Esteemed postal historian and philatelic dealer Sergio Sismondo died on March 13 in Syracuse, N.Y. He was 80.
In a story published by Linn’s Stamp News, Sismondo was praised for having an “encyclopedic knowledge of classic-era stamps and postal history (that) enriched collectors from around the world.” The well-known expertizer, stamp dealer and author was profiled as one of Linn’s Most Influential Philatelists and Their Epic Stamp Stories, published in 2022.
“Sismondo handled some of the world’s greatest rarities, including the Sweden 1855 Treskilling Yellow error of color (only one known to exist); the Great Britain 1865 Penny Red ‘plate 77’ group of three on cover sent by author Victor Hugo from Guernsey to his publisher in Paris; and a used example of the first stamp of Mauritius, which has been in collections since 1864,” Linn’s reported
During the last five years, Linn’s has published 60 articles written by Sismondo on postal reform and relevant events in about 50 countries.
“Sismondo was almost always accompanied by his wife and business partner, Liane. Deftly mixing advice and expertise, he gently brought his influence to the hobby for decades,” stated the Linn’s article. “He will long be remembered for his quiet, direct professionalism.”