S 1 U.S. POSTAL
HISTORY
by
Adolph Steeg (28 min)
Created 1992
The world of U.S.
postal history includes stampless covers; private post companies;
railroad and waterway postal routes; fancy cancellations; and
advertising and patriotic covers. This program starts with the stampless
era and ends with Civil War mail service, which required users to
exercise creativity.
Note: Slides are black & white.
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S 6 FANCY U.S.
CANCELLATIONS
by
Burleigh E. Jacobs (26 min)
Created 1992
When U.S. postage
stamps first appeared in 1847, the government allowed postmasters to
devise cancelers for their particular offices, resulting in a wide
variety of fancy cancellations. The examples depicted in this program
include a host of geometric shapes; unusual designs; patriotic images;
numeral and letter combinations; message markings, such as "Paid" and
"Packet boat"; and more.
Note: Slides are black & white.
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S 36 CANCELLATIONS AND USAGES OF
THE NORWAY SKILLING ISSUES, 1855-1875
by
Svend Yort (23 min)
Created 1993
With the issuance
of Norway's first stamp in 1855, cancellations distinctive to that
country were introduced. This program looks at the cancels used on the
skilling-valued stamps, and at the usages.
Many covers showing stamps used to foreign destinations are shown.
Postal rates, negotiated with other countries individually, were
complex, changed frequently, and could vary depending on the route or
means of transportation. All this ended in 1875 when the Universal
Postal Union introduced uniform rates for international
postage.
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S 42 THE U.S. 1851-1857
ISSUES
by The
U.S. Philatelic Congress Society (47
min)
Created 1994
The 1851-1857 U.S.
stamp issues were the consequence of the Postal Act of 1851, which
primarily led to reduced postage rates.
This program illustrates the stamps of this issue on covers, showing
a variety of markings and reflecting the need for the various
denominations; e.g., for foreign destinations, circular-rate material,
etc. The stamps themselves are then examined individually, including
types and subtypes.
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S 43 U.S. POSTMASTERS'
PROVISIONALS
by J.
David Baker (39 min)
Created 1992
U.S. Postmasters'
Provisionals are stamps issued by individual postmasters beginning in
1845 to prepay postage on letters. They were sanctioned by the
government for use until regular government-issued stamps became
available in 1847.
Covering everything from the best-known provisional (New York) to the
rarest (New Haven), this program gives insight into a relatively
unfamiliar subject. It features both close-up views of stamps and entire
covers.
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S 45 THE TALE OF THE KICKING MULE
CANCEL
by Lee
H. Cornell (45 min)
Created 1992
Of all fancy
cancels, the Kicking Mule stands out as possibly the most popular, or at
least the one receiving more publicity than any other (some of it
erroneous).
This program traces the use of the Mule cancel, which began in Port
Townsend, Washington, in 1880, and spread to other cities as well.
Varieties such as the Bushy-Tailed Mules are discussed, as well as fake
and facsimile Mules.
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S 58 THE BLACK
JACK
by Paul
J. Wolf (41 min)
Created 1991
The 2-cent U.S.
stamp of 1863-1867, commonly referred to as the Black Jack, features a
portrait of President Andrew Jackson. This is a popular stamp among
philatelists because of its many varieties: grilled and ungrilled,
specimens, control-number overprints, bad perforations, off-centering,
and color differences.
On-cover examples show the Black Jack meeting various rates alone and
in combination with other stamps. Highlights include fancy cancels on
Black Jacks, bisects, and Black Jacks used on advertising covers and on
foreign mail.
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S 64 SWEDISH POSTAL
HISTORY
by the
Swedish Postal Museum (29
min)
Created 1994
Using Sweden as a
framework, the author illustrates how the study of postal history can
broaden one's knowledge about a country's political and social history.
The evolution of Swedish postal history began early, in the sixteenth
century, before the appearance of adhesive stamps. The program focuses
on the many different cancellation types, and also emphasizes postal
markings.
Of special interest are markings on Swedish covers from times of war,
which reflect the re-routing of mail around the affected areas, and
covers from the nineteenth century, when serious epidemics raged and
letters were pierced and fumigated to prevent the spread of
disease.
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S102 UNDERRATED FIRST DAY
COVERS
by
Frank Faciti and the American First Day Cover Society (28
min)
Created 1992
This fresh and
enticing look at the possibilities of first day cover collecting
displays interesting material, such as illegal, irregular, and unusual
usages on first day covers; errors in stamp designs and first day
cancellations; creative stamp combinations; reused covers; and
imaginative cachets.
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S105 MARITIME MAIL, 1907 TO 1980:
NAVAL CANCELLATIONS
by
Eugene T. Peterson & the Admiral Byrd Chapter of the Universal
Ship Cancellation Society (43 min)
Created 1996
The world of
maritime mail is a diverse one, involving naval ships, government and
commercial vessels, and even military bases.
This program concentrates on each of the above areas with the
exception of commercial ships and markings (covered in Program 106).
On-cover examples are interesting in them-selves and for their
association with modern military history.
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S106 MARITIME MAIL, 1907 TO 1980:
COMMERCIAL MARKINGS
by
Eugene T. Peterson & the Admiral Byrd Chapter of the Universal
Ship Cancellation Society (33 min)
Created 1992
(See also Program
105.)
This program concentrates on commercial ships and markings, with
on-cover examples including mail of ocean liners, river and lake boats,
paquebots, and more.
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S108 THE 6.3-CENT STORY: THE
FIRST U.S. BULK MAIL STAMP
by Les
Lebo (20 min)
Created 1992
The 6.3-cent stamp
of 1974 was the first U.S. stamp issued for bulk mail use only, as well
as the first nonrevenue issue with a decimal fraction denomination. It
was an experimental product, designed to test whether the presence of a
stamp (versus a printed "Postage Paid" indicium) would attract more
attention from bulk mail recipients. It was also the first special-use
stamp to be issued in a modified form for collectors.
This program reviews the story of its issuance; stamp varieties; the
precancellations and first day covers associated with it; as well as its
replacement by a 7.9-cent issue.
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S109 IRISH
PHILATELY
by The
James Hoban Chapter of the Eire Philatelic Association (34
min)
Created 1994
The story of Irish
philately is of interest not only as postal history, but as it reflects
that country's turbulent political history.
The program begins with stampless covers; early and erratic postal
service; and a variety of interesting cancellations and postal markings.
It ends with attractive modern stamp issues and evidence of the present
efficient postal service.
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S119 STAMPS OF THE STEAMSHIP
COMPANIES: WEST INDIES, CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
by
Denwood N. Kelly (33 min)
Created 1991
A century ago,
countries active in international shipping, or those with well-developed
internal waterways, entered into mail contracts with steamship lines or
individual ship owners to provide transportation for a part of the
mails. Other countries depended on ships that called at their ports for
their mail services.
This program and a companion title (Program 120) are concerned with
those ships that carried mail between their ports of call for a fee, and
whose owners or captains issued their own private adhesive stamps to
facilitate prepayment of these fees. This program particularly deals
with those ships operating in the West Indies and Latin America.
Examples of the stamps involved are shown, as well as cancellations and
postal usage.
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S131 CANCELLATIONS OF THE U.S.
BANKNOTE ERA: 1870-1894
by
James Cole (30 min)
Created 1996
This program
covers all types of cancellations found on materials from the Banknote
era. They form an impressive and diverse collection, ranging from the
traditional hand-carved corks to privately manufactured fancy killers to
the forerunners of today's highly automated machine cancels. Examples
are shown on cover, as well as in sets according to style. A few
commercial advertisements aid in the discussion of various postal
regulations.
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S149 THE ARISTOCRATS OF U.S.
FIRST DAY COVERS
by
Kathleen Wunderly and Ken Lawrence (48
min)
Created 1998
This program
displays a selection of legendary U.S. first day covers owned by Alan
Berkun. Some of these gems had never been exhibited until APS STAMPSHOW
97 in Milwaukee, where they were shown in the Court of Honor. The
adjective "unique" is often misused in the philatelic marketplace, but
in this program, when the word "unique" is used, it is always according
to the dictionary definition: that is, being the only one, without an
equal. Many of these covers are the basis of the listings and prices for
first day covers in the 1998 Scott Specialized Catalogue of U.S.
Stamps.
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