Vance Auctions has been attending stamp shows for over 40 years. Every show is special to us as it gives us an opportunity to meet many of our bidders, see new exhibits, and stay in touch with other dealers.
Our next shows are the GASS Show in Schaumburg, Illinois, from August 14–17, and the National Postage Stamp & Coin Show in Mississauga, Ontario, from September 6–7. We have also booked a booth at the BOSTON 2026 WORLD EXPO, which will take place from May 23–30, 2026.
When Great Britain issued the Penny Black in 1840, there were no international standards for exchanging mail between countries. By 1874, the growing need for consistent postal regulations led to the founding of the Universal Postal Union. Twenty-two countries signed the Treaty of Bern in Switzerland, joining forces to improve the efficiency and reliability of international mail delivery.
Since then, the UPU has tracked every postage stamp issued by its members.
Each country must send samples of its new stamps to the UPU, which redistributes
them to other members so that every postal administration can recognize valid postage.
To prevent these samples from being used for mailing, they are overprinted or perforated with the word “SPECIMEN,” punched with security holes, or defaced with obliterating bars or cancels. Markings and languages vary by era and country. Examples include “Muestra” (Spanish), “Muster” (German), and “Saggio” (Italian).
The companies that printed these specimen stamps often retained examples for
their archives. Over time, many have entered the philatelic market where they have become popular with collectors because they offer an affordable way to acquire otherwise prohibitively expensive issues. For instance,
Lot 2719 in the September 10th sale features Kenya and Uganda #41D. The stamp has a catalogue value of $85,000 US in mint condition, but with a Specimen overprint it is estimated at only $3,500 Canadian. Specimens can be an excellent way to fill costly spaces in a collection.
Today, the UPU has 192 member countries. It still receives and documents every stamp issued, so its archive of Specimens is enormous. It is estimated that between 700,000 and 800,000 stamps have been issued.
All of us here at Vance Auctions are pleased to present the enclosed auction. It is a terrific sale with over 7,000 lots to choose from including all kinds of top notch stamps and covers. Several large estates have been broken down for this sale providing you with the opportunity to acquire exciting new material. Take a look through the photos in either the paper version or by clicking ‘Browse the printed catalogue’ at our website. You will see many interesting items to bid on.
When Great Britain issued the Penny Black in 1840, there were no international standards for exchanging mail between countries. By 1874, the growing need for consistent postal regulations led to the founding of the Universal Postal Union. Twenty-two countries signed the Treaty of Bern in Switzerland, joining forces to improve the efficiency and reliability of international mail delivery.
Since then, the UPU has tracked every postage stamp issued by its members. 
The companies that printed these specimen stamps often retained examples for
their archives. Over time, many have entered the philatelic market where they have become popular with collectors because they offer an affordable way to acquire otherwise prohibitively expensive issues. For instance,
All of us here at Vance Auctions are pleased to present the enclosed auction. It is a terrific sale with over 7,000 lots to choose from including all kinds of top notch stamps and covers. Several large estates have been broken down for this sale providing you with the opportunity to acquire exciting new material. Take a look through the photos in either the paper version or by clicking ‘Browse the printed catalogue’ at our website. You will see many interesting items to bid on.