In 2023, WESTPEX will host the USPCS Annual Meeting during their show, scheduled for April 28-30, 2023 in San Francisco, California. The USPCS will also meet at the GASS hosted in Cleveland, OH.

SeaPex

This WSP show was held in the Emerald City in mid September. The show was well attended but not by Society members. Thus they only won a few medals there. Winning Large Gold Medals were Ross Towle for his “Chile Presidente Series: 1911-1937”, also the AAPE Treatment Award; and Hal Vogel for “The PO that Saved, Served, and Almost Scuttled an Antarctic Expedition; A Postal History of the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition” (he also won my felicitations for the longest title). Alfredo Frohlich won a Gold Medal for “Guatemala – The Provisional Surcharges of 1922”. Hugh Lawrence won a Large Vermeil Medal for his SF “The Non-denominated Air Letter Sheets of China” and he had an exhibit in the Court of Honor “Postal Rates during the Gold Yuan Era: The Chinese Hyperinflation of 1948-1949. Congratulations to them all.

MilcoPex

This show took place in mid September in Brookfield, Wisconsin. USPCS members did quite well, winning both the Multi-frame Grand and Single-frame Grand awards. Hal Vogel won the multi-frame competition with his “American Heroic Age Polar Expedition” and Bill DiPaolo won a Gold Medal and the Best Single Frame with his “Italian Lake Mail on Lago Maggiore”. Well done, Hal and Bill!

Winning a Gold Medal were Larry Nix for his “America’s Membership Libraries 1731-1810”, and Bill DiPaolo for “Thomas Edison & The Bulb”.

Larry Nix won a Large Vermeil medal with “America’s Libraries, the Stamp”. David Mayo won a Vermeil Medal with his SF “Non-denominated Make-up Rate Stamps of the United States”.

IndyPex

This midwest WSP show was held on Oct. 7-9 at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Noblesville, Indiana. Our own Rich Drews won a Large Gold Medal and the Single Frame Grand award for “The U.S. 10 cent issues of 1861-68 in International Mail”. He also won the Johnny Appleseed award. Other exhibits of members winning Large Gold were Mike Farrell’s “Indiana Pioneer Airmail Flights” (also the Indiana Stamp Club 20th Century award and the Robert H. Rhodehamel Memorial Indiana Showcase award; Rich Drews’ “Lundy Island: the Early Years” (also German Philatelic Society Special award); Alfredo Frohlich’s “Colombia’s First Definitive Airmail Issue 1932-1940” (also American Airmail Society award); and James Cate’s “General Banks Division – Civil War Union Army Field Cancellations 1861-1862” (also the Military Society Postal History award.

A Gold Medal was won by John Hotchner for “Mail to and From American Prisoners of War”, During and After the Korean War (also the Auxiliary Marking Club Award of Merit); Mike Farrell for “The Production of the 1893 Colombian Exposition Issue” (also the USPCS Medal and the Most Popular Multi-Frame award).

Large Vermeil Medals went to Mike Farrell for his “Bogus Stamps of the Confederacy” and also for “The First Indiana Railroad: a Postal History of the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad” (also the Spirit of Indiana award). A Large Silver medal went to Casey Jo White for “Philatelic Fun and Games: from Mailbox to Tabletop” (also the AAPE award of honor for Creativity; the AAPE Novice award; the Womens’ Exhibitor Sterling Achievement award; the Jim & Jeanette Adams award; and the Most Popular One-Frame award).

NOJEX

Nojex was held the weekend of Oct. 14 in Rutherford, NJ, outside of NYC. A large number of USPCS members exhibited and all three major awards were won by them. Dan Ryterband won a Large Gold and the Multiframe Grand for “The 1847 Issue – America’s First Stamps” (also the Best U.S. exhibit; and the U.S.S.S. Statue of Freedom award). Roger Brody got a Large Gold and the Multiframe Reserve Grand for “America’s Embossed Stamped Revenue Paper” (also the USPCS Medal). And Chip Gliedman won a Large Gold and the Single Frame Grand for “Mail Routes of Rupert’s Island” (also the Philatelic Foundation award and American Society of Polar Philatelists Grand award).

Other members winning Large Gold Medals for multiframe exhibits were Marvin and Judy Platt for “The Colombian Envelopes of 1893” (also the ASDA President’s Medal); Hal Vogel for “The Post Office that Saved, Served and Almost Scuttles an Antarctic Expedition” (also the America Socirty of Polar Philatelists Reserve Grand Award, and the Eire Philatelic Society Joe Foley Memorial Medal for the best Multiframe exhibit)); Nick Lombardi for “The 1903 Two Cent Washington Shield Issue”; Mark Schwartz for “The New York Postmaster Provisional”; Vern Morris for “Evolution & Impact of Blood’s Local Post 1842-1862” (also the APS Pre-1900 Medal of Excellence and the Postal History Society Posthorn Medal): and Alfredo Frohlich for “ADELCA, Colombia’s First Official Air Mail Stamps” (also the APS 1900-1940:Medal of Excellence 1900-1940).

Single Frame Exhibits that won Large Gold Medals included Richard Taschenberg’s “The Ten Cent U.S. Envelope of 1870” (also the Reserve Grand); Mark Schwartz’ “Packet Mail Sent From Essex County, Massachusetts”; Dan Ryterband’s “The Ten Cent Copper Plate Engraved Stamps of the Rebel States”; and Larry Lyons’ “Pomeroy’s Letter Express, a New York State Independent Mail Service, June to August 1844” (also the American Philatelic Congress Book award).

Gold Medals were awarded to Dan Ryterband for “Day of Infamy: Pearl,Harbor and the U.S. Pacific Fleet” (also the Military Postal History award); and to Bill Schultz for the SF “Pennsylvania Bridges & Trolleys” (also the ATA Grand Award).

A Large Silver Medal was won by John Young and his “What’s a Cachet” exhibit.

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Next April 28-30, we will hold our annual meeting at WestPex, one of the top WSP shows in the country. We would like to have a great showing of exhibits there representing classic philately. We urge you to start planning to be there and to enter at least one exhibit. Let’s see how many medals our members can win there. Please let Pat Walker (psw123@comcast.net) know that you will be entering.

The application and prospectus can be found at https://www.westpex.com/pdf/entryform.pdf

We will also be having our usual dinner and speakers, but this plans have not yet been finalized. Watch this website for additional details.

The annual BALPEX stamp show took place September 2-4, 2022.  Many of our members were in attendance and the recipients of some of the most prized awards.

Leonard Hartmann received a Multi-Frame Grand, Large Gold, APS Research Medal, USPCS Medal and Civil War Philatelic Society Trophy for his exhibit, The Lithographed Stamps of the Confederate States of America.

A Single-Frame Grand and Large Gold was awarded to Richard Taschenberg for his exhibit, The 30c Nesbitt Envelopes of 1865 – Unrecognized Rarity.  He also received a Large Gold an Eire Philatelic Asssociation Reserve Grand for his exhibit, The 10c US Envelopes of 1870-1874.

James Cate received a Large Gold and the American Philatelic Congress Award, Civil War Philatelic Society Conrad L. Bush Award for his exhibit, Confederate Military Mail – Chattanooga 1862-1864.

The American Civil War: the Anaconda Plan, exhibited by Dan Ryterband, received a Large Gold, an APS pre-1900 Medal of Excellence and Civil War Society Trustee’s Research Trophy. 

A Large Gold and The Baltimore Philatelic Society Ed Ruckle Memorial Award was presented to Mark Schwartz for his exhibit, Independent Mail and Express Company Operations at Boston 1843-45.  He also received a Large Gold for his exhibit, The Postal History of Gloucester Mass and its Environs to 1851.

Scott Steward received a Gold, Civil War Philatelic Society President’s Trophy and Eire Philatelic Association Best Gold Single-Frame Award for his exhibit, U.S. Domestically Mailed Circulars from 1845-1863.

CSA 2c Rates and Fees, exhibited by Clifford Alexander was presented with a Large Gold and The General’s Award from the Civil War Philatelic Society.

Wayne Farley exhibited, Harpers Ferry – The Civil War Era and received a Gold and the Civil War Philatelic Society Jack E. Molesworth Award.

A Vermeil and The Civil War Philatelic Society Robert A. Siegel Memorial Award was bestowed upon Michael O’ Reilly for his exhibit, Huntsville, Alabama Confederate Postal History.

A Gold and The Eire Philatelic Association Best Gold Grand Multi-Frame Award was presented to John Hotchner for his exhibit, Mail to and from American Prisoners of War, During and After the Korean War.

Larry Nix received a Large Vermeil and the Eire Philatelic Association Best Two Frame Award for his exhibit, Mevil Dewey – American Library Pioneer.

Robert Toal was presented with the Eire Philatelic Association One of My Favorites (single page) Peoples Choice Award for his exhibit, An Unassuming Postcard has Historical Significance.  His exhibits, Origins of American Postcards: The Lipman Postal Cards and Other Forerunners and The Graphic Company Postcards of 1880 and Postal Order No. 31 both received Large Vermeil awards.

U.S. Circular Mail, 1845-1863, exhibited by Jerry Johnson, received a Gold.

The Great American Stamp Show occurred during August 25-28, 2022.  It was the grand finale of an entire year’s worth of accomplishments at APS WSP shows.  Plenty of our members were in attendance, many securing a variety of very impressive awards.

The Benjamin & Naomi Wishnietsky Multiframe Champion of Champions award was presented to Vince King for his exhibit, In the Beginning…Timbromanie, The Proliferation of Postage Stamps Inspires a Collecting Revolution.

Many of our members shared the most esteemed seats in the World Series Prix d’Honneur as follows:

The 3¢ Connecticut Tercentenary Issue of 1935 and its First Days – Anthony F. Dewey – AmeriCover 2021

Jamestown 1907 – Roger S. Brody – PIPEX 2021

Delaware Postal History 1732-1847 – Alfredo Frohlich – NAPEX 2021

Danish West Indies Foreign Mail to UPU – Matthew Kewriga – St. Louis Expo 2022

The Development of the Confederate States of America (CSA) Postal Service From Secession to Appomattox – Daniel Knowles – BALPEX 2021

The 1903 Two Cent Washington Shield Issue – Nicholas A. Lombardi – ARIPEX 2022

Hawaii Postal Cards – Richard C. Malmgren – WESTPEX 2021

Evolution and Impact of Blood’s Local Post, 1842 to 1862 – Vernon R. Morris – Philatelic Show 2022

Postal History of the Thirteen Original Colonies 1651-1782 – Timothy O’Connor – Philatelic Show 2021

The New York Postmaster Provisional – Mark Schwartz – Garfield Perry March Party 2022

American Heroic Age Polar Expeditions – Hal Vogel – NAPEX 2022

The following 4 exhibits were featured in the Court of Honor:

Compliments of the Season: Christmas & New Year Greetings from U.S. Rural Carriers – Darrell R. Ertzberger

First Federally Issued Postage Stamps of the United States – Gordon Eubanks

Designing the U.S. Hummingbirds Issue of 1992 and World Rarieties & Uniquities – John M. Hotchner

Steven C. Walske received a Literature Reserve Grand and Large Gold for his exhibit, Mails of the 1861-1867 European Intervention in Mexico.

For his exhibit, The U.S. 1847 Issue: America’s First Stamps, Daniel J. Ryterband received the StampShow Multi-Frame Reserve Grand, Large Gold and Most Popular awards.

For his exhibit, So Much to Due: The Development, History and Uses of the Large Numeral Postage Due Stamps, Mike Farrell received a StampShow Multi-Frame Large Gold and United States Stamp Society Statue of Freedom Award.

In the StampShow Multi-Frame competition, a Large Gold was awarded to Chip Gliedman for his exhibits, My Victoria – Great Britain Imperforate Line Engraved From Plate Position ‘CG’ and A Postal History Map of the United States of America.  The latter also received an AAPE Creativity Award and Collectors Club of Chicago Gold Medallion.

Rick Mingee was presented with a Multi-Frame Large Gold and APS Pre-1900 Medal of Excellence for his exhibit, San Francisco Postal History: 1849 to 1869.

Chile President Series: 1911-1937, exhibited by Ross A. Towle, received a Multi-Frame Large Gold and APS 1900-1940 Medal of Excellence.

In the StampShow Single Frame competition, Dale Forster was presented with a Gold for his exhibit, New York Penny Post – First U.S. Local Post.

Francis Adams received a Large Vermeil for his single frame exhibit, Cancellation Devices of the International Institute of Agriculture, 1906-1946.  He received a NTSS Multi-Frame Large Gold, APS 1940-1980 Medal of Excellence and United Nations Philatlists Inc. Silver awards for his exhibit, The Atlantic Meeting – 1941.  He also received a NTSS Single Frame Large Vermeil for his exhibit, The Oceanographic Institute and Museum of Monaco.

The NTSS Multi-Frame Grand and Large Gold was awarded to Greg Herbert for his exhibit, An ancient connection, an uncertain future, Butterflies moths and man.  This exhibit also received an ATA Biology Unit First award.

In the AmeriCover Multi-Frame competition, Ralph H. Nafziger was awarded a Gold for his exhibit, The 3c 1948 Palomar Mountain Observatory Issue.

For his exhibit, The 1991 “F” Tulip Stamps and Their First Day Covers Anthony F. Dewey received an AmeriCover Multi-Frame Large Gold, American Philatelic Society Post 1980 Medal of Excellence and Errors, Freaks, and Oddities Collectors Club 2nd Place.  His exhibit, The “Settling of Connecticut” Postal Card of 1986 received a Gold and in the AmeriCover Single Frame competition, he was awarded a Grand, Gold and United Nations Philatelists Inc. Bronze for his exhibit, The 1¢ Cent UN First Issue of 1951 and Its First Day – Solo Use.