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Held the usual weekend before Thanksgiving, November 22nd – 24th this year, CHICAGOPEX had it all. Exhibits. Dealers. Philatelic Presentations. And messy winter weather on the setup day.
 
As the culmination of the annual Single Frame Champion of Champion competition, this year saw 11 Society members competing to be the best of the best. But “there can only be one” and that one, this year, is Dan Knowles, the 2024 AAPE Single-frame Champion of Champions with his “United States Demonetization and Transition to the 1861 Design Stamps.” The other society members in the running were:

• James Cate with “General Banks Division”
• Stephen Chaffin with “The 1851/57 One Cent Franklin of Plate One Late”
• Tony Dewey with “The Postal Stationery of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) for Netherlands New Guinea”
• Chip Gliedman with “Leominster, Mass. Provisional Postage Due and Instructional Labels”
• James Milgram with “Abraham Lincoln Illustrated Stationery 1860-1865”
• Vernon Morris with “World’s Third Producer of Stamps: Philadelphia Local Post Fee Reduction, 1842-1861”
• Peter Schwartz with “The Earliest Black Portrayals on US Stamps 1864-1872”
• Timothy Wait with “2¢ Blue Liberty Tax Stamp 1875-1883”
• Doug Weisz with “New Orleans 5 Cent Provisional. The War Rate: United States Postal Rates and Fees from February 1, 1815 through March 30, 1816”.

Member multi-frame exhibits generally did well. Jan Hofmeyr won the Multi-frame Grand with his “Philatelic Invention in the United States: 1861-1881” (also the USPCS Medal and the American Philatelic Congress Award).
 
Multi-frame Large Gold was won by Tony Dewey for “The U.S. Alphabet-Denominated Rate-Change Series, 1978-1998” (also the APS Post 1980 Medal and the US Stamp Society Medal) and Chip Gliedman for “Imperforate Line Engraved Stamps of Great Britain from Plate Position “CG” – My Victoria”.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Single-frame Grand went to Dan Knowles for “Trans-Mississippi River Mail Services by the Confederate States of America Post Office Department and Private Individuals During the American Civil War” (also Single-frame Large Gold). This sets up Dan for a potential repeat in ’25.
 
Three Society members won Single-frame Large Gold.

• Wayne Farley for “Soldier Due Uses from West Virginia during the Civil War” (also Auxiliary Markings Club Award)
• Cheryl Ganz for “Basel Zeppelin Posts” (also Best Exhibit by a Chicago Philatelic Society Member).
• Tony Dewey for “The United Nations 20¢ “World Unity” Stamp, 1951-1965”.

Mark Schwartz won a Single-frame Gold for his “The Barr-Fyke Cancels of Chicago”.
 
Three members won Single-Frame Large Vermeil:

• Kenneth Nilsestuen for “Contemporary Hand-Crafted First Day Covers of the Eagle Holding Shield Airmail of 1938”
• Bob Hohertz for “The London Numbered Maltese Cross” (also American First Day Cove Society Award)
• Dr. Bruce Wasserman for “The Rapid Censorship of Civilian Mail in World War II”.

And Dan Undersander’s “Letters Carried Outside the Mail in the 20th Century” won Single-frame Large Silver.
 
A great show and great competition.

After its hiatus year, at a new location, and on an earlier-than-normal weekend, NOJEX was a great place for Society members to exhibit. 13 different member exhibits won awards.
 

Tony Frohlich leads off with Single-frame Grand for “Replating Columbia’s 1 Peso Stamp” (also Single-frame Large Gold and the AAPE Award for Excellence of Treatment). Tony’s “The United States of Columbia 1868 – 1881” earned a Multi-frame Large Gold and the NOJEX Best Foreign Exhibit.
 
Single-frame Large Gold was won by Larry Lyons for “Pomeroy’s Letter Express – 1844 Key Precursor to U.S. Postage Stamps” and Mark Schwartz for “The “Special Arrangement” Between Liverpool and the U.S.1843-1848”.
 
Lawrence Haber won Single-frame Large Vermeil as well as the AAPE Award of Honor for “United States 1908 Special Delivery Stamp; The Merry Widow”.
 
Multi-frame Large Gold was won by

• Mark Schwartz for “Independent Mail and Express Company Operations at Boston: 1843 – 45” (also USPCS Medal and the APS Research Award).
• Vernon Morris, Jr. for “Evolution of American Mail: 1685 to 1799” (also the APS Award of Excellence pre-1900).
• Marvin & Judith Platt for “The Columbian Envelope of 1893” (also the Errors, Freaks & Oddities Collectors Club First Place Award).
• Lawrence Haber for “The Half Penny (decimal) Machin”.

Larry Lyons’ “Hussey’s Post 22 Stamp Designs – 90 Different Stamps 1855 – 1889” won Multi-frame Gold.
 
Multi-frame Large Vermeil was won by

• Michael Clark for “The United States Red Cross Issue of 1931” (also the Errors, Freaks & Oddities Collectors Club Second Place Award).
• David Mayo for “U.S. 2¢ Columbian of 1893” (also the U. S. Cancellation Club Best Cancellations Award).

And to wrap up NOJEX 2024, Terence Hines won Multi-frame Vermeil for “Old Home Week”.

Heading North to Fredericton, New Brunswick, the Royal Philatelic Society Canada’s 2024 show was held September 20-22nd. Three Society members medaled.
 
Yan Turmine earned Multi-frame Large Gold for “Canada-USA Cross Border Mail” as well as the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada Award for Excellence – Material and the AAPE – Novice Award.
 
Jane Sodero won Multi-frame Vermeil and the AAPE – Gold Award of Honor for “First Day Covers and Use of Canada’s 1955 Kayak Hunter”.
 
George Pepall won Single-frame Silver Bronze for “Two Generations of Smythes in Religion and Business”.

Returning to the US, but headed South, the Greater Houston Stamp Society also held its show September 20-22nd. The show was held at the Humble Civic Center in Humble, Texas – a bit under 10 minutes by car from the George Bush International Airport.
 
Doug Weisz won the Multi-frame Grand Award and Multi-frame Gold for “New Orleans Secession to Occupation in the American Civil War”.
 
David Willig won Single-frame Gold for “King Cotton and the World’s Cotton Exposition of 1894”.
 
Ravindra Vora had two winning exhibits. His “US Dispatch Agency London: 1840-1936” won Single-frame Vermeil and the AAPE Award of Honor Pin. His “India UN Peacekeeping Forces Mail” won Single-frame Silver and the Women Exhibitors Sterling Achievement Award.