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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 5, 2006 The author discovered a buried treasure in his grandmother's closet: his mother's stamp album from when she was a girl in the 1940s. (The Washington Post) Stamps of approval Discovery of his mother's stamp album gives a son lessons in history, geography and the difference between common and rare stamps By Glenn Paterson Ever wish you could discover buried treasure? A good place to look is in the closets and attics of your grandparents' home (with their permission, of course). One day last year while I was visiting my grandmother in Florida, she took an old book out of her closet and gave it to me. It was my mother's stamp album from when she was a girl in the 1940s. The cover of the dark-green leather book has the words "Postage Stamp Album" embossed on a gold background. Below the title is an impression of a clipper ship under full sail. The album's pages had yellowed with age; their dry edges had begun to crumble. I turned them carefully and studied the stamps, some from countries and colonies that no longer exist. Advertisement I saw the faces of presidents, explorers and famous scientists. Some stamps celebrated historical events: the invention of the light bulb, the coronation of King George V of Britain, the opening of the Panama Canal. Others have pictures of animals, plants and places. One of the prettiest is a 1937 stamp from Costa Rica. It's diamond-shaped and has a blue iris on it. A bright red stamp from Cote d'Ivoire (what we call Ivory Coast) shows a young African woman standing in front of what look like coffee plants. The stamp bears no date but it's clear it was printed before Cote d'Ivoire gained its independence from France in 1960. Another interesting stamp, from Cuba, has the postmark "Compre Azucar Cubano — Buy Cuban Sugar." The U.S. government, which doesn't approve of Cuba's government, halted virtually all trade with that country in 1962, so the United States hasn't bought Cuban sugar for more than 40 years. When I returned from Florida, I stored the album in a cool, dry place and didn't think much about it until recently, when I heard that Washington was about to host the 2006 World Philatelic Exposition. Philately (pronounced fuh-LATT-uh-lee) is a fancy word for stamp-collecting. The expo attracts collectors and expert appraisers from around the globe. Appraisers are people who can tell you if your stamps are worth anything. I decided to go and find out if my mother's collection contained any buried treasure. I carefully photographed each stamp and stored the photos on my laptop to take with me. That way I wouldn't risk losing or damaging the old album. I called my mother to tell her about my treasure-hunting expedition. I said that if I dug up any gems, I'd split the booty with her. She laughed and said she was just happy to hear that I was having fun with the same stamps she had enjoyed collecting. At the expo I met Jacques Schiff, a New Jersey stamp dealer with 59 years of experience. He looked at the images on my laptop while I waited eagerly to find out if there were any rare stamps in the bunch. Unfortunately, the answer was no. My stamps were ones commonly sold in starter kits for young collectors. So I didn't find buried treasure in my grandmother's closet, but I did have a fun adventure and enjoyed learning some history and geography. I can't wait to visit my grandmother again and see what other artifacts are hidden in her closets. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s Advertisement