Category: Collecting Topics
I Don’t Own This Stamp: Collection of None
In 1856, British Guiana Postmaster E.T.E. Dalton authorized an emergency issue …
Fun with Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes debuted in the 1930’s and ….
U.S. Possessions: Alaska
Why are there no overprint Alaska possession stamps?
What is the First Christmas Stamp?
The first Christmas stamp is probably not the one you think it is.
Haimann awarded APS’s Nicholas G. Carter Volunteer Recognition Awards for National Service
Alex Haimann, Greater Mound City Stamp Club Member
The Nicholas G. Carter Volunteer Recognition Awards recognize the outstanding efforts of American Philatelic Society volunteers at the national, regional and local level, and also recognize our younger members whose contributions and abundant talents are crucial to our future.
Alex has been a stamp collector since the age of 7 and an APS member since the age of 10, Alex Haimann has never met a stamp or cover he didn’t like. His passion for philately came from the encouragement and support of the West Suburban Stamp Club in Plymouth, Michigan. This extremely positive welcome to the hobby has inspired Alex to seek out collectors in the younger generations and make them feel welcome, along with helping them connect with others.
In January 2008 (at what would sadly be APS President Nick Carter’s final APS show), during his Tiffany Dinner speech, Haimann presented the original proposal for what would become the American Philatelic Society’s Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship program, now in its 15th year. Between 2005 and 2010, Haimann worked for the Smithsonian National Postal Museum as a collections specialist and web projects developer. In a volunteer capacity, Haimann served the APS as the chair of the Board of Vice Presidents (2013-2016) and as the chair of the Campaign for Philately Committee (2016-2022). Haimann also served on the World Stamp Show-NY 2016 and the Stockholmia 2019 committees.
Since 2008, Haimann has given dozens of talks in person and online across the U.S. to philatelic and non-philatelic audiences. Continuing a passion to bring philately and postal history to new audiences, Haimann exhibited his Anglo-Zulu War collection during a summer exhibition (“Clash of Empires: The 1879 Anglo-Zulu War” (www.clashofempires.org), at the Royal Philatelic Society London last summer with more than 2,000 people from 29 countries attending. Since the exhibition, videos created around the content of the exhibition have generated more than 1 million views on YouTube.
Haimann is very proud to have sponsored 744 new APS members to date, the second most of any living APS member, behind Don Sundman.
New Issue: Protect Sea Turtles
On June 11th, 2024, in Corpus Christi, TX, the USPS issued a new set of 5 stamps called Protect Sea Turtles. The stamps show incredible photos of 6
turtle species up close and personal. The stamp art director, Derry Noyes, set out to emphasize the uniqueness of these turtles along with showing each of their faces to help show their vulnerability.
“Me” on stamps: Queen Elizabeth II
“Would you like to see my stamp collection?” she asked. “It is quite large and quite
valuable. It even includes a complete collection of me on stamps!”
Identifying Hard and Soft Paper
Hard White Paper
The “hard white” paper was a rag content paper used by both the National and Continental Bank Note Companies (#134-181). This is sometimes referred to as a thin to thick white wove paper on the 1870 to 1873 printings, and a yellowish wove paper on the 1875 printings.
Soft Porous Paper
The “soft porous” paper was a wood pulp paper used by the Continental Bank Note Company briefly in late 1878 to early 1879, and by the American Bank Note Company for all 1879 and later printings (#182-218). Because the American Bank Note Company took over the Continental Bank Note Company in 1879, including plates, paper and finished stamps, the soft porous paper is generally attributed to American Bank Note printings. All stamps issued between 1879 and 1894 were printed by the American Bank Note Company on this paper.
The “hard white” paper was a rag content paper used by both the National and Continental Bank Note Companies (#134-181). This is sometimes referred to as a thin to thick white wove paper on the 1870 to 1873 printings, and a yellowish wove paper on the 1875 printings.
Identification
There are two methods to identify the paper type, and occasionally it may be necessary to use both methods since one type of paper may show characteristics of the other type. To learn the paper types, it is easiest to begin with stamps of a known paper type. Any grilled issue and any stamp from the 1869 series will be on thin hard paper, while the 1890 Small Bank Note stamps and the Columbians will be on soft porous paper.
Easiest Method: The Flick Test
The traditional test is to flick the stamp close to your ear. Hold the stamp between your thumb and index finger, leaving about a half an inch protruding, and snap the stamp back and forth with the flick of a finger. Hard paper gives a sharp, loud sound, while soft paper gives a duller, less audible sound. However, this test is not terribly accurate and care must be taken to not damage the stamp.
More Accurate Method: Examination Under a Strong Light
Hold the stamp up to a strong light and examine a clear portion of the stamp, such as the margins, at various angles. The hard paper is translucent and has an even texture throughout, and is usually white. The soft paper appears mottled and opaque, with fibers typically bunched in a screen or mesh pattern, and is usually yellowish. Also, when viewed from the back, the design tends to show through on the hard paper.
| Thin hard paper | Soft porous paper |
|---|---|
 |  |
Source: Kenmore Stamp Company
Obscure Collecting: Liner Types
…a “liner” is the backing that a self-adhesive stamp is on when you buy the stamps. Now we have to figure out how we see the different types, A, B, C, and D.