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⇐ Position 76 ⇒
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Position 76 in 2016, after recovery from theft
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Gum:
POG
Condition:
Fault
Perf Condition:
Reperforated
Paper Condition:
Thin
Summary
This was the bottom right stamp in the famous McCoy block. The block had a red vertical guideline between stamps.
According to the Amick book, it is believed the block was owned by Arthur Hind of Utica N.Y., and offered at the auction of his estate in 1933 (auction catalogue did not have a photo). It was sold at the auction to Hugh Clark of Scott Stamp and Coin Co. for $12,100. It was subsequently sold in 1936 by Spencer Anderson to Ethel Stewart (later Ethel McCoy) for $16,000.
The block was stolen in 1955 while on display at the American Philatelic Society convention in Norfolk Va. Mrs. McCoy was reimbursed $15,000 by the insurers. The rights to the block were assigned by Mrs. McCoy to the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) of State College Pa. in 1979.
According to a press release from the Philatelic Foundation, on April 4, 2016, a representative of Spink USA brought an Inverted Jenny to the P.F. for authentication on behalf of a potential consignor. The Philatelic Foundation determined that the stamp was the missing bottom right stamp in the stolen McCoy block. It had been altered to try and mask its appearance. They notified authorities and the APS, and after 61 years the stamp was finally recovered.
Ethel McCoy assigned any future rights to the stamp to the American Philatelic Research Library, who will now become the owner.
The story of the McCoy block (up to 2014) was the subject of a September 2014 article by Ken Lawrence, in The American Philatelist
Read Ken Lawrence's article about the recovery of Position 76.
According to the Amick book, it is believed the block was owned by Arthur Hind of Utica N.Y., and offered at the auction of his estate in 1933 (auction catalogue did not have a photo). It was sold at the auction to Hugh Clark of Scott Stamp and Coin Co. for $12,100. It was subsequently sold in 1936 by Spencer Anderson to Ethel Stewart (later Ethel McCoy) for $16,000.
The block was stolen in 1955 while on display at the American Philatelic Society convention in Norfolk Va. Mrs. McCoy was reimbursed $15,000 by the insurers. The rights to the block were assigned by Mrs. McCoy to the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) of State College Pa. in 1979.
According to a press release from the Philatelic Foundation, on April 4, 2016, a representative of Spink USA brought an Inverted Jenny to the P.F. for authentication on behalf of a potential consignor. The Philatelic Foundation determined that the stamp was the missing bottom right stamp in the stolen McCoy block. It had been altered to try and mask its appearance. They notified authorities and the APS, and after 61 years the stamp was finally recovered.
Ethel McCoy assigned any future rights to the stamp to the American Philatelic Research Library, who will now become the owner.
The story of the McCoy block (up to 2014) was the subject of a September 2014 article by Ken Lawrence, in The American Philatelist
Read Ken Lawrence's article about the recovery of Position 76.
Owners:
Anonymous
Anonymous
Certification
2016
APS
Certificate No. 218794
United States, Scott C3a center inverted, Pos. 76, unused, original gum, previously hinged, genuine, thin, reperforated at top, left perfs abraded to remove guide line
2016
PF
Certificate No. 535711
IT IS A GENUINE UNUSED SCOTT C3a, INVERTED CENTER, POSITION 76, THE BOTTOM RIGHT STAMP FROM THE ORIGINAL BLOCK OF FOUR BELONGING TO ETHEL B. McCOY AND STOLEN FROM HER EXHIBIT ON SEPT. 23, 1955. THE INVERT WITH PART O.G., A TINY THIN SPOT AT RIGHT, REPERFORATED AT TOP, AND ALSO REPERFORATED AT LEFT TO ELIMINATE THE VERTICAL GUIDE LINE APPEARING ON THE STAMP IN ITS ORIGINAL STATE.
Transactions:
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Graph of Realizations for This Position in Relation to Catalogue Value:
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Position 76: Scott Catalog Value vs. Realizations