Hi Robert,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The 5th International Philatelic Exhibition, also known as FIPEX, took place in 1956 at the New York Coliseum. Celebrating the hobby of stamp collecting, FIPEX drew enthusiasts and exhibitors from around the world. The exhibition showcased rare and valuable stamps, including a renowned collection from the U.S. Post Office Department. Special commemorative stamps were issued, and the event helped promote philately as a global pastime, fostering international connections among collectors and philatelic experts.

The POD issued the souvenir sheet at the show on its opening day, April 28. It features oversized reproductions of two stamps (3-cent and 8-cent) in the Liberty Series, which were current at the time. Also featured is the facsimile signature of the postmaster general, Arthur E. Summerfield. The souvenir sheets were printed on pre-gummed paper on a flatbed press from a plate with twenty-four subjects. Victor S. McCloskey, Jr., of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing modeled the sheet. The engravers were Matthew D. Fenton, John S. Edmondson, Richard M. Bower, and Alexander Peneau.

The souvenir sheet, with a face value of eleven cents, was (and still is) valid for postage. The 3-cent stamp could be cut out and used on a first-class letter. A patron could cut the 8-cent stamp and use it to pay the surface-rate postage on an international letter. All plate numbers were intended to be cut off before sale of sheets to the public, so any plate numbers reaching the public are freaks, resulting from faulty cutting and poor quality control.

Mint versions of these stamps can be acquired online for $2.75 (https://www.mysticstamp.com/1075-1956-3-8c-fipex-ss/), giving these a fair-market value of $1.50-2.25.

CONDITION: In mint-never used condition
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$2-3*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia