Larry S. Weiss 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 2008.  The award is given annually by the United States Stamp Society and consists of an engraved plaque and an honorarium.  The award will be presented at the Society’s Annual Meeting at the St. Louis Stamp Expo at the end of February, 2009.

Weiss’ two articles titled “Why Collect the U.S. Washington-Franklin Heads? A 100th Anniversary Tribute” are part of a series begun in the November issue of The United States Specialist.  The first stamps of the Washington-Franklin Series, or the Third Bureau Issue as it is also called, were released by the Post Office Department during November, 1908 and, thus, Weiss’ first article in this series appeared 100 years later in November, 2008.

The first article, Part I, which covered thirty pages in the November issue, was a lavishly illustrated overview of the entire issue.  The reader was introduced to the many collectible varieties of this series including sheet stamps, coils, booklet panes, plate varieties, private perfs, paper types and much more.  This was followed in December with Part II, which was a detailed presentation of the essay and proof material generated by this stamp series.  Together these first two articles will be a great benefit for years to come to both beginning and advanced collectors as they build their collections and exhibits of what may arguably be the most complex stamp series in United States philately.

The Hopkinson Memorial Literature Award selection committee consists of the last three living winners of the award.  The committee for the 2008 award consisted of Nicholas Lombardi, Chairman, the 2005 winner for “The U.S. Registry Label & Receipt of 1907”; Wallace Cleland, 2006 winner for the series “AMG Plate Blocks”; and Robert G. Rufe, the 2007 winner for his series “The U.S. Special Handling Issues.”

The award has been given annually since 1953 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 supported of the Bureau Issues Association, as the Society was then named.

Larry’s selection as the 2008 winner makes him the only four-time recipient of this prestigious award.  He had previously won the award for articles written during 1984, 1991 and 2000.  A complete list of previous winners of the award can be found on the Society’s website.  Just click on “Feature Articles and Links” and the “Description of Awards given by the Society.”