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Valuable Stamp Collection Left Behind On LIRR Train

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A meticulously labeled stamp collection left behind on a train includes some mementos that are centuries old, some from the Confederacy and others from around the globe.

As CBS 2's Carolyn Gusoff reported, Long Island Rail Road commuter Brian Ginsberg, a financial officer in Manhattan, found the valuable collection Friday afternoon during his ride home on the Ronkonkoma line. Now he's trying to track down the stamps' rightful owner so he can return them.

Ginsberg and his wife realized their find could be someone else's devastating loss. The Ginsbergs said they're worried the owner may not even realize where he or she lost track of the bag containing the stamps.

Stamps
A sheet from a stamp collection left behind on an LIRR train. (credit: CBS 2)

"It's obviously something that someone's taken years to accumulate, and it's meticulously cared for," said Nora Ginsberg, Brian's wife.

One Confederate stamp alone is valued at $600, Gusoff reported. But the Ginsbergs said they are not interested in cashing in on their discovery.

"It's just that it's not mine," Brian Ginsberg said. "If it was mine, I would expect somebody to do the same thing for me."

LIRR officials urged the owner to report the loss on the LIRR website or by calling 511.

"Anyone who's ever seen a grandpa or a grandmother or an uncle say, 'Oh, look at my stamp collection,' I hope they paid attention, and they can say, 'I know this person,'" Nora Ginsberg said.

Brian Ginsberg found the collection in a green and white canvas bag with the word "Greenway" printed on it. To ensure the couple return the collection to its rightful owner, the Ginsbergs have kept one identifying mark a secret -- something only the true owner would know.

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