Million dollar stamp collection stolen

The Yuma Sun of Yuma, Arizona reports that a million-dollar stamp collection belonging to a deceased collector whose possessions were being moved has been stolen.

Edwin Cherry's stamp collection was mysteriously taken sometime between Wednesday night and dawn Thursday morning from a parked and locked rental van. His coin collection had also been burglarized but his furniture and other possessions were otherwise untouched.

Bonnie Collins, Cherry's cousin and one of his few remaining relatives, is quoted in the article as saying, "Some of Cherry's stamps dated back to the 1800s. Every decade of the 20th Century was represented in his stamps."

Cherry never had his collection appraised so its actual value is unknown. Collins said they were going to assess the value after they had settled things with his will and returned to Prescott Valley. In addition to keeping an eye on local pawn shops, the family is calling stamp and coin dealers in San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson to alert them.

According to a interview with Cherry published on Sept. 23, 1999 in The Yuma Daily Sun (shown above), he was a former U.S. Postal Service employee who commemorated American history through his collection.

Cherry, 84, passed away Aug. 10 just two weeks before his collection was stolen.

To read the entire article, click here.