Apart from Arthur, the Australia Post Chapman collection has 1 example.  Other than that, I assumed none existed.  NEVER assume anything. 

At least THREE examples of this 5/- CTO cancel are now recorded, one of which resides forever in the Australia Post Collection, and Arthur is not selling his CTO's any-time soon.

The ACSC has just $4,000 on this, especially when one notes what a CA Monogram single is rated at - $35,000.

Three of those are 3 known, PLUS a plethora of blocks, pairs, and strips as well - the future of the really scarce CTO's looks very solid at today’s low levels.

Many things exist that are not yet listed in the ACSC, even the new edition.

Did you know the very CHEAPEST 1d red Kangaroo CTO stamp listed is $A80? Well you do now!

Stampboards has had detailed discussion on these CTO’s – 1000s of posts, and some of that info is transcribed here - tinyurl.com/ozCTOs

I was recently sold a 5/- 1913 Kangaroo with the glossy black Melbourne CTO cancel. It was fresh, and had full gum.

No big deal about that, except this one was perforated large “OS”. Not recorded as existing in ACSC, so many would assume it was fake.

A fresh 5/- First Watermark CTO is readily saleable for $300, so why fake something from it that “does not exist” is the weak part of that thought process!

However the stampboards discussion on CTO’s saw 3 different collectors confirm they have 3 different values of the 1913 set with CTO cancels and perf large OS.

In all cases no premium whatever had been paid, and in one case that stamp was bought decades back.

So it appears clear that at least one set of 1913 “OS” perfins had the fine glossy CTO cancels applied – possibly a presentation set to a visiting big shot?  

That is the kind of reason offered for the Second Watermark issues existing with this CTO cancel.

The last word in philately is NEVER written.  We need to have open minds and look at facts, and not use guesswork.

As a current example of the price stupidity still prevailing in the American market, these 2 stamps shown nearby were consecutive lots in the same USA auction on July 16.

Please excuse the curious “woolly” looking scans, but they were the best possible off Auction website.

This 5c Jamestown stamp is Scott 330, Cat $US125 hinged, and $US310 unhinged mint. A fairly readily obtainable stamp, being worth about the same as a 1/- Kangaroo.

Near all dealers anywhere on the globe would price a $300 type catalogue stamp that looked like these, at about the same price each, if gum was good on both.

They were consecutive lots. Both had Certificates confirming they were MUH, original gum.

One was invoiced for $US345 - the other $US10,925 ($A12,000) - near 32 times higher priced.

I'll let you guess which stamp is which.

Is one centered 32 times better than the other, to your eyes?

Would anyone else like me, prefer to have 32 of one, for the price of the other?  In 10 years’ time that will be proven MOST wise.

For way LESS than that same $A12,000, I or other dealers can sell you a quite superbly centred, faultless 1913 £2 MVLH Kangaroo.

Even the very BEST of the 1913 £2 SG16s in the Hardy sale did not bring that figure.

The MVLH £2 Kangaroo illustrated nearby sold at auction for exactly half that $6,000, at Prestige in 2010, plus fees.

That buyer got a great deal, as it has the “Gulf Of Carpentaria Coast” flaw, ACSC 56(D)v which is catalogued in ACSC at $3,000 more than a normal stamp.

Of course this basic Kangaroo stamp has been going UP in value every year for many decades.

Numerally graded USA stamps will continue to decrease in value from these silly figures, is my view and observation. 

One is actually scarce and globally sought after and recognised, and the other is NOT actually very scarce, and is hyped up by a tiny handful of players with far more money than sense.

In 20 years’ time will you be better off financially with two nice MVLH 1913 £2 Roos, or a stamp with a full Scott catalogue of $US310!

The "cheapie" stamp that was invoiced at $US345 was described thus -

5c Jamestown (330). Mint N.H., rich color and proof-like impression, far better centring than normally seen, Very Fine and choice, with 2007 P.F. certificate (VF-XF 85)

We are told one of these 5c Jamestown stamps has actually been GRADED HIGHER than this $US10,925 “GEM” - gasp.  Stop The Presses.

Maybe that is a million dollar stamp to the jackasses?  Who knows?

They will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER get their money back. Repeat - NEVER, EVER, EVER.

But that is just a dumb old Sydney stamp Hillbilly dealer's view, who unlike some, has done this for a full time business for 35 years.

I'd sell either stamp for a few $100.  And move on to the next item.  EVERY time.

In my view, these numerical grades are a silly American fad - like hula hoops and yo-yos and baseball cards.

No criticism here of the auctioneers Siegel’s - they simply list these things and the “more money than sense” bidders do the rest!

Bidders at Siegel’s were thankfully out in June, buying things that WILL stay valuable!

Collectors generally seem to know what individual STAMPS are multi-million dollar pieces, but often covers are overlooked.

On June 25 an 1852 cover from Hawaii sold for $US1,950,000, PLUS 15% "fee" = $US2,242,500 invoice.

As I type this, that converted to near exactly $A2½ million.

You can buy a pretty decent MANSION for that in most cities in the world.

“The Dawson Cover” was offered by Siegel Auction Galleries in New York, and was part of the Steven C Walske Collection of Hawaiian Postal History.

"The Dawson Cover" is the rarest and most important cover in Hawaiian postal history

The envelope is the only known cover bearing the Hawaiian 2c value "Missionary" stamp.

Indeed it is the only cover to boast two different denominations from the "Missionary" stamp series.

It is addressed in the hand of William C Dawson, to "Miss Eliza A Dawson, Care Jacob H Dawson, 273 Cherry Street, New York".

We are lucky it survived at all, considering the cover was bundled into a factory furnace along with other correspondence in 1870.

Fortunately, the package was wrapped so tightly that the fire went out, and the cover remained unharmed - aside from a small scorch mark at left side.

It was only discovered 35 years later, long after the factory had been abandoned. A cleaner preparing the space for reuse found it among the ashes.

Some find - a $A2½ million cover - and other choice covers were found in the same ashes.

eBay does not seek any minimum IQ level for sellers.  All you need is a valid credit card to pay all the fees.

Anyone with a vivid imagination, and a piece of junk can list it up, and pay the smorgasbord of eBay charges and extras, that make them rich!

Stampboards has a very popular thread titled: “eBay and Other On-Line Dreamers - A Photo Lot Compendium”

tinyurl.com/EbayDreamer - is the link to it – take a good look if you are having a bad day, and want to chuckle at the stupidity virus that is raging globally in the stamp world!

It has over 3,000 messages on it, and 165,000 pages views, so plenty of folks find it entertaining!

One genius “angrail” (from Queensland - where else!) has been trying to flog this faded or bleached (or both) 3d Queensland stamp for ages.

First at $A12,000, and then in a moment of inspiration, near HALVED the price to just $A6,600 as you can see. REAL world value more like 12 CENTS.

Sadly that did not attract a cashed-up Bunny, and it is back to $A12,000 as I type this.

On eBay having near gibberish lot headings seems mandatory, and here we have “(R2-22)1876 AuStates QLD3dChalon variety Half Green&Red”

Postage is only $4 however, and you CAN make offers.  Gotta love eBay.

We all naturally focus on what occurs in the STAMP world, but the very closely connected note and coin word is stronger than ever.

A USA 1891 $1,000 Marcy Silver Certificate banknote sold on June 12, for a new world record price of $2.6 million – around $A2.9 million as I type this.

Graded ‘Very Fine 25’ by PMG, the $1,000 note is one of two known to exist, with the other held in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.

This 1891 $1,000 Marcy Silver Certificate was purchased from a collector by Stack’s Bowers Galleries who wishes to remain anonymous, and was sold to an anonymous buyer.

The highest price paid for an Australian banknote was $A1,909,000 at Public Auction in recent years, for the 1913 10/- note.

The older notes are superbly engraved, and I really like them. They have more than a passing familiarity to stamp collectors.

The early notes have the same printer imprint along base as stamps of this era did -  “T. S. Harrison – Australian Note Printer”

I bought that one this month in nice attractive grade, and at $2,750 it seems cheap to me when compared to the near $2 million for the 10/- of this era! 

Disgraced drug-cheat cyclist Lance Armstrong is being sued by the United States Postal Service.

I bet we do not see him on a USPS stamp!

Indeed a poll I ran on stampboards agreed that no “real” country has ever issued an Armstrong stamp.

He is depicted on the outer margin (but not stamp area) on this 2003 France mini sheet shown nearby.

In papers filed in the U.S District Court in Washington, the Justice Department alleges Armstrong duped a USPS Vice-President.

“Suggesting though his words and his conduct, that the USPS team was among the clean teams, that might lead by example”

What you probably didn't know is that Lance Armstrong also delivers mail in California.

Same name, same employer, same sport, same health scare .... but different guys, reports the Associated Press.

The 27-year-old letter carrier says he doesn't mind being mistaken for the more famous Lance Armstrong. Both are both trim and lanky with short fair hair.

When Lance C. Armstrong - that's the letter carrier - competed in a race in Holland, well-wishers assumed he was the Tour de France champion.

A fundraiser in Austin Texas gave the two Lance Armstrong’s a chance to meet.

"This was like a dream come true," said the letter-carrier.

He said his co-workers have been supportive of his cycling hobby.

"They razz you about the shaved legs, and the name," Lance C. Armstrong said.

As this magazine is published, I will (hopefully) be winging home!

I’ve been fortunate to have visited about 125 countries, most several times, so adding a new one is fun. 

Day “one” was 40 hours of flights with no hotel … Sydney-Singapore-Bombay-Johannesburg-Mauritius.

Next morning the very expensive flight to Antananarivo, Madagascar - for a week of driving around the interior jungles in a jeep.

The huge Boabab trees are a tourist highlght there.

Then some time on the mainland, in an African Safari Lodge photographing animals and “relaxing”.

Flight Back to Johannesburg, connecting with a long 9½ hour flight to Mumbai to wander about for a day there – 22 hours in fact! 

Connecting to another 5 hour flight for a day (well 15 hours) in Bangkok to grab some bargains downtown, and back home to a mountain of work I am sure!