Jim Allen wins Champion of Champions at StampShow Columbus, with his “The First United States 12¢ Stamp Series of 1851-1861”. Also, winners at OkPex, Minnesota SS and Americover.
StampShow
This year’s big APS show was held in Columbus on August 9-12. Jim Allen won the Champion of Champions (best exhibit of the year), with his “The First United States 12¢ Stamp Series of 1851-1861“. And he did it in the most interesting fashion. In the past, the APS President has had the honor of announcing the winner. However, the new President, Bob Ziegler, could not be there because of a wedding on the West Coast. So that honor, as well as a few others, were raffled off at a dinner earlier in the week. Amazingly, Jim Allen won the honor of announcing the C of C winner. So when he was on the stage and started with “The 2018 Champion of Champions winner is…..” and then announced “The First United States 12c….” it seemed like he didn’t immediately realize it was him. A very memorable evening.
In addition to Jim, several other members competed in the C of C. John Barwis with “Philadelphia – Great Britain Mails”; Robert S. Boyd with “Mail from the U.S. to Germany before the Universal Postal Union”; Tony Dewey with “First U.N. Issue, 1951”; Alfredo Frohlich with “Panama – The Evolution of Postal Systems in Panama (1777-1881)”; Cary Johnson with “Evolution of Territorial Michigan: 1805-1837”; Nick Kirke with “Outbound Foreign Mail Cancels of New York City; their progression 1845-1877”; Yamil Kouri with “The First Postal Issues of Spanish Antilles”; Lester Lanphear III with “U.S. Departmentals, 1873 to 1884”; Nick Lombardi with “The 1903 Two Cent Washington Shield Issue”; Stephen Rose with “The 2¢ Stamp of the U.S. 1869 Pictorial Issue”; Daniel Telep with “Vietnam’s Communist Insurgent Military Mails, 1959-1975”; Patricia Stilwell-Walker with “Baltimore Postal History: From Colonial Times until the UPU”; and Patrick Walters with “The United States Governmental Flights (1918-1927)”.
Many other members competed in the open competition. At the top of the heap, in the philatelic competition, Charles Wooster won a Large Gold Medal and the Grand Award for “The Postage Due Issues of Peru 1874-1948” (also the APS Research Award). Two Reserve Grand Awards were given to Large Gold Medal Winners. One to Ian Gibson-Smith for “The Hong Kong ‘China’ Overprints”. The other to Daniel Knowles for “The Confederate States of America (CSA) Postal Initiative” (also the Postal History Society Award). Not to be outdone, Larry Lyons won a Large Gold Medal and the Single Frame Grand for “Honour’s City Express”. And Fran Adams won the NTSS Single Frame Grand and Gold medal for “Atlantic Meeting”.
Also at the top of the heap, Hugh V. Feldman won a Large Gold Medal and the Literature Grand Award for “U.S. Contract Mail Routes by Railroad (1832-1875)”.
Large Gold Medals were also awarded to Carol Bommarito for “U.S. Mail To, From, and Through Great Britain 1840-1875” (also the APS Medal of Excellence, Pre-1900); Leonard H. Hartmann for “The De La Rue Stamps for the Confederate States of America” (also the GPS Special Prize, Philatelic Foundation Best Research and USPCS Medal); Carey E. Johnson for “The Rise and Fall of Streetcar RPO Mail Operations in the United States” (also the Casey Jones Pailroad Unit “The Norman E. Wright Sr, Award for Excellence in Railroad Philately”); Larry Lyons for “Make Them Illegal! The U.S. Independent Mails and Local Post Journey to Oblivion by Suppression”; James W. Milgram for “Federal Patriotic Stationery During the Civil War”; Randolph Smith for “Rally ‘Round the Flag” (also an NTSS Large Gold); Ross Towle for “Chile Postal Stationery: Essays, Proofs, Specimens, Samples” (also the UPSS Marcus White Award); Hal Vogel for “Pioneer Period Expeditions to Greenland” (An NTSS Large Gold);
Gold Medals were awarded to Juan Farah for “The “Special Design” Issues of Cuba 1899-1910″; Ralph H. Nafziger for “The 3 cent 1934 Perforated Wisconsin Tercentenary Issue”; Larry T. Nix for “America’s Membership Libraries 1731-1901” (Also an NTSS Gold); Roger Rhoads for “Chicago: House of Blues”; Dr. Edwin J. Andrews for “Jozef Pilsudski: Father of Poland’s Independence – the Second Republic” (NTSS Gold); and Tony Dewey for “The Bridges of Hartford, 1810 to Mid-1940s” (NTSS Gold).
Large Vermeil Medals were won by David A. Bowman with “The 1927 10c Rotary Press US Special Delivery Stamp”; and Millard H. Mack for the Single Frame “St. Clairsville, Ohio – Postal Markings of the Stampless Period”.
OkPex
This show was sponsored by the Oklahoma Philatelic Society, and held in Midwest City, OK on June 29-30.
Dr. Edwin J. Andrews won a Large Gold Medal and the Grand Award for “The 1924 Eagle in Wreath Issue: The First Gold Currency Stamp”; and Gary Hendren won a Large Gold Medal and the Reserve Grand Award for “St. Louis Street Car Mail, 1892-1915”.
Also winning Large Gold Medals were George Kramer for “The Central Overland Mail” (also the APS Medal of Excellence, Pre-1900, and the USPCS Medal); Gregory Scott Ward for “The Uses of U.S. Parcel Post Postage Due Stamps 1913-1926 (also the APS Research Medal and the USSS Statue of Freedom Medal); and Fran Adams for “The United Nations and Palestine 1947-1951.”
A Gold Medal was awarded to Fran Adams for the Single Frame “Dino Indicia” (also the ATA On-eFrame Award and the AAPE Creativity Award).
Minnesota Stamp Show
Larry Nix won a Gold Medal and the Single Frame Grand for “Library Uses of Melvil Dewey’s Postal Card”.
A Gold Medal was awarded to Gregory Scott Ward for “Use of U.S. Parcel Post Stamps 1913-1926”; Large Vermeil Medals were won by Larry Nix for “The Library of Congress & Copyright 1895-1930.”; and John B. Flannery III for “Andrew Jackson and the 2¢ Black Jacks”.
AmeriCover
This show was held in Atlanta on Aug. 3-5. While it features FDC exhibits, several USPCS Members competed.
Ken Nilsestuen won a Large Gold Medal for “The Minnesota Territorial Stamp – 1949” (also the AFDCS Winfred M. Grandy Award – Best Cacheted FDCs). Winning Large Vermeil Medals were Peter LaPlaca “The 3 Cent Connecticut Tercentenary Issue of 1935” (also the APS Research Award); and Ralph Nafziger for “The 3 Cent Perforated Wisconsin Tercentenary Issue”.
