(USPS Press Release) Ever wonder what that box of stamps your grandmother tucked away in the attic is worth? It’s definitely worth a little, but you just might have a real gem like the 1918 Inverted Jenny Biplane stamp that recently sold for $2.9 million. You can see it, along with $40 million worth of other rare stamps, at the world’s largest stamp show. Imagine what it would be like to experience the excitement of auctioning off one of those stamps at one of the Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition’s multi-million dollar stamp auctions. Running May 27 through June 3, at the Washington, DC, Convention Center, admission is free.

“Stamp collecting is the world’s most popular and historical hobby,” explained U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General John E. Potter. “It’s a fun and educational activity the entire family can enjoy. We look forward to seeing parents and children; teachers and students; collectors and non- collectors at the Washington 2006 World Philatelic Expo to sample the pastime of a lifetime.”

Potter said families can get a jump-start on stamp collecting by buying stamps from the only location on the planet selling stamps from 135 countries under one roof.

“A special collectable Washington 2006 Souvenir Passport includes a page for each country, complete with facts and space for canceling that nation’s stamp with that country’s postmark. Students can also use this world-class collectable to sharpen their geography skills.”

The show opens Sat., May 27, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is then open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Fri., June 2, doors close at 5:30 p.m. but they reopen Sat., June 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For complete details visit http://www.washington-2006.org.

U.S. stamps to be issued during the show include the 40-stamp 39¢ Wonders of America: Land of Superlatives pane, the 39¢ Samuel de Champlain stamp, the Washington 2006 souvenir sheet of three stamps, and the six 39¢ Distinguished American Diplomats stamps.

The Washington 2006 souvenir sheet of three, shown in Figure 2, incorporates the designs of three definitive stamps issued in 1923: a $1 Lincoln Memorial stamp, a $2 U.S. Capitol stamp and a $5 America stamp.

The Samuel de Champlain stamp and souvenir sheet will be a joint issue with Canada. Canada will also issue a 51¢ stamp, and the U.S. Postal Service and Canada Post will jointly issue a souvenir sheet that includes two U.S. and two Canadian stamps.

The U.S. Department of the Interior will also issue the $15 Ross’s Geese federal waterfowl migratory hunting and conservation stamp during the show.

Many other postal administrations will have stations at the show where you can buy new issues and have philatelic souvenirs postmarked.

Canada Post will issue the 51¢ Fay Wray stamp, shown in Figure 3, along with three other Canadians in Hollywood stamps, the subjects of which will not be announced until the day of issue

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