Stamp and cover theft in Houston

The American Stamp Dealers Association has reported the July 22 theft of stamps and covers from a Houston, Texas, home.

The items stolen include a collection of 300 to 400 first-day covers of commemorative stamps described as mostly pre-1960, but with some going into the 1980s.

Roughly 40 to 80 of the FDCs are addressed to the same family: Monihan (or Monahan) of New Jersey.

Also taken were a few handpainted covers described as issues of the United States military set of the mid 1940s, and two of the 1935 25¢ blue China Clipper airmails (Scott C20).

Sixteen U.S. stamps with PSE certificates were stolen with the following Scott catalog numbers: 230 (2 examples), 231, 234, 236, 241, 285, 286 (2), 287, 548, 549, 550 (3), and C1. These are issues of the 1893 Columbian set, the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition set, the 1920 Pilgrim Tercentenary set, and the 1918 6¢ orange Curtiss Jenny airmail.

Anyone who encounters this material is asked to contact the Houston Police Dept., Kingwood Division, at 281-913-4500.