2024-02 American Philatelist by APSstamps

FEBRUARY 2024 $6.95

MONTHLY JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PHILATELIC SOCIETY

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AMERICAN PHILATELIST THE

February 2024

PAGE

SLOGANS AND STAMPS USED AS AMMO

BY ADHYATMAN ESTEBAN AGARWALA The War of 1941 between Ecuador and Peru had nothing to do with the global rage of World War II. This was a border dispute between two relatively small players that used philately to help promote their causes.

SADDLE UP AND RIDE

BY THOMAS LERA Several decades before the Pony Express helped speed deliveries in the West, military commanders created a system of express riders to carry important messages during skirmishes in Florida.

MILLIONS CONNECTED TO HOME VIA V-MAIL

ALLIES CREATED STAMPS FOR REVITALIZED ITALY

Table of Contents

VOLUME 138 • NO. 2 • WHOLE NO. 1,477

PAGE

BY DR. JESÚS GARCÍA SÁNCHEZ When the Allies moved into Italy to fight the Axis powers they brought U.S.-produced postage stamps to help the locals rebuild its postal service. Documents indicate, though, that one military commander may have been underhanded and possibly created illegal stamps.

PAGE

BY BETHANY HUNTER With millions of U.S. soldiers serving overseas – and shipping space needed for arms, supplies and troops – reducing the size and weight of mail was essential. The author traces a single V-Mail correspondence to tell one soldier’s tale.

PAGE

A LOOK AT RUSSIAN CHARITY SEALS

BY WILLIAM VELVEL MOSKOFF AND CAROL GAYLE With Europe in turmoil during World War I, help was needed everywhere. Cities in Russia took up charitable causes by issuing charity seals, now collectible, to raise money for good causes.

PAGE

WOMEN’S CALL-OUT: WE’RE IN THE ARMY NOW

BY MARJORIE SENTE When the U.S. finally entered World War II in 1941, women across the nation signed on to do their part. Postcards, photos, documents, letters home, and free franks help tell the story of what eventually became the Women’s Army Corps.

PAGE

OUR MUSEUM PIECE

THOSE PESKY BARCODES

PAGE

BY RONALD BREZNAY The 19th-century-era Headsville Post Office and store that sits within the American Philatelic Center isn’t owned by the APS, but we certainly look upon it as our own. Our author traces its history from humble beginnings to national exhibition piece.

BY DOUGLAS B. QUINE OK, pesky to some, but fascinating to our author, who has spent many years tracing, reading and interpreting barcodes on U.S. mail. He was stumped on a certain type, though, until finally a Postal Service worker put him on the right track to figure them out. Mystery solved!

ON OUR COVER Designed by Chad Cowder, a soldier’s chest is adorned with remembrances from home, featuring material from this issue.

Other Features 72 81 8 94 84

Books & Catalogs Classified Ads Editing Philately First Things First Index of Advertisers

2 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

12 76 92 6 5

Letters to the Editor Membership Report New World Issues Our Story President’s Column

75 85 70 69 74

Road to Boston 2026 Show Time The Letter Opener The Marketplace World Class

www.hipstamp.com

AMERICAN PHILATELIST THE

FREE

Since 1887 — The Longest Continuously-published Philatelic Magazine in the World EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF APS PUBLICATIONS Susanna Mills, ext. 207 • smills@stamps.org SENIOR EDITOR Jeff Stage, ext. 221 • jstage@stamps.org GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST Chad Cowder, ext. 223 • CCowder@stamps.org DIGITAL EDITOR Nora Bryson, ext. 256 • nbryson@stamps.org ADVERTISING SALES Steve Schwanz Fox Associates, Inc. 800-440-0231 x114 adinfo.theamericanphilatelist@foxrep.com

• Latest Edition • Over 5,600 Stamps Shown in Color • Packed with Valuable Collecting Tips • Fascinating Historical Facts and Stories • Albums, Supplements and Collecting Supplies • And More...

American Philatelic Society American Philatelic Research Library 100 Match Factory Place • Bellefonte, PA 16823 814-933-3803 • 814-933-6128 (Fax) STAMPS.ORG • STAMPLIBRARY.ORG EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Scott English, ext. 219 • scott@stamps.org DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP Wendy Masorti, ext. 218 • wendy@stamps.org CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Jeff Krantweiss, ext. 216 jkrantweiss@stamps.org GENERAL INFORMATION |apsinfo@stamps.org ADDRESS CHANGES & MEMBERSHIP INQUIRIES membership@stamps.org, ext. 201 DIRECTOR OF EXPERTIZING Ken Martin, ext. 205 kpmartin@stamps.org DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES Scott Tiffney, ext. 246 stiffney@stamps.org DIRECTOR OF SALES Carol Hoffman, ext. 270 stampstore@stamps.org EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT & DONATIONS Amy Larimer, ext 225 amy@stamps.org SHOWS/EXHIBITIONS, ext. 209 stampshow@stamps.org

The American Philatelist (ISSN 0003-0473) is published monthly by the American Philatelic Society, Inc., 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823. Periodicals postage paid at Bellefonte, PA 16823 and at additional mailing offices. Price per copy $6.95. Canadian Distribution Agreement Number 40030959. Opinions expressed in articles in this magazine are those of the writers and are not necessarily endorsed by the society and/or the magazine. The American Philatelist cannot be responsible for the accuracy of any information printed herein. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The American Philatelist 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823. ©2023, The American Philatelic Society, Inc. 4 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

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President’s Column BY Cheryl R. Ganz APS President cherylganz@yahoo.com

Preserve Family History Properly with Simple Steps

father was a gunner’s mate on a Landing Ship, Tank – or LST – during the Second World War. The U.S. Navy first developed LSTs during World War II (1939-1945) to support amphibious landings. My father’s LST 893 transported marines to beach landings in the Pacific Ocean. After his initial training, he joined the ship’s crew at launch and stayed with the ship until its return after the war. Not long after, it was scrapped. Dad was still a teen when he enlisted. He was a shy kid, but athletic. He liked the Navy and made lifelong friends despite witnessing the agony of war. In August 1945, his LST was in position off the coast of Japan waiting for an invasion if the Emperor of Japan did not sur- The author’s father was assigned to LST 893, a WWII Landing Ship, Tank. render. Fortunately, the war ended after the dropping of two atomic bombs and before an invasion. attics are not good. To be extra safe, make photos or scans of Military mail was censored and postmarks did not the items and store the flash drive in another location. If you reveal location. I often heard the story of how my father have the time, type transcriptions so that future generations planned a code with his parents so that they could know (who might not read cursive) can still read the contents. Know where he was during the war. He would write a sentence that that this project is a great gift to your family! made no sense in the middle of his message. The first letter As the proud daughter of a U.S. Navy sailor, I learned to of each word in that sentence would indicate a location. For enjoy chipped beef on toast and to “lead, follow, or get out example, “Give Uncle Albert my greetings,” meant that he was of the way.” I also gained a deep appreciation for those who in Guam because there was no Uncle Albert in the family. This have served and sacrificed to defend democracy and freeprovided a bit of comfort during anxious times. dom. I continue to hope for peace on Earth. He wrote home regularly to his parents, and his mother kept his letters and all the envelopes. When I was a teen, she showed me the pile tied with a ribbon, stored safely in a box. After reading the letters, I sorted them by date, made copies, and created a keepsake book for each descendant. The originals were placed into protective sleeves in a binder to remain safe. If you have family letters and photographs, there are simple steps to follow to ensure that they will be in good condition for future generations to enjoy. Keep your workspace clean. House the letters and envelopes in safe enclosures, such as Mylar and Cheryl Ganz’s father posted this letter to his parents from offshore Japan on acid-free paper and boxes. Store in a dry place with August 7, 1945, between the two atomic bomb drops of August 6 at Hiroshima no sunlight or insects. Garages, basements, and and August 9 at Nagasaki. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 5

Our Story BY Scott English Executive Director scott@stamps.org

Celebrating Milestones

he American Philatelic Society recognizes members who have reached 25 and 50 years of membership each year at the Great American Stamp Show. While it’s a wonderful moment for members, the milestone is meaningful beyond the ceremony. Richard Porcelli, past president of the Wilmington (N.C.) Philatelic Society received his 50-year medallion in 2023. In November, the WPS recognized this award and his contributions to philately. Not only is Richard a 50-year member of the APS, but he’s also active in supporting the WPS Scout Merit Badge Program. In November, he designed a pictorial postmark for a Boy Scouts of America cachet to support the WPS Scout Merit Badge program. He has authored several educational philatelic websites documenting historical events, such as the philatelic history of Wilmington Beach Post of Masonboro Island and Round-the-World Flights. You can find his work at www.wingnet.org. Congratulations, Richard, for reaching this incredible milestone with the APS, and thank you for your years of loyal service to the APS and philately! In 2023, 460 members received news they had reached the 25-year mark, and 442 members had reached 50 years with the APS. That notification generates phone calls, emails, and letters sharing their memories, friends at the APS, what they collect, or any other personal reflections or pictures celebrating this moment with friends and loved ones. Those stories are significant, and I’m honored to hear from so many members on their collecting journey. We are now notifying the honorees for 2024. To those we contact, I hope you can join us in Hartford to celebrate this great mo-

Richard Porcelli (center left with APS medallion) and the members of the Wilmington Philatelic Society. 6 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

ment. I also invite you to share your APS and collecting stories with us. Throughout the year, we will share those stories and our gratitude for all you do for the APS. I look forward to hearing from you.

Join me in San Diego The San Diego Stamp Show will be held February 23-25 at the San Diego Mission Valley Hilton. The show, which launched three years ago, is a World Series of Philately Show with more than 150 frames of exhibits and is currently the only WSP show in Southern California. This year, the convening societies include the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society and The Collectors Club. If you’re nearby, I’d encourage you to attend, or if you’re looking for a philatelic escape from the winter weather, San Diego is a great place to do it. For more information about the show, visit the website at https:// sandiegostampshow.net. I will host an APS Town Hall meeting on Saturday, February 24, at 11 a.m. to share news and take questions and comments. The meeting is open to the public, so you do not have to be an APS member to attend. I will have membership applications, so please bring a non-member friend and encourage them to join. I hope to see you there!

The APS needs stamps In 2017, we stopped accepting stamps on paper, beginner collections, and low-value canceled stamps because we had millions sitting in storage. In the nearly seven intervening years, we’ve redistributed more than 15 million stamps to stamp clubs, schools, home schools, and young collectors. With that success, we are calling on APS members to begin sending donations of these stamps – we will find them excellent homes to spark the love of collecting. If you have stamps on paper or low-value stamps off paper and are looking for a good home, please send them to: American Philatelic Society Attn: Development Office 100 Match Factory Place Bellefonte, PA 16823 We will send a written acknowledgment to you within 30 days of receipt for your records. The stamps will help continue our educational outreach nationwide and plant the seeds of collecting for the next generation.

Have Tongs, Will Travel!! “SELLING A STAMP COLLECTION SHOULD BE A REWARDING EXPERIENCE.” BY CAR

BY BUS

The “BEST SALE” is when the buyer will personally visit your city and view your collection. The dealers listed below will travel to “any city” to view appropriate holdings.

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Editing Philately BY Susanna Mills Editor-in-Chief of APS Publications smills@stamps.org

An Anniversary to Remember

appy 50th issue of the AP to me, happy 50th issue of the AP to me! With the February 2024 issue of The American Philatelist, I’m celebrating an exciting anniversary – my 50th issue as part of the editorial team. (This anniversary is right on the heels of another – January 2024’s issue was my 25th as your Editor-in-Chief!) If you have a favorite issue from the last 50 (January 2020), or the last 25 (January 2022), I’d love to hear about it! Personally, my favorite issue was September 2022, Collecting the British Empire, with March 2021, The Stamp Collectors Buyers Guide, a close second. But every issue has a special place in my heart, and returns me to fond memories of working with the editorial team, discussions with authors, and planning the future of the AP. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for making my job such a joy. It continues to be an honor to sit down every day to put together The American Philatelist. And thank you all for your continuing patience with my terrible jokes and exhaustive soap-boxing… there’s plenty more of that to come!

In this issue

The theme of the issue began as “Military Mail,” and that’s what you see on the cover. However, we could push the theme a little wider and call it “Wartime Philately,” and you’ll see why shortly. Common threads across the articles exist beyond their connections to war periods. We see patriotism and propaganda, we see personal stories, heartbreak and hope, and we see the tactics and challenges of communication during wars. There’s a distinctly WWII flavor to this issue, but that’s not the only thing you’ll see – read on! Here’s an exciting first (for my tenure with the AP, at least) – our first issue with two articles written by youth authors! The first article actually kicks off this issue: “Slogans and the Ecuador-Peru War of 1941” by Adhyatman Esteban Agarwala. Adhyatman, who is 17 years old, first came to my attention at Great American Stamp Show 2023, in which he competed with two youth entries, winning the AAPE Youth Champion of Champions Reserve Grand for “Ecuadorian Slogan-Based Covers Related to the Ecuador-Peru Border Conflict of 1941.” Adhyatman’s article in this issue is characterized by thorough, intelligent research and thoughtful discussion. Bethany Hunter is a recent Young Philatelic Leader Fellowship graduate, having completed the Author track in 2023 under the mentorship of APS President Cheryl Ganz. Bethany is currently enjoying her first year of college. Her ar8 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

APS Official Family

2022–2025

PRESIDENT Cheryl Ganz cherylganz@yahoo.com BOARD OF VICE PRESIDENTS Mark Banchik mebanchik@gmail.com Greg Galletti unstampz1@gmail.com Yamil Kouri yhkouri@gmail.com SECRETARY Peter P. McCann ppm103226706@aol.com TREASURER Kathryn (Kathy) Johnson kjj5217@gmail.com DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE Elizabeth Hisey lizhisey@comcast.net Michael Cortese mc@noblespirit.com Steve McGill steve.mcgill@comcast.net Evan (Van) Siegling sieglinge@yahoo.com IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Robert Zeigler Ziggy_Travesty@yahoo.com STAMP THEFT COMMITTEE Nicholas A. Lombardi P.O. Box 1005 Mountainside, NJ 07092 stamptheft@stamps.org APS INSURANCE PLAN Hugh Wood Inc., 220 Match Factory Place Bellefonte, PA 16823 Toll Free: 888-APS-6494 Phone: 212-509-3777 Fax: 212-509-4906 aps@hughwood.com

ADDRESS CHANGES To change your address online visit stamps.org and log into your My APS account. Or mail your new address information to APS, 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823 (Fax: 814-933-6128). Please try to give us four weeks’ notice. You can also add an e-mail address or website to your APS record.

CONNECT ONLINE

Wish Central

Gary Posner

“Making Buying & Selling Wishes a Reality!” Bob Prager

#459. 1914 2¢ Carmine Type I Imperforate Coil Pair, Mint, Never Hinged, Spectacular Rich Color, A Superb Gem with PSE Certificate #1156192 Grading it Superb 98 OG NH, the Highest Grade Awarded. SMQ $1,650 Our List Price Will Be $1,795 Ad Price $1,495

#320A. 1908 2¢ Lake Type II Imperforate Issue, Mint Never Hinged, Massive Margins All Around, Showing Significant Parts of All Eight Adjoining Stamps, Deep Rich Color and Proof-Like Impression, A Superb Gem with a PSE Certificate Grading it Gem 100 Jumbo NH. Unpriced in SMQ Above the Grade of 100. SMQ is $925 as 100 Our List Price Will Be $1,395 Ad Price $1,175

#573a. 1923 $5.00 Carmine Lake and Dark Blue Arrow Margin Block of Four, Mint XLH, 3 Stamps Are Never Hinged, Fresh, Intense Colors, Beautifully Centered, with 2023 PSE Certificate #1436462. Our List Price Will Be $795 Ad Price $595

#599A. 1929 2¢ Carmine Type II Coil Pair, Mint Never Hinged, Vivid Color, Excellent Centering with Balanced Margins, Extremely Fine Gem with PSE Certificate #1436456. Our List Price Will Be $595 Ad Price $495 #C3. 1918 24¢ Carmine Rose & Blue Center Line Block of Four, Mint, Never Hinged, Radiant Colors, Well-Balanced Margins, Extra Fine and Choice with 2023 PSE Certificate #1436458. Our List Price Will Be $995 Ad Price $825

#532. 1920 2¢ Carmine Rose Type IV, Horizontal Pair Imperforate Issue, Mint, Never Hinged, Huge Margins All Around, Brilliant Color, Extremely Fine-Superb Gem, with 2023 PSE Certificate #1436454 Grading it XF-Sup OG NH. SMQ $325 Our List Price Will Be $350 Ad Price $300

#294. 1901 1¢ Green & Black Pan-American Issue, Mint, Never Hinged, Bright Colors, Choice Centering, Extremely nc Fine-Superb Gem with PSE Certificate #1107371 Grading it XF-Superb 95 OG NH. SMQ $350 Our List Price Will Be $450 Ad Price $375

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SEEK SIMILAR? Contact Bob Prager at 800-323-4279 or garyposnerinc@aol.com to Begin or Add to Your Great Collection

ticle, “Remembering Via V-Mail,” offers a background into the important mail service used by soldiers and their loved ones during WWII. She also researched the life and history of one V-mail letter writer, Robert Pope, bringing important aspects of genealogical research into her work. My favorite part of Bethany’s writing, however, is her empathetic approach, which you don’t always see in philatelic writing. She reminds us that behind the philately are real people, who loved and lost, and left records of their life behind. It is therefore our deep privilege to meet them through philately. If Bethany and Adhyatman are any indication of the talent and potential of the young people in our hobby, we have much cause to celebrate. Thomas Lera shares “Military Mail Carried by Express Riders,” an early U.S.-based An exclusive Cinderella sheet, designed by Lale Westvind for StampEd's grassroots article about military communications begin- fundraiser. ning with the War of 1812 and ending with its full lifetime and has developed a presentation on the the Second Seminole War. Thomas shows folded letters cartopic that he’s delivered to various clubs and societies. ried by express riders that contained intelligence briefings, Now we’re so glad to welcome him to share that history strategies, and more, and comments on the wartime context with you, especially as Headsville is so near and dear to of the letters. our hearts at the APS. Marjory Sente returns to the pages of the AP with We turn the microphone over to Douglas Quine. In the “Women Charged Into War Effort,” about the Women’s AuxNovember 2023 AP, we published Doug’s call for informailiary Army Corps (WAAC), a topic she’s been researching tion about a barcode mystery, one that he’s been trying to for quite some time. She tells the stories of WAAC recruits solve for decades! As it happens, he found the answer himfrom their postcards and letters. self just a few weeks later, after continuing his persistent Jesús García Sánchez writes “Lights and Shadows of the search. In this case, he was finally able to find just the right Allied Stamps in Italy.” In this article, Jesús explores the govperson to answer his question. He shares the mystery and ernment administration of Italy’s postal activities during the story of his search and eventual success here. WWII, a complicated topic filled with bureaucracy. As he Finally, while we were sorry to see Bob Lamb retire says, “the command structure for managing stamps looks from the pages of the AP, I’m so pleased to welcome our more a spider’s web than a typical military tree.” Behind the new last-page columnist, John Seidl! John will be writing decisions and the power structures, there are flavors of in“First Things First,” a column exploring all the different trigue, as well. flavors of philatelic firsts. Join me in giving John a warm We then leave WWII behind and travel back to WWI welcome to our cadre of talented columnists. with Bill Moskoff and Carol Gayle, who last appeared in the AP in 2021. Their article, “Charity Stamps Issued by RusStampEd launches this month! sian Cities During World War I” is a different perspective By the time you read this, our new digital magazine, of wartime philately than other perspectives in this issue, StampEd, will be available for free for anyone to read. dealing more with propaganda to raise support and funds Thank you to everyone who has thrown their financial supfor war efforts. port behind the project, and thank you to everyone who has already shared the new magazine with their friends and Also in this issue family. A few final articles round out this issue. The first is If you want to learn more about StampEd and read the by Ron Breznay, who has taken on the de facto role of first issue now, visit www.stamped.pub. And, once you’ve Headsville Post Office historian. Headsville Post Office taken a look, if you find yourself inspired and want to write was a West Virginia post office and general store from the for a future issue, or suggest an idea, please let me know 1860s to 1970s, that was restored by the Smithsonian in at stamped@stamps.org – we’re so excited to pursue new the 1970s, and today lives at the American Philatelic Cenideas, meet new authors, and explore the many possibilities ter as a museum exhibit. Ron has gathered an immense amount of material related to the Headsville P.O. across before us. 10 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Do you wish an immediate response?

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Letters to the Editor LetterToTheEditor@stamps.org

More detailed Kurdistan map The map of Kurdistan in my December “Worldwide in a Nutshell” column was a more generous description of the Kurdish area of Western Asia than any authoritative sources attribute to it. Also, the map had no reference to the actual area where the stamps are used. Here is a map from a nonprofit group called The New Humanitatian that I think more accurately shows the region. The green area represents the area controlled by the Kurdish Regional Government. The reddish area represents traditional Kurdish lands currently controlled by Baghdad. Bob Lamb State College, Pennsylvania

than 100 stamps a year and the cost per first-class domestic stamp [has reached] 68 cents. One would think that the explosion of new issues would make the work of the CSAC easier. The committee typically receives 30,000 suggestions a year to shoehorn into those 100 slots. A number of those issues are assigned before selections are made. The holiday season can expect stamps for Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, and Eid. Then there are honors for deceased national leaders like presidents, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and John Lewis. Stamps for other rates, including Bulk Mail, Non-Profit, Global, Non-Machine Readable, Additional Ounce, Express Mail, and the like also need to be produced. I made my case that the 100th year of the American Air Mail Society (this past September) was a fitting choice. Somewhere among Disney, SpongeBob SquarePants, and the Simpsons there should be enough room for us. We are one of 30,000 who think we are worthy of the honor. Perhaps the one thing we can all agree on is that the CSAC has a tough job. David S. Ball Framingham, Massachusetts

WWII Santa Claus cachet revived on catalog cover

CSAC has a tough job, but USPS could do better Saul Zalesch is to be applauded for questioning the criteria the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) uses in determining which subjects to “honor.” Like others, we [the American Air Mail Society] have inquired about a subject we consider worthy but were assured it would not be in contention for final consideration. When I began collecting postage stamps in 1967 there were about a dozen different issues a year. They were engraved, showed subjects the world should see about who we are and what we value, and cost a nickel. Times have changed. Today there are often more 12 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

A curious item appeared in my mailbox around this Christmas past. It was the Christmas catalog from Sgt. Grit Marine Specialties. Sgt. Grit sells an amazing array of Marine Corps memorabilia, clothing items, and ephemera and

A cachet of Santa Claus in Army khakis lugging a tree and a sack appeared on envelopes during World War II. A similar image of Santa appears on the cover of the October 2023 the of Sgt. Grit catalog.

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Marines, past and present, find themselves on his mailing list. When I saw the catalog’s cover, I realized I had seen that Santa Claus before, but he was in U.S. Army khakis and on a 1943 patriotic cacheted cover. In 1943, the Porto-Server Company of Chicago, offered a series of military service-related envelopes with patriotic cachets. Two of that series featured a Santa Claus carrying a Christmas tree and a gift bag. One cachet has Santa in Army khakis, the other in Navy blues. My example of the U.S. Army Santa is shown. I do not have the Navy cover. Sgt Grit’s catalog has a modified image depicting Santa as a gunnery sergeant wearing a red tunic, blue slacks, and a campaign hat with a Marine Corps emblem. The Christmas tree also has a Marine Corps emblem added and the wrapping changed from “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” to “United States Marine Corps.” The label on the bag has been changed from “U.S. Army” to “Freedom.” Perhaps the Porto-Server images now appear as digital clip art, or, maybe, the catalog cover artist is a collector and he or she adapted the patriotic cover image to the catalog’s design. Whatever the case, I was pleased to see Santa representing the Corps in this serendipitous coming together of a WWII-era patriotic cover and a present day graphic design. Donald L. De Witt Cpl. 7th Marines, 1956-1958 Norman, Oklahoma

Can CSAC and its new leader do more to help collectors? I read with interest in the December issue of the appointment of Dr. Joseph L. Kelley as the new chair of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee for the U.S. Postal Service. It would be beneficial to all collectors of U.S. stamps, including Dr. Kelley, if all new issues had die cuts on the backing sheet to facilitate the removal of individual stamps. Additionally, I find new issues have decorative selvage at the top and

sometimes around the sides and do not have die cut backing. Without the die cuts, postal clerks are not able to, nor or they allowed, to sell individual stamps, only full sheets. As a result, collectors are left with two options, buy the full sheet or go to a dealer to obtain the number of stamps desired. As collectors, we do not create a cost to the postal system. Our stamps do not enter the mail stream as they stay with the collector. I have heard of U.S. collectors who end their collections because of the full sheet requirement. If collectors and dealers stop buying U.S. issues for their collections the loss is to the USPS, not the collectors and dealers. Wake up, USPS. We are here for you. Are you going to be here for us? Perhaps Dr. Kelley and the CSAC can do something to help collectors. Joseph M. Miller Rockville, Maryland

U.S. stock certificate from 1865 shows images of coins I want to share an item that connects philately and numismatics, was well as scripophily, the study and collecting of obsolete stock certificates, bonds, and other financial instruments. This September 1865 stock certificate is from the Consuelo Gold Mining Co., of California, with head offices in New York City, It depicts at top the iconic 1851 Augustus Humbert $50 gold piece, and below, the U.S. 1865 $20 gold “double eagle” and $10 gold “eagle.” The philatelic connection lies in the 25-cent U.S. First Issue revenue stamp of the Civil War era, paying the tax in that amount on any certificate of stock in an incorporated company. In the early absence of U.S. gold coins in the West, Humbert, the United States assayer of gold in San Francisco, created these and similar $50 pieces in 1851-1852. A prime example brought $276,125 in a 2017 auction. The coins incorporated into the stamp box add a nice touch. Michael Mahler Santa Monica, California

Loved the magazine, especially the Moon article

An 1865 stock certificate brings together three studies: philately and numismatics, and scripophily. 14 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

After being a member for many decades, I thought I would take the time and write my first letter to you. First of all, I love The American Philatelist! Jim Roth’s article in the December edition on NASA and the Moon was awesome. I guess that’s last of all, too. So keep up the good work. I may write again in another 45 years. Gordon Johnston West Valley City, Utah

Let’s Get Back to The Future …

Why do we fear the future when they tell us the future is bright? Perhaps it’s not quite so bright but maybe it’s not so gloomy after all …? That’s the point about Philately – we spend too much time thinking about what may be and too little time ‘doing’. The passion to ‘collect’ is human nature so what goes around comes around – effectively it’s all about direction and ultimately timing. A collector telephoned and we talked about him wishing to sell his stamps. Naturally I asked him why he wished to sell, and he said that he didn’t wish to sell his collection, but as he was approaching 70 years of age, he didn’t wish to burden his partner or family who wouldn’t know what to do with his stamps should anything happen. I mentioned that I am 69 years of age and have no desire to throw in the towel although I wouldn’t mind burning a little less midnight oil … It was difficult but I managed to resist the ‘below the belt’ temptation to ask if the family were thinking about … selling diamond rings or jewellery for

example because they wouldn’t know what to do … He didn’t really want to sell, and he didn’t need the money then, so I managed to come up with I’d like to think a novel solution … “We will pick up your stamps, value your collection and return them to you” on a cost basis as a labour of love. So that’s what we did so he had a ‘benchmark’ course of action for his executors in a long time to come. Ultimately with 62,000+ collectors in 58 different countries in our database good stamp collections inevitably arrive … so whilst 51 years ago I took the decision to give up collecting stamps then reasoning that I cannot serve two masters – my joy and expertise would be served by the transient pleasure of handling philatelic material … but if I could help a fellow Philatelist, he might return my company the favour in years to come …

But seriously folks – whoever – it’s time to intelligently give ourselves permission to collect whatever we collect – because …

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“Steamship” mail was sent to the U.S. via St. Thomas I offer a follow-up to The Letter Opener column that appeared in the December edition of The American Philatelist. As a collector of Puerto Rico’s postal history and having close to 100 shipletters from Puerto Rico to the U.S. between 1830 and 1873, I believe that it should be noted that there was no “steamship” mail sent directly from Puerto Rico to the U.S. All such mail was sent via St. Thomas. Mail sent to the U.S. was mainly sent on small sailing vessels as “shipletters” when they entered a dozen or so large and small ports around the island. I bring this up because many collectors believe that there was a continuous flow of mail to and from the U.S., which is not so as there was no postal treaty between Spain and the U.S. Byron Mitchell Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Dutch Digi-Art stamps not sold as regular stamps I was intrigued by the stamps created by artificial intelligence – the Digi-Art stamps from the Netherlands – that were shown in Cheryl Ganz’s column in the January issue. The stamps were “released” by the Netherlands in 2021. I collect the Netherlands, and these stamps were not included in the country’s 2021 year collection (from PostNL), nor are they listed in the standard NVPH catalog. I have previously noticed that PostNL sells some stamps that my DAVO album does not include, such as personalized stamps reissued by the post office and definitives issued annually on which the only design change is the date. A little poking around reveals that these Digi-Art stamps fall into the former category. Although the designer, Tim Ottens, works for PostNL, he created the stamps on his own time, and so these are not considered “official” releases for purposes of my album or the NVPH catalog. Arthur Dalglish Boulder, Colorado [Editor’s note: Ms. Ganz did not send along the image

Errata

DECEMBER Page 1104. Styles Bridges, of New Hampshire, served as a U.S. senator from 1937 to 1961. Page 1105. The caption for Figure 8 should note that Spain could send standard mail for free after it became a member of the Pan American Union. Page 1106. The cover shown in Figure 13 includes a 13-cent Benjamin Harrison stamp (Scott 694). Page 1110. Express Mail, which had been introduced on October 9, 1977, took the place of Special Delivery when the latter was discontinued June 7, 1997. 16 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

of the stamps. The APS editorial staff added them to show an example of a philatelic AI product. The Virtual Stamp Club has an entry about the stamps at Digi Art (Netherlands 2021) | virtualstampclub.com. A news release from PostNL can be found at https://aps.buzz/DutchAIstamps.]

More details about international reply coupons I am quite surprised by the way Kenneth Bressett talks about international reply coupons in his article published in the November issue of The American Philatelist. The claim that an IRC “blends a postal item with a specialized form of currency that can be used to make certain payments” is not specific enough. Reply coupons can only be exchanged with postage stamps and, in 1907 as today, cannot be used to make any other kind of payment. According to UPU regulations, member countries can refuse to exchange a coupon if not accompanied by a postal item to be sent abroad. International reply coupons are still issued by the UPU’s International Bureau and sold by some 80 postal operators of member countries around the world (including main ones, like those of Australia, Germany, Italy and Japan). Every post office in the world must exchange them. Reply coupons are very popular among philatelists, being considered part of the postal stationery class. Two specialized IRC exhibits achieved a large gold medal level in Italy during recent years. L’Intero Postale, the magazine of the Italian postal stationery association, regularly reports news and specialized articles about IRCs, with great interest from the readers. Nicola Burdiat Rome, Italy

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We encourage readers to send their comments, questions and feedback to The American Philatelist. Submission of a letter implies consent to publish, unless specifically prohibited by the sender. The decision of whether to publish is made by the editorial staff of The American Philatelist. Generally, letters will be published unless determined to be offensive, disrespectful, libelous, or not chiefly related to the stamp hobby. The opinions expressed in a Letter to the Editor are those of the author and not The American Philatelist. We do not publish or accept requests for the publication of anonymous letters. To allow more Letters to the Editor, you are respectfully requested to limit submissions to 500 words or less. If your submission is longer, the editorial team will ask you to resubmit a shorter version, or provide you a copy of an edited version to review prior to publication. Submit your letters to letterstotheeditor@ stamps.org or mail a typewritten copy to: Letter to the Editor The American Philatelist, 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823.

Stamp appears as design device My wife has been reading with great enjoyment The Postcard by Anne Berest. The use of a postage stamp on a book involving a postcard is, of course, quite appropriate, but it has caused me to ponder the question, how many other book covers have incorporated stamps into their design? It would make, perhaps, a fun collection if readers of The American Philatelist were able to recommend other such book covers. Louis Phillips New York, New York

old Tartarian buildings/structures remain, though somewhat in an altered state. Joseph Hartig Dunnellon, Florida

Praise for Czechoslovakia article and another idea for collectors I thoroughly enjoyed the article in the December edition of The American Philatelist regarding Czechoslovakia by authors James Buckner and Keith Hart. It was a good brush-up on all the political changes that had occurred. It is a wonderful area to collect, as the majority of stamps are inexpensive for the collector on a budget. Besides the early postal history as outlined in the article, there also are all the old town cancels one might want to consider from the Austro-Hungarian Era. Praha (Prague) appears in many of these cancels. Fortunately for Prague it was spared the bombings of World War II and many of the

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Slogans and Slogans and the the Ecuador-Peru Ecuador-Peru War of War of 1941 1941 ADHYATMAN ESTEBAN AGARWALA

he Ecuador-Peru border dispute, though not active anymore, ranks among the world’s longest. Its roots can be traced back to the administrative borders that were drawn up for the region during the colonial era. Borders at that time were demarcated without precision, as little hinged upon them. After independence, though, the ambiguity of the border between Gran Colombia (later divided into independent countries, including Ecuador) and Peru was a constant source of trouble. From 1830 onward, approximately 34 skirmishes occurred between the neighbors. Diplomatic efforts at preventing a full-scale conflict were successful in all but three instances: the War of 1941, the Paquisha War of 1981, and the Cenepa War of 1995. Figure 1. An Ecuadorian tax stamp shows a map The War of 1941, which had nothing to of Ecuador, issued in 1938 (Scott RA41). do with World War II raging mostly in Europe and the Soviet Union when it started on July 5, was the most unevenly fought of the three. At the time, Peru possessed an army of 68,000 soldiers, vastly superior to Ecuador’s. Ecuador sits on South America’s Pacific coast, directly and mostly northwest of Peru (with a small border to the southwest and south). Ecuador realized that it had little chance of defeating Peru on the battlefield, even before active engagement began. With this in mind, Ecuador focused its attention on securing, by means of a public relations campaign, the support and sympathy of the international community. This was not an easy task because most countries had little incentive to get behind the Ecuadorian cause. Philatelic slogans written in Spanish, bearing messages of goodwill toward the EcA modern map shows the traditional boundary claims by Ecuador (1960 and 1998), uadorian cause, were seen as a promising tool of territories under Peruvian sovereignty based on the Rio de Janeiro Protocol, for publicizing Ecuador’s cause to the inter- which was set in 1942. The red line near the circled number 3 shows the line of the Rio de Janeiro Protocol as established in 1942, after the 1941 border war between national community. the two countries. (Courtesy of Wikimedia)

18 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Figure 2. An 1838 stamp from Peru shows a highway map of the country (Scott 377).

Three years before the war began in July 1941, Ecuador first made use of philatelic devices to publicize political messages in its issuance of a map stamp in 1938 (Figure 1). Figure 3. The first slogan used by Ecuador on a letter sent June 16, 1941, from Quito to New The 5-cent rose stamp, which was a York City. postal tax issue that raised funds for an insurance fund, depicted Ecuador as incorporating the Oriente region (the land between the Chinchipe to the Maranon Rivers). This region also was claimed by Peru. The same year, Peru issued a map stamp of its own, asserting its territorial claim to the land between those rivers (Figure 2). With the release of these two contrasting map stamps, what was previously a topic confined to the realm of politics and diplomacy, became enmeshed with philately. Ecuador’s first philatelic slogan pertaining to the war was employed as early as June 16, 1941, a full month before Figure 4. The second slogan used by Ecuador on a letter sent August 27, 1941, from Quito to Racine, Wisconsin. hostilities erupted. The notion of Ecuador’s AmazoThe war began on July 5, 1941. Both countries claimed nian status was so important that a dedicated independent to have NOT started hostilities. Peru quickly gained the uporganization, the Ecuadorian Institute of the Amazonas per hand, overwhelming Ecuador’s forces. By the end of July, (EIA), had been formed to further it. The first use of the Peru’s army had advanced deep into Ecuadorian territory, slogan, “Ecuador, Pais Amazónico,” translated as “Ecuaforcing Ecuadorian President Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Río dor, Amazonian Country,” appears on a cover sent by Raul to request a ceasefire. Reyes, the head of the EIA, to Charles Hitchcock, a promiThe ceasefire lasted no longer than a day, and throughout nent American geographer and the president of Pan Amerthe months of August and September, Peru occupied other ican Institute of Geography and History (Figure 3). It is parts of the Ecuadorian coast and mountains. Poor battleworth noting that the letter, with its numerous connections field results gave Ecuador even more of a reason to appeal to Ecuador’s Amazonian claim, was sent on the eve of the for outside help. war. In addition, even though the EIA was a non-governEcuador’s second war-related slogan debuted in early mental organization, the letter was stamped with the seal August, and stated that “Ecuador cree en el derecho y confia of Ecuador’s Ministry of Affairs, a seal that was apparently en la justicia,” or “Ecuador believes in Law and trusts Justice” accepted as a free frank. (Figure 4). As in the case of the first slogan, the second FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 19

Figure 5. The third slogan used by Ecuador on a letter sent September 7, 1941, from Guayaquil to San Pedro, California.

slogan can be found principally on covers bound for the United States and Europe. The third slogan targeted America directly, stating “América no puede mirar indiferente la agresión de la que ha sido víctima el Ecuador,” or “America cannot regard with indifference the unjust aggression of which Ecuador has been a victim” (Figure 5). Used from the beginning of late August, this slogan framed the conflict as an affront to PanAmerican unity, appealing to the notion that the United States would be interested in preserving continental peace. By pitting Ecuador against “unjust aggression,” Ecuador hoped the U.S. might be induced to intervene and resolve the conflict in Ecuador’s favor. Although the U.S. only entered World Figure 6. Two slogans used on a letter sent in 1941 from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Lima, Peru War II in December 1941, the thought and obscured by a Peruvian postal worker. (Courtesy of Juan Larrea, of Quito, Ecuador.) of war was already weighing on the fused-rejected.” Clearly, in the midst of the war, Ecuador’s minds of Americans. At such a fraught slogans displeased Peru. time, a large-scale South American war, threatening contiA fourth slogan followed from Ecuador, first appearing in nental unity, was the last thing they wanted to deal with. mid-September. It stated “Servir a la Patria es el más honroso Ecuador often paired the use of the first slogan with that de los deberes,” or “To serve the Fatherland is the most honorof the second on covers. One such dual-slogan example, able of duties” (Figure 7). I believe this example of the slogan extant in the collection of Juan Larrea and displayed here to be one of the only in existence, leading to the inference that (Figure 6), was modified by a Peruvian postal worker before the slogan’s use was likely limited. Perhaps the government it reached its destination of Lima. The worker obstructed thought the patriotic message contained in the slogan would viewership of the Ecuadorian slogans by repeatedly overcanceling them with the words “refusée-rechazada,” or “rebe of limited interest to an international audience. 20 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Figure 7. A fourth slogan used by Ecuador on a letter sent September 14, 1941, from Quito to New York City.

The fifth slogan once again appealed to international audiences directly. It stated “El litigio ecuatoriano-peruano turba la solidaridad continental,” or “The Ecuadorian-Peruvian conflict disturbs continental solidarity” (Figure 8). It repeated the third slogan in propagating the message that it would be in the interest of every country in the Americas, particularly the United States, to put a halt to hostilities. In October 1941, Ecuador retooled the third slogan to include Ecuador’s coat of arms, a version that apparently was only used at the Guayaquil post office (Figure 9). Even in the midst of the Peruvian occupation, Ecuador held onto the hope that its slogans would help to secure an advantageous foreign intervention. Outside help never came. With Ecuador’s war outlook bleak, the two belligerents signed the Talara Agreement on October 2, 1941. The agreement provided for the establishment of a ceasefire and a demilitarized zone between the nations. A few months later, on January 29, 1942, Ecuador and Peru signed the Rio Protocol, a pact negotiated by the United States, Brazil, and Argentina that fashioned a compromise border between the two countries. The Protocol cut off Ecuador’s access to the Maranon River (a tributary of the Amazon River.) Ecuador had little choice but to sign it, despite its strong misgivings about such an outcome. A day after the Protocol came into effect, on January 30, 1942, Ecuador issued

Figure 8. The fifth slogan used by Ecuador on a letter sent September 20, 1941, from Quito to Callao, Peru.

Figure 9. A variant of the third slogan used by Ecuador on a letter sent October 3, 1941, from Quito to Washington, D.C.

FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 21

Figure 10. An old Map of South America that shows the Amazon River in Ecuador on a stamp issued January 30, 1942 (Scott C93).

Figure 11. A map of South America as Spaniards knew it in 1542 appears on a stamp from Peru issued in February 1943 (Scott 401).

a stamp set commemorating the fourth centenary of the discovery of the Amazon River. It included a stamp that noted that the expedition had set forth from its capital, Quito (Figure 10). In February 1943, Peru released its own set of stamps commemorating the expedition, differing with the Ecuadorian issue in recognizing Cuzco as the expedition’s point of departure (Figure 11). Ecuador issued a sixth slogan in 1945. It stated “El Ecuador es apóstol del Derecho y vigía de la Libertad,” or “Ecuador is the apostle of Law and watchman of Freedom” (Figure 12). In this new slogan, Ecuador linked the concept of liberty, usually associated with the U.S., with itself. It also claimed the status of the lone champion of law. The Ecuadorian government believed America’s intervention had not helped advance its position and, therefore, the focus shifted from appealing to America for aid to portraying Ecuador in its own right as capable of restoring its lost lands. No new slogans appeared after 1945 until the early 1960s. In the intervening years, disputes arose over the physical demarcation of the border established under the Protocol. Ecuador had halted the process demarcating boundaries on the ground in 1949 and unilaterally proclaimed the Rio

Figure 12. The sixth slogan used by Ecuador on a letter sent in 1945 from Guayaquil to Buffalo, New York.

Figure 13. A map of Ecuador and the Amazon River System. Ecuador is shown on an airmail stamp (C379) issued February 27, 1961.

Figure 14. The seventh slogan used by Ecuador on a 1962 letter from Guayaquil to Quito. 22 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Protocol to be null in 1960. By Ecuador’s reasoning, the Protocol was void from its very inception, because the country had been occupied at the time that it was signed. Ecuador publicized its assertion philatelically by releasing a set of cartographic stamps in 1961 that Figure 15. A map shows the disputed Peru-Ecuador border depicted Ecuador as if its on an airmail stamp issued May claims had been fully real25, 1962, by Peru (Scott C177). ized. These stamps were different from the 1938 map stamp in that, inside the map of Ecuador, a slogan was nested proclaiming, “El Ecuador ha sido, es y sera pais Amazonico,” or “Ecuador has been, is and will be an Amazonian country” (Figure 13). In the same year, Ecuador converted the slogan on the stamp into a hand-stamped slogan. (Figure 14) Not to be outdone, Peru released a cartographic set of stamps in 1962 that also bore a slogan. These stamps affirmed the border set by the Rio Protocol and displayed a slogan in the right-hand corner that stated “Estas tierras y estos ríos han sido, son y serán peruanos,” or “These lands and these rivers have been and will be Peruvian” (Figure 15).

The message and style of the Peruvian slogan closely mirrors that of Ecuador. These two contradictory slogans illustrate a useful function of philatelic slogans, namely, their ability to publicly express a hostile message without stoking tensions inordinately. Philatelic slogans have many uses, which Ecuador used to its fullest advantage. Chief among them is their ability to convey messages to and inform a global audience, thus turning a localized conflict into one that engages the world.

1938 PRESIDENTIAL ISSUES

he Author

Adhyatman Esteban Agarwala is a 17-year-old philatelist and exhibitor who is currently a senior at Regis High School in New York City. Three of his exhibits have been recognized with several national and international awards. This article is based on the research he conducted for his exhibit “Ecuadorian Slogan-Based Covers Related to the Ecuador-Peru Border Conflict of 1941,” which most recently received accolades, including being awarded prizes for reserve champion, best postal history exhibit, and philatelic write-up at the Great American Stamp Show in August 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. He is an honorary member of the Collectors Club of New York, where, as a 13-year-old, he addressed the members on this subject in January 2020. He is also a member of the American Philatelic Society and The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.

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Resources Castillo, Roque, and Ricardo Castillo. “Ocupación Peruana Del Ecuador – 1941,” Trencito 5, No. 2 (October 2016): 7-27. https://www.peru-philatelic-study-circle.com/files/Trencito2/v5-02-2016.pdf. Child, Jack. Miniature Messages: The Semiotics and Politics of Latin American Postage Stamps. (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2008). “Ecuadorian-Peruvian War ofSheets, 1941,” Military History Now website, https:// Singles, Plates, Booklets and Panes! militaryhistorynow.com/2019/06/27/sideshow-peru-fights-ecuadorduring-ww2s-darkest-summer/. All items listed are F/VF or better OG NH. Maier, Georg. “The Boundary Dispute Between Ecuador and Peru,” The We do stock VF to SUPERB examples and have other American Journal of International Law 63, no. 1 (January 1969): 28-46. varieties, so ask us or see our website: www.MALACK.com https://doi.org/10.2307/2197190. Simmons, Beth A. “Territorial Disputes Their The Case of We have a large stock of plate blocks, and position andResolution: plate collectors contact Ecuador and Peru, ” Peaceworks 27 (April https://www.usip.org/ us for special numbers or positions. We are1999). sure we can help you out. sites/default/files/pwks27.pdf. Pl. Bl. Sheets Pl. Bl. Sheets “Una 803 Pieza $1.25 Postal $22.00 819de la $4.Guerra 95 $125.00Ecuador-Perú de 1941,” Actualidad Filatélica 804(blog), $1.25 May $22.00 16, 820 2021, $2.95 https://actualidadfilatelica.blogspot.com/2021/05/ $90.00 805una-pieza-postal-de-la-guerra-ecuador.html. $1.25 $24.00 821 $6.95 $140.00

1938 PRESIDENTIAL ISSUES

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FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 23

Military Mail Carried By Express Riders THOMAS LERA

the early 19th century, the military used an express mail service when delivery was critical for communicating intelligence, strategic plans and orders between towns, forts, and camps. These express riders were paid for each trip they made.

War of 1812: June 18, 1812 to February 17, 1815 Shown (Figure 1) are two invoices from Captain William Pratt, deputy quartermaster general, signed by William Henry Harrison for payments to express riders. They read: Left: “Upper Sandusky (Fort Ferree), Jan. 13, 1813. Capt. William Pratt Deputy QrMaster Genl. [Quartermaster General] will pay to William Hoge twenty-two dollars & fifty cents for the services of himself and horse as an Express, nine days at two dollars and fifty cents per day,” signed William Henry Harrison. On the reverse is similar detailed text

to the receipt on the right. Right: “Upper Sandusky (Fort Ferree), Jan. 15, 1813. To Kamanoatah, a Wyandot Indian, for his services as an Express from December 26, 1812 to January 3, 1813, both days inclusive at $1.50 per day for $13.50. Received of Captain William Pratt Deputy Quartermaster General, thirteen dollars and fifty cents in full of the above.” Kamanoatah placed an X as his mark and William Henry Harrison signed. On the reverse is similar detailed text to the left receipt. While William Hoge and his horse received $2.50 a day day [about $50 today], Kamanoatah received $1.50 a day day [about $30 today] and an Army horse was supplied. General Harrison was based at Fort Ferree, Ohio, on the military road from Columbus to Fort Stephenson. A few months after the War of 1812 broke out with Great Britain, Harrison was promoted to brigadier general and was in command of all federal forces in the territory northwest of

Figure 1. Accounting receipts for express riders at Upper Sanduusky, Ohio. Courtesy of James W. Milgram (left) and National Postal Museum.

24 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

the Ohio River. He advanced to Detroit, reoccupied the territory surrendered by General William Hull, and on October 5, 1813, decisively defeated the British and their Indian allies at the Battle of the Thames, in Ontario, Canada. After the war, Harrison was elected as U.S. representative and senator from Ohio, and later the ninth president of the United States.

First Seminole War: November 21, 1817 to May 24, 1818 The red line in Figure 2 shows the route taken from Fort Gaines to the Negro Fort, later renamed Fort Gadsden. Edmund Doyle was the storekeeper for the John Forbes & Company trading post at Prospect Bluff on the Apalachicola River, 20 miles north of the town of Apalachicola. Figure 2. A map shows a portion of Andrew Jackson’s Indian and Doyle and William Hambly figured in the events that Gulf Campaigns, 1813-1818. occurred at Prospect Bluff during the next decade. From Doyle’s letters, it would appear he first came to the post on a temporary assignment as an auditor, but remained as a bookkeeper and later became a trader. Hambly, who may have been of mixed race, was attached to the post in the capacity of interpreter. Later, he too became an independent trader. The trading post, or “store” as it was commonly called, stood adjacent to the fort at Prospect Bluff, a large post built by the British in 1814-1815 during the Gulf Campaign of the War of 1812. After the departure of the British in May 1815, the U.S. officials often referred to Figure 3. General Gaines’ letter to Edmund Doyle. the fortification as the “Negro Fort.” It was destroyed on July 27, 1816, at the end of a seven-day battle when a U.S. Chief Neamathla, of Fowltown, a nearby Creek village, cannonball exploded its powder magazine, killing 270 men, warned the U.S. commander at Fort Scott not to cross the women, and children. Flint River or cut any timber south of that stream. The chief The military occupation and subsequent destruction of refused to give up his lands to the United States. He told the Negro Fort disrupted the trading post operations, and it U.S. officers he was “directed by the powers above to defend was closed for about 10 months. Doyle returned to the site them and should do so.” in late 1816 to reopen the main trading post/store, which Believing the president would order a campaign against also included his home, a tannery for tanning deer and cow the Native Americans, Major General Edmund P. Gaines hides, stables, miscellaneous houses, and corn cribs. He prepared to assemble a large force of U.S. troops at Fort Scott managed all of these, as well as farms, livestock herds, and and began to communicate with Doyle. other operations associated with the trading post. There will Fully aware he would need provisions and other supplies be more on Hambly in an upcoming section. stockpiled and ready for his soldiers at Fort Scott, Gaines In operation at the same time as the trading post manbegan placing orders for massive shipments of rations, soap, aged by Doyle and the fort at Prospect Bluff, was Fort Scott, candles, and other supplies through Doyle at Prospect Bluff. originally called Camp Crawford (Figure 3). It was estabDoyle coordinated with his bosses in Pensacola and Mobile to lished in late spring 1816 on the lower Flint River, just north arrange for these shipments and supervised their movement of the line dividing Florida from Georgia. from Apalachicola Bay up the Apalachicola River to Fort Scott. Camp Crawford was the base of operations for U.S. Army Express messages by Gaines from his Fort Montgomery troops that took part in the July 1816 expedition against the headquarters were sent to Fort Scott. The express travelled fort at Prospect Bluff. It was renamed Fort Scott later that down to Prospect Bluff via either John Blunt, a U.S.-allied year and became a focal point for resistance by Seminole, Native American chief, or Hambly, who lived on the ApalaRed Stick Creek, and Yuchi warriors in early 1817. They chicola River. were angry over the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars Figure 4 shows a letter from Major General Andrew in arms, ammunition, and other supplies left for their use by Jackson, the future president, at Fort Montgomery carried the British, which had either been destroyed or confiscated when the U.S. blew up the fort at Prospect Bluff. by Hambly to Brevet Major General Edmund P. Gaines at FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 25

Figure 4. Andrew Jackson’s letter to Brevet Major General Edmund Gaines, datelined June 2, 1818 and carried by Hambly (Courtesy of Library of Congress).

Figure 5. Edmund Gaines to Major General Andrew Jackson, datelined February 1, 1818 by Express (Courtesy of Library of Congress).

Fort Scott. In it he discusses the war, his progress on the Apalachicola River, and problems with boats and supplies. A manuscript acknowledgement on the front left corner lets the addressee know the carrier was “favored” by Jackson. This arrangement was similar to “express,” the difference being Hambly was not in the military, but was rather a contractor. When war erupted in November 1817, Doyle was in a very precarious position and fled Prospect Bluff for Spanish Bluff (today’s Blountstown, Florida) where both Blunt and Hambly lived. He and Hambly were taken prisoner there on December 13, 1817, and held until they were freed at St. Marks the following spring. Figure 5 shows two express mail letters from General Gaines that help explain what happened next. 26 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

In the top letter, dated February 1, 1818, Gaines writes to Jackson stating that he will urge Acting Quartermaster Christoper Keiser to obtain the rations requested for Fort Hawkins and Fort Scott. He also states he will employ a sufficient number of mechanics to build eight boats to convey the forage and provisions down the Flint River. In the bottom letter to Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Arbuckle commanding Fort Scott, Gaines discusses the problems with the roads and transportation of supplies and requests additional troops for Fort Scott. According to historians, Gaines’ attacks on Fowltown initiated the First Seminole War, which lasted a few months. Doyle remained in Florida after it became a U.S. territory in 1821, living out his life in the Florida Big Bend region.

Second Seminole War: December 28, 1837 to August 14, 1842 During the territorial period, all towns in Florida experienced difficulties in their mail service, and Camp Brooke on Tampa Bay was no exception. Because of conflicts with native tribes, bad trails and roads, mosquito infestations, and severe weather, it was forced to communicate with the War Department by any means possible. In November 1831, a post office opened at Tampa Bay to accommodate Cantonment Brooke, with the mail to be brought in from the Seminole Agency, near Fort King. Private post offices received no financial assistance from the post office department to aid in the cost of transporting the mails. An arrangement was made in which the army would pay the expenses if the postage cost of the mails did not. Even Army mules were employed to haul the mail over the 126 miles separating the two locations. No sooner had the Seminole Agency been built than it was learned the post office had closed because the agent could not defray the expense of carrying the mail to Wantons (later Micanopy). Thus, the camp was forced to extend its communications line an additional 26 miles north of the Seminole Agency. In 1835, the Post Office Department awarded James M. Harris the contract for Postal Route 2473 from Jacksonville to Micanopy, 80 miles and back once every two weeks. The Seminole Agency was also to be supplied each trip by a cross-route from Micanopy. This route started on the first Monday in January 1835.

Second Seminole War Express Riders On August 11, 1835, while on his mail express route between Fort Brooke and Fort King, Private Kinsley H. Dalton was killed by Miccosukee Indians who had moved into central Florida and the Everglades. They were retaliating against the militia that had wounded and killed some of their hunting party at Hickory Sink, northwest of Paynes Prairie. Some historians consider Dalton the first U.S. soldier killed in the Second Seminole War.

On October 8, 1835, Brevet Brigadier General Duncan L. Clinch wrote to Brevet Brigadier General Roger Jones, adjutant general, U.S. Army: “We shall have to strike a blow at the Mickasuky [Miccosukee] tribe, before that will surrender the murderers of Dalton, or agree to comply with their treaty.”

Secretary of War Lewis Cass replied to Clinch’s letter on December 8:

Figure 6. A portion of the 4th Infantry Regimental Post Report of July 1832, submitted September 27, 1832.

“I concur fully in your suggestions that these persons should be arrested without delay, And you are authorized to proceed in such manner and at such time as you may judge expedient to arrest them and deliver them over to the civil authority.”

Regimental Post Reports between 1828-1835 In reviewing the 4th Infantry Regimental Post Reports, I found 10 different references to express rider/mail carriers in 18 Regimental Post Reports in the section: Absent NonCommissioned Officers, Musicians, Artificers, and Privates, accounted for, from January 1830 to July 1832 (Figure 6), and October 1835. The listings follow: • Carrying the Mail (1), Sept 1826, (Company F) • Employed in Carrying the Mails (4), Jan -April 1830, (Company C) • Mail Rider (5), July-Oct 1830 & Dec 1830, (Company C) • On Command at the Seminole Agency, Mail Carrier (1), Jan 1831, (Company D) • On Command – Express to Seminole Agency (1), Feb 1831, (Company D) • Express to Seminole Agency (1), May 31, (Company D) • Express to Seminole Agency – Mail Carrier (3), July Sept 1831, (Company D) • Express to Seminole Agency since Jan 29, Feb. 26, Mar 25 (3), 1832, (Company D) • Teamster- Mail Rider, Oct 1835, (Company D) The July 1832 report in Figure 6 shows: • Express to Seminole Agency since Jul 29, 1832, (Company C) • Express to Fort Brooke since July 29, 1832, (Company D) The missing post reports dates had other notations like “on duty with AQM.” Since the Fort Brooke quartermaster signed the post office contract, this notation could be an express rider to and from Fort King. Other reports indicated a “Teamster travelled to Fort King” or “Teamster transferred stores to Fort King.” From this, one may assume the teamster also brought

the mail from Fort King to Fort Brooke when he returned. There were five recorded military express riders who died and lost their mail bags during the Second Seminole War. • Kinsley H. Dalton, 3rd Regiment Artillery, Company H – Killed by the Miccosukee when riding express between Tampa and Fort King, August 11, 1835. • Theodore Deyer, 1st Regiment Infantry, Company H – Shot by Native Americans near Fort Macomb, October 9, 1840. • Edward Hessen, 1st Regiment Infantry, Company B – Drowned on express from Fort Jackson to Fort Macomb, September 3, 1840. • Samuel G. Knowlton, 3rd Regiment Infantry, Company A – Shot by Native Americans near Fort Hamilton, July 29, 1841. • Lewis Brown, 7th Regiment Infantry, Company K – Killed by Native Americans near Fort No. 3, May 20, 1839. If any members of the local tribes could read English, it was possible they were now in possession of important communications from Washington that may well have included instructions relative to the movements of the army.

Post Office Express Mail Second Seminole War Express mail was a service of the Post Office Department that contracted with various individuals to carry fast mail on horseback to designated express mail post offices along specified routes. Since the postal rate was 25 cents for a distance more than 400 miles, the vast majority of letters carried by express mail paid a 75-cent charge or a multiple up to a quadruple rate for enclosures. The War Department used express mail for many of their communications relative to Florida. In 1836, during the Second Seminole War, while Major General Thomas S. Jessup was still officially quartermaster general, President Andrew Jackson ordered him to assume command of all U.S. troops in Florida. I have located 59 letters written by Jessup with express mail notations during 1837 and early 1838. Figures 7 and 8 are examples of express mail letters written by Major General Thomas Jessup. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 27

Figure 7. A lettersheet noting it was “MISSENT” with a cancellation from Fort Heilman, Savannah on July 14, 1838 (Courtesy of James W. Milgram, MD.)

Figure 7 is an express mail postal service letter to Major T. Cross, acting quartermaster general for the Army in Washington City, mailed from Fort Heileman. It discusses actions in the Seminole War around Fort Dade. The red markings are a Savannah, Georgia circular datestamp cancel of July 14 [1838], with a “PAID: 75. The boxed red handstamp “MISSENT” indicates the letter was first sent to New York as seen in the red circular datestamp dated July 20. Figure 8 is an express mail letter postmarked JACKSONVILLE FLO. JAN 25 (1837) and “FREE” in the red box, with manuscript “Express Mail” and “Head Quarters Army of the South” to Adjutant General Roger Jones in Washington City. The letter was dictated to his aide-de-camp and signed by Jessup in Fort Armstrong, which had been built on the site of Dade’s Battleground, where, one year earlier, federal troops were ambushed in December 1835, starting the Second Seminole War. This cover was carried by express to Jacksonville and put into the regular mail. It did not continue to go by the Express Mail Service because of the red boxed FREE handstamp.

Conclusion Military express riders faced a hard, dangerous ride over unimproved trails and roads, with stream and river crossings where there were no bridges. They were an important piece in the 1800 to 1842 communication network, carrying intelligence, strategic plans and orders between towns, forts, and camps.

Acknowledgements I would like to thank, for their review and comments, Sandra Fitzgerald, Vernon Morris, and John Barwis. Thanks to Daniel Piazza, chief curator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, James W. Milgram, MD, the National Archives and Library of Congress for use of their images. My great appreciation to Chris Kimball, board member of the Seminole War Foundation, and to Dale Cox, Seminole War historian, for their comments. 28 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Figure 8. An express letter signed by General Jessup, datelined Jan. 21, 1837 from Fort Armstrong (Courtesy of the National Archives).

Resources Ancestry. “Return of Killed and Wounded in Battles, 1790-1844, 3rd Regiment of Artillery,” https://www.ancestry.com. Ancestry. “U.S., Returns from Regular Army Infantry Regiments, 1821-1916 Roll 41 – Fourth Infantry, June 1821-December 1831, Roll 42 – Fourth Infantry, January 1832-December 1842.” https://www.ancestry.com. Baker, Harrison Scott. “Fort Ferree – Upper Sandusky,” The Society of the War of 1812 in the State of Ohio. Accessed September 9, 2023 (https://ohiosociety1812.wordpress.com/fort-ferree-upper-sandusky). Boyd, Mark F. “Events At Prospect Bluff on the Apalachicola River, 18081818” The Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol. 16 (1937): 157-174. Brown, George M. Ponce de Leon Land and War Record, (St. Augustine, Florida, 1909). Carter, Clarence Edwin. The Territorial Papers of the United States: “Vol. XXIV: Florida Territory 1828-1834,” and “Volume XXV, Florida Territory, 18341839.” (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1959). Fox, Dixon Ryan. Harper’s Atlas of American History (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1920). Library of Congress. “Letter: Edmund Pendleton Gaines to Andrew Jackson, February 1, 1818.” http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/maj.01047_0077_0080. Library of Congress. “Letter from Andrew Jackson carried by William Hambley.” Mahon, John K. “The First Seminole War, November 21, 1817 - May 24, 1818,” Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 77 (1998): Article 5. National Archives. “Letters Received by the Office of the Adjutant General 1822-1860” National Postal Museum. “Wyandot Indian Hanyon file” “Record of Officers and Soldiers Killed in Battle and Died in Service during the Florida War, 1881.” (Washington, GPO). Stanaback, Richard J. “Postal Operations in Territorial Florida, 1821-1845” The Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol. 52 (1973): 157- 174; https://www.jstor. org/stable/30149030. The Army and Navy Chronicle, Vol. 18 (October 22, 1840). archive.org/details/ pub_army-and-navy-chronicle.

he Author

Thomas Lera, among his many accomplishments, received the Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research in 2019. He is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London and editor of the Florida Postal History 1763 – 1861 Second Edition. His recent articles in the Chronicle and Collectors Club Philatelist show Native Americans were express riders carrying mail in East and West Florida between 1795 and 1805. At the fourth Convocation of Seminole War Historians, being held by the Dade Battlefield Society in Bushnell, Florida, April 26 to 28, he will present his paper on the “Seminole Agency Post Office 1828 – 1837.”

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Women Charged Into War Effort Philately helps tell the story of WWII women’s Army service corps MARJORY J. SENTE

hen the U.S. went to war in 1941, there was an immediate call, of course, for soldiers and sailors to serve in combat. But almost just as immediately, there was a call for women, who could do their part via non-combat duties like baking, driving, nursing, and clerical work. It wasn’t long, though, before eager recruits proved themselves talented and valuable in just about every area needed by the service; women served as airplane and tank mechanics, radio operators, accountants, sheet metal workers, cryptographers and cryptanalysts, and weather forecasters (Figure 1). WAAC recruitment poster, sponsored by the U.S. Army Recruiting Publicity Like most untried programs, the Women’s AuxiliaBureau, 1943. Courtesy Library of Congress. ry Army Corps (WAAC) had many issues that needed to be worked out when it started training women in skills, and special training for the country’s national defense. July 1942. The Army provided recruits with uniforms, food, livThe philately of the women in the service help tell their ing quarters, training, pay, and medical care. The WAACs, story. Let’s look at some of the issues facing the WAACs, however, had no free mailing privileges. Men serving in the including their mailing privileges. military could use free mailing privileges beginning April 1, The WAAC was to work with the Army, but it was not 1942 on first class letters and postcards. part of the Army. Women members in auxiliaries, which Soon after the WAAC Training Center opened on July were up to 150,000 strong, were to use their knowledge, 20, 1942 at Fort Des Moines, Col. Oveta Culp Hobby, Figure 1. Training activities for the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) included everything from work with military vehicles to water rescue. Doris Johnson, of Leipic, Ohio, washes down a jeep at the Fort Des Moines, Iowa training camp. WAACs at Daytona Beach, Florida, learn water rescue techniques. (Courtesy of Office of War Information Photograph Collection/ Library of Congress.) 30 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

director of the women’s corps, knew that more training facilities for this rapidly expanding program would be required sooner rather than later. The initial recruitment goal of 25,000 women for the first year was met by November 1942. Signing up in droves, women were needed to come on-line quickly so soldiers could be released from their desk duties to go to the front and fight.

Training sites for the Corps Ultimately, five sites were used to train women about life in the military and for one of the 239 jobs initially open to them. In addition to Iowa’s Fort Des Moines facility, Daytona Beach, Florida; Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; Fort Devens, Massachusetts; and Camp Ruston, Louisiana were used. The second site, Daytona Beach, hastily opened on December 1, 1942, was an outlier compared to the other sites (Figure 2). The other four sites were established military bases and set apart from the local civilian population. Although Daytona Beach was the only site offered for the second WAAC Training Center, Hobby opposed using it, saying that a military atmosphere and discipline could not be established in a resort town. The deal, however, was already done. At the same time Hobby was looking for more training facilities, Daytona Beach felt the effects of the war. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, tourism at the popular resort town dwindled as men were drafted, women took jobs, and Americans in general focused on the war effort rather than travel. Daytona Beach’s business leaders were desperate and called on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, a local African American educator and friend of President and Mrs. Roosevelt, for help. It is reported that Bethune lobbied the Roosevelts to get a training center for Daytona Beach. Bethune’s recommendation, which was accepted, paid off handsomely for local businesses. During the time the second WAAC Training Center was open from December 1942 through March 1944, 20,000 to 22,000 women were detailed there, pouring nearly $5 million a month into the city’s economy. The WAAC headquarters was at the

Figure 2. A photo-filled booklet (c. 1942) shows the training activities carried out at the Second Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps Training Center located at Daytona Beach. (Courtesy State Library of Florida, Federal Documents Collection.)

Figure 3. A picture postcard showing The Riviera Hotel near Daytona Beach.

Figure 4. The message side of Aux. Agnes Harrison’s postcard.

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Second WAAC band detailed to Daytona Beach By Marjory J. Sente Not all the women sent to Daytona Beach were new recruits. Among the first members of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps to be sent there was the all-female band split from the Fort Des Moines WAAC Band. The band was one of 239 different jobs delineated for women in the Army auxiliary. A band was needed at every training center to help facilitate basic requirements such as marching and maintaining the women’s morale. The creation of a WAAC band at Fort Des Moines was big news. The Des Moines Tribune of August 13, 1942 reported on the group’s first rehearsal. Nineteen recruits for the 24-piece band were practicing Figure 1. A censored letter Corporal Ryan sent from Daytona Beach to Alaska. hard under the direction of bandmaster Warrant Officer Peter Berg. and the Continental United States. Ryan sent her letter One recruit was saxophonist Doris E. Ryan, of New via airmail, so she paid 6 cents for this service. If Doris York City. She was given quite a sendoff by The New had free mailing privileges she would have still had to York Times. A headline in the August 2, 1942 issue statpay for airmail service because it was not included in the ed, “Saxophonist off to Join WAAC Band / Miss Doris E. military mail privileges. Ryan is the first from this area to win a place in the outfit.” The second WAAC Training Facility was short lived. Ryan was 23 years old and had moved from Seattle Existing only 16 months, it closed in March 1944. Its to New York City about 18 months prior to joining the band, renamed the 401st WAC Band, was transferred to WAACs. The article continued, “Now she is bound for the Fort Hamilton in New York and frequently played for remiddle-West to make good on her tooting. Her hobby has turning soldiers until deactivation in March 1946 at Fort turned into a war contribution.” Prior to enlisting, Ryan had Mason, California. worked in New York University’s registrar’s office. After the Daytona Beach facility was closed, Fort The August 15, 1942 issue of Down Beat said Ryan was Oglethorpe, which had become the third WAAC training the first woman recruited for the all-female band. The center in February 1943, was the only one located in the article noted that as a member of the War Advisory SerSoutheast. vice she had helped “two of the Beat’s staff enlist in the The picture postcard shown (Figure 2) was mailed in Army.” July 1943 from Fort Oglethorpe. It depicts a WAAC band Ryan believed that playing in the band was important and reads, “The WAAC’s Own Band Parades at a Trainwork, because the music helped the women do their ing Center.” The U.S. Army Recruiting and Induction Serjobs, made people feel patriotic, and induced others to vice printed and distributed the postcard. join the WAACs. Corporal Ryan was at Fort Des Moines until December 1942, when W.O. Berg selected her and 27 other members of the original band to transfer to Daytona Beach. They became the band for the Second WAAC Training Center. Supposedly, Berg picked the best players to send to Daytona. While stationed at Daytona Beach, Ryan wrote a letter to Fergus Hoffman, a Seattle newspaper reporter, working in Ketchikan, Alaska. Her return address included “Band/2nd WAAC T.C.” The letter (Figure 1) was censored and resealed with cellophane tape bearing the printed numeral 3583 with number 13862 handwritten on the tape. These numbers are within the range of examiner numbers assigned to Seattle, Washington. During World War II it was customary to censor mail traveling to and from Alaska and Hawaii Figure 2. A postcard shows the “WAAC’s Own Band.” 32 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Wingate Building in downtown Daytona Beach. Instead of barracks, the Osceola Hotel was the first of many hotels, apartments, and motor courts, as well as a tent camp for 6,000, used to house the women. They trained in rented buildings, marched on the boardwalk, and practiced their drills on the beach. Aux. Claire H. Coffman, from Marion, West Virginia, was assigned to the Riviera Hotel. On a postcard sent on January 30, 1943, she wrote, “Plenty to eat. No hamburgers. This is where I am staying. It sure is pretty.” She was staying at The Riviera (Figure 3), one of Daytona Beach’s top hotels. Aux. Agnes Harrison, who was born in Texas and living in Salt Lake City when she Figure 5. A picture postcard shows women training on the beach for the Women’s enlisted, wrote two months later (Figure 4), Auxiliary Army Corps. “I have been moved again, in hotels now, a life of luxury in the Army. It is surely swell.” Both auxiliaries paid penny postage to mail their postcards. Writing in her service diary, Mary H. Bratt gave a much less-glowing review of her stay in Daytona Beach, “Not that anyone should want to remember it. Just the place of extreme cold-extreme heat-mosquitoes-and gouging merchants.” WAACs training on the beach as shown on this picture postcard published by the Eli Witt Co. of Daytona Beach (Figure 5), was a public event where the locals and servicemen would gather and watch the women work out. The message on the card from one guy to his friend (Figure 6) gives a sense of Figure 6. A message from one guy to another exemplifies the type of harassment the “the male folklore” issues facing the member of the WAAC received. women. “There aren’t but 12,000 of these babies down here — and mother won’t let me out of her sight — and not another boy on the beach — tough. Wish you were here to help me look in this matter — Round Robins another thing … Am opening a stud shop.” Beals Lithography and Printing Company, of Des Moines, Iowa, quickly grabbed the opportunity to make money at poking fun at the WAAC. The company created a series of comic picture postcards focused on the women adapting the military life. Beals’ card labeled WC 21 (Figure 7) says, “There is Nothing Like a Uniform to Attract Figure 7. A comic postcard produced by the Beals Lithography and Printing Company shows Attention.” These comic postcards were sold two soldiers admiring a WAC in uniform. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 33

in the PX. Shown is Auxiliary Myrtle Ann Weber making her selection (Figure 8).

WACs and free mailing privileges During the short life of the training center at Daytona Beach, the WAAC organization underwent some key changes. On July 1, 1943, the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps became the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). In short, the unit moved from auxiliary status to an integral part of the Army. WAC members were no longer volunteers but had official military status with the same rank, privileges, and benefits of their male counterparts. One of the most obvious changes was the WAC’s privilege to mail domestic first-class letters or postcards free of charge. That privilege had been granted to active duty members of the Army, Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard beginning April 1, 1942, but not to the WAACs when they were created the following month. During WAAC's one-year existence, members were required to pay 3 cents to mail a letter or 1 cent for a postcard. From the beginning, confusion abounded over whether the WAACs had the free mailing privilege. An early recruit, Frances Buell, wife of Lt. Col. George B. Buell, thought she had the privilege when she sent him a postcard on September 12, 1942 from Fort Des Moines (Figure 9). On her return address, Buell clearly wrote her name and “WAAC” beside Figure 8. Auxiliary Myrtle Ann Weber chooses a card from a rack of Beal’s “Free.” He received the postcard two days later and no postcards in the PX at Fort Des Moines. postage was due. The WACs received free mailing privileges when they became part of the Army on July 1, 1943. However, confusion continued regarding the WAC’s mailing privileges. Six weeks after the mailing privilege went into effect, the Postal Bulletin of August 18, 1943 reminded Post Office Department employees that letters sent by members of the WAC could be mailed free of postage (Figure 10). Two postcards mailed in 1943 illustrate the change in privileges for corps members (Figure 11). A postcard mailed July 30, 1943 from Fort Oglethorpe would have qualified for a free frank, but the WAC who mailed it used a 1-cent National Defense stamp. A postcard mailed December 5, 1943 from Fort Oglethorpe correctly used the free franking privilege. The early days of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps, then the Women’s Army Corps, were filled with challenges and confusion. From training faciliFigure 9. A postcard sent by WAAC Frances Buell on September 12, 1942, from Fort Des ties that made their service difficult Moines should have had a 1-cent stamp on it, but was sent incorrectly with a “FREE” mailing to free mailing privileges or not, and privilege. 34 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Figure 10. An entry from The Postal Bulletin notes free-franking privileges for members of the Women’s Army Corps.

picture postcards that poked fun at them, these women rose to the occasion and served their country during a time they were really needed.

Resources Broderick, Wilfrid N. and Dann Mayo. Civil Censorship in the United States During World War II (Civil Censorship Study Group and War Cover Club, 1980). “Creation of the Women’s Army Corps,” U.S. Army website (https://www.army.mil/women/history/ wac.html). Lawrence, Ken. “WW II United States military women and their mail, Parts 1 and 2,” Linn’s Stamp News (May and June 2015). Sullivan, Jill M. Bands of Sisters: U.S. Military Bands during World War II (Scarecrow Press, 2011) Treadwell, Mattie E. United States Army in World War II: “United States Army in World War II Special Studies: The Women’s Army Corps” (Center of Military History United States Army, 1991)

he Author

An avid social-postal historian, Marjory J. Sente has collected stamps since the fourth grade. Marj has concentrated on collecting, studying, exhibiting, and writing about 20th century United States material. In recent years her focus has gravitated to using postal history artifacts to investigate the social history of primarily women and marginalized groups. In 2022, Marj was elected to the APS Writers Unit #30 Hall of Fame.

Figure 11. A postcard mailed in July 1943 from Fort Oglethorpe with a 1-cent stamp that could have been sent free of postage. Below, a postcard sent in December from the same location in Georgia that correctly used free mailing privileges.

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Lights and Shadows of the Allied Stamps in Italy DR. JESÚS GARCÍA SÁNCHEZ

At the North African harbor, warships and transports take up their position in the vast invasion armada in Sicily, a 5-inch cannon in the foreground. (July 1943; U.S. Navy photograph, Courtesy Library of Congress)

id you know it was the Allied forces – not the Cassibile’s Armistice was signed. The Italian government homeland – that created and distributed postage passed from enemy to co-belligerent, but only with a small stamps for Italy as it went from belligerent to beterritory in the south; four provinces, the so-called King's Italy, were made a "new" monarchy under the same soving occupied partway through World War II? Furthermore, ereign, Victor Emmanuel III. The reign of wartime leader one of the important American military leaders assigned to Benito Mussolini, assassinated 20 months later, was at the this task was likely involved in some underhanded activities beginning of its end (Figure 1). involving those stamps? This article will disseminate knowledge of numerous documents, hitherto unpublished, on the stamps issued in 1943 during that occupation. Secret for decades, the historian can bring to light the tale of these stamps. Although a good deal is already known about the Allied stamps, here I will focus on the unknown and, for some of them, dark aspects, particularly on the stamps of sunny Naples. On the night of July 9-10, 1943, Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Italy, Figure 1. A cover addressed to Il began in Sicily, which was fully occupied Duce, Benito Mussolini, with the on August 17, 1943. The Allies crossed the most common Italian stamps for several regimes, 1929-1946. Strait of Messina on September 3 to conquer mainland Italy and on the same day, 36 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

On October 1, the Allied armies arrived at Naples and a third of the country was in their hands in a few weeks. But it took much longer to conquer the rest, until the German surrender and VE-Day, April 29 and May 8, 1945. Most of the documents about the Allied-produced occupation-era stamps are preserved in the glazed building of the National Archives and Records Administration, at College Park, Maryland (hereinafter, NARA), but also in some European archives.

Figure 2. Three of the stamps created by the Allies for civilian use in Sicily. Shown are, from low to high value, Scott IN1, IN3, and IN6.

The postal organization: Offices and officers Before deciding the first European territories would be invaded, there was concern from the Allied armies about the normal resumption of postal activities, to make a positive impression on the civilian population. In July 1942, various reports made the postal opening of the occupied territories subject to censorship. By the same token, to the existence of stamps, a document, dated July 14, 1942, from the Administration of Territories (Europe) Committee stated, “A rudimentary postal system over a limited area could be established by road [utilizing] bus or trucks [and] using the existing post offices and personnel. This, however, will require stocks of stamps and essential post office equipment, [such] as post-markings machinery.” On May 1, 1943, the Allied Military Government of Occupied Territory (AMGOT) was created in Algiers, which already set the target of “Horrified,” the codename for Sicily. It appointed British Gen. Harold Alexander as governor of the island. The real commander, however, was another British general, Francis James Ronell, as chief civil affairs officer, whose duties included the new Italian postal system. On July 21, 1943, AMGOT was renamed AMG. On November 2, the Allied Control Commis- Figure 3. A cable from Dwight Eisenhower dated March 24, 1943, that reports the sion (ACC) was created and began operating on first shipping of Allied-produced stamps to Sicily. (Courtesy NARA). November 10, 1943, initially chaired by American a typical military tree. The bureaucracy was tremendous, Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower as its presiwith messages crossed between various offices of several dent. From a joint declaration from President Franklin Roosub-commissions. Overall, that’s always good news for hissevelt and Great Britain’s Winston Churchill on September, torians, because it’s easier to find documents in the archives. 24, 1944, the middle “C” disappeared, and the new name The ACC Communications (to April 1944, Telecomwas Allied Commission (AC), which had sub-commissions, munications and Post) Sub-Commission was made up of the number of which increased to 22, until its dissolution between 15 and 20 people, with the rank, at least, of lieutenin 1947. ant. The person in charge was the director, who was at first The Communications and Finance Sub-Commission U.S. Navy Capt. Ellery Wheeler Stone, a pre-war top ITT dealt with postage stamps. But the command structure for managing the stamps looks more a spider’s web than executive from Oakland, California. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 37

The direct responsibility for the stamps was the chief postal officer, who was always a British officer. First and until February 1944, Lt. Col. Alfred Prodgers held the role, and later Lt. Col. Stanley Herbert Head. There were some overlapping activities with AMG, of course, but ACC dealt with stamps and currency. The Finance Sub-Commission had a very complex structure. In spite of several senior generals and colonels, British Col. H.G. Crawshaw was actually responsible for the stamps. Physically, the stamps were “owned” by the Allied Military Financial Agency (AMFA), created in May 1943 within Allied Military Government of Occupied Territory, and later a key body inside the Allied Commission. From January 1944 it was called AFA. The headquarters of AMFA/AFA was in Figure 4. The SS James W. Fannin, on January 24, 1944, at Hampton Roads, Virginia, when Palermo and, from December 18, 1943, it was loaded with AMG stamps bound for Italy. (Courtesy the Mariner’s Museum, Newport News, Virginia). in Naples. Stepwise, the territory of Italy was restored to the Italian antifascist government between 1943 and 1954. However, the Allied occupants reserved most of the important decisions. Consequently, although this article is only on the Allied management control of the Italian stamps of 1943, it must be remarked that, directly or indirectly, the stamps of all non-fascist Italy were under Allied control between July 10, 1943, and January 31, 1947, in addition to the stamps of Venezia-Giulia (1945-1947) and Trieste Zone A (1947-1954).

Stamps for Sicily

Figure 5. A report on Capitoline Wolf stamps dated April 5, 1944. (Courtesy NARA)

38 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

In the first months of 1943, the type of stamps and currency to be used in the occupation was decided. An early allied document dated May 28, 1943, and now preserved in NARA, makes this very clear: “Steps are therefore being taken to prepare a fresh issue of AMGOT postage stamps which will alone represent legal postage fees in Horrified.” The U.S. and U.K. agreed that both currency and stamps would be printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) in Washington, D.C. The printing order was given July 1, 1943, by the War Department. On July 11, Eisenhower reported, “the cost incident thereto will be borne initially by the U.S. Army,” although “the British Army will be liable to the U.S. Army for its

Figure 6. The two issues of she-wolf stamps.

share of the cost.” As this document is preserved among Roosevelt's records, it is certain that the decision had the approval of the commander-in-chief, a great philatelist. On July 17 of the same month, the BEP began printing the stamps. These were valid for any occupied territory, with the notation “Allied Military Postage.” From that moment on, the word “Italy” and the face value in centesimi (cents) and lira/lire were added. Although the intention was that those stamps would be used throughout Italy, they were only for Sicily. Later, the BEP also made stamps for the Allied occupations of France, Germany and Austria. Therefore, the expression “AMGstamps,” usually applied in Italy to Sicilian stamps, also defines other issues in various countries. The BEP produced nine stamps (Scott, Italy 1N1-1N9). Just hours after the first ones were made (Figure 2), they headed toward Italy. As a cable from Eisenhower shows, on the night of July 21, 1943, an American Airlines C-54 aircraft loaded with 49 boxes of currency and eight boxes of stamps (each holding 600,000 30-cent stamps each), departed from Washington and arrived on July 23 in Tunis (Figure 3). After passing through Agrigento, the stamps and currency were secured on August 3, 1943, at the Banco di Sicilia in Palermo, on Via Roma 183, near the main post office on the same street. Both buildings serve the same function today. The heads of the bank were unaware of the contents of the boxes and an account was opened in the bank in the name of the Allied Military Financial Agency. On July 30, another private airplane took off from Washington for Tunisia and Palermo with 40 boxes of stamps (24 million) of all denominations. However, only one of the 48 total boxes was used at the beginning. With 600,000 15-cent stamps, the postal service began on August 24 in Italy, only

Figure 7. The three stamps overprinted by Col. Hume in values (from left) of 20, 30, and 50 cents (Scott IN10, IN11, IN13).

Table of Allied-Produced WWII Italian Stamps A table is available online that details the BEP-produced stamps with information from dozens of documents, but which coincide with each other in the Allied and Italian accounting. You can see the table at aps.buzz/LightsAndShadows. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 39

Figure 9. On January 3, 1944, Giuseppe de Benedictis (center), vice director of the Naples Post Office, with two employees, examines fascist stamps and cards, as well as two of Naples’ Allied stamps, but not the 35-cent stamp, which was already sold out. Figure 8. Brig. Gen. Edgar Erskine Hume, from an official publication on ACC.

in Palermo and only with postcards. The order was given by Lt. Col. Charles Poletti, former governor of New York and chief of Sicilian civil affairs. On August 27, 1943, two ships, the SS John B. Hood and another (codename NY-168, perhaps the SS Anson Jones) left Cape Henry, Hampton Roads, Virginia, in a convoy, along with dozens of Liberty ships. It carried 47 boxes with just more than 25 million stamps. After a stop in Bizerte, Tunisia, all the stamps arrived in Sicily, although not all were delivered to the post offices. In mid-September the postal service spread throughout the island, not only in its capital. A few months later, on February 3, 1944, the ship SS James W. Fannin left the same Virginia port with 93 boxes and more than 53 million stamps, all of them from a second BEP printing, with other different tones. The ship had been loaded with the stamps on January 24 and we are lucky that a photograph of the ship next to a pier is preserved dated that day (Figure 4). The Fannin stopped in Augusta (Sicily), but did not leave one single stamp. The philatelic cargo was unloaded in late February 1944 in Naples, the new headquarters of the financial agency. The stamps were secured in the armored boxes of the main office of Banca d’Italia. The stamp transfer system was very simple. La Poste Italiane asked for the stamps and the Allies delivered them, at first from the stock of Palermo and later from that of Naples (March 26 and July 25). All the money from the sale of the Sicilian stamps went to Italy, which never had to return it to the Allies. 40 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

The main liaison with the Italians was Lt. Guido Angelo Alasia, the person with the most postal experience in the Communications Sub-Commission. Alasia, a California postal clerk before the war, was assigned to Palermo until the Allies conquered Rome and he commanded the postal system of the capital. With the rank of colonel, he became the USPS District Manager in San Francisco in the 1970s. Certainly, the Allied arrival on June 5, 1944, in Rome and, a few hours later, the D-Day landing in Normandy, changed the course of the war. Head, on June 17, decided not to make any more stamps, since the IPZS, the official Italian printing house, was available and the stock of stamps which had been found in Rome was sufficient. Thus, on July 31, 1944, the Sicilian stamps were withdrawn by order of Head, who gave a deadline of September 30, 1944. The Italian authorities managed the task very well and the stamps were no longer used. The remnants were burned on February 28, 1945, in an open field in Palermo. Moreover, all the stamps that remained in the Banca d’Italia in Naples were carried to Rome and burned on April 24 and July 24, 1945. In short, just more than 107 million stamps were made in Washington, about 26 million were used and more than 81 million destroyed. The second printing of four values (60-centesimi, 2-, 5-, and 10-lire) was completely destroyed. In the table (see box on previous page for access), details of the stamps are shown, with information from dozens of documents, but which coincide with each other in the Allied and Italian accounting.

Mailing with wolves

Figure 10. A letter dated February 9, 1944, from Col. Henderson cites concerns about overprinted stamps in Naples. (Courtesy NARA)

Figure 11. Brig. Gen. Hume’s answer on Naples stamps, dated February 19, 1944 (Courtesy of NARA). At one point Hume notes that the Naples post office was due to receive AMG postage stamps, “but no such stamps were forthcoming” … “the overprinting was authorized as a substitute.”

Stamps under Allied control were mass-produced by the Italian government, with the image of the mythical Lupa Capitolina, the Capitoline Wolf (Scott 439-440). A small unpublished document that is preserved in NARA explains the whole process (Figure 5). The document specifies that the printing order for 20 million stamps was verbally delivered on October 30, 1943. From other documents, it is known that after being authorized by the Allies, the order was issued by the Italian Under Secretary of State for Post and Telegraphs Mario Fano, who was, from 1943 to 1946, the liaison of the Allies for all postal matters. Nevertheless, many Allied documents named him minister of communications as he was genuinely the decisionmaker. The she-wolf stamps were made at the Litografia Richter e C., which was the most prestigious printer in Naples and at the time the only one in south Italy capable of producing quality stamps. Richter, from its premises in Via Frà Gregorio Carafa, was famous in Europe for having printed over many decades magnificent tourist posters and stickers for hotel luggage. Gum was not available and the first issue of stamps was delivered without it. The paper had a honeycomb as a watermark, previously used by Richter on some local revenue stamps. The stamps began to be printed, as the document specifies, on November 29 and ended on December 28, the date on which they began to circulate massively; the stamps were not circulated in Naples where they were made, but in the areas of southern Italy. Giuseppe de Benedictis, vice director of the Naples Post Office (and author of the report discussed in this article), was responsible for the distribution of she-wolf and other stamps. A second issue of she-wolf stamps, with gum and without a watermark, was printed (Figure 6). Some catalogs state that this issue was made in midMay; others say that it was at the end of March. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 41

Figure 12. A final allegation about Hume is expressed in a letter March 7, 1944 from Brig. Gen. Lush. (Courtesy NARA)

A document dated April 5, 1944, shows it could not have been in May and the possibility that they were printed in March is very low. It’s not ruled out that the printing was made in January or February, because several documents dated during these months state the phrase “20 millions of stamps printed.” But it’s an aspect open to discussion. As the report shows, the total number of stamps issued was almost 27 million. On the other hand, 40 million of 1-lira and 10 million of 5-lire stamps were not printed, although planned.

The stamps of Naples In mid-December 1943, a new issue of Allied stamps would come to join the existing ones. These are three Italian stamps (Figure 7) with the overprinted words “Governo Militare Alleato,” meaning “Allied Military Government” (Scott 1N10, IN111, 1N13). The documents preserved in NARA show that the issue had many dark aspects, even some clandestine. I will try to prove that it was an illegal issue, perhaps the only one in the history of the United States. The creation of these stamps was the personal decision of Col. Edgar Erskine Hume (Figure 8), Regional Civil Affairs Office (RCAO), in Region III (Campania) whose capital was, and is, Naples. Hume was born on December 26, 1889, in Frankfort, Kentucky. He studied medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, as well as in Germany, Italy, and Spain. As a first lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps from September 16, 1916, he was assigned to Italy and other European countries during and after World War I. As colonel, from January 1943, he was assigned to Eisenhower’s staff in North Africa. In July and August of 1943 he was chief of public health for Sicily. Later, he was named to Region III of the Regional Civil Affairs Office of Region III until January 1944. That same month, he was promoted to brigadier general. 42 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

When the Allies conquered Rome in June 1944, Hume became the provisional governor. Later, he held several relevant positions in northern Italy, Austria, Korea, and Washington, D.C. Throughout his life, he wrote dozens of books and articles on military medicine. Three weeks after he retired from the Army, Hume died on January 24, 1952, at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Hume was a great stamp collector and records show he was an off-and-on member of the American Philatelic Society. Despite the war, he did not give up his hobby. On the contrary, I have seen several first day covers from Sicily sent by Hume and addressed to himself in September 1943. Furthermore, during and after the war, he purchased valuable specimens of stamps from Italy, the Vatican, and San Marino and drawings made by artist Corrado Mezzana, perhaps the most important in Italian philatelic history. Part of Mezzana’s collection was sold by Hume’s family in London, Stuttgart, and Milan, from May 2019 to March 2020.

The darkest issue Between September 27 and 30, 1943, the Neapolitans expelled the Nazis from their city, in the heroic quattro giornate di Napoli. The Allies entered the city on October 1. One of the first was Hume. Documents prove that while coinciding with the reopening of the Naples central post office, Hume was designing his plan to create his own stamps. In late November, at an important meeting with Prodgers, chief postal officer, Hume proposed the issue. Hume said, “many post offices had been looted and the ordinary stamps stolen, thus making them available for use by thieves or those who later obtained them. Thus, stamps might have been purchased illegally for a fraction of their value, and even the small purchase price thus obtained would not have reached the Italian Post Office. Moreover,

these stamps were available to the Germans who might have been taken elsewhere and has resulted in the creation of made misuse of them to our detriment.” philatelic curiosities and a stamp “Black Market” with disThe question is whether Hume was telling the truth. credit to the Allied administration, and will cause considerThe categorical answer is no. To begin with, it is not easy to able confusion in the establishment of inter-provincial and guess how the Germans could have sold stamps in the city foreign mail services.” of Naples, occupied by thousands of Allied soldiers. Were Intelligence reports brought increasingly unpleasant surthe same people who had given their lives going to expel prises and, on February 10, it was decided to open a formal the Nazis dealing with stamps? Of utmost importance, no investigation, asking Hume for explanations. reports from the intelligence, postal, financial, or other Hume received a questionnaire of seven short and sharp services indicate that there were significant thefts of stamps. questions, more in an inquisitive tone than in a court, which In the first days of December 1943, Hume ordered the concluded with a “Who authorized such measures?” Hume’s overprinting to Richter (Figure 9), which was already makresponse on February 19 had few truths and some halfing those of the she-wolf. The task was quick, because not truths starring in a fictional narrative (Figure 11). many stamps were made and only of three values in volumes Probably the most notorious fable was his argument that of 360,000 (20-cent), 70,000 (35-cent) and 700,000 (50the Naples issue had been made because the stamps from cent). Hume established new postage rates, theoretically as Sicily did not arrive. Hume stated: “The overprinting was complementary postage on postal cards. carried out because HQ, Allied Military Government did The release of the stamps was set for December 10, 1943. On December 8, the Star and Stripes newspaper falsely announced, “The stamps will be issued by the Badoglio government and overprinted with the words ‘Governo Militare Alleato, Allied Military Government.’ ” Badoglio, the Italian prime minister, had no jurisdiction over Naples at that time, but only the King’s Italy. Hume was still hiding reality. The stamps were rarely used for the postage of correspondence, which was only local in Naples and, from December 13, in Salerno. Quickly, some people bought large amounts to resell them. The Allied authorities were initially unaware of the problem. There were few stamps, relative to the tens of millions they handled in Sicily, and they may not have cared about it. On January 1, 1944, Hume was replaced in the Region III RCAO position by Lt. Col. Karl (also Carl) A. Kraege, of Madison, Wisconsin. It’s unlikely there was a connection between Hume’s replacement and his problems with the stamps, but as of that moment, the documents demonstrate the growing concern of the authorities with this matter, speaking clearly of “violation of tenets of AMG.” A letter dated February 4, 1944 (Figure 10), says in part, “Italian stamps have been locally overprinted … for Figure 13. A document from November 16, 1945 noting Brig. Gen. Hume’s new “postage use within Naples. This action has not stamps cases.” (Courtesy NARA) FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 43

not comply with our request for a supply of the Allied Military Government stamps that had been printed in Washington, and which are still used in Sicily.” Allied authorities soon denied that claim, noting that they had not located any requests from Hume. I have not found a similar document, so, unless I’m very much mistaken, Hume hid the truth from his comrades-in-arms. In the following days there was an intense correspondence between the Allied authorities on this matter, with numerous reply drafts. In addition, the regulations on stamp issuances were modified so that the situation would not repeat itself. An ACC Executive Memorandum of March 1 expressly prohibited the printing or overprinting of stamps locally and a provision on March 4 radically modified the postal services of Region III. In addition, the attempts of the postal, financial, and intelligence services to find 345 stamps (or, at least, one!) to send to the Universal Postal Union in Bern were unsuccessful, so only those from Sicily and the she-wolf were consigned. Consequently, the Naples issue also did not comply with international law. The reply to Hume on March 7 by Gen. Maurice Stanley Lush is cold-blooded. “I am unable to agree with you over the correctness of the policy which was followed in the restoration of postal services in that Region. Postal services are clearly ones which require a unified policy within any territory served or shortly to be served by one postal directorate, and local authorities of special kinds of stamps and of different rates of postal charges must inevitable cause, and in fact are now causing confusion when the time comes to widen the scope of the service.” And, after accusing Hume of creating a “Black Market” with the 35-cent stamps, later sold for 50 lire (that is, 150 times their value in 90 days!), he concluded in a report (Figure 12), “It was, of course, quite out of order for you to authorize a postage rate different from that previously in force without reference to higher authority.” The matter was settled. In an ironic twist of fate, months later, Hume and Lush would meet in Florence and in other artistic cities in Italy. Both are considered to be primarily responsible for saving architectural heritage. Their deeds were taken to the cinema in George Clooney’s film, The Monuments Men (2014), with some poetic licenses. But Florence, the outstanding city of Arno river, had other attractions for Hume.

New accusations against Hume Indeed, on August 23, 1944, Hume, without any postal or financial authority, withdrew from the Florence post office more than half-a-million lire of pro-Nazi Italian Social Republic (RSI) stamps. Contrasting these data with those of other sources, I think it totaled about 900,000 stamps, the entire RSI stock of the Tuscan capital. After numerous requests from the Italian authorities, the stamps were recovered and delivered to the Allied authorities. 44 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Also in Florence, from October 1944 to May 1945, Hume advised an association that proposed to issue stamps with an AMG surcharge to finance the reconstruction of the Santa Trìnità Bridge, which had been destroyed by the Nazis. In January 1945, Mario Fano was totally opposed to the issue and the Allied authorities did not authorize it “to avoid the creation of philatelic curiosities.” The unauthorized stamps were not known until November 2019 when nine sheets were put up for sale by Hume’s family in Stuttgart, along with the Mezzana’s art specimens previously noted. These sheets were unsold, perhaps due to their bid starting at 41,000 euros ($45,000). In addition, Hume took 2,900 fascist stamps from the Verona post office on April 28, 1945, the same day that, 200 kilometers away, Mussolini was shot and killed. The stamps, all overprinted, had a meager face value of 7,219 lire, but some of them were very rare, such as a 50-lire stamp (Scott RSI 5A), of which Hume took 100. For more than a year the Italian authorities were claiming them and at the end of August 1946 the AC decided to open a strong investigation (Figure 13). Hume, from Austria, complained defiantly that he was troubled with that matter so long afterward and stated that the stamps were “captured enemy material, forwarded as an exhibit.” Hume’s response was considered satisfactory by the Allied command and accounts were settled with the Italian post office, but the truth is that Hume did not say anything about the final destination of the stamps, which, at least for the author of this article, remains unknown.

Conclusion Despite these questionable behaviors, the documents show no action by the civil or military authorities against Gen. Edgar Erskine Hume, who continued to progress with his military career until the last days of his life. Concerning the city of Naples, it was the only territory in southern Italy that remained in Allied hands after the war and was restored to the Italians on January 1, 1946 (the port, later that year). Earlier, on May 25, 1944, the city council of Naples named Hume, Poletti, and five other Allied soldiers (not Kraege) as cittadini onorari (honorary citizens). Actually, the most onorari were the cittadini (some of them named here, but the majority anonymous) who risked their lives to deliver stamps to the Italian people, which they used to write to their loved ones in a time of war, in which any news was worth its weight in gold. This modest article is a remembrance of and tribute to these heroes.

Resources Most of the documents used to build the arguments of this article are preserved in NARA Record Group 331, Allied Control Commission Italy Series, 1943-1947. The collection is comprised of 15 million pages and is kept in

10,432 boxes, a length equivalent to 15 NFL stadiums. For postal history researchers, the most interesting are under Indicator 10000 (HQ), Subindicator 147 (Communications). In Archivio Centrale dello Stato, at Rome, copies of 7,283 microfilm reels are preserved. Twenty percent of ACC/AC documents can be found on the website of these Italian archives, although not some of the most important on the subject of this article. In the National Archives of the United Kingdom, at Kew, there are also some documents on this matter, but not many, because when the Allied Commission was dissolved, the originals of the documents landed at the Potomac shores, not the Thames. Also interesting is the documentation of the Italian military archives, Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, AUSSME, at Rome, particularly for the research on the collaboration between the Allies and the

partisans in the military mail of northern Italy.

Acknowledgments This article would not have been possible without the help of numerous people in the United States, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In addition to those noted in the resources, I want to make a special thank you to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (Hyde Park, New York), the Library of Virginia (Richmond, Virginia), the Hampton Roads Naval Museum (Norfolk, Virginia), the Mariners’ Museum and Park (Newport News, Virginia), the Banca d’Italia (Naples and Rome, Italy), and the Fondo Antiguo Section of IES Fray Luis de León (Salamanca, Spain). Last but not least, I want to express my gratitude to Marta Zurdo Serrano, who has corrected the text.

For Further LEARNING T

HE AUTHOR

Benini, P. “Occupation Italiennes de 1940- 1943,” Les Feuilles Marcophile, Volume 247. Gabbini, Emanuele M. Le Occupazioni Alleate in Italia: Catalogo Di Storia Postale (The Allied Occupations in Italy: Catalogue of Postal History) (Rome: Raybaudi Editore, 1991). [G6711 .O15 G112o CLOSED STACKS 1] Giannetto, Cesco. Allied Military Postage Italy (Milan: Studio Filatelico V.I.P.A., 1973). [G6711 .C873 G433ap]

The Pacific International Philatelic Exposition

Saluting the 80th Anniversary of D-DAY

Kugel, Al. “Italian World War II Military & Civil Occupation Mail 1939-1943” (Hinsdale, IL: Alfred F. Kugel, 2002. [G6711 .M644 K95itww 2002 EXHIBIT] Ruddell, Paul A. “Italy – Occupation Stamps,” Hobbies (October 1943).

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Photo Courtesy of The National WWII Museum

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Dr. Jesús García Sánchez, now retired, taught history in universities and high schools in Spain. The topic of his doctoral thesis was postal censorship in Europe in the 20th century. He has researched numerous archives in Europe and America and is the author of several books and dozens of articles in seven languages on philately, postal history, and education. He was legislative advisor to the regional government of Castile and Leon. He has been a collector of stamps and covers since childhood, focusing on war mail.

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Remembering Via V-Mail One soldier’s letter opens window to war era and the Greatest Generation BETHANY HUNTER

ighty years ago, millions of men and women gave their lives during World War II in the name of peace and security for future generations. Thousands of people have been officially honored, but millions are unknown. Here, through the documentation of V-mail, the life of one of America’s long-forgotten soldiers has been remembered. The war in 1941 had been raging for two years, steadily growing in magnitude and the lives that it cost. There was a desperate need overseas for ammunition, first-aid supplies, and food. The cargo planes and ships could only carry so much, and by the time the U.S. entered the fray in late 1941, a large amount of room was occupied by mail. Mail was a very important part of life, especially for the Army and Navy personnel overseas. It was the only way to connect with parents, siblings, and friends. On June 15, 1942, the U.S. Post Office, War, and Navy departments inaugurated V-mail, the solution to the cargo space problem. When fully established, V-mail Service would be available for the transmission of letters to and from the armed forces outside of the continental United States. V-mail was exclusively for the use of the armed forces and their families.

Figure 1. A V-Mail advertisement, letter sheet, and envelope. (Courtesy National Postal Museum) 46 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

V-mail took the form of a standard, uniform, and distinctive letter sheet. Each letter sheet was a combination of letter and envelope (Figure 1). They were constructed and gummed so that they would fold into a distinctly marked envelope. The correspondence side of the V-mail letter sheet was arranged to allow for the largest possible surface area to be used for the message. Above this was a small space for the recipient’s name and address, for the sender’s name and address, and a small area for the censor’s mark. Each letter was written in dark ink or a dark pencil. Nothing could be enclosed with the letter. V-mail letter sheets were designed to be easily identified as mail to or from the armed forces. This ensured that V-mail would be quickly handled and dispatched. Due to the reduction in weight, size, and the uniform dimensions, a V-mail letter could be given the most expeditious transportation possible. In order to lighten the load even more, there were photographic micro-filming facilities established in conjunction to the V-mail Service. V-mail stations were set up under the control of the military for the purpose of photographing and microfilming the V-mail letters onto 16-millimeter film (Figure 2). While the Post Office Department did not have jurisdiction over the V-mail stations, it did have the job of separating V-mail letters by Army and Navy stations. The Army and Navy then would determine, based on the volume of mail, where the letters would be processed for the fastest possible handling time. The goal for V-mail was to save every possible bit of shipping weight and space. As an example of how much space was saved on the average convoy or bomber ferry, a dispatch of 150,000 ordinary one-sheet letters going overseas would weigh 2,575 pounds and require 37 mail sacks. If the letters were V-mail letters of the same amount, they would weigh 1,500 pounds and fill 22 mail sacks, thus opening up the space to transport 1,075 pounds of vital military material. And yet, there was even a more good news with V-Mail as the load of mail could be made even much smaller and lighter. When a V-mail letter was micro-filmed, it was reduced to approximately 3.15 percent of the original volume and weight. As a result, after filming, 150,000 V-mail letters weighed 45 pounds and occupied the space of one mail sack. Upon arrival at the destination, the receiving V-mail station reproduced by photography and by enlarging the image, the individual messages on the film. These were each enclosed in a specially designed War and Navy Department V-mail penalty window envelope. The addressee would receive a photograph approximately 4 inches by 5 ½ inches of the actual message written by the sender. The War and Navy Department furnished V-mail letter sheets at no cost to all members of the armed forces stationed abroad. By mid-June 1942, those letter sheets sent from the continental United States to a member of the armed forces were available at 20 different large post offices across the United States.

Figure 2. A processing station worker demonstrates the reduced size of V-Mail film. (Courtesy of Diane DeBlois)

Starting June 20 all other post offices would receive a large stock of V-mail. Private companies could obtain permits to print V-mail letter sheets according to the set rules and regulations. The goal was to have all V-mail stationery printed by private companies, and none by the Post Office Department. The V-mail Service lasted several years without changing much. Through the war, V-mail made a massive impact, not only on delivery of military supplies, but also on the lives of countless Americans. V-mail was a necessary and big part of life during World War II. It changed many lives then, and even now it has an impact impossible to measure. V-mail is not just a way through which to learn about the war years, it is also a way to keep alive countless memories. Last year, I was given a V-mail letter, and was told to have fun researching it. I went home and read the letter. I was immediately drawn into the personal story. Through this single letter, I was given a chance to bring Robert Bond Pope’s life to light (Figure 3). Pope was born January 14, 1912. He was the first child of Samuel E. Pope, who was a teller at People’s Bank of Sacramento, which is now part of the Bank of America. Through the years, the family rose in prominence, as Robert’s father was promoted to vice president of the bank. Robert Pope had a brother, John Arnold Pope, and a sister, Miley Pope. In 1929, when Robert Pope was 17, he had a job as an elevator operator at the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles. He FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 47

Figure 4. Photo of Robert Pope’s draft card. (Courtesy of Ancestry.com)

Figure 3. Photo of Robert Pope as a young man. (Courtesy of Ancestry.com)

Figure 5. The letter that Robert Pope wrote to his aunt.

48 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

was at his post when two convicts were brought through for a court hearing. One of the convicts, John Hawkins, pulled a gun and managed 13 shots before he and his fellow convict were subdued. Pope came out of the fray uninjured. In 1940, Pope lived in Los Angeles and worked in San Francisco as an insurance salesman for Limited Mutual Compensation Insurance Co. On October 16, 1940, he registered for the draft (Figure 4). Two years later, on March 20, 1942, he was drafted into the Army as a private for the duration of the war, plus six months. On January 23, 1944, when Pope was stationed in New Zealand as first lieutenant of the Third Battalion, 161st Infantry, he sent a V-Mail letter to his aunt, Miley Pope (Figure 5). Pope wrote: Dear Miley, Is this your first V-mail letter? Possibly Jack [Robert’s brother] may have written you in this manner when he was in Hawaii. I have had a lot of leisure time the past two days and I have decided to write to as many people as possible with thought that my incoming mail will increase. Now that I am many miles from California letters become especially important and the best way to cause them to arrive is to make my list of correspondents obligated to me. I won’t always use V-mail – regular air mail is supposed to be more rapid – but it is convenient when one is trying to write a large number of letters. I explained to Mother that I was unable to cash your X-mas check, and as a result I have decided to write it off. So you can forget about the cancelled check, and some other X-mas I’ll get even with you. The same thing applies to Arthur and Patti [Robert’s uncle and aunt; Miley’s brother and sister-in-law] so you might spread the information on to them. Was the orange harvesting a success? I suppose by now Mother has some 1944 marmalade on our shelf ready to be […] until the next crop of oranges arrive. When you write tell me about your Christmas and with my picture of “The Bluff.” I’ll be able to reconstruct the scene with very little difficulty. I enjoyed our first visit in San Francisco, and I am certainly glad you were able to make the trip. It probably will be some months before I pass through the

Golden Gate again, and as it turned out I wouldn’t have had another chance to visit with you. As you no doubt know I spent a couple of weeks in the Monterey area, but I couldn’t get enough time off to travel any great distance. That’s all for this time. Give my best regards to Olivia and Arthur and Patti. Love, Bob

Several months later, Robert Pope died during the Battle of Luzon, in the Philippines. He was buried on March 13, 1945, in Fort William McKinley, now Fort Bonifacio, in Manila, Philippines. V-mail played a huge part in the last few months of Pope’s life. Without V-mail, he could not have sent such a large volume of letters home. If he had used regular airmail, it would have cost quite a bit more. Not only did V-mail make it possible to send a large number of letters, it also allowed him to express his loneliness. With regular airmail, he could have asked for letters from home, but only from a few people, rather than from everyone he knew. While V-mail was purportedly the best way to send mail in wartime, most people did not care for it. Robert Pope was no exception. He writes about preferring regular airmail because it was faster. But at the same time, he recognized the reason for V-mail – convenience. He could use V-mail to send a large number of letters all at once, without costing the military valuable shipping space. Pope was just an ordinary man, drafted at 28, rising in rank to first lieutenant, and dying in the highest casualty battle in the Philippines. When I learned of his death, I was devastated. I wanted him to come home and live a happy and important life. But I have realized that Robert’s life was important, even in his early death. He had a wonderful childhood, with lots of close relatives. He had a good career, and then he gave everything he had to his

nation. He made the ultimate sacrifice, helping to secure a happy life for his nieces and nephews, and all later generations. I am proud to have been able to bring his story to life, a man who otherwise would have been forgotten in the passage of time. This article would have been invaluable to his mother and father, as their son will be remembered by thousands long after his death. That is the reason why I have written this, in the memory of all the millions of people who have given everything in the name of peace.

Resources Ancestry.com. “Robert Bond Pope: U.S. Census, 1930, Sacramento, Sacramento County, California; Census, 1940, Los Angeles County; World War II Draft Registration Cards Young Men, 1940-1947;” “United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946”; “U.S., World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas.” Ancestry.com. “Robert B Pope: born 14 January 14, 1912, California, Birth Index 1905-1995.” “Numerical Listing of APO’s,” Army Postal Service and Strength Accounting Branches, AGO. (January 1942-November 1947). “S. F. Convict Killed In L.A. Gun Battle,” San Francisco Chronicle (January 22, 1929). Walker, Frank C. “Mail Service For Our Armed Forces, V-Mail Service Inaugurated,” United States Official Postal Guide (June 12, 1942).

he Author

Bethany is a recent graduate of the Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship. She joined the YPLF after her brother, Ian Hunter, had graduated several years ago. She took the Author Track under the mentorship of Cheryl Ganz, while focusing on postal history. She started collecting stamps when she was 6 years old, imitating her older siblings. Her collecting interests morphed over time, to her current interest in war philately. War philately is her main interest, but anything beautiful or unique has a way of sneaking into her collection. Now, as a YPLF alumni, she is focusing on finding more writing inspiration, with the hopes of publishing more frequently.

A word from Cheryl Ganz I was honored and privileged to be Bethany’s YPLF mentor last year for the writing track. The best part of the experience for me was sharing ideas of where to search for sources, hearing about her information finds, and learning about how she would put all the puzzle pieces together into an informative and engaging article. Bethany took the lead based on her collection and interests. I was there to guide and review an already talented writer who cares about philately, history, and family ties. I was a young collector who had many philatelic mentors over the years. Intergenerational friendships allow us to pass on our knowledge but also ensure that the hobby sustains a level of lifelong learning with fun encounters found nowhere else. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 49

Charity Stamps Issued by Russian Cities During World War I WILLIAM VELVEL MOSKOFF AND CAROL GAYLE

50 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

ussian cities issued many charity stamps during World War I. The purpose of these municipal charity stamps was to raise revenue to care for wounded soldiers, aid the families of active-duty military, and facilitate the internal resettlement of refugees. Russian cities assumed these responsibilities because the central government was not able, and in some instances, was unwilling to shoulder the entire task. Many of these charity stamps contained the municipality’s official seal, the symbol of the civic authority of the city or town. Thus, at the beginning of the war in 1914 some cities issued charity stamps to show their commitment to the war effort and to give the public a sense of participation in the war effort. As historian Peter Gatrell has suggested, the tsarist central government had little understanding of the value of domestic propaganda as a way to generate popular support for the war effort. The task fell to civic bodies and local governments. Many municipal leaders seized the opportunity and used charity stamps to raise both

money and patriotic support. They also hoped to enlarge the role and influence of cities in Russian governance. This article examines some representative examples of municipal charity stamps bearing city seals that were issued during World War I. City seals first emerged in Russia in the late Middle Ages and borrowed their iconography from aristocratic and royal coats of arms. The city of Moscow seal was adopted in the 16th century, a slightly modified version of which can be seen in Figure 1. It depicts a medieval knight on a white steed slaying a dragon with Figure 2. A Smolensk city charity stamp. his longsword. The image draws on the myth of Saint George and the dragon. Although there are several varia- Figure 1. The 18th century Moscow city seal. tions of the myth, at its crux it is the story of the slaying of a dragon that was demanding sacrifices of a village. After the village exhausted its supply of livestock as offerings to mollify the creature, the dragon demanded human sacrifice. When a beloved princess was offered to the dragon, St. George rescued her and defeated the evil dragon. The saint knocked the dragon to the ground with his longsword, and his horse then trampled the dragon to death. The charity stamp in Figure 2 was issued by the Smolensk Public Administration in 1914 for the purpose of aiding soldiers and their families. The stamp features the huge Smolensk Fortress, built during the years 1595-1602 by Tsar Boris Godunov for the purpose of protecting the city against Poland. At the bottom of the stamp is the seal of Smolensk, a cannon aimed at foreign invaders. In Smolensk’s charity stamp the fortress and the city seal symbolized Russia’s efforts to repel an external enemy, this time not Figure 3. The St. Petersburg city seal. Poland, but Germany. The original seal of the city of St. Petersburg was inspired by its founder, Peter I (16821725). An 18th century letter reviewed in a 1974 work by N.N. Speransov provided a vivid description of the seal: “The red field meant the bloody battles that had taken place here, the… [two types of] anchors showed that Petersburg was a sea and river port, the golden scepter that the new city is the capital of Russia.” Figure 3 is an early version of the St. Petersburg seal. Figure 4 is one of a set of four charity stamps of similar design that were issued in Petrograd in 1914 by the All-Russian Union of Cities. This organization, established in August 1914, incorporated 464 county and provincial Figure 4. A charity stamp of the All-Russian Union of Cities. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 51

Figure 5. A Russian charity stamp for wounded French soldiers.

cities. It was formed to provide a platform for civic support and assistance for the Russian government during the war as well as to provide medical assistance to wounded Russian soldiers and to assist refugees in finding places to live. The design of the stamp contains a large central emblem with three walled cities framed by the words “All-Russian Union of Cities.” The cities also are connected by a ribbon implying their unity of purpose. In the center are two shields, the one on the right bearing the Petrine version of Petrograd’s seal and that on the left displaying a knight slaying the dragon, an allusion to Moscow. Behind the shields the top of a crutch can be seen. A banner at the bottom says: “For the Crippled Warriors.” The unusual 2-kopek stamp found in Figure 5 was issued by the city of Petrograd during the war, not on behalf of Russian soldiers but rather to provide funds for wounded French soldiers. The text is written in French. At the top, there is a classic red cross above which is a

Figure 6. Vyatka World War I charity stamps bearing the city’s seal. 52 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

ribbon bearing the word “Petrograd.” The lower half of the stamp is dominated by the double-headed Imperial eagle on which is superimposed the 1730 St. Petersburg seal with two anchors and a scepter. The stamp is undated but may have been issued in the first months of the war when the French armies were struggling to contain the invading German military. The oldest image of the seal of the city of Vyatka (today, Kirov) is found on the seal of Ivan the Terrible, where among regional coats of arms we see “the seal of Vyatka,” a bow and arrow. Later, a human hand emerging from a cloud was added to the image of the bow and arrow, and in 1672 a cross was added. Atop the shield is a crown. Thus, by the 18th century, the city’s ancient emblem had become a highly decorative seal. Vyatka’s seal was described in the 18th century, again as found in a work by Speransov, as, “In a golden field a hand emerging from a cloud, holding a bow with an arrow, and a red cross with it in the upper part of the shield.” Figure 6 contains five representations of the many charity stamps that Vyatka issued during the war. Note that the set of four stamps below were issued in 1914 by the Vyatka gubernia (province) but used the Vyatka city seal. The stamp in Figure 7, issued in 1914, is dominated by the seal of the city of Pskov at the top. Below is the city’s cathedral in the center against the background of the rising sun and the ribboned Russian flag. The seal bears the picture of an animal often described as a leopard, although in a highly decorative and fantastical image. In 1672, the representation of a hand emerging from a cloud was added to the seal. The territory of Estonia was ruled by the Russian Empire from the 18th century to the collapse of the empire in 19171918. The chief city of the province was Reval (renamed Tallin in 1918 when Estonia became independent).

Figure 8 shows a stamp issued by Reval in 1915. The seal of the city, a shield bearing three heraldic lions, one above the other, is displayed prominently in the center of the stamp. Around the perimeter of the stamp the text says: “To Aid Families of Individuals Called Up to Fight in the War.” Russian cities issued many hundreds of charity stamps during World War I. They wanted to show their support for the war effort and did this by prominently displaying their historic city seals. They were driven both by the necessity of raising new revenues to aid the many citizens caught up in the war, and the noble intention of raising popular patriotism. Resources Figure 7. A Pskov charity stamp with the city seal.

Gatrell, Peter. Russia’s First World War: A Social and Economic History (Harlow: Great Britain, 2005). Kossoy, Meer. “Courier Mail in the Russian Army,” Rossica, No. 177 (Fall 2021). Speransov, N.N. “Introduction to Russian Heraldry,” Zemel’nye gerby rossiy (1974). St. George’s Society New York, http://www.stgeorgesociety.org/ news/2018/3/30/saint-george-the-man-the-myth-the-legend.

Figure 8. The 1915 Reval charity stamp.

he Authors

William Velvel Moskoff is Professor Emeritus of economics at Lake Forest College. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hunter College and earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author or editor of nine books, and has published about 170 articles, 75 of them in the field of philately. He is the former editor of Rossica: The International Journal of Russian Philately. He has previously published a number of articles in The American Philatelist.

Carol Gayle is Associate Professor of history at Lake Forest College. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Swarthmore College, she did her graduate work in history at Columbia University, where she also earned a certificate in Russian and Soviet Studies. Primarily a specialist in Russian and Soviet intellectual and social history, she edited East/West Education for nearly two decades. In addition, she edited several books on European economic history and also coauthored Cast-Iron Architecture in America: The Significance of James Bogardus (W.W. Norton, 1998), selected as a New York Times notable book that same year.

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1919) (Moscow: OAO Laroslavskii Poligrafkomvinat, 2004) [G7001 .L811 G979k 2004]

Recommendations from the APRL research staff: Ceresa, R. J. The Postage Stamps of Russia, 1917-1923 (n.l.: R.J. Ceresa, 2000). [G7000 .C414p CLOSED STACKS]

Sklarevski, R. “Charity or Semi-Postal Issues of Imperial and Soviet Russia” and “Addenda to Charity or Semi-Postal Issues of Imperial and Soviet Issues,” Rossica (1955).

Gurevich, Iurii Efimovich, O.M. Poltorak & I.A. Strebulaev. Katalog Marok Zemskikh Pocht Rossii 1866-1919 (Stamps of the Zemstvo Posts of Russia - Catalog, 1866-

Snee, Charles. “Russia 1875 Coat of Arms Stamp Discovered with the ‘T’ Variety and the Center Inverted” Linn's Stamp News, April 13, 2015.

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Left, the front of Headsville (courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives). Right, the post office today at the American Philatelic Center.

The Headsville Post Office: From West Virginia to Bellefonte

ne of my favorite places to visit at the American Philatelic Center (APC) in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, is the Headsville Post Office. I make it a point to stop in every time I visit. The post office was built in Headsville, Mineral County, West Virginia, in the 1860s, as a post office and general store. Figure 1 shows the post office on its original site in the 1970s when it was closed for business. In the early 1970s, the post office was disassembled and moved to the National Museum of History and Technology at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Around 2007, it was moved to American Philatelic Center, headquarters of the American Philatelic Society, where it remains to this day on loan from the Smithsonian. It is the original post office, not a reproduction. And it is not just a museum piece that you admire from behind a velvet rope; you can go inside and look around. Though it is not an official post office now, until recently 54 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

RON BREZNAY

Figure 1. The Headsville Post Office on its original site in the 1970s.

it served as a contract postal unit, so you could buy stamps and post mail there. The first post office serving Headsville was established on January 2, 1813, in Sheetz’s Mill, which was an early name for Headsville. Charles Marshall was the first postmaster. At the time, the town was located in what was then Hampshire County, Virginia. In 1863, that section of the state split off from Virginia and became West Virginia, and in 1866, Mineral County was carved out of Hampshire County. Headsville, in the far northeast portion of the state, is located near the intersection of Patterson Creek Road (County Route 11) and Fountain-Headsville Road (County Route 16). The post office was discontinued on May 3, 1815. Then it was re-established on January 14, 1828, with Frederick Sheetz initially serving as postmaster. Henry Head, shown in Figure 2, served as postmaster from February 26, 1855, to February 23, 1857, and again from March 24, 1858, until the Sheetz’s Mill post office was discontinued September 29, 1866. The simple rectangular, wooden-sided building housing the Headsville post office was constructed in the early Figure 2. Henry Head. 1860s as a general store, and the post office was established in the store on March 5, 1868, with Head as postmaster. He held this position until Isaac H. Carskadon was appointed postmaster on November 10, 1869. Head served again as postmaster from March 21, 1871, until July 8, 1880. Ed McDonald, who is currently vice president of the Mineral County Historical Society and is the greatgreat-grandson of Head, said that the Headsville store/post Figure 3. A model of the post office with the familiar front of the building on the left and the not-sooffice stood on his family’s familiar back on the right. (Courtesy of Terry Beeseck.) property, the McDonald family farm. Another member of the Mineral County Historical Society, Terry Beeseck, said his mother-in-law has a model of the post office that someone made many years ago. Figure 3 shows the familiar front of the building on the left and the not-so-familiar back on the right. The cover in Figure 4 shows a Headsville postmark from 1882, nearly 70 years after the first post office opened in the hamlet. The cover in Figure 5, from April 2, 1906, has a Doane cancellation. Doane cancels were the Post Office Department’s first attempt to improve postmark legibility by issuing rubber handstamps. Prior to this, cancels were made from cork, metal, wood, or other materials, Figure 4. A cover with Headsville postmark from 1882. (Courtesy of Wayne Farley.) FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 55

often hand-carved. The name honors Edith R. Doane, a postal historian who, in the 1950s, became interested in these early 20th-century handstamps. She published her first research findings in 1978. When John E. Staggs became postmaster of Headsville on March 8, 1914, he moved the post office to his own business, apparently shown in the cachet on the cover in Figure 6. The building that housed the now-former Headsville post office continued operating as a general store until it went out of business during the Depression era of the 1930s. Staggs’ post office continued in operation until December 31, 1951, as shown on the “Last Day of Post Office” cover in Figure 8. Staggs was Figure 5. A cover with Doane cancellation from 1906. still the postmaster at the end of 1951. After this post office closed, Headsville’s mail was routed to Keyser, which is the county seat, or to Burlington, depending upon the address. In the late 1960s, curators at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of History and Technology wanted to present aspects of the American experience to visitors of the museum in different ways. Instead of using “sterile techniques which have too frequently given visitors the false impression that all objects were clean, in perfect condition, and unrelated to the people who built and used them,” curators wanted to create exhibits that visitors could identify with Figure 6. Last Day of Post Office cover for the Headsville Post Office, which closed more personally. permanently on December 31, 1951. Carl Scheele, curator for the Division of Postal History, knew of the perfect object — a post office — that would be personal and identifiable by almost everyone who visited the museum, but he did not know where to find one, according to an article posted in the online Smithsonian Institution Archives. When Scheele was searching for a post office to exhibit in the museum, he looked at more than 600 post offices in 13 states. The one in Headsville was among the oldest he examined. McDonald related that when Scheele was looking for a general store/post office, he made a chance discovery of the one in Headsville. Scheele was driving around West Virginia and was stopped by a flagger at a road construction site. He asked the flagger if he knew of a general store/post office in the area, and the flagger directed him to Headsville. Scheele chose the Headsville post office for the Smithsonian because, as reported in a 1971 Keyser (W.Va.) newspaper at the time, “it had remained unaltered in structure, both inside and out, from its earliest Figure 7. The disassembly of the post office by the Smithsonian days. The original counters, shelving, floor, windows, Institution in July 1971. (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives.)

56 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Figure 8. Invitation to the dedication of the post office on September 27, 1971.

shutters, walls and ceiling were intact. There are even inscriptions written on the shutters by Civil War soldiers who were stationed in the area or who passed that way. An iron pot-bellied stove had been added before the close of the 19th century, and the building was wired for electric lights about World War I, but these changes seem to be the only alterations to the original structure, with the exception of a front porch we believe was added prior to 1900.” The article goes on to quote Scheele: “The Headsville Post Office is a natural addition to a museum depicting the cultural and technological history of America. The Postal Service is the single institution that has been common to virtually every American’s experience throughout 200 years, and the most representative type of post office in American history — the most numerous and widespread — has been the country store-post office.” McDonald said that his grandfather, Edgar H. McDonald, sold the building to the Smithsonian for $7,500. The building still contained the general store’s original stock of non-perishable goods, which had remained largely untouched for roughly 60 years, including high button shoes, spices, patent medicines, slate pencils, and poultry lice medicine. As shown in Figure 7, a Smithsonian restoration specialist named Charles H. Rowell, assisted by Reverdy Marcey, carefully took the building apart bit by bit, coding each piece. The process took about two weeks.

Figure 9. The photo of the exterior of the post office when it was at the Smithsonian. (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives.) A postcard shows the interior of the post office when it was at the Smithsonian. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 57

Figure 10. At the dedication ceremony, Postmaster General Winton M. Blount hand-delivered a commemorative cover to Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley. (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives.)

Figure 11. Machine Dials 1 and 2. 58 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Figure 12. Machine Flags 1 and 2.

The post office was reassembled at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of History and Technology, near the Constitution Avenue entrance. (In 1980, the museum was renamed the National Museum of American History.) The dedication of the post office was scheduled for September 27, 1971, at 2 p.m. Shown in Figure 8 is an invitation to the dedication. Shown in Figure 9 is a photograph of the exterior of the post office when it was at the Smithsonian, while the interior is shown on a postcard. The post office was dedicated by Postmaster General Winton M. Blount. During the dedication ceremony, Blount hand-canceled an envelope bearing the postage stamp showing the logo of the newly established United States Postal Service (Scott U.S. 1396) as well as a 1946 commemorative stamp honoring the Smithsonian (Scott U.S. 943). As shown in Figure 10, Blount hand-delivered the cover to Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley as the crowd looked on. Also present was National Museum of History and Technology Director Daniel J. Boorstin. This was the first known pictorial cancellation that was not a first day cancellation. The post office was a working post office at the Smithsonian, with special cancellations used. The most popular sale items were postcard stamps for tourists and current stamps for collectors. A 2006 article in the Machine Cancel Forum states that both machine and hand cancels were struck. They are easy to tell apart as the machine cancels have round postmarks (which the Machine Cancel Society calls “dials”) and the hand cancels have oval postmarks. All of the cancels used a flagshaped killer (which the Machine Cancel Society calls “flags”). The machine cancels were used concurrently with the hand cancels. For the machine cancels, the Machine Cancel Forum article lists two different dials and two different flags, with three different combinations. For the hand cancels, there is one dial and five different flags. In Figure 11 are the two machine dials. Dial 1 has no space between “Smithsonian” and “Sta.” and Dial 2 has a space.

As shown in Figure 12, the two Machine Flags had the same layout: the canton contains a drawing of the post office, and the stripes have the name of the museum. Flag 1 has the original name of the museum, The National Museum of History and Technology, and Flag 2 has the new name, the National Museum of American History. Dial 1 was used only with Flag 1, and Dial 2 was used with both Flag 1 and Flag 2. Therefore, there are three different machine cancellations. The cover in Figure 13 has the combination of Dial 2 and Flag 2, which was used from 1982 to 1989. The machine cancels were made using an old International Postal Supply Company HD-2 Model Number 170 hand-driven canceling machine. The machine was found stored at the Topeka, Kansas, post office. Sheele had the machine shipped in August 1971 to Washington, where it was restored. Pitney-Bowes engraved the canceling die for the museum. Once restored for use, the cancellation machine was installed in the Headsville Post Office. Unfortunately, the machine impressions are generally poor because of worn parts that could not be adjusted. The hand cancels all had the same layout, as shown in Figure 14: an oval postmark, a flag with the name of the museum in the canton, and a separate drawing of the post office. There also were two commemorative cancellations. The first flag variety contained the old name of the museum, the National Museum of History and Technology. Hand Flag 1 was used from 1971 to 1981. This cover is from the dedication of the post office exhibit on September 27, 1971. The cover in Figure 15 has Hand Flag 2, which was a special cancellation for the opening of the Hall of Stamps and the Mails, with this event noted in the stripes of the flag. Hand Flag 2 was used from 1972 to 1973. This cover marks the opening of the Hall of Stamps and the Mails on November 17, 1972. The cover in Figure 16 has Hand Flag 3, which was a special cancellation noting “100 Years/Haenlein/to Apollo.” The cancellation has a drawing of an Apollo spacecraft instead of the Headsville Post Office, and the commemorative slogan in place of the name of the museum in the canton. Hand Flag 3 was used from 1972 to 1973.

Figure 13. Cover with the combination of Dial 2 and Flag 2, which was used from 1982 to 1989.

Figure 14. A cover with Hand Flag 1, which was used from 1971 to 1981. This cover is from the dedication of the post office exhibit on September 27, 1971.

Figure 15. A cover with Hand Flag 2, which was a special cancellation for the opening of the Hall of Stamps and the Mails, with this event noted in the stripes of the flag. Hand Flag 2 was used from 1972 to 1973. This cover marks the opening of the Hall of Stamps and the Mails on November 17, 1972.

FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 59

Figure 16. Cover with Hand Flag 3, which was a special cancellation used from 1972 to 1973.

Figure 17. A comparison of Hand Flags 4 and 5.

Figure 18. Cover with Hand Flag 4, which was used beginning in 1981 until the post office closed at the Smithsonian in 2006.

Headsville Postmasters Name Charles Marshall Frederick Sheetz Henry Head Henry Head Henry Head Isaac H. Carskadon Nathan Wilson Henry Head Joseph W. Shoemaker George T. Carskadon John W. Powell Mrs. Mollie W. Carskadon Mary E. Fink William B. Daugherty Thomas B. Doman Franklin Haines

Date Appointed January 2, 1813 January 14, 1828 February 26, 1855 March 24, 1858 March 5, 1868 November 10, 1869 August 22, 1870 March 21, 1871 July 9, 1880 February 12, 1881 October 25, 1881 March 26, 1883 December 16, 1895 February 3, 1898 May 19, 1898 March 9, 1909

Name of Post Office Sheetz’s Mill Sheetz’s Mill Sheetz’s Mill Sheetz’s Mill Headsville Headsville Headsville Headsville Headsville Headsville Headsville Headsville Headsville Headsville Headsville Headsville

Then the post office was moved to John E. Staggs’ store. John E. Stagg

March 18, 1914

Headsville

Staggs was postmaster until the post office was discontinued on December 31, 1951. 60 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Figure 19. Part of the brochure for the opening of the Hall of Stamps and the Mails on November 17, 1972.

Paul Haenlein was a German engineer who invented the first internal combustion engine to be used on an aircraft. The engine was first used in a dirigible in 1872. This cover commemorates Apollo 13, which was headed for the moon in 1970, but because of equipment failures, was forced to loop around the moon and return to earth. Hand Flags 4 and 5 have the new name of the museum, The National Museum of American History, in the canton. This cancellation has two varieties, as shown in Figure 17. In Flag 4, the second “A” in “American” Figure 20. A last-day cover marking the closing of the Headsville Post Office at the is over the “Y” in “History.” In Flag 5, Smithsonian on July 21, 2006. (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution Archives.) the “C” in “American” is over the “Y” cancellation has the oval postmark with “Opening/Hall of in “History.” Stamps/and/the Mails” in the stripes of the flag. The cover in Figure 18 has Hand Flag 4, which was The Smithsonian intended to keep the post office for used beginning in 1981 until the post office closed at the only a short time, but it became so popular that it ended up Smithsonian in 2006. November 2, 1982, was Election Day. keeping the exhibit for 35 years. In 2004, it was announced This cover was apparently in favor of a ballot question to that the post office would be removed as part of a general approve the constitution of New Columbia, i.e., statehood renovation of the museum, and perhaps also because of the for Washington, D.C. The “ayes” prevailed as the D.C. voters 1993 opening of the National Postal Museum. approved the constitution, but it does not appear that it went The post office was closed on July 21, 2006, as shown anywhere as D.C. did not become a state. on the last day cover in Figure 20. The National Museum of The Hall of Stamps and the Mails opened on November American History was closed for extensive renovations from 17, 1972. This precursor to the National Postal Museum was September 2006 to November 2008. in the National Museum of History and Technology. The The Smithsonian planned to warehouse the post office page from the brochure shown in Figure 19 has the 1972 until the APS got involved. On September 20, 2006, the APS Mail Order stamp (Scott U.S. 1468), which depicts the interior of the post office when it was at the Smithsonian. The announced its proposal to relocate the post office from the FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 61

Figure 21. Part of a brochure that the APS issued for the relocation of the post office from the Smithsonian to the American Philatelic Center.

Figure 22. A commemorative cover for the dedication of the Gordon and Mary Morison Pavilion signed by Stephen Reinhard, Peter Mastrangelo, Gordon Morison, and Janet Klug.

Smithsonian to the American Philatelic Center. Figure 21 shows the brochure that the APS issued for the project. The APS intended to build a special, climate-controlled pavilion to house the post office. The funding goal of the APS for the relocation was $350,000. The post office was dismantled and the pieces were moved to the APC in late 2007 and early 2008. The loan of the Headsville Post Office to the APS is a three-year renewable loan. The APS is required to send the Smithsonian regular reports of hourly temperature, humidity, and light readings, with photos. One time, a photo in a report showed something inside the stove, which the APS had to investigate. It was found that the mystery object was just a piece of bubble-wrap left over from the move. 62 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

During Aerophilately 2007, held at the APC in October 2007, the new pavilion was dedicated. It was named the Gordon and Mary Morison Pavilion. The commemorative cover shown in Figure 22 was signed by Stephen Reinhard, who is a judge of aerophilately and later had a term as president of the APS; Peter Mastrangelo, then APS executive director; Gordon Morison; and Janet Klug, immediate past president of the APS at the time. Gordon Morison was a former assistant postmaster general and was very active in organized philately, including with the APS. His wife, Mary, was also a stamp collector and active in the stamp community. Figure 23 shows the program for the dedication of the Morison Pavilion.

Figure 23. The program for the dedication of the Morison Pavilion.

Figure 24. Above, the Morison family prior to the dedication ceremony. Right, an image from the dedication ceremony with (from right) Postmaster General Benjamin Bailar, Gordon Morison, and Ken Martin. Instead of cutting a ribbon, they cut a coil of stamps.

Figure 25. A commemorative cover for the opening of the Headsville Post Office at the American Philatelic Center on March 3, 2008.

Among those at the dedication, as shown in the photo in Figure 24, were former Postmaster General Benjamin Bailar; Janet Klug; Charles J. Peterson, then Secretary of the American Philatelic Research Library; Gordon Morison; and Ken Martin, then Executive Director of the APS. Instead of cutting a ribbon, they cut a coil of stamps. Construction of the pavilion and assembly of the post office was completed on February 8, 2008. As shown on the cover in Figure 25, the post office opened on March 3, 2008, with ZIP code of 16823. It opened as a contract postal unit. According to the USPS website, a CPU is “a supplierowned or supplier-leased site operated by the supplier, under contract to the Postal Service™ to provide postal products and services to the public at U.S. Postal Service prices.” Though the post office opened on March 3, the dedication ceremony was held on June 21, just before the 2008 APS Summer Seminar.

Today, visitors can see the Headsville Post Office at the APS during business hours (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday). Mail may be sent from the APC, which also sells current U.S. stamps and often has stamps that are not generally available in post offices, such as the Classics Forever stamps of 2016 (Scott U.S. 5079). Over the years, the post office has been stocked with antiques, many loaned by employees of the APS. Sometimes the employees took their items with them when they left, so not all the antiques in these photos are still on display. Figure 26 shows the post office counter and a packing case that was used to mail eggs. The Headsville Post Office has come a long way since its establishment in 1868, and it continues to educate and enthrall visitors today. Be sure to check it out during your next visit to the American Philatelic Center. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 63

Acknowledgements The Smithsonian Institution for various photos. Gary Loew for photos and documents. Wayne Farley for the image of the 1882 Headsville cover. Roger Skinner, of the Western Philatelic Library, for the copy of The Headsville Post Office Project brochure. Jim Stultz for the Smithsonian dedication invitation, the Smithsonian dedication program, and an article about the dedication. Scott Tiffney for a tour and background information. Ken Martin for background information. Information and photos from Cindy Pyles, president of the Mineral County Historical Society; Ed McDonald, vice president of the Mineral County Historical Society; Dinah Courrier, Mineral County Museum coordinator; and Terry Beeseck, member of the Mineral County Historical Society.

Resources “Dedication Ceremony Scheduled,” News-Tribune, Keyser, West Virginia (September 10, 1971). Machine Cancel Forum, Machine Cancel Society, January 2006, pp. 3667-3676. Milhoan, Patrick. “Neither Snow nor Rain: a West Virginia Post Office in the Smithsonian,” Published September 13, 2016. Accessed July 15, 2023. https:// siarchives.si.edu/blog/neither-snow-nor-rain-west-virginia-post-office-smithsonian

he Author

Ron Breznay is a longtime stamp collector from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He has a worldwide collection but semi-specializes in United States, Confederate States, and Canada, and has topical collections of horror, Alfred Hitchcock, and summer on stamps. He joined the APS in 1988, is a member of various other philatelic societies, and is president of the Wyoming Valley Stamp Club in the Wilkes-Barre area.

Figure 26. The counter at Headsville Post Office and a packing case that was used to mail eggs.

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Puzzling Barcode on Flats Since 2004 Finally Explained DOUGLAS B. QUINE, PHD

have a passion for finding and solving modern postal history puzzles. Over the years I’ve read tens of thousands of postal barcodes, told the interesting stories of misdirected mail with incorrect POSTNET (POSTal Numeric Encoding Technique) and Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMB) barcodes, and explained the puzzle of the littleknown United States Postal Service International POSTNET and IMB barcodes. The USPS has used two generations of barcodes to route letter and flat mail to their destinations since 1982. The POSTNET barcode (Figure 1) was the foundation of mail sorting from 1982 until it was fully retired on January 27, 2013. It comprised of a pattern of tall and short bars that encoded the ZIP code, plus a checksum for error correction. It could be read with an online decoding tool or, with a little practice, by eye. Thirty-five years ago, I published a paper in The American Philatelist describing the decoding of a partial barcode. Originally, the 32-bar POSTNET barcode encoded the 5-digit ZIP code of the destination post office. It was later expanded to 52 bars, which encoded the ZIP+4 code of the destination block. Finally it was expanded to 62 bars, which encoded the ZIP+6 code of the mailbox at each delivery point. This enabled Delivery Barcode Sorters to sort mail in carrier route sequence and present letter carriers with trays of mail for delivery along their routes! In 2006, the USPS began deploying a more efficient barcode, the 65-bar IMB (Figure 2), which added a number of capabilities to the POSTNET barcode in the same space

Figure 1. A POSTNET barcode encoding the 11-digit 06801-1631-59 delivery address plus checksum of 0.

on the envelope. Because the Intelligent Mail Barcode is a 4-state (four possible line types) code with full (tall), ascending (up), descending (down), and clock (very short) bars, it encodes much more data than a 2-state (only tall or short) POSTNET barcode. This enables the USPS to include 20 digits of tracking data, including a Barcode ID (2 digits), Service Type ID (3 digits), Mailer ID (6 digits), and Serial Number (9 digits) in the same barcode with the ZIP code (11 digits) that is being used to route the mail to the destination address. 66 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

However, humans cannot decode these barcodes character by character because of the advanced error correction patterns used in these barcodes. A computer is required to read 4-state barcodes. By 2007, I noticed 4-state barcodes with 57 bars on large letters and flats (Figure 3) that did not meet the 65-bar IMB specification and were therefore impossible to decode using USPS or other 4-state decoders. At first, based upon decades of experience with partially printed POSTNET barcodes, I assumed these new barcodes were incomplete IMB barcodes. However, it became clear

Figure 2. A 65-bar IMB barcode encoding 06801-0153-53 delivery address and tracking information.

they were a THIRD type of barcode because it followed a consistent pattern: it had 57 bars and were printed on white paper labels that were affixed to the mailpiece. Over the years, without any luck, I asked fellow philatelists and postal workers for explanations of these barcodes. Our local postmaster knew nothing about them, but we did confirm that the handheld barcode reader in the post office which reads other barcodes – including IMB and tracking codes on the mail – was unable to make any sense of this barcode. I filed two Freedom of Information requests with the USPS that included several sample images. The first request was rejected due to a format issue; the revised one received a “No Record” negative response. With the benefit of hindsight, since these proved not to be IMB, I appreciate that asking the USPS about “Puzzling Shortened IMB” misdirected their search. I should have been more cautious and described them simply as 4-state barcodes. I also asked for help in the November 2023 The American Philatelist without any success. Realizing that any barcode appearing on a high percentage of my flat mail that contained no other barcode must have a role, on December 5 I called the USPS business mail acceptance hotline and reached Mail Piece Design Analyst Greg Smith in Cincinnati, Ohio. Intrigued, but knowing nothing of this barcode, Smith asked me to email my American Philatelist author inquiry and some sample covers for him to investigate.

Miraculously, the next morning his email reply included a 20-yearold announcement in the Federal Register (68 FR 61485-61486 published October 28, 2003) reprinted in part in the box below. Now we know these puzzling barcodes come from the Flat Mail Identification Code System (FICS), which applies a unique identification code to each large envelope lacking an Intelligent Mail Barcode. The FICS barcode is linked to the destination ZIP code once an operator has entered the ZIP code. This is a backup system when the automated MultiLine Optical Character Reader (MLOCR) system or the Flats Sorting Machine (FSM) are unable to read the address, look up the 11-digit destination barcode, and print the IMB on the mailpiece. Since the FICS barcode is a unique identifier, simply decoding the barcode would not reveal the destination ZIP code. It is neces- Figure 3. A newly explained Flats Mail Identification Code System (FICS) barcode on sary to provide the FICS system with the FICS a large letter envelope and a closeup of the barcode on a white label. barcode data to obtain the ZIP code answer. ter mail optical character reader systems successfully handle This can be done by an automated system, but a standalone ordinary letter mail. If the address is unreadable, an image barcode reader only obtains the key and cannot retrieve the of the envelope is relayed to the Remote Barcoding Center ZIP code answer from FICS. (RBCS) for a manual operator address entry that is then The 20-year-old Federal Register (shown below in part) linked to the unique fluorescent barcode the optical reader announcement described the FICS program in the context prints on the back of the envelope. When the envelope is of flats (which are defined as larger than letter mail and up to rerun on the optical reader, the unique fluorescent barcode 12 inches by 15 inches and 0.75 inches thick). is read, which informs the system of the envelope identity While I’ve never seen an FICS barcode on an ordinary and the associated IMB from the RBCS data entry is then letter or legal (No. 10) envelope, I have often observed these printed on the front of the envelope. The unique identifier barcodes on large letter mail envelopes (defined as up to 6.125 inches by 11.5 inches by 0.25 inches thick). The letcan ALSO serve as a backup barcode if the IMB cannot be

Flat Mail Identification Code System (FICS) SUMMARY: This notice announces a new system that the United States Postal Service (USPS) plans to deploy for applying unique USPS identification (ID) codes (or “tags”) to flat-size mailpieces not bearing POSTNET barcodes. Deployment is scheduled for early 2004. Once the initial ID code is applied to the mailpiece, subsequent sorting will recognize the code and sort the flat-size piece without need for further manual keying. The ID code provides reference to access a database containing the original keying results. The application of these codes onto mailpieces will have no impact on current mailing standards or preparation requirements for flat-size mail. The FICS physical ID code consists of a black, International Mailing Standard, 4-state barcode printed on a white pressuresensitive label measuring 1/2 inch high by 3 inches wide or 1/2 inch high by 4 3/8 inches wide. The label is applied to the address side of nonbarcoded flats. The label, which can be manually peeled from the mailpiece, is made of the same material as is currently used by the USPS Letter Mail Labeling Machine (LMLM) which affixes labels on certain types of letter mail pieces, such as postcards. Preproduction testing is currently in progress and the USPS expects to deploy the system nationally in the second quarter of fiscal year 2004. The USPS does not plan to introduce new mailing requirements related to FICS. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 67

read in subsequent operations. The Flat Mail Identification Code System is a creative reuse of this concept using only the unique identifier mode for mail sorting. Since flats are of widely varying dimensions, they are hard to manage mechanically. It therefore makes sense that rather than trying to feed the flat through a highprecision feeder to print a unique identifier on the back of the mailpiece that instead a label is manually (judging from the variable orientations and locations) affixed to the mailpiece. Once this is done, rather than reprocessing the piece once the full destination ZIP+6 is known to print the IMB on the face of the mailpiece, the mailpiece can be processed using the FICS barcode. The identifier is read by a USPS FICS barcode reader and the associated destination ZIP code is retrieved from the database to enable sortation. These barcode readers are not available to the public. Knowing the answer, I also see that Flat Mail Identification Code System has been mentioned in some commercial posts on the internet, such as a passing comment from BCC Software, a mailing and presort software company, “The Postal Service Flat Mail Identification Code Sort (FICS) program uses another type of 4-state barcode that looks similar to the Intelligent Mail barcode, but it is applied as an ID tag on non-barcoded flat mail pieces only.” I’m thrilled that ongoing observations and a persistent search have enabled me to find the answer to a puzzle two decades in the making.

Resources IMB – Full Service Compliance Frequently Asked Questions: https://bccsoftware.com/full-service-compliance-frequently-asked-questions/ accessed Dec 6, 2023. POSTNET, and IMB barcode decoder: https://www.quine.org/postnetj.html accessed Dec 6, 2023. Quine, DB. “Decoding a Partial Bar Code: A Diversion for Amateur Mathematicians and Cryptanalysts.” The American Philatelist (November 1988). Quine, DB. “Intentional USPS POSTNET Barcodes On International Mail.” IDENT: Journal of the Postal Mechanisation Study Circle 21 (1998). Quine, DB. “Tip of the Iceberg: An Ongoing International Modern Postal History Barcode Puzzle.” U.S. Specialist 83 (June 2012). Quine, DB. “POSTNET Barcodes: Enablers of Letter / Flat Mail Postal Automation, 1982-2013,” pp. 201-221 in Insights into U.S. Postal History, 18552016, A. Wawrukiewicz, editor, American Philatelic Society Press (2016). Quine, DB. “Author’s Inquiry: Puzzling Shortened Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMB)” The American Philatelist (November 2023). Quine, DB. “How I Became A Stamp Collector.” The American Philatelist (August 2016).

68 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

he Author

Douglas B. Quine, PhD earned his doctorate at Cornell University in neurobiology and behavior. He is the Auxiliary Markings Club cofounder, webmaster, and an APS life member. He has published 75 philatelic articles and taught the two-day course, “Modern Postal History: 50 Years of Automation and Change” at the APS Summer Seminar in 2015. His treasured Scott Junior International Album (1935) with 500 stamps cost 30 cents at his grammar school flea market and holds his classic foreign stamps. He also collects U.S. modern postal history, 1847-1997; the Old Nassau stamp first day cachets; USS Princeton covers; and Isle of Man (Quine is Manx). His pioneering study “OCR Bar Code Errors 1983-1987” won vermeil, an APS Research Medal, an AAPE gold pin, and the Collectors Club of Chicago Post-World War II Research Award at MILCOPEX 88. It triggered a 22year career change from biological to postal automation research where he earned 50 U.S. patents (including a rapid anthrax detection system for mail). He returned to biology and retired as a research-scientist at VA Healthcare in 2022.

The Marketplace

THE

MARKETPLACE

BY MATT LIEBSON

Chasing Discounts in the Philatelic Marketplace

iscounts and haggling are a common occurrence in most collectibles markets, and philately is no exception. This column contains some thoughts about discounts with dealers, at shows, and online. Negotiation is its own art, and everyone handles it differently. The focus here is the circumstances and some considerations about when to ask. As a starting proposition, stamp dealers are individuals or very small businesses almost as a rule. As such, each dealer has their own personality and approach to doing business, and that includes the granting of discounts or negotiating on price. Rule number one, then, is “know your dealer.” Some dealers routinely discount; others virtually never discount. Building a relationship with a dealer (or at least engaging in repeat business) will help you to identify each dealer’s tolerance for negotiation and pricing practices. The old adage of “it never hurts to ask” may be true, but ask respectfully. Discounts may be more readily available for material that has been in a dealer’s stock for some time, or for bulk lots, collections, or larger purchases. It is unlikely that a dealer will discount fresh material, or material that sells easily or at relatively set prices. And, of course, a reasonable discount is more likely available than a large one. In my experience, discounts of 10 percent or 20 percent are sometimes available; larger discounts are less common. It also is in a buyer’s interest not to ask too frequently – dealers can and do remember buyers who always ask for a discount or try to haggle on every purchase. This said, some show dealers will routinely discount for established customers. Mail order and retail Most of us do not ask for price discounts at the grocery store, at Wal-Mart, or other similar retailers. Similarly, it may be more difficult to request or negotiate a discount from a published price list or from a retail stamp dealer with a brick-and-mortar presence (if you are lucky enough to have access to one). Such dealers may have a published or established discount policy. At shows It’s relatively common to negotiate with dealers at stamp shows. Some dealers may have signage for discount policies; others may address discounts on an overall order or pieceby-piece basis. Some dealers may negotiate on individually 69 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

priced items, but not offer discounts on others (for example, $5 cover boxes, discount postage, etc.). Discounts may be available on bulk lots or collections, particularly on the last day of a show or late in the day when a dealer may be interested in lugging less material home. Online It’s harder to develop a relationship with a dealer or seller online. Because online sellers include many hobbyists, occasional sellers, and others in addition to professional dealers, there is perhaps an even wider spectrum of willingness to discount than at shows. Platforms such as eBay have options that allow a seller to decide whether or not to accept offers; eBay also allows sellers to auto-accept (or auto-reject) offers above or below certain price points and to affirmatively send offers to potential buyers who are “watching” an item. EBay additionally has numerous discounting features, allowing for sales, percentage discounts, volume discounts, and the like. If you see a listing where you are invited to make an offer, it is clear that the seller is willing to consider offers. If a seller does not explicitly accept offers, there may be a reason why. Some sellers make clear in their listings that they will not consider offers. You can still send the seller a message and ask if they would consider an offer, but the request may or may not be accepted (or well received). As an illustration, I will use myself, a regular seller online. I do not use eBay’s “make an offer” feature, but I do regularly use the “sale and markdown” feature on certain lots, and send offers to watchers of certain lots. Nonetheless, I regularly receive inquiries for discounts on other material. While some are reasonable and accepted, it is commonplace for prospective buyers to ask for discounts of 40 to 50 percent, which is, for most sellers, simply a waste of time. In short To sum it up, customers are encouraged to know their seller and to understand any established discount policies, as there are many different practices in the hobby and especially on online platforms. Watch for existing opportunities to make offers on eBay rather than directly contacting sellers who don’t mark their items as open to offers, and think twice about asking for unreasonably large discounts.

Got marketplace questions? Ask Matt at paperhistory@att.net.

The Letter Opener BY CHARLES EPTING

Express Mail – 1830s Style, That Is

hen most people hear the words “express mail” today, they probably think about the service introduced by the United States Postal Service in the 1970s, which resulted in some very attractive (and quite expensive at the time) postage stamps. You’ve seen them — bald eagles in front of the moon, with a face value of $9.35 or $10.75. First introduced on an experimental overnight delivery service between Washington and New York City in 1970, Express Mail became a permanent class of mail in October 1977 — the first new major class of mail since airmail service was introduced This 1837 letter originated in Havana, Cuba and was carried by ship to Charleston, in 1918. South Carolina, where it entered the U.S. mail. It was carried by Express Mail from At the time, Express Mail was offered Charleston to New York City at a total cost of 77 cents, the 2-cent ship letter fee plus 75 cents postage (triple 25 cents). in 400 cities, with plans to expand to more than 900 cities in a matter of months. The ated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Expremise was simple: items mailed from an Express Mail Post press Company), as well as numerous East Coast operations, Office by 5 p.m. were guaranteed to arrive to the destinawhich included the word “express” in their names (such as tion Express Mail Post Office by 10 a.m. (or the recipient’s Brainard’s Express and Wyman’s Express Mail). doorstep by 3 p.m.) the following day, or your money back. Particularly in the early days of the post office, when mail The post office advertised a 95 percent success rate early on. routes were contracted to private individuals or companies On August 15, 2013, the USPS announced that Express and the quality of post roads often left a lot to be desired, Mail would be rebranded as Priority Mail Express, the name the carriage of mail was far from efficient. At various times you’ll find if you visit a post office today. the Post Office Department attempted to establish specific But oftentimes you’ll find a letter from the middle of the express mail routes over which mail would be carried in as 19th century marked “Express Mail,” which obviously wasn’t rapid and efficient a manner as possible, often by horseback loaded onto an airplane and shipped across the country in a with designated relay points set up to ensure the mail never matter of hours. So, what’s the deal with these earlier forms stopped moving (even in the dead of night). of express mail? Early express mail routes were often short-lived and The words “Express Mail” on a cover can refer to one of a poorly documented. Van Koppersmith reported on an exfew different things, so let’s try to break it down chronologipress mail route between Washington, D.C. and Natchez, cally. Mississippi that existed from 1803 to 1804; Pitt Petri documented express mail routes in the northeast stemming from First, we have to lay out a few parameters. This article the outbreak of the War of 1812; and D. Edward Starnes, Jr. will not be concerned with private mail companies and will wrote about an express mail route between Mobile, Missisbe limited to United States government mail carriage. This sippi Territory (now Alabama) and Rhea Court House, Tenexcludes Western expresses, such services as the famed Pony Express (which was subsidized by the government but opernessee between 1814 and 1816. 70 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2023

discontinued by late 1838 and early 1839, and by July of 1839 express mail was officially extinct. Postal history has a way of repeating itself at times, and by 1844, stagecoach delivery over the southern portion of the Great Mail route was once again becoming unreliable and slow. In January of 1845, the Post Office Department once again established an express mail route between Covington, Georgia (where the railroad ended) and New Orleans. This time, there was no increased fee for the service. Just two months later the Express Mail of 1845 would go the way of its This letter cost $2.25 to mail from New Orleans to New York City, an astronomical sum in the 1830s. Its postage can be explained as a triple rate letter (three sheets of paper predecessor, while decreased postage rates at 25 cents each) tripled for the Express Mail rate. in July 1845 would lead to an increase in the amount of mail being sent, the further develUnfortunately, few of these early routes have left modern opment of postal infrastructure, and the elimination of any postal historians with any tangible evidence of their exisneed for such service. tence and we are left piecing together their history through This almost brings us to the end of our story. A postal government records. historian will sometimes encounter covers from the 1840s In early 1833, the Post Office Department set out to inand 1850s with a circular postmark that reads “U.S. Express troduce express mail service between New York City, PhilaMail,” sometimes with a specific city’s name. Surely these delphia, and Washington, D.C. Although this would fail in markings refer to the same kind of express mail we’ve been short order, it laid the groundwork for the first widespread talking about? Confusingly, they do not. and successful implementation of express mail in the United “Express Mail” markings used between 1842 and 1857 States, which would run from 1836 until 1839. have no relation to the Express Mails of 1836-1839 and 1845, Dr. James W. Milgram’s The Express Mail of 1836-1839 and instead are classified as railroad and steamship mail (1977) is far and away the best reference work for this period route agent markings. So why use the words “Express Mail”? of postal history, and I would highly recommend it to anyThat is a question we’ll answer in an upcoming column. one interested in learning more. To summarize, the Express Mail of 1836 promised rapid delivery of mail by horseback, railroad, and steamboat between most major American cities. A letter from the Deep South to New York City saw its transit time cut in half, from about two weeks to just one. The scope of the scheme was nothing short of remarkable; the original north-south branch connected New York City (and all points north) with New Orleans via the Great Mail route. A South Carolina spur from Columbia to Charleston was later added. The east-west branch ran from Washington to Cincinnati; Cincinnati was later connected to Montgomery, Alabama via a southwest branch, while a western branch ran between Dayton, Ohio and St. Louis. Express mail fees were set at triple the normal postage rates; for a typical single-rate letter from New Orleans to New York, this would mean 25 cents if sent by regular mail and 75 cents if sent by express mail. Mail had to be explicitly endorsed “Express Mail” in order to receive the service. On November 1, 1837, in order to stave off lost revenue, the Post Office required all express mail to be sent prepaid, the first such requirement in American history. As America’s rail network expanded over the second half of the 1830s, delivery times decreased without the need for expensive express mail infrastructure. Certain routes were

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FEBRUARY 2023 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 71

Books & Catalogs BY Gary Wayne Loew, Guest Reviewer

Rhodesian Philately to 1924 – The British South Africa Company Period (2021) by Brian Trotter, Colin Hoffman, and Patrick Flanagan. 719-plus pages, 878 illustrations and maps; 11 ½ inches by 16 ½ inches. Published by by The Royal Philatelic Society London. Available from: The RPSL (www.rpsl. org.uk), £55 (approx. $70) plus postage. ISBN: 978-1-913015-12-1 (Also available from the APRL: G8551 .P856 T858r 2021). The geographic region known as Rhodesia has had many partitions and national names since European missionaries first began visiting in the mid-18th century. In the Western world, there is a fascination with the early European explorers, most notably Cecil John Rhodes (Figure 1), after whom the region was named. Rhodes (1853-1902) was an adventurer, explorer, politician, and importantly, the head of the powerful British South Africa Company (BSAC). Such a large and richly endowed area required massive investment in transportation in order to be exploited. Roads and railroads were constructed; bridges were built. The investors, contractors, suppliers, and laborers were all dependent upon postal communications to fulfill their mission and communicate back home. Rhodesian Philately to 1924 – The British South Africa Company Period seeks to identify and explain the stamps and postal history of this exciting period. The introduction states: “This book provides an overview of the philately of Rhodesia …” Yet, more than 700 pages of the book present a most comprehensive explication of this philately and offers a broad view of the region’s economic and geopolitical development as well. Indeed, historians might view this thorough tome as a history book using postal history as a lens, the philately being incidental from their standpoint. Rhodesian Philately is organized into five parts: “The Early Years to 1895,” “British Central Africa,” “Development 1896-1902,” “Consolidation 1902-1924,” and “Revenue Stamps and Usage of the BSA Co.” The Table of Contents consumes five pages and identifies nearly 200 topics, hardly an “overview”! Quite the contrary, this nearly 7-pound book has sufficient philatelic information, regional historical context, and illustrations to satisfy all but the most advanced collectors. Finding a beginning point for studying Rhodesian postal history is a challenge in itself. While coastal areas 72 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2023

Figure 1. Cecil Rhodes.

of West Africa, South Africa, and East Africa had been actively explored and exploited by European imperial nations for centuries, interior central Africa – especially the more southern portions – waited until the mid-19th century. Yet earlier, white missionaries and adventurers had need for postal services. They were first dependent upon private carriage and subsequently upon the relatively rudimentary services available in Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and the Orange Free State.

The early years to 1895

Part 1 of Rhodesian Philately describes regional development and the creation of early postal services. The many examples of covers are supplemented by helpful maps and a plethora of etchings, sketches, and early photographs. Part 1’s 166 pages contain 192 illustrations. The excitement of this period is amplified through both words and pictures. The key to the philately of this period is best seen through the early individuals and expeditions that traveled to the region: Cecil Rhodes, David Livingstone, Thomas Baines, Frank Oates, the Warren Expedition, and others are discussed at length. This early period is characterized by expeditions and conquest. The Pioneer Column of 1890 is but one example. Rhodes’ objective was a rapid consolidation of land and natural resources on behalf of BSAC. He appointed 23-year-old Frank William Frederick Johnson (1866-1943) (Figure 2) to lead the exploratory Pioneer Column to occupy the territory of Mashonaland (Figure 3). The authors devote six pages to the history of this pivotal series of events, as well as including a map of the route (Figure 4). They follow with 13 pages describing

postal artifacts (covers) that are the stuff postal historians revel in. But the text ties back intimately to the senders and recipients in Rhodesia. Any historian of the period will learn much nuanced information from treatments like this. And the entirety of Rhodesian Philately is replete with similar examples. The British South Africa Co. (BSAC) understood the criticality of efficient postal communications to its mission of conquest. It quickly sought to have stamps printed to support celerity of the mails. The authors provide a robust treatment of these fascinating stamps, including design, printing and production, and distribution considerations. This goes well beyond mere cataloging of the various issues. The extensive focus on historical events in Part 1 is necessary to understand the stamp and postal history evolution that follows in the remainder of the book. I recommend that researchers

Figure 2. Frank Johnson (circa 1922).

ground themselves in this material before venturing into the philately that follows.

British Central Africa

Where Part 1 is devoted to the early activities of BSAC, Part 2 focuses on British Central Africa (BCA, later the Nyasaland Protectorate), an area not controlled by the company. Nevertheless, BSAC played an important role in British Central Africa, both financially and logistically. The emphasis here is much more philatelic than historical. There are very thorough treatments of early overprints, stamps, specimens, postal stationery, and postal cards. The authors expand into postal history, including detailed analyses of postal routes and rates. British Central Africa issued revenue stamps, too, and these are included here as well. (BSAC also issued revenue stamps, but these appear in Part 5.) The raising of revenues within British Central Africa was crucial to its operations and the details here are essential to an understanding of governmental operations.

Development 1896-1902

Figure 3. A view of the Shamva District, Mashonaland.

Part 3 delves into the developmental period of 1896 to 1901. There are brief citations of the regional dynamics both within Rhodesia and in the surrounding areas. The Boer War, viewed from a postal history standpoint, interfered with regional and international postal routes. But Part 3’s main focus is on the stamps and covers of the period. The depth of analysis concerning stamp design includes extensive coverage of the many stages of Coat of Arms design. Much of this detail has not

The Rhodesian Study Circle For collectors (or historians) with an interest in Rhodesia and its successor nations, I urge you to look into the Rhodesian Study Circle, (APS Affiliate No. AF0107). A perfect place to start is the home page of the group’s website, https://www.rhodesianstudycircle.org.uk/. The Rhodesian Study Circle describes itself as “A philatelic society for the collectors (stamps, postal history and postcards) of British South Africa, British Central Africa, Bechuanaland, Rhodesia (Northern and Southern), Nyasaland, and the present day republics of Malawi, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.” But that is only mentioning the countries that its members study. How they study is a wonderful example of the diverse ways that philately can delve. The quarterly – Journal of the Rhodesian Study Circle – is a regular winner of literature awards. It is available in both print and digital editions.

There are numerous regional meetings on five continents and monthly Zoom meetings with truly interesting and entertaining presentations. Members produce research that is published beyond the pages of the journal. Much of this is available on the group’s website. Catalogs and listings are a very valuable source of information. The membership is both serious about their research and fun loving. The one U.S. meeting I attended some years ago was an intellectually stimulating event with a convivial post-meeting dinner. With a digital membership available for a mere £15 annually, I urge you to consider what this group has to offer. Stop by its website for a taste of what membership can bring to you. – Gary Wayne Loew FEBRUARY 2023 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 73

previously been explored this thoroughly. History has a way of interfering with philatelists’ sometimes oversimplified views of events. For example, a collector of the provisional stamps of 1896 might not understand the role of the Matabele Rebellion. Communications and transportation were interrupted, and the delivery of expected postage stamps was delayed. Part 3 ties together the historical events with the resulting multiplicity of varieties found in these provisionals. Similar to Part 2, Part 3 also provides many examples of covers, as well as postal routes and the dynamic history of postal rates and fees. Here, too, photographs of post offices and mail vehicles offer an enhanced vision of postal operations.

archive, defining all aspects of postal history’s four pillars: rates, routes, means, and marks. Of equal importance, most covers also serve to illustrate a historical event. Covers, after all, are primary sources that document the most basic of human transactions. The authors do a superb job of using covers in both ways. I often bemoan the lack of sufficient maps in postal history books. Not every reader is familiar with the territory under discussion. Fortunately, Rhodesian Philately offers a wealth of maps, often delving into the details of routes and paths cited in the text. The one missed opportunity was the omission of a map of Rhodesia printed on the inner cover of the book. But I quibble. Rhodesian Philately is very well organized both chroniConsolidation 1902-1924 cally and from the standpoint of historical development. It is This was a time of change for the British Empire and well edited, with no obvious grammatical or syntactical erRhodesia. Queen Victoria died in 1901 and Cecil Rhodes in rors or typos. The section structures are internally consistent, 1902. Soon thereafter, the Boer War came to a conclusion. and it would be difficult to identify The Rhodesian territory had matured, where one of the coauthors left off and along with its internal postal services. another began. The explanations are A sense of local identity developed. well communicated, with a clear flow This, combined with the inclination of of logic. Reading and understanding penurious postal authorities, resulted is easy and a pleasant task. The flow in the stamps of existing stocks of the works so well that the reader is temptBritish South Africa Co. being overed to keep reading even beyond the printed “Rhodesia.” A wealth of new subject of immediate interest. postage stamps also emerged, starting Yet, despite the book’s comprehenwith the many beautiful versions of sive contents, there are some strucVictoria Falls. This was the first visual tural weaknesses that interfere with its example of “local pride” seen on Rhousefulness. While the five-page Table desia’s stamps. of Contents boasts more than 200 enChange continued, with the passFigure 4. The route of the Pioneer Column in tries, the index is a mere four pages ing in 1910 of King Edward VII and 1890. and has only 79 terse topical entries. the crowning of King George V, a phiThe success of a reference volume is latelist. He was soon to appear, along with his wife, Queen dependent upon a helpful index. Book publisher Wiley recMary, on a set of Rhodesian stamps, dubbed the Double ommends: “Put yourself in the role of reader. You know the Heads. Entire books have been written about this extensive book’s text and arguments best; however, step back slightly series of stamps, but Part 4 of Rhodesian Philately provides from the text and ask: What will your readers look for in the more than ample coverage for most collectors. index?” Researchers will be frustrated with the limited index Revenue stamps and usage of the BSA Co. provided here. To many stamp collectors, revenue stamps are often an afThe book contains 878 illustrations, but there is no apterthought, if they are thought of at all. Part 5 provides strong pendix listing stamp and cover scans, maps, or other illustramotivation for philatelists to extend the scope of their interests. tions. While a reader might decide to read a section or even The history of Rhodesia was dependent upon raising reva chapter out of general interest, this is a reference book, not enue to facilitate infrastructure development and governmendesigned for reading cover-to-cover. The inadequate index tal operations. That history is best documented by studying and lack of illustration listings represent a major impedithe taxing regulations that emerged and the transactional arment to doing research on one’s desired topic. It is regrettifacts that document how taxes were paid and collected. table that comprehensive contents and effective editing were Part 5 illustrates not just stamps and covers, but examples not complemented with more user-friendly access tools. of published regulations and governmental annual revenue Nevertheless, philatelists interested in this collecting area reports. The context within which revenue stamps were used will delight and benefit from having Rhodesian Philately in is artfully explicated. their libraries. And historians and other academicians will have an important example of how to incorporate original Other considerations source postal artifacts into their research. The extensive examples of covers throughout this wonderful book certainly provide a comprehensive reference 74 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2023

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WORLD CLASS By Barry White

Side Collections

ou would think being an all-period “Worldie” such as I am, that that would be enough. I have some 230 albums spread throughout every nook and cranny of my humble abode and, coming up on 200,000 stamps, I probably still have half a million left to get. Surely that’s enough! But no. During the COVID crisis I took it upon myself to begin a side collection of town cancels on pre-decimal Australian stamps, including the states. These stamps hold a special place in my heart because they were what I collected as a wee lad growing up in Adelaide, South Australia. As a template, I use a pre-printed page featuring a header area and spaces for 18 stamps. I have a Page 2 with a much smaller header and room for another 22 stamps (shown). In the header I begin with the town’s name plus the state it is in. I then go on to describe the town’s location and population, plus any fun facts that I find of interest (as gleaned from Wikipedia). These might include a historic fact, or perhaps a geographical one. I will often mention the town name’s meaning, particularly if it is of aboriginal origin (example: Wagga Wagga means the place of many crows). Occasionally, I will add a little tonguein-cheek humor. For the town of Two Wells (in South Australia) I make the following observation: “If you count the number of wells there are in Two Wells, you will find that there are two of them!” The examples shown are the two pages I have for Australia’s most famous city, Sydney. I try to put earlier stamps at the top of the page, and later issues below. As you can see, there are spaces for squares, horizontals and verticals. My favorite stamp is the “Ship Room” cancel on the 1/2d Kangaroo (shown, page 1, row 1, second in). Not only is this stamp Australia’s No. 1, but you will notice the cancel does not infringe on the essence of the stamp design (the kangaroo inside the map). As an added bonus it includes a full date: 2 APR 1913. None of these stamps are expensive, but each has a strike that is unique and not easily found. As such, they all hold a special place in my philatelic heart! FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 76

The Road to Boston 2026

Road to Boston 2026 YAMIL H. KOURI JR.

Oh, THAT Boston 2026

here are 27 months and counting to the opening of America’s next international exhibition at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, May 23 to 30,

2026! It’s no secret that in today’s world almost everyone relies on the internet for their news. With that in mind, when is the last time you searched on Google for “Boston 2026?” Doing so will not only bring up “Boston 2026 World Expo” at the top of the list but provide you with a wealth of events and activities happening over the summer in Boston in 2026. Following are two of them. Boston is known as the “City of Champions” due to it being the home base of so many dominant professional sports teams, some for over a century! But what can top them all is the city’s hosting of the world’s “Super Bowl,” soccer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup. Like it did back in 1994, Boston will be sharing the spotlight with other co-host cities, but this time in three countries, joined by Canada and Mexico. Gillette Stadium, of New England Patriots fame in nearby Foxborough, will be the site of at least six games in June and July. Boston will be abuzz with “FIFA fever” months beforehand. Sail Boston 2026 was announced back in September. Those of you old enough to remember the tall ships parading around New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty in 1976 for this country’s bicentennial will be happy to learn that you can relive those days by viewing another regatta of majestic vessels in Boston Harbor July 11 to 16. Don’t worry if you can’t stick around a few weeks after our show ends to see them, as the harbor will be abuzz with activity preparing for their visit.

Back to show news! Dzintars Grinfelds, of San Francisco, has been appointed as deputy commissioner general for Boston 2026 World Expo. He is a longtime philatelist, becoming the first threetime AAPE Youth Champion of Champions in the early 2000s, later going on to win top awards in adult national and

international competitions with exhibits on his specialties of Latvia, Central Lithuania, and various thematic topics. Most recently he was a national commissioner for the United States at Thailand 2023. Congratulations to our three “Boston Connection” contest winners! Each created a list of Boston-related stamps and souvenir sheets to win a prize package of Boston 2026 souvenirs. Pedro D. Sarmiento, of Fort Washington, Maryland, provided the greatest number of connections with 88. He is a fan of John F. Kennedy, and many of his submissions of U.S. and overseas stamps dealt with aspects of the former president, born and raised in nearby Brookline and educated at Harvard University. Pedro is “90 years young,” an Air Force veteran and member of the APS and ATA, among other philatelic organizations. Keith Christian, of York, Pennsylvania, is also an APS member and just joined the ATA at the Great American Stamp Show in Cleveland this past August. His list included some interesting sports trivia. Willie O’Ree, featured on two 2023 Canadian stamps, was the first black hockey player in the NHL, called up from the minor leagues by the Boston Bruins in 1958. He identified five additional former Bruins players and several Boston Red Sox baseball stars depicted on stamps. Frank Silviera, of Wilmington, Massachusetts, will have a short commute to the Boston 2026 show. His U.S. and American flag collecting interests were reignited during the Covid pandemic, now as a member of the APS and Waltham Stamp Club based at the Spellman Museum in Weston, Massachusetts. Among items he noted was that the first lighthouse built in North America was at Boston Harbor in 1716, and Dr. Martin Luther King received his doctorate in 1955 from Boston University. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available. FEBRUARY 2023 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 77

Membership Report No. 12, December 2023

NEW APPLICANTS The following applications were received during December 2023. If no objections are received by the Executive Director (814-933-3803) prior to February 28, 2024 these applicants will be admitted to membership and notice to this effect will appear in the April 2024 issue. Almujadedi, Mohammad F. (237610) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia-Middle East- Used Worldwide; 67; Management Consultant Barker, Ella L. (237652) Pensacola, FL US Postal History; 58; Accountant Battersby, Leslie C. (237657) Santa Clara, CA Commemoratives-Definitives-Duck/Hunting/ Fishing Stamps-US-Canada-United Nations; 65 Bergmann, Tomas (237647) Praha 4, Czech Republic 20th Century-CzechoslovakiaCzech Republic; 57 Bowsher, Susan G. (237629) Calgary, AB Canada Canada-Canadian FDCS-Germany; Retired Carnes, Aidan (237591) Karnak, IL Amateur/ HAM Radio-Classics (US & Foreign)-Duck/ Hunting/Fishing Stamps-Europe; 19; 911 Operator Chamberlain, Alexander B. (237639) Palo Alto, CA Conlon, Carol P. (237659) Gloucester, MA; 62; Retired Hairdresser Cox, Debbie (237637) Ravenswood, WV 19th Century-20th Century-Air Mails-Christmas Seals-Classics-Commemoratives; 58 Custer, Roger (237631) Fairfax, VA Performing Arts-Opera; 42 Duchesne, Denis (237616) Ottawa, ON Canada Canada-Australia-New Zealand-20th CenturyCanadiana-Ships/Boats; 54

78 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Eade, Andrew (237615) Mentor, OH British Empire-Falkland Islands-British OmnibusChannel Islands-World War II-Pitcairn IslandsVictorian Era; 56; Engineer Estrada, Reniel A. (237607) Fremont, CA USIsrael-Austria-Philippines-Spain-Belgium; 52 Feakins, Vernon C. (237655) Carrollton, TX Worldwide-19th Century-British Commonwealth; 74 Filek, Art G. (237620) Enfield, CT Hungary-Great Britain-Netherlands-Cinderellas-Back Of The Book-Dead Countries-Oddities-Worlwide; 58; Manager Flaig, Stacy (237654) Calabasas, CA Aden; 53 Griffiths, Jon (237598) 56130 Thehillac, France; 65; Director Gruber, L.A. Jr. (237588) Portola, CA Hall, Robert Jr. (237640) Clayton, GA Hanselmann, Gabriele (237641) Myrtle Beach, SC 19th Century-Germany Hayward, Thomas (237628) Indianapolis, IN 20th Century-Medicine/Drugs/HealthAir Mails-Used Worldwide; 57; Associate Professor Hazledine, Edward T. (237649) Terre Haute, IN; 81 Heath, Angela (237642) Charlotte, NC African American Culture-Technology-Art/Fine ArtDigital Life-Space; Self-Employed Hicks, Richard C. (237603) Danville, CA Zeppelin Stamps & Covers-US Airship CoversWorldwide-Us-Telegraph Stamps-Beer Stamps; 71; Archaeologist/Geologist & Painter Horan, Thomas (237611) Prospect, CT Air Mails-Civil War Covers-20th Century-Blocks/ Guideline Blocks-Duck/Hunting/Fishing Stamps-Plate Blocks; 66 Hrabko, Alex (237636) Rochester, NY USIceland-Germany-Third Reich; 71; Retired

NEW MEMBERS Applications 237357-237492 as previously published have been accepted for membership by the Board of Vice Presidents.

SUMMARY Total Membership, November 30,......................... 25,425 New Members 136 Reinstated 36 Deceased 23 Resignations 28 Total Membership, December 31, 2023 25,546 (Total Membership, December 31, 2022 was 26,386 a difference of -840).

Hubschmitt, Steven (237612) Hockessin, DE Commemoratives; 70 Jacik, Donna (237622) Linden, NJ Kromer, Richard W. (237587) Louisville, KY Space Covers-Astronomy-Space-Space/Jet/ Rocket Covers; 58; Retired Kuhlman, Robert A. (237653) Denver, PA 19th Century-20th Century-Air Mails-CoilsChristmas Seals-Duck/Hunting/Fishing Stamps; 61 Kuhn, Richard G. (237594) State College, PA Lala, Jairaj B. (237638) Sanford, FL 20th Century-19th Century-Air Mails-Covers-British Commonwealth-Stamp Design Errors; 72 Leach, Dale B. (237589) Oxford, NY USWorldwide Linder, Rita (237621) Warrington, PA Litwin, Frederic (237605) Dollard des Ormeaux, QC Canada Israel-Canada-Canadian Plate Blocks Logan, Robert M. Jr. (237595) Greeley, CO

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Lonner, Mark S. (237619) Lakewood, CA 20th Century-Used US-Commemoratives-Perfins; 67; Retired Mahon, John (237581) Queen Creek, AZ US; 50 Mallapragada, Deepak (237596) Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 19th Century-India; 40 Mather, Lyle (237645) Ypsilanti, MI SemiPostals-British Colonies-French Colonies-Latin America-Asia Mayfield, Brian C. (237597) Middletown, DE Classics-Imperforates-20th Century-CancelsCoils-Cut Squares; 52; Ranch Hand Michalove, Ken M. (237582) Asheville, NC Postal Cards-Used Worldwide-Cancels-US; Retired Miglin, Bruce (237579) Austin, TX Souvenir Pages Mollenauer, Robert D. (237617) Arvin, CA; 75 Morgan, Edward Mon (237651) Boise, ID Commemoratives-British Colonies; 73; Video Producer/Writer Olan, Bonnie J. (237586) Willow Creek, CA Commemorative Panels; 57 Paparian, Michael J. (237658) Albany, NY Parton, Nancy R. (237626) West End, NC 19th Century-Essays & Proofs-Specimens; 74; Retired Patro, Susim (237602) Solon, OH Commemoratives-Germany-India-Miniature Sheets-Souvenir Sheets (Foreign)-Year Sets; 50 Pellow, Daniel (237613) Boalsburg, PA; 77 Prezioso, Sally (237590) Melbourne, FL Pydikondala, Chakradhar (237599) Lewisville, TX India Rees, Douglas E. (237583) Lansing, MI German Democratic Republic; 74; Retired

Restaino, Pete (237632) Shavertown, PA 19th Century-20th Century-Air Mails-Coils-Vatican City-Canada-Great Britain Roach, Tom C. (237608) La Verne, CA 19th Century-Duck/Hunting/Fishing StampsCommemoratives-Definitives-Plate Blocks; 61; Engineer Sanders, Richard (237635) Ashburn, VA USWorldwide; 65 Schonenberg, Lee W. (237606) Annandale, VA 19th Century-20th Century-NewfoundlandCanada-Revenues/Tax Paids (Federal); Weapons Test Semenov, Michael (237592) Fort Walton Beach, FL 19th Century-Russia/USSR/Independent Republics Sheehan, Robert J. (237584) Land O Lakes, FL 19th Century-20th CenturyCommemoratives-US Postal HistoryRevenues/Tax Paids (Federal); 69; Retired Shenvi Priolkar, Siddharth (237644) Fremont, CA India-Space-Chess Shows, Gerald C. (237593) Boerne, TX; 86; Retired NASA Engineer Siedor, Greig (237600) Geneva, IL BermudaGreat Britain-Ireland-Leeward IslandsAustralia-Mexico Smith, Michael (237623) Roseburg, OR Lots & Collections-Classics (US & Foreign); 54 St. Andre, William M. (237614) Braintree, MA Classics-Perfins-CommemorativesDefinitives-Encased Postage/Postage Currency-Fancy Cancels; 72; Retired Stanton, Holly (237585) Colorado Springs, CO Blocks/Guideline Blocks-20th CenturySouvenir Cards

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Strilich, Thomas D. (237650) Port Richey, FL Used Worldwide-Used US-Classics; 65 Talley, Larry R. (237630) Juneau, AK Alaska-Locals & Carriers-Mail Boats; Boat Captain Terlecky, Ryan (237580) Levittown, PA; 62 Vadino, William (237643) Federal Way, WA 19th Century-20th Century-Air Mails; 66; Government Van Wagoner, Melvin B. (237609) Salt Lake City, UT US-Topical-Western Europe-Western Hemisphere-Air Mail (Foreign)-US Postal History; 80 Waggoner, Gage (237578) Plano, TX US-19th Century-Israel Tabs-Middle East-US Postal History-Israel; 54 Waguespack, Steven G. (237646) Pearland, TX Commemoratives-Blocks/Guideline Blocks; 55 Warren, Matthew (237601) Montgomery, AL Alabama-Architecture-Philatelic History/ Memorabilia-Great Britain-British Royal FamilyGeography; 48 Weber, Thomas (237625) Evansville, IN US; 62; Professor Webster, Douglas A. (237634) Hudson, NH Meteorology-Christmas Seals-Locals & CarriersCommemoratives-Newspapers & PeriodicalsOfficials/Official Mail; 67; Retired Willihnganz, Kaitlin F. (237648) Cleveland, OH Sports-Isle Of Man-Gymnastics-NunsDesalination; 42; Writer Young, Steven (237624) Saint Augustine, FL 19th Century-Canada-Newfoundland; 75; Retired Zoller, Darryl (237618) Hanover, PA ColumbusPennsylvania-Picture Postcards; 73; Retired

NEW CLUB

Zurita, Carlos A. (237656) Fargo, ND 20th Century-Space-British Colonies-American Bicentennial-Art-History-Flags-USSR; 35; Research Asst. Professor

All club listings are online at www.stamps.org/ Clubs - find a club near you! Fire Lands Stamp Club (237627), Gypsum, OH

DECEASED Baldwin, Nicholas (227501), Newton, NC Bobyn, Orest D. (7606-052988), Saskatoon, SK Bright, Howard R. (235294), Riverside, NJ Buchi, E. Clark (147959), Franklin, TN Carlson, Thomas O. (12751-132636), Bellingham, WA Chabrol, Anthony E. (220541), Rockwall, TX Champlin, Virginia (189067), Palm City, FL Delucchi, George P. (10177-063402), Santa Clara, CA Doran, Richard P. (163195), New Windsor, NY Gedge, Charles (225674), West Chester, PA Gosling, Lee A. P. (8257-057019), Ann Arbor, MI Hemphill, James E. (7324-033331), Marshalltown, IA Johnson, Richard L. (9544-050868), North Reading, MA Kroner, Thomas H. (146262), Amsterdam, The Netherlands Kurth, Walter J. (8418-056555), Stillwater, MN Larden, Trevor N. (152105), Vancouver, BC Levantrosser, Frederick C. (149478), Dearborn, MI Loffler, Estate of Claudio V. (140551), Sale, Maki, John E. (203645), Duluth, MN Morris, Ted A. (8123-058625), Katy, TX Smith, Frederick M. (6996-050672), Medford, OR Thornburgh, Jerry (213653), Woodward, IA Vollbrecht, Clarke E. (8382-056700), Ithaca, NY

NEW DEALER LISTING The following has been approved for classification as stamp dealer according to qualifications established by the Board of Vice Presidents. All dealer listings are located online at www.stamps.org/Dealers. Ward Wilcox (212437), Wilkes Barre, PA

1939-1945 BOHEMIA & MORAVIA

Complete (181 different)

181 diff Mint NH 181 diff Mint 181 diff Used

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Don S. Cal PO Box 1732 • Port Angeles, WA 98362

Tel: 250-383-6211 • E-mail: dcal@victoriastamp.com Dealer member APS since 1985

215CAL10 Bohemia Moravia.indd 1

82 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

$190.00 $125.00 $250.00

8/27/2015 3:37:54 PM

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#5343a, Coil Pair, Die Cutting Omitted. $49.95

by Air Mail to USA-US$35, Overseas-US$45 expected shipping at end of January 2022

HAWAII

1, Wardour Street London W1D 6PA Great Britain Phone: 011-44-20-7930-6100 Fax: 011-44-20-7494-2881 E-mail: philatelists@argyll-etkin.com Website: www.argyll-etkin.com

ebay.com/str/jerryderrstamps 1c NR auction & Net 33-66% cv ASDA IPDA (1479)

CONGO STAMPS

• Portugal Congo • Belgian Congo • French Congo • Middle Congo • Congo DR • Congo PR • French. Eq. Africa • S. Kasai • Katanga • Ger. E. Africa (occupation) • Belgium Congo taxes • Ruanda-Urundi Pricelists, approvals, fast service, returns Discounts up to 25% 3016 Jodi Lane, Palm Harbor, FL 34684 wnkelly@earthlink.net

Vogt Stamps 1301 Broadway • Burlingame, CA 94010 650-344-3401 Full website www.vogtstamps.com

VATICAN CITY YEAR SETS Mint $93.00 $99.00

Year 2020 2019

Mint $90.00 $100.00

Entire Vatican catalog is stock; 1929 to today Please add 3% postage & shipping minimum $1.00 FREE price list.

PENNY BLACK STAMP COMPANY P.O. Box 78, Dexter MI 48130-0078 Phone: (734) 424-3043

AUCTION GALLERIES, INC. PH 212-753-6421 SIEGELAUCTIONS.COM 21 WEST 38TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10036

www.pennyblackstamp.com

We Sell & Buy Stamps

U.S. & Worldwide

CKstamps

Stamps Auctions from $0.01 on eBay

Call: 707-852-4022

ck stamps LLC

42-14 Union St. #2A Flushing, NY 11355 ckstampsLLC@yahoo.com

www.CKstamps.com

Mexico

APS #216955

New and Lower Prices www.greggnelsonstamps.com

For One of the World's Most Complete U.S. Inventories, visit — www.millerstamps.com

DARN! I should have bought my stamps from

MILLER'S STAMP CO.

— A name you can trust • Celebrating 50 years —

P.O. Box 1011, Niantic CT 06357-7011 860-908-6200 • E-mail: stamps@millerstamps.com

California Stampshows

2019 Miller Celebrating 50 years 1-inch ad. 1indd.indd 10/7/2019 1 1:56:12 PM

Buy & Sell Monthly Events: stampshowsteve.com

84 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

ALBUMS

COLLECTIONS

Search ebay or HIP for Mac’s albums & supplements. Custom creatons. (1489)

QUALITY STAMPS. British & French Colonies, W.Europe, US, BOB at 25-30% catalogue. Muriel Rowan, 17160 Kinzie St., Northridge CA 91325 Email: merkrow@aol.com (1478)

APPRAISALS WORLD WIDE STAMP APPRAISALS Valuation and written report provided. Sellers Agent Services info@hungarianstamps.com (888)868-8293 HSE POB 4028, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 (1481)

LITERATURE www.pbbooks.com Leonard H. Hartmann (1477)

www.dickkeiser.com (1479) www.forpostalhistory.com British Commonwealth and Worldwide Postal Incidents (1479)

COVERS www.autographs.online (1478)

Make a difference in children’s lives and send Boys Town your philatelic donations. Leon Myers Stamp Center PO Box 1 Boys Town, NE 68010 531-355-1143 Help.Kids@ boystown.org (1482)

MAIL AUCTIONS with a difference. US & foreign stamps, covers, revenues, documents, ephemera, contact us for next catalog; HJW Daugherty, Box 1146, Eastham MA, 02642, 508-255-7488 or online; hjwdonline.com, hjwdonline@ gmail.com (1482)

US FIRST DAY COVERS LIKE APPROVALS? Try APS Circuit Books for U.S. First Day Covers! We can build your collection. Email CircuitBooks@stamps.org (1488)

www.dickkeiser.com (1479)

WORLDWIDE. GREAT PRICES BEGINNER TO ADVANCED. Sets and Singles. State interest. Larry Serenari, 766 Nestle Quarry Rd., Falling Waters, WV 25419 (1484)

AUCTIONS

www.dickkeiser.com (1479)

REVENUES

www.dickkeiser.com (1479)

DONATIONS

US AND WORLDWIDE. See it before you buy it. Philatelic Friends, PO Box 187, Carlisle, PA 17013 (1487)

PHILATELIC SUPPLIES All major brands. B and G Sales $50+ order gets free U.S. shipping. www. bandgstamps.com or call 317-6275242 (1478)

POSTAL HISTORY

APPROVALS

WORLDWIDE APPROVALS DISCOUNT 66 2/3% from Current Scott. Send APS# to Robert Ducharme, C.P. 592, St. Jerome, QC J7Z 5V3, Canada (1487)

SUPPLIES

WORLDWIDE REVENUES LIQUIDATION of collections, sets and singles. Everywhere from A-Z. also documents. Gordon Brooks. email Bizzia@sympatico.ca (1493)

WANTED CHINESE STAMP BUYER Pays top $ jon@chinesestampbuyer.com www.chinesestampbuyer.com (1478)

STAMP SHOPS www.dickkeiser.com (1479)

DUCK STAMPS Search ebay or HIP for Mac’s albums & supplements. Custom creatons. (1489)

EXCHANGE Clubs Advanced Worldwide Exchange: fast turnaround, CV booklet swaps, old or recent mint & used stamps. Pete’s Exchange, 4470 Chippewa, Boulder CO 80303 peterbialick@comcast.net (1480)

INTERNET www.dickkeiser.com (1479)

Stamp & Coin Buying Caravan! Florida (and United States)

Quality Stamps PO Box 222836 Hollywood, FL 33022 Ph: 941-376-5689

qualitystamps@verizon.net BuyingQualityStamps.com

When We Want It, We Buy It ALL! Stamps and Coins Wanted From big messy rooms full to Specialized Collections We also do Appraisals

Confidential • Immediate Payment Over 40 years professional experience

FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 85

Index of Advertisers Amos Media — www.linns.com — www.amosadvantage.com

Philasearch 84

HB Philatelics

APS Estate Advice — www.stamps.org/Estate-Advice

Gregg Nelson Stamps — www.greggnelsonstamps.com

— www.hbphilatelics.com

Henry Gitner Philatelists, Inc.

APS Great American Stamp Show 75

— www.hgitner.com

— stamps.org/stamped-info

HipStamp — www.hipstamp.com

Argyll Etkin Limited

Hugh Wood Inc. Insurance

— stamps.org/GASS APS StampEd

Auktionshaus Christoph Gärtner GmbH & Co. KG — www.auktionen-gaertner.de

India and States — www.indiaandstates.com

K.A.P. Stamps

Colonial Stamp Company — www.colonialstamps.com

Congo Stamps

Cornerstamp, Inc., Paradise Valley Stamp Company — www.stamp-one.com

Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions — www.kelleherauctions.com

Davidson’s Stamp Service — www.newstampissues.com

Delcampe International — delcampe.net

Don S. Cal — www.DonSCal.com

Dr. Robert Friedman & Sons — www.drbobfriedmanstamps.com

Dutch Country Auctions — www.DutchCountryAuctions.com

— www.ericjackson.com — www.garyposnerinc.com

Markest Stamps — www.markest.com

— www.michaeleastick.com

Miller’s Stamp Company — www.millerstamps.com

Mountainside Stamps, Coins & Currency — www.mountainsidestamps.com

Mystic Stamp Company — www.mysticstamp.com

C2, 4

Nieser Stamp and Coin

Palo Albums Inc. — www.paloalbums.com

— www.randyschollstampcompany.com/havetongs-will-travel.asp

Patricia A. Kaufmann — www.trishkaufmann.com Penny Black Stamp Company — www.pennyblackstamp.com

Rasdale Stamp Company — www.rasdalestamps.com

Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. — www.siegelauctions.com — http://rmplauctions.org

84 23, 45 84

Southwest Stamps — www.ebay.com/str/southweststamps

Michael Eastick & Associates Pty. Ltd.

Randy Scholl Stamp Co. Have Tongs Will Travel

— www.shaulisstamps.com

Gary Posner, Inc.

—BuyingQualityStamps.com

Littleton Coin Company — www.littletoncoin.com

ORCOEXPO — stampshowsteve.com

Quality Stamps

Scott A. Shaulis

Eric Jackson

Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library

Kelleher & Rogers, Ltd. — www.kelleherasia.com

PIPEX

E.S.J. van Dam, Ltd. — www.canadarevenuestamps.com

— www.kapstamps.com

— www.kennieser.com

Eastern Auctions — www.easternauctions.com

CK Stamps — www.CKstamps.com

— www.hughwood.com

— www.philasearch.com

Sparks Auction — www.sparks-auction.com

St. Louis Stamp Expo

Stephen Taylor — www.stephentaylor.co.uk

Steve Malack Stamps — www.malack.com

Suburban Stamp Inc.

Tropical Stamps, Inc. — www.tropicalstamps.com

Universal Philatelic Auctions — upastampauctions.co.uk

Vance Auctions Ltd — www.vanceauctions.com

Vogt Stamps 88

— www.vogtstamps.com

WESTPEX 84

—www.westpex.org

About the Index of Advertisers This index is included to help readers find advertisers included in this edition of The American Philatelist. The support of these dealers and services is very important to the APS and to The AP. Advertising is a privilege of membership and each business represented here is a member in good standing of the Society. Some postal organizations, like the U.S. Postal Service, are not directly members, but are afforded the opportunity to advertise because of their standing, reputation and impact on the hobby. Advertising is open to any member of the American Philatelic Society.

86 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

For any advertiser that maintains a website, that web address is listed with their information above. Additionally, the online version of the journal includes clickable links for each of these companies and individuals. These links make visiting the advertisers’ websites easy and avoids the possibility of mistyping the web address from these listings. As you interact with these advertisers, please tell them you saw their ad in The American Philatelist and let them know that you appreciate their support of the journal and the hobby in general.

Show Time

stampshow@stamps.org

The “Show Time” Calendar features a list of upcoming shows and APS events. To obtain a listing, please submit a “Show Time”form, available online at www.stamps.org/Show-Calendar or by mail from APS headquarters. Information must be received 60 days before desired publication time. The listings are free to World Series of Philately and other shows that are sponsored by an APS chapter or affiliate. Other shows/bourses may purchase listings for the month of the show/ bourse and the month prior only. The listing fee is $25 per show per issue. Shows designated *B* are bourse only. Grand award winners from *WSP* shows are eligible for the annual APS World Series of Philately Champion of Champions competition. Note that CofC eligibility may be affected if WSP criteria are not achieved for an individual show. Visit aps.buzz/Calendar for a complete listing of shows and APS events.

Email: rterlecky@hotmail.com Website: https://www.merchantvillestampclub. org/

Illinois

Ohio

February 2-3

Indiana

February 17-18

MSDA Fort Wayne Stamp Show, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association, Franke Park Pavillion (next to Children’s Zoo), 3411 Sherman Blvd, Fort Wayne. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: http://www.msdastamp.com

South Carolina

February 17-18

Columbia SC Winter Stamp and Postcard Show, Columbia Philatelic Society, Spring Valley High School, 120 Sparkleberry Lane, Columbia. Contact: Mark Postmus Email: Columbiastamppostcardshow@yahoo. com Website: https://classic.stamps.org/CPS

February 23-24

MSDA Joliet Stamp Show, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association and Will County Stamp Club, Messiah Lutheran Church, 40 Houbolt Road, Joliet. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: https://msdastamp.com/

Toledo Stamp Expo ‘100, Stamp Collectors Club of Toledo, Graystone Banquet Hall, 29101 Hufford Road, Perrysburg. Contact: Charles Hablitzel Jr. Email: webmaster@toledostampclub.org Website: http://www.toledostampclub.org/

Kentucky

February 9-10

APEX (Alaska Philatelic Exhibition), Anchorage Philatelic Society, St. Mark Lutheran Church, 3230 Lake Otis Pkwy, Anchorage. Contact: Patrick Hoffman Email: phoff1942@gmail.com Website: https://anchoragephilatelic.org/

Wisconsin

February 10

MSDA Louisville Stamp Show, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association, Triple Crown Pavilion, 1780 Plantside Drive, Louisville. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: https://msdastamp.com/

Janesville Stamp Club’s 65th Annual Exhibition & Bourse, Janesville Stamp Club, Holiday Inn Express - Janesville Conference Center, 3100 Wellington Place, Janesville. Contact: Jane Redenius Email: jaanred@hotmail.com

Pennsylvania

February 11

K2 Lancaster Stamp Show, K2 Stamps, Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Contact: Kevin Kellman Email: k2stamps@gmail.com Website: https://k2stamps.wixsite.com/ k2collectiblestamps/schedule

Michigan

February 16-17

Alaska

California

February 23-25

San Diego Stamp Show, Hilton San Diego Mission Valley, 901 Camino Del Rio South, San Diego. *WSP* Contact: Mark Banchik Email: mebanchik@aol.com Website: https://sandiegostampshow.net/

Florida

February 24

Baypex 2024 Stamp, Coin and Postcard Show, Clearwater Stamp Club, Banquet Masters, 13355 49th Street North, Clearwater. *B* Contact: Roger A. Waivio Email: rogerwaivio@gmail.com Website:

Nebraska

February 24-25

Florida

March 2

Pennsylvania

March 2

Washington

March 2

West Volusia Stamp Show, West Volusia Stamp Club, American Legion Post 259, 470 Summerhaven Drive, Deltona. Contact: John Reilly Email: jreilly620@gmail.com Website: http://floridacsp.com/wvstamp/ show2024.html

Northeastern Pennsylvania Stamp Show and Bourse, Wyoming Valley Stamp Club, Bernadine Hall at Saints Peter and Pail Church, 13 Hudson Road, Plains. *B* Contact: Ron Breznay Email: ronbreznay47@gmail.com Sno-King Stamp Show, Sno-King Stamp Club, Kenmore Community Club, 7304 NE 175th Street, Kenmore. *B* Contact: Kurt Lange Email: kurt.d.lange@gmail.com

Ohio

March 2-3

Tennessee

March 2-3

Florida

March 8-9

Michigan

March 8-9

Connecticut

March 9

McKinley Stamp Club Show, McKinley Stamp Club of Canton, St. George Serbian Orthodox Hall, 4667 Applegrove St. NW, Canton. Contact: Dave Pool Email: lincolnway@sssnet.com

KnoxPEx 2024 - American Museum of Science & Energy 75th Anniversary, Knoxville Philatelic Society, Rothchild Catering & Event Center, 8807 Kingston Pike, Knoxville. Contact: Tom Broadhead Email: broadhea@utk.edu Website: https://www.knoxstamps.com/ Citrus County Coin, Currency & Stamp Expo, Citrus County Coin Club, Crystal River National Guard Armory, 8551 W. Venable Street, Crystal River. *B* Contact: Bruce Schneider Email: sparky3bear1950@aol.com Website: http://citruscountycoinclub.org MICHIPEX 2024, Michigan Stamp Club, Sokol Cultural Center, 23600 W Warren Ave, Dearborn Heights. *B* Contact: John Bendzick Email: arbor@provide.net

Ferndale Stamp Show, Birmingham Stamp Club, Sokol Cultural Center, 23600 W. Warren Ave, Dearborn Heights. *B* Contact: Fred Como Email: karate1dad@netscape.net Website: https://birminghamstamp.club/

LINPEX 2024, Lincoln Stamp Club, Country Inn & Suites, 5353 North 27 Street, Lincoln. Contact: Dale Niebuhr Email: dale.niebuhr@gmail.com Website: https://www.lincolnstampclub.org/

Arizona

Maryland

Arizona National Stamp Show, Phoenix Philatelic Association, Holiday Inn, Mesa, 1600 South Country Club Drive, Mesa. Contact: Tom Reyman Email: AZnationalstampshow@gmail.com

STAMPFEST 2024, Milwaukee Philatelic Society, Saint Francis Lions Center, 3476 E. Howard Ave, St. Francis. *B* Contact: Keith Trischan Email: keith.t@earthlink.net Website: https://milwaukeephilatelic.org/

New Jersey

Connecticut

New Mexico

February 16-18

February 17

Burlington Masons Lodge Stamp Show, Merchantville Stamp Club, Burlington Lodge #32 F&AM, 2308 Burlington-Mt. Holly Road, Burlington. *B* Contact: Ryan Terlecky

Wisconsin

February 24-25

February 25

Fourth Sunday Stamp Show, New Haven Philatelic Soicety, Annex Y.M.C.A Club, 554 Woodward Ave, New Haven. Contact: Jesse Williams Email: redgyphon@gmail.com

NORPEX 2024, Norwalk Stamp Club, Norwalk Senior Center, 11 Allen Road, Norwalk. Contact: Mike Clark Email: mclark577@gmail.com Website: https://norwalkstampclub.com/

Tidewater Stamp Club Annual Show, Tidewater Stamp Club, Easton Volunteer Fire Department, 315 Leonard Rieck Drive, Easton. Contact: Carol Armstrong Email: cwarmstrong01@atlanticbb.net

March 9-10

Mesilla Valley Stamp & Coin Show, Mesilla Valley Stamp Club, Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave, Las Cruces. Contact: Richard Hiss Email: rhhhiss@comcast.net FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 87

Tennessee

March 9-10

Nashville Stamp and Postcard Show 2024, Nashville Philatelic Society, Gallatin Civic Center, 210 Albert Gallatin Ave, Gallatin. Contact: Tom Tribke Email: show@nashvillephilatelic.org Website: http://www.nashvillephilatelic.org/

Ohio

March 15-17

Garfield-Perry March Party, Garfield-Perry Stamp Club, Best Western Plus, 15471 Royalton Rd., Strongsville. *WSP* Contact: Rocco Caponi Email: rocco.caponi@gmail.com Website: http://www.garfieldperry.org

New Jersey

March 16

Burlington Masons Lodge Stamp Show, Merchantville Stamp Club, Burlington Lodge #32 F&AM, 2308 Burlington-Mt. Holly Road, Burlington. *B* Contact: Ryan Terlecky Email: rterlecky@hotmail.com Website: https://www.merchantvillestampclub. org/

Contact: George Ozegovic Email: gozegovic@comcast.net Website:www.calumetstampandcoin.com

Alberta, Canada

March 23-24

Edmonton Spring Stamp Show, Edmonton Stamp Club, Central Lions Recreation Centre, 11113 - 113 Street, Edmonton. *WSP* Contact: Ed Dykstra Email: eddykstra@shaw.ca Website: https://www.edmontonstampclub.ca/

New York

March 23-24

BUFPEX 2024, Buffalo Stamp Club, The Knights Event Center, 2735 Union Road, Cheektoaga. Contact: Alan Davis Email: ddavis504@roadrunner.com Website: https://buffalostampclub.org/

Connecticut

March 24

Fourth Sunday Stamp Show, New Haven Philatelic Soicety, Annex Y.M.C.A Club, 554 Woodward Ave, New Haven. Contact: Jesse Williams Email: redgyphon@gmail.com

Mississippi

April 5-6

Missouri

St. Louis Stamp Expo, Area Clubs, St. Louis Renaissance Airport Hotel, 9801 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis. *WSP* Contact: Fred Boatwright Email: stampooh@centurylink.net Website: https://www.stlouisstampexpo.com/

March 22-24

GULFPEX 2024, Gulf Coast Stamp Club, St. Martin Community Center, 15008 Lemoyne Blvd., Biloxi. Contact: Robert O’Dell Email: Robert7reo@yahoo.com Website: https://www.gulfcoaststampclub.org/

Indiana

March 23

Illinois

Calumet Area Stamp, Coin & Postcard Show, Calumet Stamp Club, St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, 905 E. Joliet Street, Schererville. *B*

April 6

PARFOREX 62, Park Forest Stamp Club, FCC Community House, 847 Hutchison Road, Flossmoor. Contact: Edward Waterous

Email: ewwaterous@hotmail.com

Pennsylvania

April 6

NEPPEX Northeastern Pennsylvania Stamp Show, St. Peter and Paul Church - Bernardine Hall, 14 Hudson Road, Plains. *B* Contact: Ward Wilcox Email: wardw911@mgail.com

Washington

April 6

Roundup Stamp & Coin Show, Olympia Philatelic Society, Columbian Hall, 6794 Martin Way East, Lacey. Contact: Dennis Gelvin Email: dnjgelvin@comcast.net

Indiana

April 6-7

Indy Spring Fair, Indiana Stamp Club, Lawrence Community Center, 5301 N. Franklin Street, Lawrence. *B* Contact: Tom Chastang Email: tchas5@sbcglobal.net Website: https://indianastampclub.org/

Virginia

April 6-7

SPRINGPEX 2024, Springfield Stamp Club, John R. Lewis High School, 6540 Franconia Road, Springfireld. Contact: Kevin Hans Email: sscvainfo@gmail.com Website: https://www.springfieldstampclub. org/

New York

April 7

Hilton Stamp Show & Philatelic Open House, Western Monroe Philatelic Society, Hilton Exempts Club, 137 South Ave, Hilton. *B* Contact: Dave Bombard Email: dbombar1@rochester.rr.com

Conquer the Civil War with

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BUY O SELL O RESEARCH O SUBSCRIBE

www.TrishKaufmann.com 88 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

Pennsylvania

April 12-13

WILKPEX, Wilkinsburg Stamp Club, Holliday Park Fire Hall, 415 Old Abers Creek Road (Route 286), Pittsburgh / Plum. Contact: Deborah Foltyn Email: dlfoltyn@msn.com Website: www.wilkinsburgstampclub.com/

Massachusetts

April 12-14

Philatelic Show, Northeastern Fed. Of Stamp Clubs, Boxboro Regency Hotel & Conference Center, 242 Adams Place, Boxborough. *WSP* Contact: David Ball and Mark Butterline Email: david.ball@philatelicshow.org; mark. butterline@philatelicshow.org Website: http://www.PhilatelicShow.org

Pennsylvania

April 19-20

New Jersey

April 20

Iowa

April 20-21

CERAPEX 2024, Cedar Rapids Stamp Club as APS Chapter #106, Machinist Hall, 222 Prospect Place SW, Cedar Rapids. Contact: Stephen Kossayian Email: skossayian@msn.com Website: http://www.crsc.mysite.com/

Washington

April 20-21

Spring Stamp, Postcard & Paper Show, Evergreen Stamp Club, Kent Commons Community Center, 525 4th Avenue N, Kent. *B* Contact: Lisa Foster Email: fosteld@gmail.com Website: https://classic.stamps.org/EvergreenStamp-Club

Michigan

April 26-27

Kalamazoo Stamp Club Spring 2024 KAZOOPEX stamp show, Kalamazoo Stamp Club, Kalamazoo Expo Center, 2900 Lake Street, Kalamazoo. Contact: Paul Matyas Email: ltpali@aol.com

California

April 26-28

WESTPEX, WESTPEX, Inc., San Francisco Airport

Marriott Waterfront Hotel, 1800 Old Bayshore Highway, Burlingame. *WSP* Contact: Behruz Nassre Email: behruz@gmail.com Website: http://www.westpex.com

Connecticut

April 28

Fourth Sunday Stamp Show, New Haven Philatelic Soicety, Annex Y.M.C.A Club, 554 Woodward Ave, New Haven. Contact: Jesse Williams Email: redgyphon@gmail.com

Oregon

May 3-5

PIPEX 2024, Northwest Federation of Stamp Clubs, Monarch Hotel & Conference Center, 12566 SE 93rd Ave, Clackamas. *WSP* Contact: Mark Loomis Email: mmloomis1@gmail.com Website: http://www.pipexstampshow.org/

Pennsylvania

May 4

NEPPEX Northeastern Pennsylvania Stamp Show, St. Peter and Paul Church - Bernardine Hall, 14 Hudson Road, Plains. *B* Contact: Ward Wilcox Email: wardw911@mgail.com

Ontario, Canada

May 4-5

ORAPEX, Ottawa Philatelic Society, Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa. *WSP* Contact: John Tooth Email: info@orapex.ca Website: https://www.orapex.ca/

Wisconsin

CHRISTOPH GÄRTNER AUCTIONS

58th AUCTION 19 - 23 February 2024

At our February auc�on, we once again presen�ng a wide-ranging selec�on. For the ﬁrst �me, we have included not only single lots but also collec�on lots in our Asia special catalog. A highlight of the auc�on are our three special themes, which we oﬀer in special catalogs: • „GERMANIA“ │ Collec�on

Gerd Westkämper

• „PRIVATE MAIL“ German Reich

Collec�on Horst Müller

• „GERMAN OCCUPATION IN

WORLD WAR II FRANCE – Dunkirk, Lorient Fortress, Saint-Nazaire“

We are already looking forward to an exci�ng and unusual 58th auc�on!

May 4-5

Wiscopex 2024, Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs, Raddisson Hotel and Conference Center, 625 West Rolling Meadows Drive, Fond du Lac. Contact: Jim Stollenwerk Email: smallgasengine65@gmail.com Website: www.wfscstamps.org/WISCOPEX/

Pennsylvania

May 10

Butlerpex ‘24, Butler County Philatelic Society, Tanglewood Center, 10 Austin Avenue, Lyndora. Contact: Scott Shaulis Email: scottshaulis@comcast.net

Indiana

May 18

Calumet Area Stamp, Coin & Postcard Show, Calumet Stamp Club, St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, 905 E. Joliet Street, Schererville. *B* Contact: George Ozegovic Email: gozegovic@comcast.net Website: www.calumetstampandcoin.com

Auk�onshaus Christoph Gärtner

GmbH & Co. KG | Steinbeisstr. 6+8, 74321 Bie�gheim-Bissingen, Germany

www.auk�onen-gaertner.de www.cg-collectors-world.com 90 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

New Jersey

May 18

Illinois

May 18-19

MSDA Springtime Chicagoland Stamp Show, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association, Holiday Inn - Elk Grove Village, 100 Busse Rd, Elk Grove Village. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: http://www.msdastamp.com

Pennsylvania

June 1

Pennsylvania

June 16

MSDA St. Louis Stamp Show, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association, Westbury Center (Knights of Columbus), 20 Westbury Drive, St. Charles. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: https://msdastamp.com/

Pennsylvania

June 22-23

Virginia

Connecticut

Fourth Sunday Stamp Show, New Haven Philatelic Soicety, Annex Y.M.C.A Club, 554 Woodward Ave, New Haven. Contact: Jesse Williams Email: redgyphon@gmail.com

June 23

Iowa

June 23

NEPPEX Northeastern Pennsylvania Stamp Show, St. Peter and Paul Church - Bernardine Hall, 14 Hudson Road, Plains. *B* Contact: Ward Wilcox Email: wardw911@mgail.com

Missouri

June 1-2

June 7-9

Lansing Coin and Stamp Show, , 4722 West Grand River, Lansing. Contact: Ronnie Ray Robinson Email: robinsonrr@comcast.net

NAPEX, National Phil. Exhibitions of Washington D.C., McLean Hilton at Tyson’s Corner, 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean. *WSP* Contact: John Schorn Email: jschorn@gmail.com Website: http://www.napex.org

Connecticut

Wisconsin

Michigan

May 19

May 26

Fourth Sunday Stamp Show, New Haven Philatelic Soicety, Annex Y.M.C.A Club, 554 Woodward Ave, New Haven. Contact: Jesse Williams Email: redgyphon@gmail.com

Ohio

May 31-June 1

COLOPEX 2024, Columbus Philatelic Club, Doubletree Hilton Worthington, 175 Hutchinson Ave., Columbus. Contact: Guy Purington Email: gpurington@homesteadcos.com Website: https://www.colopex.com/

June 14-15

Milcopex 2024, Milwaukee Philatelic Society, Brookfield Conference Center, 325 South Moorland Road, Brookfield. *WSP* Contact: MaryAnn Bowman Email: maryann15b@mac.com Website: https://milcopex.org/

New Jersey

June 15

Collecting is like a box of chocolates… It looks great outside but the real ‘goodies’ are inside! Every week our offers offer a huge selection of ‘goodies’ to choose from. It’s really challenging to pick where to start!

Cedar Rapids Stamp Club Summer Bourse, CRSC Chapter #106, Hiawatha Community Center, 101 Emmons Street, Hiawatha. *B* Contact: Stephen Kossayian Email: skossayian@msn.com Website: http://crsc.mysite.com/

Oklahoma

June 28-29

Illinois

June 29-30

OKPEX 2024, Oklahoma City Stamp Club, Student Union of Rose State College, 1910 Hudiburg Dr., Midwest City. *WSP* Contact: Joe Crosby Email: joecrosby@cox.net

MSDA GALENA COUNTRY STAMP SHOW, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association, Historic Turner Hall, 115 S. Bench Street, Galena. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: http://www.msdastamp.com

Pennsylvania

July 6

NEPPEX Northeastern Pennsylvania Stamp Show, St. Peter and Paul Church - Bernardine Hall, 14 Hudson Road, Plains. *B* Contact: Ward Wilcox Email: wardw911@mgail.com

Indiana

July 13-14

Minnesota

July 19-21

New Jersey

July 20

Minnesota Stamp Expo, Twin City Philatelic Society and Various Local Clubs, Crystal Community Ctr., 4800 Douglas Dr., N., Minneapolis. *WSP* Contact: Randy A. Smith Email: rasmary4@frontiernet.net Website: http://www.stampsminnesota.com/ MN%20Stamp%20Expo.htm

You’ll enjoy the 24-hour shipping, substantial discounts, large selections, and easy payment choices. P.O. Box 68364, Schaumburg, Il 60168 847-524-1392. Fax 847-301-7320 kapstamps@kapstamps.com

A family owned business serving the collecting public since 1981 92 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

SCOPEX 2024, Mount Nittany Philatelic Society, American Philatelic Center, 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte. Contact: Don Heller Email: dheller5720@yahoo.com

MSDA Indianapolis Stamp Show, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association, Lawrence Park District Center, 5301 N. Franklin Road, Lawrence. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: https://msdastamp.com/

Try our weekly catalog of worldwide sets, singles, souvenir sheets of the world (about 5,000 choices in each issue). The catalog is free by mail for 4 weeks or by e-mail for 12 weeks.

K.A.P. Stamps

Washington

July 20-21

Summer Stamp, Postcard & Paper Show, Evergreen Stamp Club, Kent Commons Community Center, 525 4th Avenue N, Kent. *B* Contact: Lisa Foster Email: fosteld@gmail.com Website: https://classic.stamps.org/EvergreenStamp-Club

Nevada

July 27-28

Greater Reno Stamp & Cover Show, Nevada Stamp Study Society, National Bowling Stadium, 300 University Way, Reno. Contact: Erik Fields Email: show@renostamp.org Website: https://renostamp.org/

North Carolina

July 27-28

CHARPEX 2024, Charlotte Philatelic Society, Worrell Bldg; Central Piedmont Community College, 1228 Elizabeth Avenue, Charlotte. Contact: Mike Lampson Email: cps@charlottestampclub.org

Wisconsin

July 27-28

MSDA TOSAPEX 2024 Stamp Show, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association & Wauwatosa Philatelic Society, St. Francis Lions Community Center, 3476 E. Howard Ave, Saint Francis. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: www.msdastamp.com

Connecticut

July 28

Fourth Sunday Stamp Show, New Haven Philatelic Soicety, Annex Y.M.C.A Club, 554 Woodward Ave, New Haven. Contact: Jesse Williams Email: redgyphon@gmail.com

Illinois

August 2-3

Connecticut

August 15-18

Great American Stamp Show, American Philatelic Society, American Topical Association, & American First Day Cover Society, Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Boulevard, Hartford. *WSP* Contact: Wendy Masorti Email: greatamericanstampshow@stamps.org Website: http://www.stamps.org/ GreatAmericanStampShow

Connecticut

August 25

Fourth Sunday Stamp Show, New Haven Philatelic Soicety, Annex Y.M.C.A Club, 554 Woodward Ave, New Haven. Contact: Jesse Williams Email: redgyphon@gmail.com

Pennsylvania

August 25

Indiana

August 31

Washington

September 6-8

SEAPEX, Seattle Philatelic Exhibitions, Inc., Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave., S., Tukwila. *WSP* Website: http://www.seapexshow.org/

Pennsylvania

September 7

NEPPEX Northeastern Pennsylvania Stamp Show, St. Peter and Paul Church - Bernardine Hall, 14 Hudson Road, Plains. *B* Contact: Ward Wilcox Email: wardw911@mgail.com

Illinois

September 7-8

Ohio

September 14

MSDA College of DuPage Stamp Show, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association, College of DuPage - Student Resource Center (SRC), 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: http://www.msdastamp.com TUSCOPEX 2024 Stamp Show, Tuscora Stamp Club, New Philadelphia Park Pavilion, 161 Tuscora Avenue NW, Philadelphia. Contact: Steve Worsham Email: slworsham@frontier.com

Indiana

September 20-22

INDYPEX 2024, Indiana Stamp Club, Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds & Exhibition Center, 1900 E. Main Street, Danville. *WSP* Contact: Kurt Streepy Email: ksstreepy@gmail.com Website: https://indianastampclub.org/

New Jersey

September 21

MSDA Champaign-Urbana Stamp Show, Midwest Stamp Dealers Association, Faith Methodist Church, 1719 S Prospect Ave, Champaign. *B* Contact: Michael Mules Email: msdastampshow@gmail.com Website: https://msdastamp.com/

Pennsylvania

August 3

New Jersey

August 10

NEPPEX Northeastern Pennsylvania Stamp Show, St. Peter and Paul Church - Bernardine Hall, 14 Hudson Road, Plains. *B* Contact: Ward Wilcox Email: wardw911@mgail.com Burlington Masons Lodge Stamp Show, Merchantville Stamp Club, Burlington Lodge #32 F&AM, 2308 Burlington-Mt. Holly Road, Burlington. *B* Contact: Ryan Terlecky Email: rterlecky@hotmail.com Website: www.merchantvillestampclub.org/

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P.O. Box 267, Smithville, Ontario, Canada L0R 2A0 Toll Free Phone: 877-957-3364 • Fax: 905-957-0100 mail@vanceauctions.com FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 93

New World Issues BY William Silvester

AUSTRIA – No to Violence Against Women

The message sent by this stamp designed by Marion Füllerer is unmistakable in raising awareness in the fight against violence toward women. Numerous support groups in Austria include shelters, violence protection centers, and counseling services for women and men. Issued on November 25, the stamp features a large hand, held up to signify “stop”, with several stylized women of various ethnicities in the background.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – Christmas and New Year

According to the Biblical Gospel of Matthew, three kings followed a star to Bethlehem, where they found the infant Jesus. In the 8th century, the kings became known as Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar (shown on one stamp), though it is not conclusively known where the kings came from. They bore gifts of gold, myrrh, and incense and their feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 as the second stamp shows. The stamps were designed by Vilim Parić and issued December 1 in sheets of 10 by Croatian Post.

CANADA – Willie O’Ree

The life and legacy of Willie O’Ree, the first Black player in the National Hockey League, was celebrated by a single domestic rate booklet of six stamps issued in Edmonton, Alberta as part of the NHL Heritage Classic weekend festivities. The stamp was printed in yellow and black, the colors of the Boston Bruins, for whom O’Ree first played in a game against the Montreal Canadiens in January 1958. His career with the Bruins continued until 1961 after which he dedicated his life to encouraging “young people to follow their dreams despite obstacles or prejudice.” He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. Born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick, the images on the stamp show him in his hockey uniform in 1960 and a more recent photo taken by Philip Cheung.

COSTA RICA - 50th Anniversary of Guayabo National Monument

Prominent archaeologist Carlos Aguilar Piedra’s most significant work was at Guayabo de Turrialba in the Central Highlands of Costa Rica. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Guayabo National Monument, the post office issued a single-stamp souvenir sheet featuring Carlos Aguilar Piedra (1917-2008), known as the grandfather of Costa Rican archaeology, and an aerial view of the site both on the stamp and the border to the left. All that remains of a once great pre-Columbian city are circular mounds, aqueducts, and cobblestoned roadways attesting to a sophisticated civilization that mysteriously disappeared before the arrival of the Spanish.

HUNGARY-THAILAND – Joint Issue

A joint issue single-stamp souvenir sheet from both countries marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Thailand. The stamp was designed by Acting Lt. Patipol Sorging with Barnabás Baticz designing the buildings in the frame. Issued on November 29, the souvenir sheet marks a courtesy call paid by Sandor Sipos, Hungarian ambassador to Thailand, to Itthiphol Kunplome, Thailand’s minister of culture. The two exchanged views on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation on cultural promotion with the two sides agreeing that the 50th anniversary provided an excellent opportunity to do so. 94 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

ISRAEL – 75th Anniversary of Printing Doar Ivri Stamps

The first Israeli stamps were issued May 16, 1948, the first business day after Israel declared independence from the British mandate. The set of definitive stamps were inscribed “Doar Ivri” (Hebrew Post) as the name Israel had not yet been officially chosen. The stamps were printed by letterpress in nine denominations as shown in the image on the recent. The Doar Ivri stamps were designed by Otte Wallish using ancient coins from the First Jewish-Roman War and later the Bar Kokhba revolt, perforated or as a rouletted variation. The recent commemorative was issued on December 12, and a Philately Day tab showing a die for the 250 mils stamp (Scott 7).

MONTENEGRO –The Birth of Elena of Savoy

Elena of Savoy was a Montenegrin princess born January 8, 1873 in Cetinje. She was the sixth child of Prince Nikola Petrović Njegoš and Princess Milena. Montenegro Post issued a single on November 11, using a design by Ana Pejović and printed by Blicdruck in Sarajevo. Elena married Vittorio Emmanuele III, prince of Naples and heir to the Italian throne, who ruled as king of Italy from 1900 to 1946. She frequently distinguished herself by her humanitarian work, treating the victims of the 1908 Messina earthquake, those wounded during the World War I, and numerous other humanitarian endeavours. Elena was awarded the Golden Rose of Christianity in 1937 and posthumously declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church after she died in 1952 in Montpellier, France.

NEW ZEALAND – Year of the Dragon

New Zealand Post issued its annual Lunar New Year stamps on December 6 with a set of four marking the Year of the Dragon. Designed by YMC Design (Wellington, NZ) and printed by Brebner Print (Napier, NZ) in sheets of 20 and a miniature sheet format. The $2.00 Longevity Noodles stamp depicts “a dragon spilling forth from a fern-laden bowl of noodles, mixing Kiwi and Chinese iconography.” The $3.30 value Garden of Prosperity stamp shows a dragon aiding “a toddler in harvesting a Chinese cabbage, emblematic of market gardeners’ contribution to New Zealand horticulture.” The $4.00 stamp, Land of Good Fortune, “displays cherubs holding mining tools, their work guarded by the watchful eye of a dragon.” Lastly, the $6.90 Festive Fireworks “depicts a puppet-like dragon, with starbursts of fireworks exploding in the distance.” Lunar New Year, celebrated in particular among many with Asian roots, starts February 10.

ROSS DEPENDENCY – Refurbishment of Scott Base

The Scott Base sign and pouwhenua shown on a pair of Ross Dependency stamps were created by Ngāi Tahu carvers and unveiled in January. The $2.00 stamp shows the pouwhenua – a carved wooden post used by Māori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, to mark territorial boundaries or places of significance – and Scott Base Sign. The $3.30 stamp depicts the Aurora Australis over Scott Base. This issue commemorates the planned refurbishment of New Zealand’s home on Ross Island and one of the few permanently occupied human habitations in the area. In addition to the three interconnected prefabricated buildings, the Ross Island wind farm also will be upgraded creating some 700 jobs over the next few years.

UNITED NATIONS – World Mental Health Day

World Health Day provides an opportunity to make mental health a priority so that all people can participate fully in society, free from stigma and discrimination. The annual World Mental Health Day issue was issued October 10 by the United Nations Postal Administration to “raise awareness about the importance of mental health and to support those living with mental health conditions.” The theme is “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right.” The three stamps were designed by Sergio Baradat. The designs are titled Confusion, on the $1.50 (US); Rainy Days and Mondays, on the 1,80 (CHF), and Mood Swings on the €1,20.

• • • • • New worldwide stamps images are presented for information and are not necessarily shown at the correct scale. The quality of images available at the time of release varies widely and we resize to achieve the best possible reproduction. FEBRUARY 2024 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 95

First Things First BY John Seidl

A Cayman Islands Letter [Editor’s Note: Please welcome John Seidl to the last page of The American Philatelist! We’re excited to inaugurate the first entry of “First Things First,” a column celebrating the various firsts, debuts, and beginnings of the philatelic world. From stamp issues to postal history firsts to postal innovations, all are fair game in “First Things First.” And if you have a suggestion, please contact John at john.seidl@gmail.com.]

hank you to Susanna Mills and the team at the American Philatelic Society for the opportunity to write a column for The American Philatelist. I am a longtime worldwide collector with a special interest in the West Indies. I am active in many philatelic societies and clubs at the local, national, and international levels. In my role as the president of the International Society of Worldwide Stamp Collectors, I’ve had the privilege to become acquainted with hundreds of collectors who share my broad interest in philately that I will try to reflect in these columns. The first philatelic first I'd like to discuss is an item from a country close to the heart of my stamp collection, the Cayman Islands. When growing up in the 1970s, I was lucky enough to go with my family to the Cayman Islands every year for vacation. I developed a love of diving, the people, and the islands. When I wanted to add a specialty to my stamp collection, the Cayman Islands were an easy choice. This is the earliest of two pre-adhesive stamp letters known to be in private hands. To tell this tale, we’ll go back in time to 1824. England, along with Jamaica, had controlled the islands since 1670. In 1824, the Cayman Islands were still very much a dependency of British colonial Jamaica – a fact resented by many of the local settlers, especially leading up to the emancipation of enslaved people in 1835. In October of 1824, the HMS Diamond anchored off the coast of Grand Cayman, captained by the Honorable William John Napier. Napier took 96 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / FEBRUARY 2024

this opportunity to write a letter to his attorney, Alexander Hunter, in Edinburgh. Napier outlined how his estate should be settled should he not return from the voyage. Hunter was thoughtful enough to save both the letter and the entire outer cover as it was a “legal” document. The letter is dated October 13, which Napier notes is his birthday in the opening paragraph. Lord Napier was born October 13, 1786, and his first commission dates to 1809. He was married in 1816; his 1824 letter cites his devotion to his wife several times. The Diamond was assigned to the South American station, and thus it makes sense that his travels would take them by way of the Cayman Islands. Lord Napier is far better known for his political career after the Navy, as he was both the Scottish representative to the House of Lords and later the chief superintendent of trade at Canton, China. The 1824 letter would have been carried privately to the U.K. and was likely not handled by an official agent. There is other interesting correspondence from Napier at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. Have a "First" to share? Let us know at AParticle@stamps.org.

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