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German Federation of Philatelists Put on a Great IBRA 2023

The IBRA 2023 stamp show was a success for all who attended. For a number of Society members, it was also an award-winning event for their philatelic exhibits and literature. Clearly, German fluency was not a requirement for enjoying the show.

The show was held in Essen, Germany May 25-28 with Society members Ross Towle and Yamil Kouri serving as jurists. A total of 809 exhibits were judged resulting in the awarding of 64 Large Gold and 196 Gold medals. In addition to the exhibits, philatelic bourse, presentations, a few lucky participants had an opportunity to take a Zeppelin ride.

6 members received multi-frame Large Gold awards for their exhibits. They are:
> Carol Bommarito: “United States Adhesive Stamped Mail to, From and Through GB 1840-1875”
> Martin Camerer: “The postal relationship between the Old Italian and the Old German States 1850-1870”
> Gary Diffen: “Transportation of Australian Colonial Mail to 1891”
> Robert Forster: “Nova Scotia Colonial Postal History”
> Cheryl Ganz: “Zeppelins and the United States”
> Nicholas Kirke: “Evolution of foreign mail originating in New York City 1845-1878”

Multi-frame Gold was won by 4 members for their exhibits. They are:
> Jan Huys: “Postal history, cancellations and postmarks of Belgium during the period of its First Issue, 1849-1852”
> Geoffrey Lewis: “Mail routes in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, plus the routes between the oceans”
> Richard Malmgren: “Hawaii Postal Cards”
> Eigil Trondsen: “Cunard Line; The Ships and the Transatlantic Mail 1840-1967, the Monopoly years”

Multi-frame Special Gold awards were won by Alfredo Frohlich for “Classic Colombia 1862-1863. The Fifth and Sixth Issues” (title page) and Paul Wijnants for “Stampless maritime overweight mail in pre -UPU times (1738-1876)”.

Single-frame Gold was won by Chip Gliedman for “Mail Routes of Rupert’s Land, British North America” and Jan Hofmeyr for “The Process That Led to the Grill Stamps of the United States: 1865-1868”.

Cheryl Ganz won a Philatelic Literature Gold for her “U. S. Zeppelin and Airship Mail Flights”.

Multi-frame Large Vermeil awards were won by Lars Böttger for “Der 1. Weltkrieg und seine postalischen Konsequenzen für Luxemburg 1914 -1919” and Ian C. Gibson-Smith for “Postal Markings of the Hong Kong ‘China’ Overprints”.

Multi-frame Vermeil awards were won by George Henshilwood for “Having Fun with Numbers” and Burkhard Krumm for “USA 1845-1861, New York Postmaster und erste drei Ausgaben”.

The USPCS display at the Royal Philatelic Society London May 18 was a huge success. The following Society members and the area each showed follows:

• Chip Gliedman: A Postal History Map of the United States of American
• Tim O’Connor: Pre-stamp
• Dan Ryterband: Free Franks
• James Grimwood-Tayor: Baltimore Postmaster Provisionals
• Mark Schwartz: New York Postmaster Provisionals
• Vernon Morris: Carriers and Locals
• Gordon Eubanks: 1847 Issue
• Mike Farrell: 1851-1869
• Charles Temple: 1851-1857 3c
• Steven Walske: 1869 Usages
• Tom Corette: Columbian 2c
• David Mayo: Columbian 2c
• Mike Farrell: Columbian High Values
• Mike Farrell: Trans-Mississippi
• Labron Harris: Small Banknotes Usages
• Fred Gregory: Hawaii

Viewing of the display was exciting and well attended with many viewers staying for the RPSL meeting following. The meeting was led by the RPSL President, Peter Cockburn who presented certificates of appreciation to participants. The RPSL medal was given to the USPCS represented by president, David D’Alessandris and Carol Bommarito, the event organizer.

Carol spoke about the background of the creation of the exchange and display, and thanked the participants for their enthusiastic support, the RPSL, and H. R. Harmer for providing an outstanding handout. David also expressed the Society’s thanks and welcomed the Royal to present their display at the Great American Stamp Show (GASS) in Cleveland, David’s hometown, in August.

The Harmer-produced handout provides an overview of each of the areas exhibited along with a sampling of each participants philatelic items and can be found 2023 London Royal Brochure

The 2023 edition of the Great American Stamp Show (GASS) will take place at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland – Hall C in Cleveland, OH. August 10-13. In addition to the philatelic shopping and exhibits, there’s lots planned for this show specific to the USPCS.

As a follow-up to the May USPCS Exchange with the RPSL, the RPSL will stage its return Exchange at GASS entitled “Classic Stamps of Britain and the Empire”. The Exchange can be seen near the Court of Honor’s front entrance. For a little bit more detail, see here.

A USPCS Board and member meeting will be held Friday, August 11 from 8 to 10am in the Theater room. Additionally, three presentations will be made by Society members, all in room 14:
• Friday August 11 from 3 to 4:30pm, Carol Bommarito will present “Transatlantic Contract Mail Routes Between the United States and Germany 1840-1875”.
• Saturday August 12 from noon until 1:30pm, John Valenti will present “The Danger of Wishful Thinking. Protecting Yourself from Cancellation Fakes”
• Saturday August 12 from 3 to 4:30pm, Tony Dewey will present “The War Rates of 1815 – 1816“.

Throughout the show, a Society representative will be available to meet with members and others interested in philately at booth number 224. Please stop by and say, “Hello.”

Finally, the USPC and RPSL are holding a reception and dinner Friday, August 11 from 6 to 10pm at Windows on the River, less than a 10 minute car/cab/uber ride from the show hotel.

The event will be held in a private room with a cash bar. Dinner will follow in the same space. The reception will begin at 6pm and continue until 7:15pm with everyone then sitting down for dinner. Feel free to arrive at any point during the reception.

Dinner will be served buffet style with multiple entrees including prime rib, grilled chicken and eggplant parmigiana along with salad, sides and dessert. Total cost will be $89 per person.

Pre-Registration Details: Registration or any questions should be addressed to Alex Haimann at haimannat@gmail.com . If you plan on bringing guests, please include their name(s) as well. After requesting seat(s) for the event, you will receive a confirmation email and instructions for payment.

The full show schedule for GASS 2023 can be found here.

Philatelic Show

This year’s Philatelic Show was held at the Boxborough Regency Hotel in Boxborough, Mass. and had some notable wins.

Tony Dewey won multi-frame Grand and Large Gold for his “The 3₵ Connecticut Tercentenary Issue of 1935 and its First Days”. (Also, the American First Day Cover Society Award). For his second exhibit, “The U. S. Alphabet-Denominated Rate-Change Series: 1978-1998”, Tony Dewey also won multi-frame Large Gold. Tony received a slew of society awards; e.g., American Philatelic Society’s (APS) Medal of Excellence, Post-1980; the American Philatelic Congress Award: Excellence in Write-Up; and the United States Stamp Society Statue of Freedom.

Multi-frame Large Gold was won by Mark Schwartz for his “Independent Mail and Express Company Operations at Boston: 1843-1845”; Alfredo Frohlich for his “Delaware Postal History – 1732 to 1847” (as well as APS Medal of Excellence, Pre-1900 and Postal History Society Award); and Murray A. Abramsom who won for his “Geographic Expansion of U.S. Airmail to Foreign Destinations (1922-1941)” (additionally the William Turner Memorial Award from the Metropolitan Air Post Society).
Single-frame Large Gold was won Mark Schwartz for “Essex County Packet Mail: 1840 up to UPU” and James C. Cate for “General Banks Division – Civil War Union Army Field Cancellations 1861-1862”. Single-frame Gold was won by Mark Schwartz for his “The Introduction of the First Standardized Federal CDS”.

Plymouth Show

Nicholas Lombardi won the multi-frame Grand and Large Gold for his “The 1903 Two Cent Washington Shield Issue”. He also received the United States Stamp Specialists Statue of Freedom; and the AAPE Award of Excellence.

Cary E. Johnson won the multi-frame Reserve Grand and Large Gold for “Evolution of Territorial Michigan 1792-1837”. Cary was also awarded the Classic Society Award and the Peninsular State Philatelic Society Award.

Timothy G. Wait won the single-frame Grand and Large Gold for “Adhesive Stamps Used to Pay the 2₵ Tax on U.S. Bank Checks 1862-1883”.
Multi-frame Large Gold was also won by Alfredo Frohlich for “United States of Columbia” as well as the American Philatelic Society’s Pre-1900 Award.
Cary E. Johnson won multi-frame Large Gold for “Evolution of Street Car RPO Mail Operations in the United States”.
Timothy G. Wait won multi-frame Gold for “Rockford Illinois Postal Markings – 1837-1939”. And James C. Cate won Large Vermeil for “Hansom Cab – 10.9 cents Bulk Rate Coil Stamp – First Day of Issue”.

PIPEX

The Portland, Oregon show was held May 5 to 7. 5 awards were won by 3 of our members at this hybrid in-person and virtual exhibit show. Most of the exhibits can be found at https://www.pipexstampshow.org/exhibits.html.

Fran Adams won multi-frame Large Gold as well as the APS Award of Excellence 1940-1980 for “Atlantic Meeting – 1941”. Tony Dewey won multi-frame Gold for his “Swiss Official Stamps for the UNEO and International Agencies”. For his multi-frame exhibit, “The 15 cent 1978 Viking Mars Issue”, Ralf Nafziger won a Large Vermeil.

Fran Adams’ “The Leticia Incident” won single-frame Large Gold as well as the American Topical Association’s One-frame Merit Award. Tony Dewey won single-frame Gold for his “International Education Bureau Labels for the Service of Intellectual Aid to Prisoners of War”.

In continuation of its annual tradition, WESTPEX 2023 was held in Burlingame, California, April 28-30. Burlingame is adjacent to the San Francisco International airport and a short commute to San Francisco. Society members won big with Gold, Vermeil, and many individual society awards.

Mark Schwartz took top honors, winning the WESTPEX multi-frame Grand Award and Large Gold for “The New York Postmaster Provisional”. Mark’s exhibit also won the US Stamp Society’s – Statue of Freedom and the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors: Award of Excellence for Treatment.

Mark Schwartz also won the single-frame Grand Award and Large Gold for “The Use of Boston’s “PAID in Grid” Cancels 1851-1859”. Additionally, his exhibit won The US Cancellation Club Award.

Daniel Knowles received our Society’s Best United States up to 1900 award for his exhibit, “The Development of the Confederate States of America (CSA) Postal Service from Secession to Appomattox”. His exhibit also won multi-frame Large Gold.

Steven Walske won multi-frame Large Gold; the WESTPEX Chairman’s Award; the Military Postal History Society’s Best Military Postal History Exhibit; and the German Philatelic Society’s Gold Award.

Two other members won multi-frame Large Gold medallions. Robert G. Rose won for his “New Jersey Stampless Covers: Handstamp Postal Markings 1775-1855” (also the Postal History Society Medal – Best Postal History and the American Philatelic Congress’ Excellence of Written Text). Dwayne O. Littauer‘s Large Gold was for his “Pre-UPU Mail Between the United States and Bremen”.

Multi-frame Gold was won by Vernon R. Morris, Jr. for his “Evolution & Development of the USPO,1685 to 1799”; Alfredo Frohlich for “Colombia First Definitive Airmail Issue 1932-1940”; Scott Prior for “Gold Rush Express Companies Serving The Gibsonville Ridge, Plumas and Sierra Counties, California”, and Robert Forster for “Nova Scotia Colonial Postal History” (also the British North American Philatelic Society’s Best NBA Exhibit).

Single-frame Large Gold was won by Larry Lyons for “Pomeroy’s Letter Express: NY State’s Independent Mail Company June 26, 1844 to August 31, 1844”; Richard Lomax for “The Influence of Strait’s Dispatch Post on the U.S. Postal System: 1849-1871”; Vernon R. Morris, Jr. for “World’s Third Producer of Stamps: Philadelphia Local Post Fee Reduction, 1842 to 1861” (also the Collectors Club Award of Merit); and Anthony F. Dewey for “The United States War Rate: 1815-1816” (also National Stamp Dealers Association – Outstanding Presentation Award).

Multi-frame Large Vermeil by our members Mike Farrell for “Bogus Stamps of the Confederacy” and Larry Lyons for “U.S.P.O. Domestic Forwarded and Missent Mail. “Our Mistake We Pay, Your Mistake You Pay” And Free Forwarded and Missent Mail to 1900” (also won Auxiliary Markings Merit Award).