The Postmaster

Newsletter of the New Haven Philatelic Society

Spring/Summer 2019 No. 88

2018/2019 Office Holders President- Mike Frechette Treasurer-Ken Allen

Vice President- Marcia Meyers Secretary-Vern Nelson

The New Haven Philatelic Society Editor: Vacant PO Box 8141 New Haven Connecticut 06530 USA Email:wfrprs@att.net Webpage: http://www.nhps1914.com Facebook: Facebook.com/nhps1914

Stamp Scavenger Hunt Enlivens the Evening

The challenge lay not only in gathering stamps to meet the goals, but also to decipher

what would be the goals in cases where the “clue” was obscure. For example, one item was

the Voynich Codex (which actually resides in New Haven at Yale University), another was “K’s

Secret Mark”.

The winner of the event was Vern Nelson. His score of 450 points (out of 751) was the

best score. He and others who entered delighted members with their rather clever

interpretations of how their stamps met the goals. For example, one goal was “The Last” and

the goal was intended to get members to look for the last stamps issued by their favorite

nation. Vern used a stamp of Jan Matzeliger (Scott #2567) with attached selvedge that noted

“Jan invented and patented a shoe lasting machine”. His green stamp was an S&H green

stamp. As one member noted when he looked at the pages, “Holy smokes! What kind of

collection are these stamps?”

For those who missed the chance, the rules and quest items are still posted on our

website (www.nhps1919.com)- take a look!

Members were entertained at a recent meeting with

the member submissions for our first stamp scavenger

hunt. The rules were simple; members were given a

list of 200 items, each item with specific point values.

They then constructed a two page exhibit trying to

maximize the points as best they could. The person

who had the most points would win a $25 gift

certificate, good at one of our shows.

The Postmaster Spring/Summer 2019 No. 88 Page No. 2

©2019 M. Frechette for New Haven Philatelic Society

From the Club President’s Desk

Happy Stamp Collecting …Mike Frechette

A few years back, I had the opportunity to speak on a radio show about stamp collecting. I thought that I would have the entire show to myself, but I ended up sharing it with a coin dealer. Coins, of course, being money, were much more interesting and he ended up taking two thirds of the allotted time.

I was contemplating this unfairness a few weeks ago, and it struck me that there is an essential difference between coin collecting and stamp collecting. Yes, there are obvious differences like I can spend my coins for items AND they do not lose value. A dollar is a dollar- it does not matter whether it was issued in 1932 or 2012, it is still worth a dollar (discounting the influence of inflation). Older US stamps from about 1940 until the issuance of the “Forever” stamps, are likely to be worth less than what people paid for them. There are lots of reasons why, but the truth is that they just are not that sought after.

There is a concept called provenance, which means where did something come from (it’s origin) or what is the ownership history of a particular item. A classic case of provenance is the 24 cent inverted Jenny- every stamp in the sheet was numbered, and as each stamp or block was sold, people kept a careful record of what happened to it. Stamp covers contain their own provenance – they contain their own history by their very nature.

When you receive a coin from a person or vendor, you do not know what the coin has been used to buy before you received it. It is a transactional item, not an historical snapshot. But stamps used on cover are different- they have a historical significance, and they can be researched. You can determine when a coin was minted and where, but once minted, you cannot determine how it got to you. A cover, however, indicates origin, receiver, destination, date, and often, interesting transit information. It may contain a cachet containing information as to the use of the cover. Was it a first flight? Mailed At Sea? Posted on a train? Does it have unusual or scarce stamps?

As the use of stamps and mail continues to decline, we are entering an era when philatelic

scarcities and rarities are increasing. Collectors bemoan the fact that the older stamps are harder

to find, and more expensive than ever. Modern stamps and covers are too common, and just not

worth the time or effort, they say. Yet if you look at the Scott Catalogue, you will see some

astonishing prices for covers within the last thirty years, including some First Day Covers. Rarities

are there for those who search.

The Postmaster Spring/Summer 2019 No. 88 Page No. 3

©2019 M. Frechette for New Haven Philatelic Society

EUROPA STAMPS

Myron Kavalgian talked to us recently about

Europa stamps. Europa stamps were first issued in 1956,

and Myron started collecting them the same year.

Originally sponsored by the European Coal and Steel

community (ECSC) and later by the Conference of Postal

and Telecommunications Administration (CEPT), the

annual issuance of stamps quickly became a collecting

burden. Six countries originally issued stamps; by the

1960’s the number had increased to 19 countries. Today,

the number of countries issuing Europa stamps is around

145 countries. According to Myron, in 2016 it would have

cost $589 for those stamps in one year!

Europa stamps feature a common design or common

theme for each year. Europa is the most collected

popular topical area in the world according to Myron.

“It’s an impossible topical” stated Myron. “Collecting

stamps in singles, souvenir sheets, mint, used, it has

become too hard. You can’t find used stamps today,”

said Myron, “You can’t soak them off the paper [because

of self stick gum] and some stamps will lose their ink in

hot water. “ He went on, “Now days, you can buy Europa

stamps that you can listen to; download an app for your

phone, scan the stamp, and sounds related to the stamp

will be heard on the phone. “ Myron has whittled his

collection down to collecting First Day Covers from 1960.

Even with that narrow scope, he said he has over 540

covers for the year.

Ultimately, Myron recommended that people “don’t

collect Europa stamps- it’s too expensive and too strange.

It’s the best of philately and the worst of philately”

Myron explained his interest in

Europa stamps to fellow members ,

and delighted them with his generous

gift of Europa covers at our meeting.

Thank you Myron!

In Memorium Lifetime member Kenneth John Kutz passed away on January 18, 2019. Ken’s

widow sent us the following:” Ken’s stamp collecting career started at the age of five…His main collecting

interest revolved around mining and since 1980 has written ten books related to philatelic material from

the mining and oil industries world wide. Ken served on the board of the Collector’s Club of New York

where he gave nine presentations of his material and was president of the Ye Olde Kings Highway Stamp

Club in Darien, Connecticut. He was a life member of the New Haven Philatelic Society. Ken had a very

full and diverse life. His enthusiasm for learning was apparent. He has left a legacy not only in his

personal life but also his professional life. “

The Postmaster Spring/Summer 2019 No. 88 Page No. 4

©2019 M. Frechette for New Haven Philatelic Society

Looking for a Link to Iceland by O.J. Burns

When I spoke of my upcoming trip to Iceland, Kenny mentioned that he collected Icelandic stamps. He

surprised me by revealing that although he could find recent mint stamps of Iceland, finding recent used

stamps was a challenge. Had I been listening more carefully, I might have discerned some dramatic music

emerging from the background, for, like you, I have a soundtrack to my life. Unfortunately, I was not paying

attention; therefore my response to Kenny was that I would look for some Iceland stamps for him when I went,

and at the very least he would have one from the postcard I would send him.

And so it began, perhaps in the manner that some quests begin.

Naively, I first took the path more traveled by searching online and too soon found an answer -- a

stamp store in Reykjavik. This quest was going to be easy, I thought. As I read the article, I learned that it had

served the community for more than twenty-five years as a hub of philately, largely because 80% of the

population of Iceland lives in the capital. Unfortunately, I soon became aware that the store was going to close

its doors permanently …in 2014.

Next, I sent an email to John, who would serve as our guide on the trip, and asked if he could identify a

store, a collector's group, even a single stamp collector in Iceland with whom I might be able to establish a

connection. Ultimately, all that he could provide was a link to the Iceland postal service and the suggestion

that an inquiry there might lead to something. The quest was beginning to look like more of a challenge.

Three weeks later I arrived in the land of fire and ice, ill equipped, I thought, for the task ahead. My

inquiries had led to dead-ends. Perhaps philately, like the finances of the Iceland National Bank in 2007, had

gone poof. I thought that if John, a former stamp collector himself, could not identify a single place to start,

then what chance did I have? I had only seven days in Iceland.

When we arrived, as desperate as my situation seemed, the more important matter of food after a

five-hour hiatus, was paramount. To offer some context, I need to say that neither Robin nor I appreciate fine

dining. The truth is we don't taste very well, a shortcoming that has allowed us to avoid some of the more

expensive restaurants. I offer that information to assure you that I was not eating at fancy restaurants when I

first considered prolonging my fast from food. One glance at the menu's prices suggested that my quest

would follow that of a religious pilgrim's who would deny the comforts of the body for the life of the soul. A

beer was going to cost me fourteen dollars, and a bowl of soup was in the twenty-five dollar range. In other

words, a fast was better than any repast in this country. Clearly it was not just Iceland's stamps that were

expensive.

For a time, Iceland's physical beauty distracted me from my quest by providing some of the most

unusual and stunning landscapes I have ever seen. Unearthly looking lava fields stretched as far as the eye

could see. Plumes of smoke from volcanoes and hot pots swirled into the bluest of blue skies. Geysers,

pronounced gee-zers, erupted, waterfalls fell, and rainbows appeared from coast to coast. I rode Icelandic

ponies across a black sand beach, hiked a gloriously scenic path along a small river and took the path not just to

the thundering waterfall but behind it in a scene similar to that in "Last of the Mohicans." I felt as though I had

traveled farther than one country to another; Iceland felt as though I was in a whole new world similar to that

of Oz or Never-Never Land, the other worlds of other quests. (continued on page 5)

The Postmaster Spring/Summer 2019 No. 88 Page No. 5

©2019 M. Frechette for New Haven Philatelic Society

Looking for a Link to Iceland (continued from page 4)

And then there were the Northern Lights, which I watched for no

more than the 15 minutes they chose to grace us. But it was more than

enough to sate my appetite for wonder as the thin and broad yellowish

lights flared out like a firecracker bloom and appeared in such a way as to

make the blackened sky seem like black velvet, textured in a singularly

extraordinary way. Forget the used stamps, Iceland said; lose yourself

amid our wonders!

It may have been the waters of the Secret Lagoon that awakened

me. I had a quest to fulfill. I had sent Kenny a postcard, but the philatelic

pouch remained parched. One day John took me to a small used

bookstore, thinking we might catch a lead there. We did, and we didn't.

The proprietor knew of no one who collected, but she did bring out a

beautiful tome. Within were pictures of every Icelandic stamp and reams

and reams of description .... all in Icelandic. Just as we were about to

leave, the proprietor added that she might have something to interest me

and brought out a small brown paper bag, the kind you might use to pack

your lunch. Inside were about fifteen to twenty envelopes, all with used

Iceland stamps, which she had saved to donate to charity. In the end, I

offered her a donation for her given charity so that I might have some used

stamps for Kenny. And this is why people will remember the likes of Jason

and not me; he returned with the Golden Fleece. Me? I returned with a

small brown paper bag.

I would learn later, a matter of hours before I left the island for good, that

there was indeed a hub of philately in Iceland, in Reykjavik. It would

require my return visit to Iceland to follow this lead, but should you be so

lucky as to go there, I would be happy to divulge its location.

Notes about Icelandic stamps-

Iceland issued its first stamps

in 1873. The stamp followed

the design of Denmark’s

numeral issue of 1870, and

reflects the fact that Iceland

was owned by Denmark for a

while (as was Norway)

The appropriate catalog to use

is the Facit catalog (specialized

Scandinavia and Iceland)

Some interesting tidbits are

below.

“ICELAND TOLLUR CANCELLATIONS: Tollur

cancellations on Icelandic stamps

were applied to show payment of import duties and were

normally applied to the backside of the import invoices”

Jaysmith.com – see below for link

“ICELAND ORLOF OVERPRINTS ON POSTAGE STAMPS: For a short time in 1943-1944, the Icelandic post

office overprinted 19 postage stamps (12 regular and 7 officials) with the word "ORLOF" and varying

denominations from 10 aur to 10 kronur. The purpose of orlof stamps was to collect payment from employers of

temporary, part-time, or seasonal employees for vacation pay. The stamps were purchased from post offices, placed

in savings books, and then redeemed the following year at vacation time.”

http://www.jaysmith.com/Lists/Iceland/Iceland-Revenues-Vacation-Savings-Stamps-Orlof-Overprints.html

The Postmaster Spring/Summer 2019 No. 88 Page No. 6

©2019 M. Frechette for New Haven Philatelic Society

A View of New Haven Postal History

by Mike Frechette

Recently, a Society member showed me an interesting label. The label, shown below, states

that it commemorates a meeting at the Hotel Garde in New Haven.

The Southern New England Federation of stamp clubs was founded in 1923 and consisted of 16

stamp clubs, one of which was the Women’s Philatelic Society of New Haven. In 1940, they teamed up

with the New Haven Philatelic Society and hosted the meeting for the Federation.

The Southern New England Federation exists no more. The Women’s Philatelic Society

celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in 1982, but by June 1985 held its last meeting and dissolved. They

turned over all their records to the New Haven Museum, who still holds them.

The Hotel Garde was opened in 1894 and was considered one of the highest class hotels in the

State of Connecticut. By the 1950’s, however, as the railroad declined, so did the Garde. It became

more of a boarding house, and by the late 1960’s it was demolished to make way for a housing

development.

My thanks to Joe Connolly for his excellent research and publication of information about the

Women’s Philatelic Society. Any my thanks to Marcia Meyers who provided me with the souvenir

sheet.

The Postmaster Spring/Summer 2019 No. 88 Page No. 7

©2019 M. Frechette for New Haven Philatelic Society

Dear Reader:

Our President has graciously agreed to continue this series, and so we shall proceed to report to you

Mr. Pickwick’s exploits in determining the history of the Confederate States of America Postal

System.

Following the vote of December 20, 1860, in Charleston, South Carolina, other southern states were

invited to join in a movement to leave the Union. Mr. Pickwick, sensing that the secession activities

were not going to abate at any time soon, decided that his remit must include observing, documenting

and reporting on the activities of the “secessionists”. Remit? What remit? Ah – as permanent General

Secretary of the Pickwick Club, Mr. Pickwick took paper and ink to hand and as quickly as

correspondence could travel from London to Charleston and back, his remit was expanded to include

these strange activities in the colonies. He and his colleagues would be known as the Unofficial

Observers of Her Most Brittanic Majesty. With revised remit in hand, he enlisted the aid, assistance

and accompaniment of Messrs. Phisiwig, Tupman and Winkle, all members in good standing of the

Pickwick Club and, fortuitously, all currently residing in Charleston. The four then immediately

booked rail passage for Montgomery, Alabama, and, upon arrival in Montgomery, they were able to

obtain accommodations in the Exchange Hotel, on Court St. It would be in Montgomery where the

next scenario would unfold. While South Carolina had been the first state to secede, Alabama was

the most vocal and active, inviting other states to join in the movement. On January 7, 1861 a

Secession Convention convened in Montgomery, Ala., and four days later that state withdrew from

the Union. Over the next days Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas joined, making

seven states in all to secede. On February 4, 1861, the convened delegates announced to the world

the birth of a new Nation: The Confederate States of America, and it’s president: Hon. Jefferson

Davis, of Mississippi. The President set to work choosing a cabinet; last to be chosen was Judge John

H. Regan of Texas, as Postmaster General. After trying to decline, Judge Reagan was confirmed by

the Provisional Congress on March 6, 1861. President Davis had previously selected Henry Ellet of

Mississippi for the post. Soon after his nomination and confirmation, he resigned. The president then

offered the position to Col. Wirt Adams, also of Mississippi, who also declined. As Judge Reagan

was to write in his Memoirs in later years, “My objection was, that our people under the Government

of the United States had been accustomed to regular postal facilities; that when the service … came

to an end…it would require considerable time to reestablish…dissatisfaction would arise”. At this

point Mr. Pickwick was quite out of breath, Mr Phisiwig was green from having consumed something

which the natives called grits; Mr. Winkle was verging on the apoplectic, having spent the best part

of the day attempting to understand a delegate from Jackson, Mississippi. Mr. Tubman said nothing

but spent his time contemplating a large, dark spot on his waistcoat that looked suspiciously like

gravy.

Next: How do you establish a postal system? Where do you start ?

The Postmaster Spring/Summer 2019 No. 88 Page No. 8

©2019 M. Frechette for New Haven Philatelic Society

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

April 2, 2019 Foolish Stamps (Or Why was this stamp ever printed???)

April 9, 2019 The Letter “L”

April 16, 2019 Taxes! Bring in Revenue stamps

April 23, 2019 Covers, Internet, and Searching the Web

April 30, 2019 Cinderella Night Redux

May 7th , 2019 National Airmail Week of 5/15-5/21 of 1938

May 14th, 2019 War and Peace on Stamps

May 21st, 2019 Collecting on a Budget- Open Discussion

May 28th, 2019 Roses on Stamps

June 4th, 2019 Covers, Internet and searching the web

June11th, 2019 NHPS Elections

June 18th, 2019 Military Stamps (Scott catalog “1N” e.g.)

June 25th, 2019 The Color Purple

July 2, 2019 Flags

July 9th, 2019 “Discworld”

July 16th, 2019 Summer Dinner at the Graduate Club

Organized by the New Haven Philatelic Society

Annex YMA, 554 Woodward Ave., New Haven

10am to 3pm

◊Free parking◊Free admission◊Door prizes◊Refreshments and meals available

◊ Sunday April 28 2019 ◊ Sunday May 26 2019 ◊ Sunday June 23 2019 ◊

◊ Sunday July 28 2019 ◊ Sunday August 25 2019

See our Facebook page for updates, as well as the latest news and pictures of our activities. www.facebook.com/nhps1914 or our website www.nhps1914.com

FOURTH SUNDAY STAMP, COIN, COLLECTABLE SHOW

The New Haven Philatelic Society is a Chapter of the

American Philatelic Society (APS# 0054-025889)