FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 20, 2005 The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society today announced the upcoming release of a new publication: The 1851 Issue: A Sesquicentennial Retrospective. The approximately 500 page book will contain more than twenty articles and essays on different aspects of the production, issuance, and usages of the 1, 3, and 12 cent stamps issued by the United States Government in July, 1851. The book will be printed in limited quantities with an expected release of March 2006.

Pre-publication orders are being accepted by the Society until February 14, 2006 at a price of $80.00. After February 14, 2006, the retail price of the book will be $125.00. The number of orders received by February 14^th will determine the size of the print run. As such, anyone interested in obtaining a copy of The 1851 Issue: A Sesquicentennial Retrospective must place an order by the deadline to insure that they will receive a copy of the book.

"The 1851 Issue book represents the work of many of the most knowledgeable students of this issue," said Charlie Peterson, co-editor of the book with Hubert Skinner. "This book is the first major publication on the 1851 issue in over 40 years. We are looking to build upon the work of the previous generation of authors on this issue, including Carroll Chase, Mortimer Neinken, and Stanley Ashbrook, and provide a further body of knowledge for future generations. This book was the perfect opportunity to gather the "state-of-the-art" of our knowledge about these stamps, their background, and their use into a single publication," Peterson continued.

The postal reforms of the mid 1840s and early 1850s dramatically changed the way that people were able to communicate. Prior to 1845, mailing or receiving a letter was, in many cases, prohibitively expensive. Fees were charged based upon the distance traveled and the number of pages included. It was easy for the charges to exceed the average daily wage of the day. In 1845, postage rates were simplified and lowered to the basic rate to 5˘ for a 1 ounce letter traveling up to 300 miles. The Postal Act of 1851 continued this reform, reducing the basic rate to only 3˘ for a 1 ounce letter traveling up to 3000 miles, and only 1˘ for local mail, printed circulars, and newspapers. The book provides a scholarly look at the stamps issued in conjunction with the effective date of these 1851 reforms.

The new publication will include approximately two dozen chapters covering various aspects of the issue including:

Additionally, there will be chapters on:

"I am proud to say that all of the authors are members of the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society," said Wilson Hulme, President of the Society and one of the contributors to the effort. "Our members have a long tradition of researching, distilling, debating, and sharing information on the U.S. classic issues. There is groundbreaking research in this book, much of which has not been published anywhere before. While our quarterly publication, The Chronicle of the U.S. Classic Postal Issues, covers this period and others, a book such as this can both raise the bar on the information available and put it in one place where it can be easily accessed by future students," Hulme continued.

Pre-publication orders can be placed on the Society website at www.uspcs.org or by sending a check or money order for $80.00 plus $5.00 shipping payable to "U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, Inc." to:

Additionally, go to our Book Store and use Paypal for instant pre-publication ordering. Dealers should contact Dwayne Littauer, Treasurer of the Society, for ordering information as soon as possible, as this book will have a new dealer order process.

Further information on all of the USPCS, as well as copies of previously published books and periodicals are also available from the Societyıs bookstore, accessible from the Societyıs website, or directly at www.uspcs.org/store.html.

The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society is the premier organization for the study of the postal issues and postal history from the Stampless Era up to the Bureau Issues. 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 of the U.S. Classic Postal Issue, 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 media inquiries, please contact:

Chip Gliedman
Publicist, USPCS
publicist@uspcs.org

or

Wilson Hulme
President, USPCS
wilson.hulme@uspcs.org