Plymouth Show
On April 21-22, the Plymouth Show was held at Plymouth/Westland, Michigan, just west of Detroit. USPCS members did quite well at this two day show, with Cary Johnson winning the Multiframe Grand Award and a Large Gold medal for “Evolution of Territorial Michigan 1805-1837” (also the WSSC Award; the AAPE Plan & Heading Award; and the Peninsular State Philatelic Society Award), and Tony Dewey winning the Single Frame Grand and Large Gold medal for “The ‘H’ Rate-change Stamps of 1998” . A special congratulations to both!
Other members winning Gold Medals included Tony Dewey for “The 1991 “F” Tulip Stamps and First Day Covers” (also the APS Post-1980 Award of Excellence); Ralph Nafziger for “The 3-cent Wisconsin Statehood Issue”; Fran Adams for “The International Institute of Agriculture’ (also the Postal History Society award); and Cary Johnson for “Michigan Marine Reporters and Post Offices” (also the APS Research award).
A Large Vermeil Medal was won by Fran Adams for “Dark Caves – Bright Visions” (also the ATA Single-frame award).
Westpex
The WestPex show was held on April 27-29 at the San Francisco Airport Marriott, just across a nature preserve from the runways (always amazing to see those huge Trans-Pacific planes take off). The Single Frame Grand award and a Gold Medal was won by member and former USPCS President Patricia Stillwell Walker for “Ship Letter Rates of Ireland: Act of 1711 through Act of 1840.”
Large Gold Medals were won by Alfredo Frohlich for “The Last Classic Colombia Issue 1866-1869” (also the APS Award of Excellence – Pre-1900, and the Donald Dretzke Award for Best Used Stamps); and Patricia Stillwell Walker for “Baltimore Postal History from Colonial Times until June 30, 1851” (also the WE Grand Award – Best Exhibit by a WE Member; and the USPCS Medal).
Gold Medals were awarded to members Tony Wawrukiewicz for “Operation and Innovation in the Dead Letter Office from 1860-1985” (also the APS Research Award and the Auxiliary Markings Merit Award); Steven Walske for “Overland Mails of the Western Expansion: 1832 to 1869; and Colin and Pamela Fraser for “British Central Africa 1891-1907”;
A Silver Medal was won by Lawrence Haber for “1909 – A Monthly Exploration into America’s Mails”.
Philatelic Show
The Philatelic Show was held on May 4-6 at Boxboro, about 30 miles west of Boston. Members who won Large Gold Medals included Albert ‘Chip’ Briggs for “Domestic Rates and Usages of the United States Presidential Series” (also the Collectors Club of Chicago award); and Mark Schwartz for two exhibits: “Postal History of Salem, Mass Domestic Mail through Sept.1883, Foreign Mail Up to U.P.U.” (also the APSociety Medal of Excellence, Pre- 1900, the United States Cancellations Society Award, and the Postal History Society Award), and the Single Frame “The Introduction of the First Standardized Federal CDS”.
Members winning Gold Medals included Albert ‘Chip’ Briggs for “Three Cent Thomas Jefferson Stamp of 1938” (also the Errors, Freaks and Oddities award); Doug and Nancy Clark for “The U.S. Revalued Postal Stationery of 1971” (also the American First Day Cover Society Award, and the United States Postal Stationary Marcus White Award); Yamil Kouri for his single frame “Paid at Havana”; and Mark Schwartz for the single frame “Boston’s “PAID in Grid” Cancels on the U.S. Imperforate Issues of 1847-56″.
A Large Vermeil Medal was won by Peter LaPlaca for “A First Day Exhibit of the 3 cent Connecticut Tercentenary Stamp of 1935” (also the AAPE Gold Award and the AAPE Novice Award).
PIPEX
Pipex was held May 11-13 in Portland, Oregon. Large Gold Medals were awarded to Tony Wawrukiewicz for two exhibits: “Operation and Innovation in the Dead Letter Office from 1860 to 1985”, and “The ways U.S. Postage Due stamps were used, 1879 to 1986”; and Lester Lanphear III for “US Departmentals, 1873 to 1884” (also the USSS Statue of Freedom award).
Members winning Gold Medals included Ralph Nafziger for “The 15-cent 1978 Viking Mars Issue”; and Fran Adams for two single frame exhibits: “The Leticia Incident”, and “Dino Indicia”.
A Large Vermeil Medal was won by Tony Wawrukiewicz for “U.S. Customs Duties Collection 1907-1970s”.
