The Spotlight is on but nobody's looking.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Nov 12 2006, 06:43 PM) [snapback]347955[/snapback]</div>

Yes. There was an Inverted Jenny among others. The election officials claim they can't identify the sender, the ballot won't count and finders keepers. They plan on selling the stamps and keeping the money. They say even if the owner comes forward, they can't prove they own the stamps and they are now the property of the county. Right now the envelope is sealed in a box that can't be opened for 22 months.

Figures it's Florida.

"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."

And I bet the heirs are pissed that Gramma or Grampa mailed their inheritance to the county.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Nov, 07:08 PM) [snapback]347961[/snapback]</div>

Just one inverted Jenny.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dragonfly @ Nov 12 2006, 07:17 PM) [snapback]347965[/snapback]</div>

Yes. I went back and reread. The four went at auction for $3 million. There was only one on the envelope, along with a stamp from the 30s and possibly other old stamps. It's canceled now, but officials suspect that the story behind the canceling would raise the price. That is if it's not destroyed. The envelope is sealed in a box and can't be unsealed for 22 months. At that point, you'd hope the Broward Elections office would remember the stamps and go through the box before destroying it all. Then again...it *is* Florida.

 

I'll bet the person who sent in the ballot didn't even know the stamps were valuable. They needed a stamp and began looking through old drawers and boxes and found these.

Anybody who had a postage stamp worth half a million dollars would either sell it, or keep it in some place safe, like a safe deposit box. You don't leave it in a drawer.

Plus, the fact that the envelope was not signed, or identified in any way, suggests a person too feeble-minded or senile to follow the instructions. Here in WA, for example, the ballot goes in a blank envelope, and that goes in an envelope with name and address that must be signed. The outer envelope identifies the sender, and the signature certifies it. That information is verified, then the inner envelope is separated before the votes are counted. Note that the outer envelope, with the stamp, also has the sender's identifying information. In this case, the person mailed the ballot in an envelope without identification, invalidating the ballot. Senile or feeble-minded.

The owners of the stamp probably never knew they had it. And the heirs probably never knew that granddad had a half-million-dollar stamp in a cigar box at the back of the socks drawer.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dragonfly @ Nov 12 2006, 04:30 AM) [snapback]347736[/snapback]</div>

You're the one that needs a clue, or at least, foresight beyond tomorrow, next week at most... In case you didn't notice, the current admin. is on it's way out the door in a matter of months, ANYWAY... It's OVER, it's DONE with, they did what they wanted, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., it's like 35 to 1 in the 9th inning and you're still screaming about how terrible the losing team is trying to manage what player does what given their stats, strengths, weaknesses, etc., the current administration is effectively done my friend, everyone who's anyone is already jockeying for whatever positions, they all know what's coming down the pike...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Nov, 11:02 AM) [snapback]348198[/snapback]</div>

Hmmm. Bush is not out the door for a couple of years yet, and still holds veto power. But you're right, the nightmare is pretty much over, and I'm soooooooo happy!!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dragonfly @ Nov 13 2006, 03:01 PM) [snapback]348280[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, this morning on the radio, they were talking about how they're going to try and push certain bills through, while the Repubs. still have control...

...The titanic's half way underwater at this point, they're just scurring around, taking one last run into vault before jumping off...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Nov 13 2006, 10:09 AM) [snapback]348286[/snapback]</div>

Gosh! Squid is admitting that Bush has half sunk the ship of state and the rats running the show are just getting ready to jump off as it sinks. Interesting twist from our resident marine mollusk. But then squids are nothing if not agile.

BTW, I saw squids in Bonaire. Fascinating creatures!