The 1962 Canal Zone Stamp

The 1962 Canal Zone stamps printing error quickly made it a valuable stamp to collectors. The stamp was printed with the Thatcher Bridge Missing from the original stamp. The $20 million dollar Thatcher Bridge, is the first elevated bridge that connects the two sides of the Panama Canal. It is currently called the Bridge of the Americas.

There was a sheet of 200 stamps that was shipped to the Canal Zone Postal Administration. One lucky American, H.E. Harris, a stamp dealer, bought 50 stamps. There were 3 other panes of 50 stamps that were also purchased before the mistake of the missing bridge was discovered. Eventually two panes of 50 were donated to the National Postal Museum and the third pane was destroyed.

Upon learning of the printing error, The Canal Zone tried to print millions of stamps with the same error so that any value to the original stamps would be destroyed. Mr. Harris sued to have the stamp production stopped and as a result, there is now a law in place in the United States that would prevent such action if there is a misprinting of stamps. Good news for current and future stamp collectors!

So keep you eyes peeled for what would be another find of a lifetime!