Larry S. Weiss and Gerald Nylander have 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 2009.  The award is given annually by the United States Stamp Society and consists of an engraved plaque and an honorarium.  Each author will receive a plaque and check, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in April.

Larry S. Weiss

Weiss and Nylander co-authored three articles on the newly discovered patterns of the double line USPS watermark.  They discovered that both forward and reverse stepping patterns occur.  These articles in the August, September and November issues were entitled:  “Major New Discovery: Two patterns of ‘USPS’ Double Line Watermarks Exist,”  “Why has it Taken 100+ Years to Identify the Forward-Stepping ‘USPS’ Double Line Watermark?”,   and “Philatelic Discovery at the Kitchen Table.”  In addition, Weiss published an article in the October issue: “Catalog Implications of the Existence of Two Patterns of “USPS” Double Line Watermarks.”  This important research was the unanimous choice of the Committee for the award.

The Hopkinson Memorial Literature Award selection committee normally consists of the last three living winners of the award.  This year, however, since Larry Weiss won the award last year, Nicholas Lombardi substituted for him.  The Chairman of the committee was Wallace Cleland, the 2006 winner for the series “AMG Plate Blocks,” and the other member was Robert F. Rufe, the 2007 winner for his series “The U.S. Special Handling Issues.”

Gerald Nylander

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 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 Issue Association, as the Society was then named.

Larry’s selection as one of the 2009 winners makes him the only five-time recipient of this prestigious award.  He has previously won the award for articles written during 1984, 1991, 2000 and 2008.  This is Nylander’s first receipt of the award.  A complete list of previous winners of the award can be found on the Society’s website, www.usstamps.org.  Just click on “Feature Articles and Links” and the “Description of Awards given by the Society.”