Smokey Bear collector strikes gold; sports-related stamps from Lebanon: Inside Linn’s

By Donna Houseman

The Oct. 23 issue of Linn’s Stamp News just landed on the presses and goes in the mail to subscribers Monday, Oct. 9. Here we entice you with a few previews of exclusive content available only to subscribers. And if you subscribe to Linn’s digital edition, you’re at the head of the line because you get early access Saturday, Oct. 7. To heighten your anticipation even further, we offer three glimpses of what lies between the pages of this issue. Happy collecting!

Smokey Bear collector strikes gold with exhibit at Americover 2017

Rick Gibson’s collection of Smokey Bear first-day covers grew out of his larger collection of Smokey Bear memorabilia, which came about because of his 35 years in the United States Air Force. He recently took home a gold award with his exhibit of his Smokey Bear collection at Ameripex 2017. Lloyd de Vries shares Gibson’s story in his First-Day Covers column.

Lebanon commemorated the fourth Mediterranean Games on stamps

In the Middle East Stamps column, Ghassan “Gus” Riachi takes us back to the fourth Mediterranean Games, hosted in 1963 by Naples, Italy. Early in 1964, Lebanon, whose athletes came home from the games with only a bronze medal, showed its pride in participating in the games by issuing a set of six stamps and a beautifully designed souvenir sheet. Riachi tells why this stamp set proves that stamps appeal to a variety of people for different reasons.

Dutch documentary stamps pay taxes and fees on transactions

A Linn’s reader submitted a question to Collectors’ Forum seeking identification of a Netherlands stamp. It turns out that the stamp is not a postage stamp, but rather a “plakzegel,” or documentary revenue stamp. Documentary revenue stamps of the Netherlands have been paying taxes and fees on transactions since 1829. Collectors’ Forum encourages collectors to exchange and share information. Linn’s editors participate in the forum when they know or can help with the answers.

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