The 2026 Westpex show was held April 24th-26 at the San Francisco Airport Marriot in scenic Burlingame, California. As in previous years, the show was well run and loaded with dealers and great exhibits. Our members took the Single-frame Grand, Multi-frame Reserve Grand, and the show’s Chairperson’s award.
Rick Mingee’s ”San Francisco Postal History: 1849 to 1869” won Multi-frame Reserve Grand (also Multi-frame Large Gold; Western Cover Society Best Exhibit; and the US Cancellation Club Award).
Dan Knowles’s ”Mail Handling Across the Union and Confederate Lines Following Creation of the Confederate States of America: May 24,1861 Through August 26,1861” won the Single-frame Grand (also Single-frame Large Gold)
Richard Taschenberg won the WESTPEX Chairperson’s Award for “Usage History of the “Pumpkin” Envelopes – How and Where They Were Used” (also Multi-frame Large Gold; the USPCS Medal; the UPSS Best Multi-frame Postal Stationary; and the USSS Statue of Freedom Award).
Multi-frame Large Gold was won by 8 additional Society members for their exhibits.
- Richard Malmgren for “Hawaii Postal Cards” (also the Best Hawaiian Exhibit and US Possessions Philatelic Society Best Exhibit).
- Daniel Ryterband for “The U.S. 1847 Issue: America’s First Stamps” (also the Collectors Club Best Multi-Frame US Classic Exhibit).
- Scott Prior for “Express Companies Serving the Gibsonville Ridge, Plumas and Sierra Counties, California, 1850-1870” (also the APS Award of Excellence Pre 1900).
- Eigil Trondsen for “Cunard Line: The ships and the Transatlantic Mail 1840-1867, the Monopoly Years” (also the San Diego Stamp Show Award of Merit).
- Bradley Wilde for “Canal Zone: 1915-1920 Opening of the Panama Canal Issues” (also the Collectors Club of Chicago Gold Medallion Award of Merit).
- Lawrence Haber for “The Half-Penny (decimal) Machin” (also the APS Award of Excellence Post 1980).
- Alfredo Frohlich for “Colombia’s Revenue Stamps 1858 -1908” (also the Donald Dretzke Award – Best Used Stamps).
- Eigil Trondsen (again!) for “Norway Registered Mail to 1948” (also the Auxiliary Markings Merit Award).
Multi-frame Large Vermeil awards were won by:
- Edward & Patricia Laveroni for “The Evolution of Early California Mail 1821 to 1857”.
- Gerry Oberst for “Philatelic Art of Jean-Michel Folon” (also AAPE Award of Honor).
Three member’s exhibits won single-frame awards as follow:
- Scott Prior won Single-frame Large Gold for “Gold Rush Period Ocean-to-Ocean Express Companies”.
- Lawrence Haber won Single-frame Large Vermeil for “Development & Uses of the US 1908 Special Delivery Stamp – “The Merry Widow””.
- Rick Mingee won Single-frame Vermeil for “Colorado Boots-up, Postally Speaking – The Establishment of Postal Operations in Colorado, 1859 to mid-1860’s”.
