FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 3, 2005…The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society (USPCS) today announced that it recently purchased all rights to the American Stampless Cover Catalog (ASCC) from David G. Phillips Publishing Co., Inc. of North Miami, Florida. The ASCC has long been the standard reference catalog of postal markings of the United States and early territories from the 1700s through the Civil War period. While its foundations are from the pre-stamp era, the catalog remains an invaluable resource for postal markings that were used up to about 1870.

Under the leadership of David G. Phillips, the catalog has grown to three volumes. Volume I covers pre-territorial, territorial and statehood markings arranged by state. Volume II contains official, semi-official and privately applied markings including locals, express companies, maritime and inland waterways, way markings, and free franks. Telegraph covers, Confederate States of America, American Colonial Period, Mexican War and auxiliary stampless markings are listed and priced in Volume III.

Wilson Hulme, President of the USPCS, stated, "The society is honored to become the new publisher of the ASCC. Many of our members have worked on the catalogs in the past and I look forward to their support for future editions."

The purchase also included unsold copies of the three-volume catalog. Hardbound and softbound copies of the current edition of the three-volume catalog can be purchased from the USPCS on their web site at www.uspcs.org.

David G. Phillips purchased the catalog in 1977 from Stamp Collector, formerly Van Dahl Publications, Inc., the previous publisher of the ASCC. Van Dahl Publications published three editions of the catalog in 1952, 1965 and 1971. Harry M. Konwiser edited the earliest edition, while E. N. Sampson edited the other two.

David G. Phillips commented "After editing and publishing the ASCC for nearly thirty years, I am pleased that the USPCS has taken the helm of this invaluable postal history reference work. I wish them every success with future editions. I will continue to provide quality covers and ephemera through my postal history auctions." Phillips’ most recent postal history auction was held at the end of October 2004. The next is schedule for February 2005.

The purchase was made possible by donations from the Society’s members. Thomas C. Mazza, a USPCS member, Pennsylvania state editor for Volume I, and attorney, was instrumental in making the transfer of ownership possible. Additional tax-deductible donations are welcome and will be used not only to offset the purchase of the catalog, but also to enable the publication of future editions. These may be sent, payable to the USPCS, c/o Dwayne Littauer, Treasurer USPCS, PO Box 750368, New Orleans, LA 70175-0368.

No schedule has been set for future editions of the catalog, but to lead that effort Hulme has appointed Van Koppersmith as Editor. Koppersmith drove over 1500 miles to secure the many boxes of material and has spent countless hours sorting through and categorizing it into a usable classification. "I will need help from a number of state and section editors and an even larger number of contributors to publish the next edition of the ASCC. Please contact me if you are interested or have any new markings to report," Koppersmith stated. He can be reached at PO Box 81119, Mobile AL 36689 or VanKoppersmith@aol.com.

The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, Inc. is the premier organization for the study of the postal issues and postal history from the Stampless Era up to the Bureau Issues of the late 19^th century. The society is the successor of "The Three Cent 1851-57 Unit" (Unit Number 11) of the American Philatelic Society. Our members include both collectors and students. Many have written articles that have been published in our award winning quarterly magazine, The Chronicle, and in other publications. Information about the USPCS, membership, its publications, and articles of interest to collectors and students of the classic period of U.S. philately, can found at the society's website at www.uspcs.org.

For further information, please contact:

Chip Gliedman

Publicist, USPCS

publicist@uspcs.org

or

Wilson Hulme

President, USPCS

wilson.hulme@uspcs.org