Irwin Weinberg

Irwin Robert Weinberg (10 February 1928 – 2 May 2016) was an American philatelist and stamp dealer who formed the syndicate of Pennsylvania businessmen who bought the British Guiana 1c magenta, the rarest stamp in the world.

Early life and family Irwin Weinberg was born around 1928 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the son of Samuel and Sara (Elkins) Weinberg. He graduated from E. L. Meyers High School. He married Jean Alice Tyrrell in 1952 (died 1998) and they had children Jan, Robert and John.

Career

Weinberg first worked as an elevator operator in New York City before moving into philately. and to work without administrative assistance. one of the rarest stamps in the world, for $280,000. He had first seen the stamp as a teenager at the New York World's Fair. After acquiring it, he added his initials "I.W." in pencil to the back of the stamp.

At different times, he bought four copies of the Inverted Jenny stamp of the United States. In 2009, he was inducted into the American Stamp Dealers Association's hall of fame.