James H. Beal
Encyclopedia
James H. Beal of Ohio
, was a philatelist
who was a recognized expert on fakes and forgeries of rare postage stamp
s.
that identified and helped track down counterfeiter Raoul Ch. De Thuin.
Working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) Beal was able to help recover stolen philatelic material, such as those stolen in the May 1977 theft at the New York Public Library
, as well as several of the stolen and rare “invented airplane” (Scott C3a) which were stolen from collector Ethel Bergstresser McCoy
in 1955.
in 1985 for Exceptional Contributions to Philately and was named to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame
in 1988.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, was a philatelist
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
who was a recognized expert on fakes and forgeries of rare postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s.
Fakes and thefts
Beal played two significant roles in philately: that of an expert, and that of a detective tracking down stolen stamp collections. He was part of the team at the American Philatelic SocietyAmerican Philatelic Society
The American Philatelic Society is the largest nonprofit stamp collecting and organization of philately in the world, with almost 44,000 members from 110 countries...
that identified and helped track down counterfeiter Raoul Ch. De Thuin.
Working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) Beal was able to help recover stolen philatelic material, such as those stolen in the May 1977 theft at the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
, as well as several of the stolen and rare “invented airplane” (Scott C3a) which were stolen from collector Ethel Bergstresser McCoy
Ethel Bergstresser McCoy
Ethel Bergstresser McCoy , of New York City, was a philatelist who created a number of stamp collections, and was active within the philatelic community.-Collecting interests:...
in 1955.
Philatelic activity
Beal was an associate editor of The Yucatan Affair and Chairman of the APS Stamp Theft Committee from 1981 to 1987.Honors and awards
James Beal was awarded the Luff AwardLuff Award
The Luff Award is awarded by the American Philatelic Society for meritorious contributions to philately by living philatelists.-Established:...
in 1985 for Exceptional Contributions to Philately and was named to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame
American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame
The American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame award honors deceased philatelists who have contributed significantly to the field of national and/or international philately.-History:...
in 1988.