The Carroll Chase Cup
Charles Buck
The Dr. Caroll Chase Cup is awarded to authors of articles, books, or other studies concerning any U.S. stamp issued prior to 1894, including postmaster’s provisions, locals, carriers, and back-of-the-book material. For 2023, the Chase Cup is awarded to Charles Buck, for his series of articles in the Chronicle on foreign entries on U.S. stamps.
Mr. Buck, over a series of five Chronicle articles from 2020-2023 detailed a broad survey of foreign entries on United States stamps, including Regular Issues, Officials and Revenues. Foreign entries represent a fascinating and often dramatic category of plate varieties in line-engraved stamps. Mr. Buck’s studies reveal that Foreign Entries are known on 19 face-different United States stamps. Perforation, paper and color varieties expand this core into scores of collectible items. During his research, he examined examples of all of them, using the modern digital toolkit. His work is supported by clear, crisp enlargements depicting all the basic varieties and their underlying sources as well. These articles represent a huge advance in the illustration of these elusive varieties, some of which are subtle and up to now have been very difficult to show clearly on a printed page.
The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society congratulates Mr. Buck for his noteworthy achievement.
The Richard Winter Cup
Richard F. Winter and John H. Barwis
The Richard Winter Cup is awarded to authors or creators of print, electronic or digital media concerning United States postal history from the colonial period to 1900. For 2022 the Winter Cup is awarded to Richard F. Winter and John H. Barwis for their book North Atlantic Non-Contract Steamship Sailings, 1838-1875.
In 1988 Walter Hubbard and Richard Winter published North Atlantic Mail Sailings 1840-75. This classic and iconic book was a major achievement in codifying the routes, ships, and sailings in the mid-19th century for contract mail. It remains the standard reference to this day. However, sailings of ships carrying non-contract mail were not included. This book fills that gap and parallels the structure and approach of its predecessor – making it very user friendly for the postal history collector. It is also beautifully illustrated with example covers, ship images and original sailing advertisements.
This is a welcome and significant work on U.S. postal history of the period, from two of the most accomplished philatelic authors. It will serve as an excellent companion and complementary work to its predecessor. The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society congratulates Mr. Winter and Mr. Barwis for their accomplishment.
Tracy Simpson Cup
Gordon Eubanks
Gordon has served the society in a variety of capacities over the years. Gordon served as a member of the Board of Directors for three terms, from 2011 through 2020. Gordon is also the 1847 Period Section Editor for the Chronicle. Gordon started as the Assistant Section Editor in 2011 and later took over as the Section Editor in 2013. During this period Gordon has written a number of important articles for the Chronicle. However, Gordon is better known, at least to people active within the society, for his vision and guidance regarding the society’s webpage. While Gordon has not been responsible for creating and updating the webpage, as the Chair of the Website Committee, Gordon’s leadership has helped us to make better use of the webpage.
One example of Gordon’s leadership is the 1847 issue census. In 2001, the society published way too many copies of an updated census of 1847 issue covers. A member of the society created a spreadsheet that he had updated with new or corrected cover information. Gordon led the project to transform the spreadsheet into a free, publicly-available, updatable, online-database. This may seem unremarkable today, but it was an innovative concept at the time — especially for a society with a huge, and costly, inventory of unsold hard-copy versions of the census that were rendered useless by the new database. That on-line database capability has allowed the society to host other censuses on our webpage, and inspired further philatelic research.
Susan M. McDonald Award
Michael Plett
Deeply researched and extensively illustrated, Plett’s 18-page essay explored all the various trial color proofs that are known for United States Official stamps. Plett is long-time Classics Society treasurer and an ardent Officials collector with a special interest in back-of-the-book material. His extensive research located no fewer than 11 Official trial color proofs that were previously unlisted in the Scott specialized catalog.
In general, Official trail color proofs are scarcer, both in whole number and in color variety, than the trial color proofs that survive for regular-issue stamps of the classic era. Plett’s article sheds new light on the processes employed in the early production of the Official stamps and uses survival data to support several plausible hypotheses about how and why these proofs were created. The editors of the Scott catalog were both impressed and persuaded by the solidity of Plett’s research. All of Plett’s recommendations for new listings were incorporated into the 2023 edition of Scott’s Specialized Catalog of United States Stamps & Covers.
Distinguished Philatelist
Clifford J. Alexander
Cliff Alexander is a Washington DC partner in the Asset Management and Investment Fund Practice Group of K&L Gates, a large international law firm. Cliff and his wife Betsy, who has put up with his collecting for 50 years, live in Alexandria, Virginia, and have three children and six grandchildren.
After receiving his law degree from Georgetown, he worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission and for the Securities Subcommittee of the US Senate Banking Committee. He is listed in Best Lawyers of the US, Best Lawyers of the World and Who’s Who. He has co-authored a book on investment industry regulation, published over 25 articles in securities industry and legal publications and spoken at over 60 securities industry conferences.
Cliff began collecting stamps at the age of 12 when his parents gave him a Minkus “New World Wide Postage Stamp Album.” His primarily collecting interest today is postal history carried during the 18th and 19th Century by private companies, including local posts and independent mail companies. He also collects carrier departments, Washington, Georgetown, Alexandria and the waterways of Virginia.
His exhibit on Wiley’s One Cent Despatch, a local post that operated in Washington and Baltimore only in 1856, won the Single Frame Gold at NAPEX in 2022. He has won Large Golds for his exhibits on “Private Companies that Competed with the Post Office 1839-1861” and on “Confederate States of America 2¢ Rates and Fees.”
Cliff has served for over fifteen years as a director and the chairman of the Carriers and Locals Society. He served as a director of the Classic Society and was responsible for scheduling presentations. He currently is a member of the Classics Society Finance Committee.
Cliff has written over 70 articles for the Chronicle, Penny Post, American Philatelist and Postal History Journal. He has given over 30 postal history presentations at meetings of the Classic Society and other philatelic organizations.
Distinguished Philatelist
Carol A. Bommarito
She is a member of the APS, Club de Monte Carlo, The Academy of European Philately, The Collectors Club of Chicago and the Civil War Philatelic Society. She has written for journals and given presentations at meetings. She is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London and is their U.S. Northeast Representative. She is a member and past board member of the Collectors Club in New York and was awarded the President’s medal for her work renovating their building.
She was on the NY2016 organizing committee and is now helping Boston 2026.
The United States Philatelic Classics Society has also benefited from her efforts. She serves on the board and as Advertising Sales Manager. At a time when print advertising is declining, she has managed to bring Chronicle advertising pages to near the all-time high. She has revamped the Chatter advertising guidelines and has created the Spotlight On Advertiser section.
Carol conceived the USPCS/RPSL exchange the results of which were seen on May 18, 2023 at the Royal Philatelic Society London. Carol organized and promoted this display and related activities.
For her enthusiastic work for the United States Philatelic Classics Society, for her many contributions to the study of Postal History and contributions to the hobby in general, she has been asked to sign The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists.
Distinguished Philatelist
Vince King
In 2014 his interests turned to a fascination with the genesis of our amazing hobby. He amassed a collection of old philatelic albums, catalogs and ephemera which he paired with pre-1860 worldwide classic postal history. How to exhibit such material was a tremendous non-traditional challenge. Through perseverance, stubbornness and creativity, Vince developed a layout using traditional postal history and handmade frame-mounted display cases to showcase this exhibit. The public approved and judges rewarded his exhibit In the Beginning Timbromanie with the prestigious WSP Champion of Champion Award in its’ first qualified outing.
Always available to share his time and expertise, Vince served in elected leadership capacities of numerous state and national philatelic organizations, was TEXPEX WSP Show Chairman for many years and has presented philatelic related talks to non-philatelic national associations. Highlights of his collecting career include the Texas Philatelic Association’s 2011 Distinguished Philatelic Texan Award, the 2016 APS Nicholas G. Carter Award, being made a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of London and presenting opening remarks at the Guildhall President’s Banquet, London 2022.
Deriving incredible joy from philatelic acquaintances, Vince maintains his closest personal friends from that core of people. His blessed life, his love of hobby, the joy it has brought him and his desire to give back led him to become a significant benefactor to many hobby related associations.
