A copy of what is probably the most famous U.S. stamp ever — the 1918 24-cent airmail stamp with the airplane upside down (Scott No. C3a) — has resurfaced.

Linn’s Stamp News reports in its April 23 issue that the stamp, which had not been seen since the full sheet of the inverts was sold by the post office, has been authenticated by the Philatelic Foundation of New York.

The newly found stamp was in position 13 on the original pane of 100 stamps (that is, it was the third stamp in the second row).

The stamp was submitted by the Robert A. Siegel auction house. It was consigned to the firm from an estate, and the original collector, “long deceased,� as Linn’s put it, was not identified.

“Until the rediscovery of the stamp, the hobby had no image of it and no idea of its provenance (history of ownership), although who owns the stamp is being kept private,� Linn’s writer Rick Miller said.

The discovery means that there are now images of 98 of the original 100 stamps.
Copies of the stamps sell for thousands of dollars in auction, and as Linn’s put it, “The stamp is well-centered horizontally but is vertically off-center. Most collectors would still be more than delighted to have it in their collections.�

Linn’s is the only weekly stamp newspaper in the United States. Portions of it can be viewed for free online here. Regular mail subscriptions may be ordered online or by writing to Linn’s Stamp News, P.O. Box 29, Sidney, Ohio 45365-0029.

If you want to read the full story of the Inverted Jenny, see if you can find a copy of “Jenny!� written by George Amick and published by Linn’s in 1986. It’s a fascinating story.