The Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award honors Americans and individuals from around the world for outstanding lifetime accomplishments in the field of philately.

The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society is proud to announce that Past-President Richard F. Winter (photos) and USPCS members Cheryl R. Ganz and William H. Gross (photos) were awarded the Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award for 2016. The award, last presented in 2013, is given to individuals from around the world for their outstanding lifetime accomplishments in the field of philately. As per the Smithsonian website, “the achievements can include original research that significantly advances our understanding of philately and postal history; exceptional service to the philatelic community, and, the overall promotion of philately for the benefit of current and future collectors.”

This honor is one of the most significant and widely regarded awards that an individual can receive in the field of philately. As well, all three have previously been awarded the USPCS Distinguished Philatelist Award, the Society’s highest honor.

We wish to extend our congratulations to these most deserving individuals.

In mid-December, a special auction will be held by Siegel Auction Galleries in New York City, the proceeds from which will be donated to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s endowment fund. The majority of lots in the auction are 1851-1856 Issue stamps and covers, which have been generously donated by Gordon and Ronda Eubanks. Gordon Eubanks won the Grand Prix National at World Stamp Show-NY 2016 with his exhibit of the 1851-1856 Issue. Mark Schwartz has also been a significant contributor to the auction.

Omaha Stamp Show

At the Omaha Stamp Show on Sept. 10-11, Society member Tim Wait won a gold medal, the Reserve Grand Award, and the USSS Statue of Freedom Award for his exhibit “U.S. Civil War Documentary Stamp Taxes 1862-1872.”  Other members winning gold medals were Ralph Nafziger for “The 3¢ 1948 Oregon Territory Issue”, Mark Schwartz for “The First US International (UPU) Postal Card and its Forerunners” (Mark also won the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society Medal); Bob Hohertz for his single frame “The Ten Cent Prexie – Solo Uses and Misuses” and Bob Hohertz again for his single frame “Revenue Imprinted Parlor Car Tickets 1898-1902”, which also won the American Revenue Association Award; Gary G. Hendren for his single frame “St Louis Pioneer Air Mail, Oct 4-8, 1911”; and Tim Wait again for “2¢ Blue Liberty Tax Stamp 1875-1883.”  A vermeil medal was won in Omaha by Ed Andrews for his “The Eagle in Wreath Issue: The First Gold Currency Stamps of Poland”.

SESCAL

SESCAL was held in Los Angeles on September 23-25.  Society members took two of the top four awards.  Les Lanphear III won the multi-frame Reserve Grand award with “U.S. Departmentals 1873-1884” and Matt Kewriga won the single frame Reserve Grand with “US 1870 2 Cent Jackson Bank Note: From Model To Complete Die.”

Other members winning gold medals included Jim Allen for “The First United States 12 Cent Stamp Series of 1851 – 1861” (also the APS Medal of Excellence: Pre 1900, the AAPE Award for Plans and Headings Excellence, and the Lynn Warm Griffiths Memorial Award); Ed Field for his SFE “Use of $5 Stamps To Pay Registry Surcharges On Transfer of Securities: 1933 – 45”; Mark Schwartz for his SFE “The “Special Arrangement” Between Liverpool and the U. S. – 1843 – 1848″; and Fran Adams for his SFE “The United Nations and Palestine: 1947 – 1951.”

Winning a vermeil medal was member Brian Clague for his “British Medicine Duty Stamps.”

IndyPex

At IndyPex on Oct. 7-9, three Society members won Gold medals.  William Maddocks won for “The Kingdom of Serbia, 1882-1921” (also the J. David Baker Postal History Award) and William Maddocks won again for “The Postal System in Bosnia-Herxegovinia, 1878-1919” (also the APS Research Award).  Janet Klug won for her SFE “The Devil in a Bottle” (also the AAPE Creativity Award).

Winning a Vermeil medal was Janet Klug for her SFE “I’ll Be Seeing’ Ya…  Five Years as a POW in Stalag VIII-B”  

OKPEX

At OKPEX during the weekend of June 17, several top prizes and medals were won by USPCS members.  Patrick Walters won the Grand Award with his “United States Government Flights (1918-1927).  He also won the American Air Mail Society Medal.  Dale Forster won the Reserve Grand Award with “Australian Colonies – USA Mail”, as well as the Postal History Society Medal and the APS Pre-1900 Award of Excellence.  

Winning a gold medal at OKPEX was Alfredo Frohlich for his “Republic of Colombia, International Mail, 1886-1899”. Winning Vermeil medals were Joe Crosby for “Charles M. Russell – The Cowboy Artist” (Joe also won the Robert T. Pollard Memorial Award for the best Exhibit by a Member of the Oklahoma Stamp Club); Ralph Lott for “Washington-Franklin Series Postal History – Rates and Usages” (and The United States Stamp Society Freedom Medal); and Ralph Lott again for his SFE “Kansas Territorial Mail” (and the AAPE Award of Honor pin).   Silver medals were awarded to Jim Cate for “American Machine Cancellations – Type A-14/A38 Domestic U.S. Military Facilities WWI  1917-1919”; and Joe Crosby for “Postmaster Please…”.  And a bronze medal went to Charles Epting for his SFE “Roosevelt’s Tree Army: Postal History of the Civilian Conservation Corps., 1933-1942”.  Charles also won the AAPE Novice award.  

MINNESOTA STAMP EXPO

The Minnesota Stamp Expo was held in Crystal, Minnesota the weekend of July 15.  No U.S.P.C.S.  Medal was awarded.  However, several members won medals and other awards.  Winning Gold medals were Jim Pullin for “Pioneer Steamers on the North Atlantic 1838 to 1840” (Jim also won the APS award for pre-1900 material); Larry Nix for “America’s Library: The Library of Congress (Larry also won the ATA’s First award); Ed Andrews for “The 1924 Eagle in Wreath Issue: The First Gold Currency Stamps of Poland”; Alfredo Frohlich for his single frame “SCADTA Airmail Stamps for SCADTA Airmail Service in Ecuador” (Alfredo also won the APC award for Excellence in Text); and Dan Ryterband for his single frame “The American Civil War: Through the Lines Prisoner Mail.”  Winning a Vermeil medal was Mike Ellingson for “The Pneumatic Machine Cancels of the United States”; 

BALPEX

Balpex was held over the Labor Day weekend.  Several Society members did very well.  Larry Lyons won a gold medal and the Single Frame Grand award with his “Honor’s City Express Post.”  Members winning gold medals for multi-frame exhibits were Larry Lyons for his “Hussey’s Post” (also the U.S. Stamp Society Statue of Freedom Medal and the Baltimore Philatelic Society Award for the best exhibit by a member); William Fort III for “Wartime Transpacific Airmail Routes” (also the American Air Mail Society Gold Medal); Darrell Ertzberger for “British Honduras Postal Stationery 1879-1973” (and the UPSS Marcus White Award); Robert P. Meegan for “United States Domestic Letter Rates: Act of 1792 Through the Act of 1872” (also the Ed Ruckle Memorial Award for excellence in postal history, and the APS pre-1900 Medal of Excellence); and Carol Bommarito for “The Development of Adhesive Postage Stamps on Transatlantic Mail.”  

Winning gold medals for single frame exhibits were Richard Taschenberg for “The Thirty Cent Nesbitt Envelopes of 1865” (and the UPSS One Frame Exhibit Award); Richard Taschenberg (again) for “The Ten Cent U. S. Envelopes of 1870-1874”; and Steve Washburne for “Portuguese Postal Cards: Empire Republic  Transition 1910-1912”.

Winning vermeil medals were Larry Rausch for “United Kingdom One Penny (1d) Perfins 1868-1880”; Steve Washburne for “Portuguese Postal Cards 1878-1910” and for his single frame exhibit, Dr. Robert Toal with “America’s First Souvenir View Folders” (and the AAPE Creativity Award).

The 2016 Champion of Champions is society member Richard Malmgren, for his exhibit of “Hawaiian Foreign Mail.”  Richard also won this coveted award in 2010 for “Hawaiian Postage Stamps.”  He is one of only 5 exhibitors to win the Benjamin and Naomi Wishnietsky Champion of Champions Award multiple times.

Several other members also took home medals and special awards at the Portland StampShow.  In the Multi-frame Open competition, Robert S. Boyd won gold and the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society Medal for “Mail Between the U.S. and Germany before the Universal Postal Union.”  He also won the German Philatelic Society Award.  In the Single Frame Competition, Alfredo Frohlich won gold and the Single Frame Grand for “Replating Colombia’s 1861 1 Peso Stamp”. 

Other members winning a multi-frame gold medal included William C. Fort III for “Wartime Trans-Pacific Airmail Routes” (also the AAPE Award of Excellence for Plan & Headings); Alfredo Frohlich for “Colombia’s Cartagena Provisional Civil War Issues 1899-1902”; Janet Klug for her “British Empire Anti-Communist Actions in the Jungles of Malaya, 1948-1960” (also the APS 1940-1980 Medal of Excellence and the Military Postal History Society Award); George Kramer for “For the Love of the Dog”; Ralph Nafziger for “The 3c 1948 Oregon Territory Issue”; Robert G. Rose for “New Jersey Stampless Covers: Handstamp Postal Markings 1775-1855” (also the APS Research Medal and the Postal History Society Award); Hal Vogel for “The Post Office that Saved, Serviced and Almost Scuttled an Antarctic Expedition: A Postal History of the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition”.  

Winning gold in the Single Frame Competition were John D. Bowman for “Overton and Company Independent Mail, 1844-1845”; John D. Bowman again for “2c Liberty Head U.S. Revenue Tax Stamp, 1875-1883”; Robert G. and Ellen Rose for “Utica New York’s Handstamped Postal Markings 1798-1855”; Mark Schwartz for “The ‘Special Arrangement’ Between Liverpool and the U.S., 1843-1848”; and Wayne Youngblood for “Lost Almost: The Los Alamos, N.M. Post Office and WWII”.

Winning Vermeil in the multi-Frame Competition was Steven Zwillinger for “Court Fee Stamps of the Indian State of Bharatpur 1915-1949”.