The American Philatelist - April 2018

THE
APRIL 2018 $4.95
AMERICAN PHILATELIST
MONTHLY JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PHILATELIC SOCIETY
Overprint
Error
Discovery
— plus—
T h a n k Y o u
for Your
Support
AMERICA’S STAMP CLUB
WWW.STAMPS.ORG
Postmaster
Favor First
Day Covers

APRIL 2018
CONTENTS
p. 346
VOLUME 132 • NO. 4 • WHOLE NO. 1,407
THE
AMERICAN
PHILATELIST
Since 1887 — The Premier
Philatelic Magazine in the Nation
EDITOR Martin Kent Miller, ext. 221
martin@stamps.org • aparticle@stamps.org
p. 326
EDITORIAL ASSOCIATES
Jeff Stage, ext. 222 • jstage@stamps.org
Doris Wilson, ext. 223 • doris@stamps.org
ADVERTISING MANAGER Helen Bruno, ext. 224
hlbruno@stamps.org • adsales@stamps.org
FEATURES
326 CIVIL WAR PRIZE
COURT MAIL
By Patricia A. Kaufmann
The Civil War raised a
number of legal issues when
it began, including the course
of sailors, ships and materials
involved with blockades and
confiscated goods, including
stamps and letters.
p. 342 p. 386
p. 360
p. 348
342 FAVOR FIRST DAY
COVERS
386 D-DAY’S OLDEST
SOLDIER
By Paul M. Holland
A postal history doubleheader
covering postmasters
general and a legendary
brigadier general.
DEPARTMENTS
356 Buy and Sell
394 Classifieds
360 Expertizing
401 Index of Advertisers
346 ERROR FOUND AT APS
By APS Staff
A donation of philatelic
material to the American
Philatelic Society yields a
unique error involving an
overprint on a 1960s prestamped
envelope. The cover,
of which no others have
been reported, now resides
in the society’s Reference
Collection.
306 Letters to the Editor
398 Membership Report
402 New Stamps
316 Our Story
p. 322
322 COLLECTING
COAST TO COAST
By Wayne Youngblood
A young collector in the
1950s obtained signatures of
notable personalities – from
Nixon to scientists – on
appropriate commemorative
stamps by writing those
letters. Former Postmaster
General James Farley was
among his correspondents.
362 THANK YOU
By APS Staff
Our special Recognition Section notes all of the many members
who helped grow the society through generous donations of
money, materials, time and expertise in 2017.
360 EXPERTIZING: HOW
TO SEEK OPINIONS
By Tom Horn
Rare specimens are always
being pursued. Luckily, the
process of seeking opinions
from society experts about
your items is pretty basic.
348 CATALOGUING
U.S. COMMEMORATIVE
STAMPS
By Charles Posner
Dr. Harvey Washington
Wiley and his cause created
a real dilemma for designers:
how to properly portray
this somewhat plain-looking
chemist and the tools of his
trade.
384 Philatelic Happenings
300 President’s Column
390 Show Time
304 The Philatelic Experience
American Philatelic Society
American Philatelic Research Library
100 Match Factory Place • Bellefonte, PA 16823
814-933-3803 • 814-933-6128 (Fax)
STAMPS.ORG • STAMPLIBRARY.ORG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Scott English, ext. 219
scott@stamps.org
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Ken Martin, ext. 218
kpmartin@stamps.org
GENERAL INFORMATION apsinfo@stamps.org
ADDRESS CHANGES requests@stamps.org, ext. 201
DIGITAL STRATEGIES SPECIALIST Mara Hartzell,
ext. 207 | mhartzell@stamps.org
EDUCATION/YOUTH Cathy Brachbill, ext. 239
cbrachbill@stamps.org
EXPERTIZING/QUICK ID Thomas W. Horn,
ext. 205 | twhorn@stamps.org
FINANCE Rick Banks, ext. 216
rbanks@stamps.org
LIBRARY/INFO. SERVICES Scott Tiffney, ext. 246
stiffney@stamps.org
MEMBERSHIP Judy Johnson, ext. 210
judy@stamps.org
SALES UNIT Wendy Masorti, ext. 270
stampstore@stamps.org
SHOWS/EXHIBITIONS Kathleen Edwards, ext. 217
stampshow@stamps.org
SHOW TIME LISTINGS
showtime@stamps.org
The American Philatelist (ISSN 0003-0473) is published
monthly by the American Philatelic Society, Inc., 100 Match
Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823.
Periodicals postage paid at Bellefonte, PA 16823 and at additional
mailing office. Price per copy $4.95. Canadian
Distribution Agreement Number 40030959.
Opinions expressed in articles in this magazine are those of
the writers and are not necessarily endorsed by the society
and/or the magazine. The American Philatelist cannot be responsible
for the accuracy of any information printed herein.
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
The American Philatelist
100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823.
©2018, The American Philatelic Society, Inc.
298 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / APRIL 2018

THE PHILATELIC EXPERIENCEE
A Full, Rich Issue
Feasting on Philately, With Gratitude
Even if you only glanced at the table of contents, you will know already that
this is a very full issue for The American Philatelist. As I have stressed in previous
columns, and as the name of the column implies, the philatelic experience
is an important underlying premise for the journal. As I listen to fellow philatelists
describe what they collect and why, I hear stories that reinforce my assertion that collecting
is as much about the experience as it is the specimen. So with that in mind,
we pursue themes for each issue but we
also strive to include a broad cross section
of the hobby. This month you will find a
groundbreaking article on Civil War postal
history and the announcement of an error
found at The American Philatelic Center.
This issue continues our march through
the commemoratives of the 1950s and
introduces the details of new worldwide
releases. In the pages to follow, we cover
postmasters, controversies, activists and
pirates – all for the purpose of growing our
knowledge and enriching the philatelic adventure.
And we also say thank you. The April
issue is traditionally referred to as the Recognition
Issue, when we take the opportunity
to thank our members, contributors
and volunteers. And while this acknowledgement
is important, I want you to know
that we are thankful in every issue. We are
thankful for a membership that enables our
work. We are appreciative of the authors
who share their knowledge and dedicate time in preparing articles and columns. We
are encouraged by the positive feedback and constructive criticism offered by those
who are invested in the success of the journal, the APS and, indeed, the hobby. This
month we identify many by name but there simply aren’t enough pages to thank everyone
who makes a difference in philately.
So now, sit back, adjust your reading light and dig in. I always hope we have prepared
a philatelic feast to satisfy every craving. And then I remember that enough is as
good as a feast. There is always next month.
Editor,
The American Philatelist
................................................................................
BY MARTIN KENT MILLER editor
martin@stamps.org
APS Official Family
2016–2019
PRESIDENT
Mick Zais
mzais@newberry.edu
BOARD OF VICE PRESIDENTS
Robert Zeigler
ziggy_travesty@yahoo.com
Jeff Shapiro
dirtyoldcovers@aol.com
Patricia (Trish) Kaufmann
trishkauf@comcast.net
SECRETARY
Stephen Schumann
stephen.schumann@att.net
TREASURER
Bruce Marsden
mail@brucemarsden.com
DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE
Michael Bloom
mbloom@sinotech.com
Rich Drews
richbear427@hotmail.com
Peter P. McCann
ppm103226706@aol.com
Mark Schwartz
mark.schwartz1@verizon.net
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Stephen Reinhard
sreinhard1@optonline.net
STAMP THEFT COMMITTEE
Nicholas A. Lombardi
P.O. Box 1005, Mountainside, NJ 07092
stamptheft@stamps.org
APS INSURANCE PLAN
Hugh Wood Inc.,
220 Match Factory Place
Bellefonte, PA 16823
Toll Free: 888-APS-6494
Phone: 212-509-3777
Fax: 212-509-4906
aps@hughwood.com
ADDRESS CHANGES
To change your address online
visit stamps.org and log into your My APS
account. Or mail your new address information
to APS, 100 Match Factory Place,
Bellefonte, PA 16823 (Fax: 814-933-6128).
Please try to give us four weeks’ notice.
You can also add an e-mail address or
website to your APS record.
CONNECT ONLINE
aps_stamps
@american.philatelic.society
@APS_stamps
blog.stamps.org
wsradio.com/aps-stamp-talk
P.S. Before you write a letter, read Wayne Youngblood’s column on page 322. The
Texas Statehood commemorative (Scott 938) is upside down for a reason.
@Stamplibrary
blog.stamplibrary.org
304 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / APRIL 2018