Philately

New Insights by DNA typing

Applications including crime solving, genealogy, and genetic disease identification

Philately is more than 150 years old and associated with magnifying glass and libraries (although there is Internet nowadays). DNA analysis however not only is new (20 years), but very high tech. Recently bone DNA (a sailor of Pearl Harbor in World War 2) could be identified because of matching with old mail (licked envelope or stamp). Would it be possible to discover more details? Earlier this year two Americans published about this. Robert Bell (rmsbell200@yahoo.com) and Robert Blackett produced a wonderful illustrated publication. Source: American Philatelist march 2012 (236-241).

Collectie J.T.A. te Gussinklo

Cases

The authors wrote about two interesting cases. One of the 1944 (WW2) letter of the father of Robert Bell to his mother (DNA analysis for genealogical reasons). The other case was a letter with treaths of sabotage of a pipeline. Is there a DNA Philately Study Group, the authors ask themselves..?