Award Recipients 2018-2019
Yamil H. Kouri
For 2018 the Ashbrook Cup is awarded to Yamil H. Kouri for his book “Under Three Flags, The Postal History of the Spanish-Cuban/American War, 1895-1898.” This outstanding book of 734 pages traces the complete postal history story of this broad conflict. The book deals with every postal and philatelic aspect representing the three sides of the war and includes abundant related history pertinent to the context of this conflict. It includes 1,600 illustrations in full color of covers, postal markings, stamps, labels, maps, documents, photographs and tables. This book will be extremely useful for anyone who is interested either in the broad patterns of the subject or in understanding a particular cover in their collection. This is an important work that belongs on every philatelic bookshelf.
Scott R. Trepel
For 2018 the Chase Cup is awarded to Scott R. Trepel for “United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection”. Far beyond any auction catalogue ever written for a philatelic subject, this book delves into the history, production details and provenance of the major rarities offered in this portion of the Gross collection. The book is packed with original research on the classic issues of U.S. philately, including uncovering a previously unknown secret about the famous “Bible” block of the 10¢ 1847 Issue. This is an essential reference for all collectors of U.S. stamps and postal history.
Timothy P. O’Connor, M.D.
During the early stages of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress supported an invasion of Canada, hoping to recruit Canadian citizens to the American cause. Americans captured and occupied Montreal. Soon after, the Continental Congress established a short-lived post office there. Very few covers are known, most of them in archives.
No philatelist alive has explored colonial archives more thoroughly than Tim O’Connor. His meticulously researched article used newly discovered covers and other recent discoveries (including a 1765 Colonial rate chart) to tell the story of this failed American attempt to induce Canadians to embrace their revolutionary cause.
Patricia A. Kaufmann
Trish, as she prefers, has been active in organized philately for almost fifty years, joining the American Philatelic Society (APS), the Confederate Stamp Alliance (CSA), and the Society of Philatelic Americans (SPA) in 1969. While attending stamp shows, Kaufmann helped out at society booths and became a top recruiter for the SPA, leading to Publicity Director and Advertising Manager positions. Her affiliation with the CSA has been far more substantial. It began in 1970 as co-editor of The Confederate Philatelist, the award winning journal of the CSA. In 1973 she became the sole editor, a position she held until 1987. From 2002 to 2007, Trish served the CSA as Northern Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, and Vice-President, leading to President from 2008 until 2010. During this time, Kaufmann was a member of the CSA Authentication Service (1996-2014). Although now emeritus, she remains as a frequent consultant. She is still active in the organization, now serving as Public Relations chairperson.
Kaufmann was elected to the board of directors of the American Philatelic Society in 2016. She will celebrate her 50th year as an APS member in 2019 as Chairman of the Board of Vice-Presidents, a position she has also held since 2016.
In addition to being an editor, Trish is prolific writer and a regular columnist, beginning in 1969 through the present. Her articles have appeared in numerous philatelic publications, including The Confederate Philatelist, La Posta, Kelleher’s Stamp Collector’s Quarterly, American Stamp Dealer & Collector, and The American Philatelist. Her most important contribution to philatelic writing and research may have been as editor-in-chief of the 2012 Confederate States of America Catalog and Handbook of Stamps and Postal History. This work won the Grand Award for Literature at the 2013 APS StampShow.
Trish has made a career of philately. In 1973, John Kaufmann hired her for the auction house they formed bearing his name: John W. Kaufmann, Inc. They were married two years later. She served as Vice-President from the beginning until John’s death in 1988 when she took over as President. Kaufmann closed the auction house in 1989 and began work as a consultant for British dealer Stephen J. Osborne. Around 2000, Trish became a full time dealer, specializing in Confederate stamps and postal history. She is still very active with a comprehensive stock.
Outside of writing and dealing, Kaufmann has also collected and exhibited. Her exhibits have won both reserve grand and grand awards. Her favorite collection was Tokens of Affection, showing the postal history of valentines ranging from the 1840s through the Civil War period. She currently collects and studies CSA fakes, forgeries, and fantasies.
Not surprisingly, Trish has been honored many times for her leadership, contributions, and writing and editing. Along with numerous awards from the CSA, she was recently inducted into the Philatelic Writers Hall of Fame in Writers Unit #30 of the APS and received the Elizabeth Pope Award for Lifetime Contributions to Philately in 2016.
Trish lives with her husband Darryl Boyer in Lincoln, Delaware.
