1963 North-East Stampex

Old Assembly Rooms – Newcastle – September 19, 20, 21 1963

On September 19, 1963, I was in line outside Newcastle Old Assembly Rooms on Westgate Rd waiting eagerly for the NE Stampex to open. I had ten shillings (old money) burning a hole in my pocket.

Inside the door, a table was set up and there were at least two full sheets of the 3d. Red Cross Centenary Congress stamp with the red omitted. They had been bought at Newcastle Central Post Office, on St Nicholas’ St, the day before and were being sold, limit one per visitor, at ten shillings each. This is all I had saved up and I couldn’t justify spending it all on one stamp. The next day they were charging £1 each and it was too late for me. That stamp, GB 1963 SG642a Mint Red omitted, is currently valued on Stanley Gibbons at £18,750.00.

As much as I regret not making that purchase, imagine how much the owner of those sheets must regret it? He must have assumed they were a common error; of course, they were not.