What Is a Mint Graf Zeppelin Worth?

Question: What is the 50-cent Zeppelin worth today in mint condition?--P.G.

Answer: The 50-cent Graf Zeppelin stamp (sometimes called the “Baby Zeppelin” because it is less expensive than its 1930 cousins) was issued for the first time Oct. 2, 1933, and currently retails for $100 for a lovely, extremely fine (EF or XF) mint unhinged condition. Any minor “defects,” such as hinge marks, gum skips, off-center design, missing perforation etc., can lower the price substantially. For example, this stamp can be worth $50 or less if badly off-center (so that the perforations cut the design), creased, missing all gum (unused), stained, scraped on the surface or thinned. And expect a stamp dealer to pay about half retail value when buying this stamp from a collector.

Q: A recent Times article on Mongolia stimulated my interest in that country. Is it possible to order stamps directly from the Mongolian government?--L.B.

A: Try writing to the following address, asking for a price list and ordering instructions for current postage stamps: Directeur de Bureau des Philatelistes, P.O. Box 175, Ulan Bator, Mongolia. And whenever you send money to a foreign postal agency, I recommend that you try a small trial order first--say $5 or so if their regulations allow it--so that if there are any problems getting money into the country, you won’t lose a large sum. A money order might be the safest way to transport funds to Mongolia, but write first to get the latest instructions. By the way, Mongolia has issued nearly 2,000 stamp designs since World War II, including air mails.

Q: I have a letter postmarked Nov. 8, 1948, from St. Moritz, where the Winter Olympics were held. Stamps of “Helvetia” in the amount of 65 pfennig are affixed and they are canceled. The letter carries the official St. Moritz 1948 Olympic Winter Games seal. Can you evaluate?--P.M.

A: “Helvetia” means Switzerland when it appears in a stamp’s design, but that country issued no 65- Centimes stamps at that time (Swiss stamps are issued in centime, not pfennig, denominations), so I assume that the “65” number refers to the total value of the stamps on the envelope. Without seeing the stamps themselves and the cover’s condition, it is hard to give an accurate price. Maybe $2 to $10 or more, retail. The philately of all Olympic Games held in this century is popular among many stamp collectors.