Sincere thanks to all who participated in the recent survey to determine members’ collecting areas besides U.S. classics.

The number of responses exceeded expectations and the needed information provided is already and will continue to be of great assistance in the effort to secure additional advertising.

Through these responses members were shown to be cooperative, cheerful and in some cases down right funny; and confirmed suspicions of widely varied collecting interests within the society membership.  It was a great pleasure reading your many comments, both philatelic and personal, and a true delight getting to know so many members in this particular way.

Most importantly, your participation in the survey has provided the necessary fuel for The Chronicles’ continued financial success.  I am glad to report that a couple of new advertisers have already been secured and I am certain that more will be obtained…. thanks to you!  

Carol A. Bommarito
Ad Manager for The Chronicle

USPCS member Tony Dewey (in  photo, receiving the award from Megan Orient) had the best of 66 single frame exhibits in the open part of AmeriPex this year, winning the SF Grand and a Large Gold medal.

ARIPEX

 
Aripex was held in Phoenix on the third weekend in February.  A Large Gold medal was won by Mark Banchik for “Mexican War (1846-1848); How the U.S. Expanded Across the Continent”.  Mark also won the APS Pre-1900 Medal of Excellence; a Silver Mexico Elmhurst Philatelic Society Award; the Military Postal History Award; the U.S. Cancellation Club Award; and the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society Medal.  Way to go, Mark!
 
Gold medals were won by Alfredo Frohlich for his “Survivors – Crash and Salvaged Air Mail In, From and To Colombia” (also the Auxiliary Club Award of Merit); Gregg Hopkins for two exhibits, his “Philatelic Truck, Souvenir Sheet & Cachet; and his SFE “The Production of the U.S. Air Mail Issue of 1928 – The Beacon”.
 
A Large Vermeil medal was won by Gregg Hopkins for “$2 Inverted Jenny” (also the APS post-1980 Medal of Excellence and the People’s Choice Award).
 
A Vermeil medal was won by Caj Brejtfus for “The First Modern Postage Stamp: Mail in the Industrial Revolution from 1850-1859 – A Decade of Change.”
  
A Large Silver medal was won by John Wynns for his SFE “Japan United States Treaty Issues of 1960.”
 
Silver medals were won by John Wynns for his SFE “Canal Zone: The 1926 Sesquicentennial Issue” and by Lawrence Haber for his SFE “Britain Goes Decimal.”
 

TEXPEX

 
TexPex was held in Grapevine, Texas (near DFW Airport) the last weekend of February.  Our own John Barwis (immediate past USPCS president) won the Grand Award and a Large Gold medal for his “Philadelphia-Great Britain Mails”.  John also won the J.C.M. Cryer Cup for the best U.S. or Confederate exhibit; the APS pre-1900 Award of Excellence; the USPCS Medal; and the AAPE Award for Excellence in Plans and Headings.  Hope he had enough room in his carry-on! 
 
Winning the Single Frame Grand and a Large Gold was Richard Taschenberg with “The 30c Nesbitt Envelopes of 1865”.  Richard also won the UPSS Champion of Champions Single-Frame Award.  Very nicely done, Richard!
 
Also winning a Large Gold medal was Bill McDaniel for his “U.S. Three Cent 1851-1857 Issue: Production and Usage”.  Bill also won the USSS Statue of Freedom Award.  
 
Winning Gold medals were Mark Schwartz for his “The First U.S. International U.P.U. Postal Card and its Forerunners” and Norman Cohen for his “The Use of the 1930 U.S. Postage Due Issues to 1959.”
 
Richard Frajola won a Large Vermeil medal for “The Classic Stamp Issues of Nepal.”
 

AMERISTAMP EXPO

 
Also known as the APS Winter Show, this show hosts the annual single frame Champion of Champions competition, a very large open single frame Competition, and presents Best of Category awards to various classes of multi-frame exhibits.  This year, it was held at Reno, the weekend of March 2-5.
 
While a USPCS member did not with the Single Frame CofC, several members did compete for that honor.  They included Alfredo Frohlich for “Replating Colombia’s 1861 1 Peso Stamp”, Howard P. Green for “Handstamped Confederate Rates”, Gary Hendren for “St. Louis Pioneer Air Mail, Oct. 4-8, 1911”, Larry Lyons for “Honour’s City Express Post”, and H. James Maxwell for two exhibits “China’s U.S. Constitution Commemoratives: Through the Line Usages” and “Republic of China Express Stamps and Mail Slips: 1912-29”.  These members all won single frame Grand awards in WSP shows during 2016.
 
In the large open single frame competition (66 SF exhibits) Tony Dewey won the SF Grand award and a Large Gold medal with his “The War Rate: 1815-1816.”  Congratulations, Tony!
 
Also winning Large Gold medals were P. D. Allen for two exhibits, “Victorian Indian Mail to the Far East” and “Victorian Indian Mail to West Indian Ocean Destinations”; John Hotchner for two exhibits, “The Mid 19th Century Start of Perforating in Great Britain and the United States” and “Perforating the Sheet Stamps of the 3rd Bureau Issue, 1908-1922”; Matt Kewriga for “Danish West Indies Mail to Denmark 1842-1877”; David McNamee for “Conquest of the Zulu Kingdom 1876-1897” (also the Military Postal History Society award); and Tim Wait for two exhibits, “Adhesive Stamps Used to Pay the 2¢ Tax on U.S. Bank Checks 1862-1883” (also the APS Pre-1900 Medal of Excellence) and “1862 Insurance Tax”.
 
USPCS members winning Gold medals included Larry Lyons with “Valentines Delivered by U.S. Local Posts”; Steve Schumann with “New Zealand Prisoner of War Air Letter Cards”; and Anthony Wawrukiewicz with “Postal History of U.S. Postage Due Stamps”;
 
Winning Large Vermeil awards were James Busse for “Bosnia-Herzegovina Tobacco Tax Paid Revenues” (also the AAPE Gold Award of Honor); Rich Drews for “Lundy Island: The Early Years”; Gordon Eubanks for “Uses of the ‘Humble’ ½ Cent Benjamin Franklin Stamp of 1938”; Les Lanphear for “New South Wales Penalty Clause Mail, 1898 to 1902”; Ralph Nafziger for “A Soldier’s Diary – The World War I North Russia Expedition”; and Wayne Youngblood for “Lost Almost: The Los Alamos, N.M. Post Office and WWII”
 
Single frame Vermeil medals went to Francis Adams for “The Mesozoic Times – Where Prehistory meets Philately” and Yamil Kouri for “Cuba: French Steamship Lines’ Markings During UPU (1877-1901)”. 
 
Large Silver medals were won by Doug & Nancy Clark for “Production of the U.S. Postal Stationery Revalued in 1971” and Tony Dewey for “The Hartford Bridge/Bulkeley Bridge”.  A Bronze medal was won by Don Chafetz for “Razzle Bedazzl’d”.
 
As mentioned above, multi-frame exhibits competed in categories other than postal history or traditional exhibits. 
 
Several exhibits that won Most Popular at WSP shows competed against one another.  While no USPCS member won the Most Popular CofC, member Tony Dewey participated in the competition with “The 1991 “F” Tulip Stamps and Their First Day Covers”. Tony also got a Gold medal and the APS Post-1980 Medal of Excellence for this exhibit in the Themed Multiframe category.

These are the first three shows in which the medal levels have been expanded to include Large Gold, Large Vermeil and Large Silver.  The U.S. is now following the custom used in most other countries.  The lists below show USPCS members who won medals and special prizes at these three shows.

SOUTHEASTERN STAMP EXPO

Yamil Kouri won the Grand award and a Large Gold for The First Postal Issues of Spanish Antilles 1855-1865 (plus the APS Award of Excellence pre-1900).

Large Gold

Others winning Large Gold were:
Bruce Roberts – Arkansas Territory to 1865 (plus the USPCS Medal)
Alfredo Frohlich – Colombia – Postal History of the Forwarding Agents (plus the Postal History Society award)

Gold

Ralph Nafziger – Auxiliary Markings on First Day Covers (plus the Auxiliary Markings Club Award of Merit)

Large Vermeil

James Cate – Skinner and Eno on Parade… And More

Large Silver

Gary Hendren – Twisted Caps – Twisted Mail (plus the AAPE Creativity Award)

SANDICAL

Eigil Trondsen won the Grand award and a Large Gold for Norway Registered Mail, 1800-1950

Fran Adams won the Single Frame Grand Award and a Large Gold for Atlantic Meeting: Roosevelt and Churchill in Newfoundland – 1941 (plus the American Philatelic Congress award)

Large Gold

Others winning Large Gold were:
Eigil Trondsen – Cunard Line: The Ships and the Transatlantic Mail: 1840 – 1867, The Monopoly Years (plus the Postal History Society award) 

Gold

Alan Campbell – The Use of Officials Stamps in Washington, D.C.: 1873 – 1884 (plus the USPCS Medal)
Ross Towle – US 1907 – 1919 2¢ Oval Die Stamped Envelopes (plus the Chicago Collectors Club award, the USSS Statue of Freedom award and the UPSS Marcus White award))
Bill Mooz – The 1895 Newspaper and Periodical Issue (plus the Lynn Warm-Griffiths award)

Vermeil

Fran Adams – Dark Caves, Bright Visions, Ice Age Cave Painting of France and Spain (SFE)

Large Silver

Les Lanphear – U.S. Booklet Stamps Carrying the Mail, The First Fifty Years 

Bronze

Dick Searing – Washington-Franklin Era Commemoratives 

Certificate

Dick Searing – Washington-Franklin USPOD Coils Off Cover 

SARASOTA NATIONAL STAMP EXHIBITION

Pat Walker won the Grand and a Large Gold for her Baltimore Postal History from Colonial times to the UPU (plus the Postal History Society award)

Mark Schwartz won the Single Frame Grand award and a Gold for The Special Arrangement between Liverpool and the U.S., 1843-48

Large Gold

Bill DiPaolo – The Gentleman from Pennsylvania (plus the Chicago Collectors Club award and the USPCS Medal)

Gold

Alfredo Frohlich – SCADTA Airmail Stamps for SCADTA Airmail Service in Ecuador
Jim Pullin – Pioneer Steamers on the North Atlantic, 1838-1830 (plus the APS pre-1900 Medal of Excellence)
Jim Pullin – American Sailing Packets on the North Atlantic, 1818-1840 (plus the Lighthouse Stamp Society Award)
Juan L. Farrah – The “Special Design” Issues of Cuba, 1899-1910 (plus the U.S. Possessions Philatelic Society award)
Steve Washburne – Portuguese Postal Cards, 1878-1910
William Kelly – The 3c Iwo Jima Stamp of 1945 and its First Days
Millard Mack – Domestic Uses of the 1860 Franklin Stamp (SFE) (plus the U.S. Cancellation Club award)

Large Vermeil

George Kramer – The Transcontinental Railroad

Vermeil

Gary Hendren – Twisted Caps – Twisted Mail (SFE) (plus the APS Post-1980 Medal of Excellence and the AAPE Creativity award)

Large Silver

Wayne Schuetz – First Class Surface Treaty Rate between the U.S. and Great Britain, 1908-1940

Silver

Ralph Nafziger – Auxiliary Markings on U.S. First Day Covers (plus the Auxiliary Markings Club award)

TexPex is always a great show. We have a number of Society activities planned. All rooms at the hotel unless otherwise noted.

Friday, Feb. 24

1-2 PM – Joe Crosby – Postal History Across the Red River – Piney Woods Room 
2-3 PM – Larry Ballantyne – The Adams Express Company: 1840 to the Present – Piney Woods Room
6:30 PM – Wine & Cheese Reception (Grapevine Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Center in downtown Grapevine)

7:15 PM – Classics Society Dinner (Dino’s Steak and Claw House in historic downtown Grapevine, about a ten minute ride away from the show location.)

Important information about the Classics Society Dinner

Regional Vice-President, Charles Shreve, has made arrangements for an excellent dinner on Friday, February 24^th, beginning at 7:15 p.m. The location of the dinner is the well-known, and highly regarded Dino’s Steak and Claw House in historic downtown Grapevine, Texas, about a ten minute ride away from the show location. The restaurant is in an elegant vintage bank building and we will have exclusive use of the upstairs balcony dining area. The entire area around the restaurant is a bustling and lively entertainment district.

Dinner will be a four-course affair, beginning with appetizers of Frizzled Calamari and Dino’s Signature Crab Cubes; followed by a mixed green salad with praline pecans, cranberries and crumbled Gorgonzola; then selecting one entree from the following options 1) 8 oz. filet of beef with garlic whipped potatoes and market vegetables, 2) Atlantic salmon with orzo pasta ratatouille and roasted pepper sauce or, 3) Stuffed chicken breast with spinach Ricotta; and concluding with a special desert prepared by the chef.

The cost has be set at $50.00 per person and Charles Shreve has kindly agreed to subsidize personally the cost of the dinner beyond the $50.00 per person.

Space is limited and we will likely not be able to accommodate more than 40 members (including guests). Please email Charles at charles@siegelauctions.com or call him on his cell 214-533-8882 to guarantee your spot at the dinner and to indicate your entree preference. Checks for dinner must be received by February 10th and can be mailed to:

Charles Shreve
Robert Siegel International
2651 N. Harwood Street, Suite 400
Dallas, TX 75201

Vince King, the TEXPEX Chairman, will likely be arranging transportation from the show venue to the restaurant for those who do not have a car or someone to ride with (taxis and especially Uber cars are plentiful and quite cost effective). 

Saturday, Feb. 25

8-10 AM – Board of Director’s Meeting – Homestead Room
10 AM-12 PM – General Membership Meeting – Homestead Room
2-3 PM – Clifford Alexander – Understanding Carrier Covers and Rates during the Fee Paid Period (to 1863) – Piney Woods Room

Vince King, USPCS Director and TEXPEX Chairman reminds those of us who wish to exhibit to get our exhibit entries in soon, before all the frames are full.

In addition to the USPCS’ annual meeting there, the annual meeting of the United Postal Stationery Society will also be held at TexPex. Marcus White postal stationery award winners from the 2016 WSP shows will compete for the Marcus White Showcase awards (the CofC for Postal Stationery).

We look forward to seeing you all in Texas!

Filatelic Fiesta

Lester Lanphear lll won the Grand (and the USPCS award) for his “U.S. Departmental, 1873-1884”.   Alfredo Frohlich won the Reserve Grand for “Chile – The Rouletted lssues 1877-1899.”

Winning Gold medals were Jeff Forster for “The United States 1869 Pictorial lssue Used in lnternational Mails” (Jeff also won the APS Medal of Excellence Pre-1900, the Collectors’ Club of Chicago Award, and the Postal History Society award); Hal Vogel for “The Post Office That Saved, Served and Almost Scuttled an Antarctic Expedition: A Postal History of the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition” (also the AAPE Award of Excellence in Plans and Headings, and the LighthouseStamp Society award); and Ross Towle for “Parcel Post Cards of Chile 1909-1954” (Ross also won the APS Medal of Excellence 1900-1940). 
 
A Vermeil medal was won by James C. Cate for “Domestic U.S. Military Facilities – WWI 1917-1919, American Machine Flag.”
 
Two silver medals were won by Charles Epting for his single frame exhibits: “Roosevelt’sTree Army: The Postal History of the Civilian Conservation Corps 1933-42”  (and the AAPE Award of Honor) and “The works Progress Administration 1933-1942.”

ChicagoPex

Patrick A. Walters won the President’s Grand award (also the American Air Mail Society Grand Award, and the AAPE Award of Excellence for Plans and Headings) for “The United States Governmental Flights (1918-1927).”   John H. Barwis won the Felix Ganz Reserve Grand for “Carrying the Mail from Victoria.”

Winning Gold medals were Matthew W. Kewriga for “Danish West Indies Foreign Mail: 1748-UPU” (Matt also won the Scandinavian Collectors Club National Award and the SCC Paul Jensen Award for Postal History); James W. Milgram, MD for “Express Mail of 1836-1839 and 1845” (Jim also won the APS Pre-1900 Award of Excellence); William Fort for “Wartime Transpacific Airmail Routes” (Bill also won the Andrew McFarlane U.S. Airmail Exhibit Award); Larry T. Nix for “America’s Library: The Library of Congress” (Larry also won the American Philatelic Congress Award); Cheryl Ganz for her SFE “Airships over the Arctic”; and Larry Lyons for his SFE “New Orleans Carriers, 1851-1861”.  

Winning Vermeil medals were Millard Mack for “The 6c Transport Airmail Stamps Goers to War”; and Roger Rhoads for “Chicago: House of Blues (Chicago Blue Cancellations and Markings on the First Postal Card)” (Roger also won the U.S. Cancellation Club Award).

Philatelic Literature was also judged at ChicagoPex. Society members winning Gold medals included Gary Wayne Loew for “The Bathurst Connection: The Centrality of Gambia to the Development of Transatlantic Air Mail”; Scott Trepel for “Mail to and From US Forces protecting the Capital in April-June 1861”; Scott Trepel (and Siegel Auction Galleries) for “Jenny 95”; James W. Milgram, M.D. for “American Illustrated Letter Paper 1819-1899); and Doug Weisz for “Dorothy Knapp: Philately and Family”.

Winning Vermeil were Kenneth Trettin for “The Congress Book 2016”; Steve Zwillinger for “The Path to Gold: 175 Proven Stamp Exhibiting Tips; Wayne Youngblood (Editor) for “The Posthorn”; and Francis J. Crown for “Uniontown, Alabama, Postmaster’s Provisionals.

Winning Silver-Bronze was Caj Breitfus for ”Stamp Show Here today, the Podcast Episode #91

Florex

The last WSP show of the year was held the weekend of Dec. 2-4 in Orlando, Florida.  Member Nick Lombardi won the Grand award with his exhibit “The 1903 Two Cent Washington Shield Issue.”  Nick also won the USSS State of Freedom award.  Tony Dewey won a Gold medal and the USPCS Medal with “A Postal History of Hartford Connecticut.” Other members winning Gold medals included Bill DiPaolo with his “The Prexie Coils” and Jim Pullin with two exhibits “American Sailing Packets On The North Atlantic 1818 to 1840” and “Pioneer Steamers on the North Atlantic 1838 to 1840”.  Jim’s first exhibit also won the Postal History Society Award.  

Other awards won by members included a Vermeil medal for Alfredo Frohlich and his “Colombia 1904 – 1905 World’s First Inflation Rated Mail” and a certificate for Leslie Butler and his “Polish Government in Exile.”