Valuable stamps stolen

Press, 21 June 1984, Page 7

Valuable stamps stolen

Stamps with a catalogue value of $25,000 were stolen from a Christchurch collector’s home on Tuesday. Mr Gary Elliot’s house in Koromiko Street, St Martins, was burgled between 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and five albums containing the stamps were taken as well as some coins. Mr Elliot, aged 24, has been collecting stamps for the last 17 years, and said he was “quite upset” by the theft.

Among the more valuable items of his collection were

an 1891 shilling lighthouse valued at $3OO, and a 1907 redrawn shilling pictorial valued at $2OO. Mr Elliot said that he had “no idea” who might have stolen his stamps.

“I think it was someone who knew I was a collector,” he said.

The collection was not insured. Mr Elliot said he had only recently been talking to an insurance agent about insuring his collection.

The police have given descriptions of the five albums. One is a navy blue

"Kek” album, 54cm by 36cm by scm. Another is a green “Lighthouse” album with black pages, 54cm by 36cm by 3Vz cm, and another is a blue ringbinder 54cm by 36cm by scm containing 40 first-day covers.

The other two albums are black with black pages, 30cm by 24cm by 2%cm. Anyone who may have seen the albums is asked to get in touch with the Christchurch C. 1.8. break squad, and the police would also like to hear from persons who may have seen anyone round Mr Elliot’s house.