The 2012 edition of the Durland Standard Plate Number Catalog is in production.  The USSS plans to introduce the book at the Society’s Annual Meeting at NAPEX in June of 2012.  Like the 2008 edition, the new Durland will have an all-color presentation, with a three column 8½” x 11” format that will be available both perfect and spiral bound.  The large size makes the catalog easier to handle as the number of postage stamps and back of the book listings continue to grow.  The spiral bound version has the advantage of lying flat when open.  All of the illustrations have been created in digital format that will produce high-quality printed images, and there are illustrations on nearly every page.

The new 2012 Durland is the most comprehensive research source for plate number information on United States postage, special service, revenue stamps and other back of the book stamps listed in the Scott Specialized Catalog.  The new edition will include plate number information for the last four years of new issues along with scores of previously unreported numbers for pre-Bureau and back of the book issues.  The catalog also includes plate number information on Confederate issues, overprinted Possessions postage, Carriers, and WW II American Military Government stamps and is the most comprehensive reference for marginal markings.

We have listed and priced Bureau precancel plate blocks for the first time, including the experimental precancels of 1916, examples of which are illustrated.  The Beer stamp section is greatly expanded on the basis of recent discoveries of proofs and Bureau records.  The taxpaid revenue section is also greatly expanded.  The 2012 edition has been formatted and digitized by Len Piszkiewicz and edited by W. Wallace Cleland.

The Durland 2012 edition will be available for $26, perfect-bound, and $28, spiral-bound.  USSS members will receive discount pricing of $21 perfect-bound and $23 spiral-bound.  Orders may be sent to USSS Executive Secretary, P.O. Box 6634, Katy, TX 77491-6634.  Books can also be ordered online at the USSS website, www.usstamps.org.  Online orders are only available for purchase with PayPal.

For some time, Anthony Wawrukiewicz, has been spearheading the project to digitize the U.S. Postal Bulletins from 1880 to 1971, the source for his highly acclaimed books on U.S. philately, covering domestic and international postal rates.  The 2002 recipient of the John N. Luff award for Distinguished Philatelic Research, he is well known in the philatelic community as “Tony W.”

In early 2011, Tony outlined the project to members of the USSS Board of Governors seeking financial support for this important project.  I am happy to report that the Society donated $8000 towards the completion of the project.  On page 201 of the May U.S. Specialized, Tony introduces the Digitized U.S. Postal Bulletins, outlining the background, extent of the resource, and a “How To” navigation of the site.

Tony is to be congratulated for his dedication, perseverance and philanthropy for making this valuable resource universally available to philatelic researchers.

On Sunday morning, June 3rd, the United States Stamp Society, in cooperation with the National Postal Museum and the NAPEX show committee, will present a special symposium, “The George W. Brett Centennial: U.S. Stamp Researcher Extraordinaire.”

George was born on May 30, 1912 and spent many years researching stamp production and printing methods at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, so the occasion of this year’s Annual Meeting near Washington, DC is the perfect time and place to celebrate his philatelic legacy and introduce all philatelists to the man who will always be known as “Mr. B.I.A.”  Over the course of more than 60 years, George wrote more than 500 reports and articles, the majority of which appeared in our journal, The United States Specialist.  In so doing, he accumulated a treasure trove of research notes, historical documents, and personal philatelic correspondence.  Upon his death in January, 2005, these amazing materials were bequeathed to the National Postal Museum and were transported from his home in Spirit Lake, Iowa to the NPM over a two year period.  Once there, the material was organized into 100 bankers boxes and a finding guide was created to aid researchers in locating desired items.

The symposium will begin with breakfast at 8:15 AM and will conclude at 11:00 AM.  A number of distinguished speakers will give short presentations about both George and his archives.  The details of the event and a complete schedule of speakers is available.  Tickets are $19 each through May 15th and can be purchased online.  See the May Specialist and NAPEX and NPM websites for more information.  Add this Sunday morning event to your own show schedule of activities.  You won’t want to miss this one!

—Nick Lombardi
President

Here are the United States Stamp Society medal winners that have been reported from recent shows:

NOTE: If you have won a USSS award and have not seen it listed here, please let me know and I will see that it is recorded.

Show Awards Chairs, please note:
USSS AWARDS PROGRAM

The USSS Gold Statue of Freedom Medal is sent automatically to all APS World Series of Philately shows.

The USSS Silver President’s Award medal is available upon request to all local and regional shows.

For more information, or to request an award, please contact me by e-mail or write to P.O. Box 690042, Houston, TX 77269-0042.

—Denise Stotts, Awards Committee

Kevin G. Lowther has been selected to receive the Walter W. Hopkinson Memorial Literature Award for the best article or series of articles published in The United States Specialist during 2011.  The award is given annually by the United States Stamp Society and consists of an engraved plaque and honorarium.  The award will be presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the USSS at NAPEX, McLean, Virginia, in May.

Lowther authored “Exploring the Washington-Franklin Roulettes,” which was presented in five parts, two appearing in 2010 and the remainder in 2011.  The article organized all information on the roulettes, corrected misinformation in previous literature and presented several new discoveries including the surprise identification of a previously unknown roulette maker.  It is a benchmark article that will continue to enlighten collectors and serve as the starting point for future researchers.

The Hopkinson Memorial Literature Award selection committee consisted as usual of the past three winners of the Award.  The Chairman of the committee was Larry S. Weiss, the 2008 winner for “Why Collect the U.S. Washington-Franklin Heads? – A 100th Anniversary Tribute.”  The other members of the committee were Gerald Nylander, the 2009 winner with Weiss for “Major New Discovery: Two Patterns of USPS Double Line Watermarks Exist” and Harry K. Charles, Jr., Ph.D., the 2010 winner for “Postal and Treasury Savings Systems.”

The Award has been given annually since 1954 in honor of Walter W. Hopkinson.  It was established by his wife, Mrs. Constance B. Hopkinson, in view of her husband’s interest in philatelic scholarship and the dissemination of research and knowledge through the Society’s publications.  Hopkinson was a plate number specialist as well as a long time member and vigorous supporter of the Bureau Issues Association, as the Society was then named.

Lowther has recently commenced presenting additional well-researched articles in The Specialist.  In 2009, the articles began with a profile of Charles Dalton, proposer of the Washington-Franklin head stamps.  In 2010, he wrote about the first rotary press printed postage stamp, Scott #459, and, in 2012 he has begun a multi-part study of the 5¢ red error stamps.

A complete list of previous winners of the award can be found on the website.  Click on “Feature Articles and Links” and then “Description of Awards given by the Society.”

—Larry S. Weiss
Chairman

David Bize obtained from Hallie Brooker, Lead Curator at the Historical Resource Center of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the printing records of Scott C23, the 6¢ bicolored Airmail stamp of 1938.  The records consist of the plate record cards, which record the dates the plates were assigned, certified, modified or treated in any way, and the impression cards, which list the periods at press, the press used, the printer and the impression totals for each printing period.  These data have been gathered in this 19-page Research Paper.

The paper presents data in three parts.  The first is a description of the marginal markings that occur on these stamps.  The second is a list of the dates the plates were assigned and certified, the printing periods, impression totals for each period and press used, and the dates the plates were modified and finally cancelled.  Total impressions for each plate are tabulated.  The third section shows the sets of four plates at press together for the various printing periods, the press used and the impressions for that printing period.

Collectors of this issue will find much detailed information here that has not been available anywhere else.  The Research Paper is available from David Eeles, P.O. Box 933, Columbus, OH 43216-0933.  Price, $4. (checks made out to U.S. Stamp Society).  Additional research papers are also available.

Here are the United States Stamp Society medal winners that have been reported from recent shows:

NOTE: If you have won a USSS award and have not seen it listed here, please let me know and I will see that it is recorded.

Show Awards Chairs, please note:
USSS AWARDS PROGRAM

The USSS Gold Statue of Freedom Medal is sent automatically to all APS World Series of Philately shows.

The USSS Silver President’s Award medal is available upon request to all local and regional shows.

For more information, or to request an award, please contact me by e-mail or write to P.O. Box 690042, Houston, TX 77269-0042.

—Denise Stotts, Awards Committee

Erick Lee Erickson

The Smithsonian National Postal Museum and United States Stamp Society Scholarship Committee has selected Dr. Erick Lee Erickson, Professor of Economics at Metropolitan State College of Denver to receive the 2011 scholarship.  Dr. Erickson’s proposal, “Fourth Class Post Office Accounting,” is a study of how rural postmasters received their pay check from the government.  It is common knowledge among historians and researchers that rural postmaster pay was based on the amount of postage that was cancelled at their offices, but little attention has been given to the manner in which they obtained their compensation.  There are no Official Personnel Files for rural postmasters in the Civilian Personnel Archives of the National Personnel Records Administration.  So, the government did not pay these postmasters as if they were employees.  Instead, 4th class postmasters retained their earnings from current receipts and submitted only cash balances in excess of their salary allowances to district postmasters.  This accounting and compensation explains why some remnants of the old system of rural mail persisted into the middle of the 20th century alongside the modern system of rural free delivery.  Fourth class post offices were sustainable.

The NPM-USSS Scholarship is one of five scholarships established by the National Postal Museum for the research of postage stamps or postal history leading to publication.  NPM scholarships are available to PhDs, or doctoral candidates engaged in dissertation research, advanced graduate students, and/or other scholars, so that the awardee may spend an uninterrupted block of time doing research in the NPM library and other Washington, DC libraries on their projects and discussing their work with others.  They are available for the research of postage stamps or postal history leading to publication on any topic supported by NPM collection or library, other Washington, DC libraries, like the National Archives or the Library of Congress, or in State research libraries as described in the individual announcement.

At the Annual Board of Governors meeting held at the Philadelphia National Stamp Exposition in April, 2010, the Board approved the establishment and funding of a research scholarship to be named “Smithsonian National Postal Museum – United States Stamp Society Scholarship”

The USSS scholarship funding consists of a five year commitment of $2,000 per year.  The program is administered by the Smithsonian National Postal Museum following their policies and rules.  Applications for scholarships are reviewed by an Awards Committee, responsible for selecting the awardee.  The committee is comprised of two members of the USSS and the NPM Winton M. Blount Chair in Research, in consultation with the NPM curators.  The NPM will be responsible for insuring that the final product will be published and the paper or book will be vetted by the NPM and the USSS.  The NPM also agrees that at the discretion of the USSS, the final product, or a condensed version approved by the awardee, may be published in The United States Specialist.

In addition to the United States Stamp Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance, NAPEX, Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition have funded museum scholarships, along with the NPM’s George W. Brett Memorial Scholarship.

We encourage Society members to consider taking advantage of this opportunity to engage in research utilizing the resources of the National Postal Museum.  Additional information and scholarship applications may be found on the following NPM link http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/Scholarships/index.html.

Prior to NAPEX, the APS will host an “On the Road” course on the U.S. Great American Series.  This 2-day course will be held at the National Postal Museum on May 30-31, 2012.  The instructor is Jay Stotts.

The Great Americans Issue is one of the largest, longest lasting definitive issues in U.S. postal history and the production varieties rival those of some of the more popular regular issues of the past. Students will receive an overview and will then delve into the production details including presses used, perforations, papers and tagging details and finally, the break from Bureau of Engraving & Printing production into Contract production. Additionally, students will have a chance to learn rate usages and collecting strategies.

About the instructor:

Jay is a life-long collector, specializing in U.S. philately, especially twentieth century definitive issues and postal history. He has exhibited philatelic material for 30 years and has served as an APS accredited national judge for more than 20 years. He is also accredited as a national chief judge and is scheduled to chair the jury at APS Stampshow 2011 in Columbus.  He served for eight years on the APS Accreditation Committee, now called CANEJ.

Jay has served on the Boards of the Bureau Issues Association and the United Sates Stamp Society since his appointment in 1991. In June 1992, the Board elected him to fill the vacated President’s position of the BIA. He was re-elected to two additional terms and served as President through 1997. In 2000, the Board appointed him to the vacated Presidency of the USSS and he was elected for one additional term, returning to the Board in 2003.

In 1989, Jay was a co-founder of the Fourth Bureau Issue Committee of the society and currently serves as its Chairman. He has won both the Hopkinson Literature and Exhibiting awards of the society and served as its annual show coordinator from 1991 through 2003.

As an exhibitor, he has won four national Grand Awards and numerous gold medals. He has several multi-frame exhibits in several classes including traditional, postal history, thematic, aerophilately, first day covers and post cards.

He has collected the Great Americans Series since the early 1990s and has a ten-frame exhibit on the issue. He is an avid student of the modern stamp production methods associated with this issue.

If you haven’t sent in your dues for 2012, please do so before you forget.  You can take a $3.00 discount off the $25.00 annual dues only if you pay by December 31st.  Also, you can pay your dues online via PayPal.  Go to our website homepage and click on “Renew” and follow the instructions.

The Society has a Hardship Fund for those who are unable to pay their annual dues because of a job lay-off or other hardships.  If you find yourself in one of these situations, let me know and I will arrange for your dues to be paid for 2012.  We don’t want to lose any members because of unfortunate circumstances beyond their control.

If you want a copy of the 2012 bound volume of The United States Specialist, pay for it now along with your dues.  It will be mailed to you in the Spring of 2013.  Lastly, don’t forget to send your free classified word ads directly to Leonard Piszkiewicz, the Editor of The Specialist.

—Larry Ballantyne
Executive Secretary