Someone mailed an absentee ballot using an Inverted Jenny (ultra-rare postal stamp)

[Tab]

By Tom Brown Fri Nov 10, 4:17 PM ET

MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida voter may have unwittingly lost hundreds of thousands of dollars by using an extremely rare stamp to mail an absentee ballot in Tuesday's congressional election, a government official said on Friday.

The 1918 Inverted Jenny stamp, which takes its name from an image of a biplane accidentally printed upside-down, turned up on Tuesday night in Fort Lauderdale, where election officials were inspecting ballots from parts of south Florida, Broward County Commissioner John Rodstrom told Reuters.

Only 100 of the stamps have ever been found, making them one of the top prizes of all philately.
...
A block of four of the stamps sold for almost $3 million last year, however, and Rodstrom said the one that turned up Tuesday night could fetch about $500,000 for Broward County at auction.

"It's now government property," he said.

A postmark on a stamp usually would hurt its value but Rodstrom said the story behind this one -- plus the fact that it is joined by other old stamps on the envelope -- might actually increase its worth.

Rodstrom said he doubted the stamp would ever be handed over to someone claiming to have mailed it inadvertently.

"It would be hard to prove, I guess you would have to say it was a person who had Alzheimer's," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061110/us_nm/life_stamp_dc

[originalpckelly]

1. "Inverted Jenny" can mean so many things...

:P

[Gold Metal Flake]

2. I used to date Inverted Jenny.

Back when we used to hang with Coastal Eddy and Onshore Flow.

[hobbit709]

3. That is one EXPENSIVE vote

and it didn't even count is the worst part.

[jody]

4. I first thought you meant an inverted donkey. n/t

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. I bout had a heart attack when I heard that...

I don't even collect stamps (I prefer coins) but I know what an inverted Jenny is.

[immoderate]

6. A friend told me there are many counterfeit Jennies.

And he ought to know, he collects stamps, you know, a philanderer. ;)

--IMM

[oldtime dfl_er]

15. Heck, I have one in my shop

http://www.cafepress.com/scarebaby/2084654

[aquart]

7. Let me guess: Stamp-collecting husband died.

Widow took collection to dealer. He said it was basically worthless and offered her only a little above face value for it. She said no. Took the collection home and began putting it on her letters.

[kestrel91316]

8. Don't soak it off the friggin' envelope!!!!!!!!!!

As is, with the story and cover, it's still worth a pretty penny. Too bad the person who owned it won't ever get to see the money................

[CatWoman]

11. it's still valuable

even with the post office stamp on it?

[kestrel91316]

18. Yep, some stamps on envelope with

cancellation and (like in this case) other old stamps with it are actually worth more than the mint ones.

This cover (that's what you call stamp/envelope/cancellation combo) is now FAMOUS, and truly one-of-a-kind!

[TheMadMonk]

9. Let's just hope it was a Republican.

[bridgit]

10. seen that last night, the ballot was unsigned as well, maybe it was...

some doddering older dude, or chick or some such...cause that's a very expensive mistake to make with all your faculties still intact :shrug:

[yellowcanine]

12. That's just weird. Maybe auction it off for charity?

[Red Right and BLUE]

13. I don't get what would be so hard to prove

Wouldn't the ballot have the voter's info on it?

[drm604]

17. Nope.

They had to disqualify the ballot because there was nothing to identify the voter and no return address.

[johnaries]

14. That's straight out of Brewster's Millions! Same stamp! nt

[neilepi]

16. Perhaps the vote was for.....

Warren Harding (R).

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