The oldest and largest in the world Imperial Postal Museum in Berlin was before World War II a number of brands in different countries relating to world rarities. In 1945, when Soviet troops approached Berlin and intensified bombing of the city center, valuable museum artifacts were packed in dozens of boxes and transported to Eisleben. There they hid and disguised in one of the tunnels of abandoned salt mines. After the war, the Americans found these museum values and transferred them to the German administration, but in sealed boxes were missing eight of the most valuable items, recorded in the inventory of the museum.
These were both "Mauritius", and blue - by letter, 2-cent and cent "British Guiana" in 1856, and four Hawaiian Missionary stamps 1851 - 1852., From the bottom of a 13-cent - also in writing. Each of these brands is surrounded by legends. Mauritius currently recognized as the most expensive brand of the world, the price in the catalog Michel is 15 million dollars, the cost of British Guiana is also impressive - $ 3 million. Long about the fate of these rarities knew nothing. They should be declared only after 30 years in the United States. In 1976 in Philadelphia, held the International Philatelic Exhibition "Reuters, 76." Some of the residents of this city, the former captain of the U.S. Army (the press does not his name), read in the newspapers that the auction envelope with two "Mauritius" was sold for 380,000 dollars, recalled that in the attic of his home is kept tight brown bag in which there are two envelopes and a few marks. Taking the package, he offered to come to the exhibition at London's famous vintage dealer, the organizer of the largest Robson Lowe auction to buy the content. But the last remembered seeing these rarities before the war in the Berlin Museum, and quietly, so as not to alert, refused, citing a lack of demand, and examination of authenticity.
Returning to London, he privately notified of receipt of the proposal Scotland - yard, who in turn passed the information to Interpol. A few months later the owner of the Philadelphia brand has been found. According to some sources, recognizing that this is a brand, he gave them to the Federal Customs Administration United States, on the other - it is their confiscated as illegally imported values.
Former captain explained that the brand came to him in June 1945, when he and his military unit went from Saxony, which, according to the agreement allies concluded in 1944, was after the surrender of Nazi Germany to be part of the Soviet occupation zone. Some couple asked the captain to take them to the West, which he did. In gratitude to his wife gave him a packet of stamps. Returning home, he threw the package into the attic and soon forgot about it. Until Philatelic Exhibition in Philadelphia...
The customs authorities of the United States notified the embassy of Germany happened in Washington. The latter was liable to pay former captain 50 thousand dollars "for the return of the finds," but until the customs documents are processed, he died.
Information in the meantime entered into print, and the ownership of the brand said found GDR as an imperial museum of communication before the war was in the building at Leyptsiggershtrasse in East Berlin. This building is now also created Postal Museum. The dispute dragged on for many years. Lawyers could not determine who the successor of the Imperial Museum is and who owns detected values. The trial is estimated to some professionals could reach 2-3 years. The case was complicated by the fact that all eight grades were stolen by the Nazis from a private individual - philatelist. But who he is alive any more - nobody knows. Now, after the unification of Germany, the issue has been resolved and the brand returned to the German postal administrations.
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