more yellow Uncle Sam's Hat stamps. They've recorded 67 used items total. There have been no other reports of unused stamps.
The cost of such a stamp is estimated at $1,500-3,000.
The CEO of Find Your Stamps Value, Alex Barinoff, commented on this event, "Modern stamps issued in these decades can be collectible and expensive. Thanks to such accidents, philately receives the new impulses to stay alive. So, be on the watch: the letter in your mailbox sent by a friend, the tax office or whatever may turn out to be a real gem".
Sourced by Linn's
