News, formerly known as the “What’s New” section, will track all significant updates made to the site by the Webmaster. It is meant to facilitate the location of any changes or additions to Press Releases, Monographs, Presentations, Exhibits, etc. We will also publish news and items of interest from Members, RVP’s, Chapters, etc. We hope you find this useful.
2025 YPLF
The American Philatelic Society runs a program called the Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship (YPLF) with the aim of encouraging and developing philatelic participation. The US Philatelic Classics Society has been a co-sponsor of the YPLF since the program’s inception in 2009. The Society provides some funding and our members provide mentoring and advice to individual fellows.
The YPLF is focused on “young adult philatelists between the ages of 16 and 24” and has 6 possible tracks of participation each of which culminates in completion of a project presented at a stamp show:
• Author – Choose a philatelic topic, write 2 articles for publication and create one multi-media presentation
• Curator – Create a museum-style exhibit
• Dealer – Develop a business plan
• Analytic – Conduct 1-3 technical research activities related to philately
• Designer – Create 8 different, original cachets and to present at a national stamp show
• Exhibitor – Build a philatelic exhibit around a topic and that tells a story
Each project demonstrates the expertise and skills developed during the fellowship.
Fellows are assigned a mentor who assists their development by providing advice, counsel, and introduction to relevant expertise and materials. Also, Fellows attend one or more national stamp shows to both further their development and to show the results of their efforts.
Over the course of the program, The Society has sponsored 9 Fellows
2025 – Sjon Brejtfus – Dealer Track
2024 – Theodore Rosenberg – Author/Analytic Track
2023 – Bethany Hunter – Author Track
2019/23 – Victor Livesay – Dealer Track, Alfredo Frohlich Fellow, sponsored by Alexander Haimann
2016 – Evan Schlosser – Author Track
2015 – Charles Epting – Author Track
2014 – Sabrina McGill – Author Track
2013 – Casey Cook – Dealer Track
2012 – Alex Gill – Dealer Track
2011 – John Phillips – Exhibitor Track
2010 – Melissa Stanton – Author Track
Alex Gill (YPLF 2012) represents one of the many positive outcomes of the YPLF Program. Just after his college graduation, he served on the expert committee for The Philatelic Foundation in New York City. He has also served as editor-in-chief of two philatelic publications, Across The Fence Post and the Wisconsin Badger Postal History Journal, both issued to stamp collectors across his home state of Wisconsin.
Our members have actively served as mentors and sponsors of individual Fellows. One measure of the success of the program is the transition of Fellows to membership in the USPCS.
Applications for the class of 2026 are now being accepted [closing date is 15 May]. If you know someone whom you think would be a good fit for the program, please recommend them or encourage them to apply. Instructions and forms are available here: https://stamps.org/learn/youth-in-philately.
If you want to directly assist with the program, please reach out to Sarah Aldrich at education@stamps.org.
San Diego 2025
Lester Lanphear’s “US Officials 1873 to 1884” was cock-of-the-San Diego-walk winning the Multi-frame Grand, Multi-frame Large Gold, APS Award of Excellence: Pre-1900, USSS Award and the USPCS Medal.
Francis Adams continued a wining streak started at the South Eastern show with “The United Nations and Palestine: 1947-1951” winning a Multi-frame Gold as well as the American Topical Association’s Multi-frame Second Award.
Bruce Wasserman won a Single-frame Vermeil with “The Rapid Censorship of Civilian Mail in World War II: 1939-1941”.
Next up in March are the Garfield-Perry Party and the St. Louis Stamp Expo.
NAPEX2025 Dinner Announcement
The US Philatelic Classics Society is holding its annual meeting at NAPEX this year. The meeting runs June 6th to the 8th at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. This year’s theme is the 250th anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord so expect appropriately themed exhibits and presentations. For show-specific information, please visit NAPEX2025.
As the USPCS’s first announced NAPEX-event, a dinner will be held jointly with the American Revenue Association and the State Revenue Society. The dinner will take place June 6th starting at 6:30 PM. The cost will be $79 per person, which includes appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert.
Location
Maggiano’s Little Italy Tysons Corner 2001 International Dr. McLean, VA 22102
Menu
Appetizers: Tomato Bruschetta (v), Truffle & Honey Whipped Ricotta (v), and Crab Cakes
Maggiano’s Salad (GF)
Entrees: Spaghetti Marinara (v), Rigatoni “D”, Beef Medallions, Salmon (GF)
Dessert: NY Style Cheese Cake, Warm Apple Crostada (v)
Non-alcoholic drinks are included, and a cash bar will be available
(The dinner will be served family style, so no need to make a selection now)
To reserve your spot for the dinner, mail your check to:
USPCS
Wayne Farley
1 Westwood Drive, Unit 304,
Saint Clairsville, OH 43950-1053
Seating is limited and payment secures your spot, so reserve early. All checks need to be mailed by June 1. If you have questions or need to arrange for an electronic payment option, please reach out to Wayne Farley at cwfarley@aol.com or Scott Steward at scott_steward@hotmail.com .
Stay tuned for updates as the details about other Society events are defined.
2024 Florex
FLOREX, the annual Florida Stamp Show hosted by the Florida Stamp Dealers’ Association and the Central Florida Stamp Club, was held at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, 3150 E. NY Ave, Deland.
3 societies held member meetings; the Florida Postal History, Canal Zone Study Group, and chapter 23 of the German Philatelic Society.
28 exhibits were shown 2 of which were in the Court of Honor. Multi-frame awards earned included 8 Large-Gold, 1 Gold,3 Large Vermeils, and 2 Vermeil. Single-frame awards were given as 3 youth Golds; 1 Large Gold; 3 Golds; and 1 Bronze.
John Hotchner’s “World Rarities and Uniquities” was displayed in the Court of Honor.
Multi-frame Large Golds were won by Alfredo Frohlich for “Delaware Postal History – 1732 to 1842” (also Postal History Society Best Postal History Exhibit) and Murray Abramson for “Geographical Expansion of Commercial U.S. Mail to Foreign Destinations via Airmail (1920-41)” (also APS Award of Excellence 1900-1940 and the Collectors Club of Chicago Gold Medallion Award).
Multi-frame Gold was won by Robert Thompson for “25¢ Honeybee – From Design to Postal Usage”.
James Cate won Multi-frame Large Vermeil for “The American Freedom Train 1975 – 1976” as well as the AAPE Gold Award of Honor Pin #1.
Single-frame Gold was won by Timothy Wait for his “Adhesive Stamps Used to Pay the 2¢ Tax on U.S. Bank Checks 1862-1883” and Thomas Lera for “Ship Island and New Orleans Postal Markings under Postmaster John M. Parker: 1861 – 1865” as well as the Military Postal History Society Best Military Theme Award.
CHICAGOPEX 2024 Rocked n Rolled
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.
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