Stamps of Distinction

From the Archives: The Incredible Postal Workers Aboard RMS Titanic

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:01:00 +0000

Early Sunday morning, May 31, 2009, Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic died in her sleep in Southampton, England. Only 2 months old when the "unsinkable" ship sank, Ms. Dean had no memory of that night, and only found out about her rescue from the ship when she was told so by her mother when she was 8 years old. For seven decades, she had shunned the notoriety that came from her surviving when so many others perished, but in the 1980s she began to speak out about her place in history.

A little over a year ago, I authored the article below about the brave postal workers on the RMS Titanic. Stamp collectors everywhere should be able to respect their diligence to their oaths to protect the mail at all costs, even when it became apparent that they were doomed with most of the other people on the ship.

In honor of the passing of the last of the 706 survivors of that "Night to Remember", I have re-issued my article, "The Incredible Postal Workers Aboard RMS Titanic" originally dated May 3, 2008.

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" is often cited as the motto for the U.S. Postal Service. It is not; while this saying is engraved above the Farley Post Office in New York City, it is not the official motto of the U.S. Postal Service nor any postal service for that matter. Yet it does represent the spirit of mail carriers throughout the world. And nowhere does this spirit seem more real than by the actions of the postal workers aboard the R.M.S. Titanic on the night of her demise.

The Royal Mail Ship (R.M.S.) Titanic, was conceived and built as mankind's efforts to tame the seas. She was called unsinkable by many and she represented the apex of what was thought to be man's domination over nature. She sailed in April, 1912, full of hope and promise and triumph as the greatest ship ever built.

As a Royal Mail Ship, Titanic had been commissioned to transport and handle mail from the United Kingdom's Royal Mail postal service. This type of service, called Sea Post, offered postal authorities an opportunity to process the mail during the transit time of the ship's passage, and it offered the ship's owners a reliable and predictable source of income. On board Titanic was a state of the art Sea Post Office where mail would be sorted and canceled in route to the ship's destination. Incredibly, over 3000 mailbags were ultimately loaded onto Titanic for her fateful journey.

On April 10th, Titanic left Southampton, England and set sail for its ultimate destination, New York City. Below decks, five Sea Post workers started their task of sorting the mail.

The five men represented some of the best postal workers of two nations. Americans John March, Oscar Woody, and William Gwinn worked alongside British clerks John Smith and James Williamson on the voyage.

The Accident and The Postal Workers

Late in the evening of April 14, 1912, the ship struck an iceberg and suffered irreparable damage. While the magnitude of the disaster was unknown at the time, the ship was doomed as compartment after compartment began flooding.

"I urged them to leave their work. They shook their heads and continued."

The postal workers rushed to the mail room to begin rescuing the mail. It has been estimated that the workers retrieved up to 200 sacks of registered mail and had carried them to the upper decks on the slim chance that it might get rescued. Even as water began to fill the post office, the men admirably answered the postal workers call of duty to save the mail from destruction. Their admirable efforts might have cost the men their lives; as they tried to get the mail above deck, their chances of getting aboard one of the precious few lifeboats, while slim at best, vanished completely as the chivalrous call for women and children first seized the day.

The men were claimed by the frigid Atlantic waters in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. Coincidentally, it was postal worker Oscar Woody's 44th birthday.

The Aftermath

None of the mail was ever recovered. The icy Atlantic had doomed these five gallant men and claimed all of the mail. But two life-jacketed bodies were later recovered floating in the detritus of the shipwreck. Birthday celebrant Oscar Woody and fellow American John March were recovered. Woody, whose body had badly decomposed was quickly buried at sea after his effects were removed. The body of his fellow co-worker, John March, had fared better; it was able to be interred in a cemetery in New Jersey in the United States. The bodies of the other three men were never located.

Inside Oscar Woody's coat pockets were found facing slips. These pieces of paper were used by the postal workers to label sacks of mail that had been sorted. When attached to a mail sack they would indicate the delivery destination and the sorting clerk's name for tracking purposes. Apparently, Woody had stashed a handful of the facing slips in his pockets while he had been working.

"I saw them no more."

Also found on Woody's body was a chain with some of the ship's mailroom keys on it and the letter assigning Woody to service on the Titanic. These items are the only postal items recovered from the disaster.

So far, no mail has been recovered from salvaging operations. The debate remains unsettled as to whether any of the mail could even be intact after being underwater for such a long time. Ocean currents, tremendous pressures, biological elements, and even the rusting hulk of metal that was once a proud ship would all serve to harm any mail. It seems doubtful that nearly 100 years after the disaster that any mail would have survived.

Honoring the Postal Workers

As word began to spread about the last hours aboard the doomed ship, stories of heroes began to emerge. The incredible story of the postal worker's last actions did not go unnoticed.

Numerous memorials were offered by two grieving countries. Southampton, initial point on Titanic's maiden voyage was also home to most of the ship's crew. The town suffered an incredible loss of 549 lives.

A memorial to the five postal workers aboard Titanic was installed in the High Street Post Office. It was forged from a spare propeller donated by shipbuilder Harland and Wolff. The plaque reads:

This tablet is erected by the Postal and Telegraph Service to the honor and memory of John R. Jago Smith, James B. Williamson, British Sea Post officers, and their American colleagues William H. L. Gwinn, John S. March, [and] Oscar S. Woody who died on duty in the foundering of S. S. Titanic April 15, 1912
"Steadfast in Peril"

In April, 2008, the High Street Post Office was closed. A controversy arose since it was possible that the plaque that adorned the walls would be sold at auction like numerous other Titanic memorabilia. However, Southampton city council members have directed that the memorial be placed in Southampton's Civic Center, thus thwarting any plans to profit from the disaster.

At the time of the disaster, U.S. Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock noted the "bravery exhibited by these men in their efforts to safeguard under such trying conditions the valuable mail intrusted [sic] to them should be a source of pride to the entire Postal Service."

Indeed.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Sat, 09 May 2009 04:01:00 +0000

Welcome to this edition of News and Views. Here are some stories of interest to stamp collectors:

The Worlds Largest Ball of Stamps consists of over 600 pounds of stamps that was started in the 1950s by the Stamp Collecting Club at Boy's Town, Nebraska. Be sure to read the little sign on the display mount! (Hat tip to Stamp Collectors Corner)

Author Georg Jensen ponders the fate of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in Going Postal. In a thought-provoking article, Jensen wonders if the subsidized handling of bulk mail has helped to drive the USPS to the point of collapse.

Popular Mechanics has an excellent article on 10 Geeky Ways to Deliver Mail: U.S. Postal Service Technology. Mail by mule, missile, and Segway, are just a few of the examples listed.

Worried that a burglar might find it, the owner of a 'Post Office' Mauritius One Penny Red stamp hid it in an album filled with worthless stamps and then forgot where he put it. The story of how one of the approximately 15 known stamps was hidden, found 20 years later, and then ready for auction can be found in the article Legendary Mauritius Stamp On Sale in Germany . (Hat tip to Stamp Collecting Roundup)

Last month, the stamp blog CDDStamps On Stamps posted what might be the most atrocious example of a damaged stamp being actively sold on the internet. The junked stamp, cut on two sides and sporting a torn corner, can be viewed here. Offered for $2 on an unnamed website, a legitimate dealer would probably sell you an excellent copy for the same price. Incredible.

In a short-and-to-the-point post, author "John" laments the decision to issue a stamp honoring The Simpsons cartoon characters in What's Next? Beavis and Butthead?.

That's all for now. Enjoy your stamps!

Was There A Curse Surrounding President Lincoln's Assassination?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:01:00 +0000

Lincoln, the Railsplitter
U.S., 2009

The world's first commemorative stamp was issued in honor of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, in 1866. While postal authorities never promoted the 15-cent stamp as a commemorative stamp, most philatelists treat it as such, since it was issued in honor of America's recently assassinated leader. Lincoln has become a very frequent subject of commemorative and even definitive stamps, both in the U.S. and abroad. In 2009, on the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, the U.S. Postal Service issued four stamps commemorating his birth, which are illustrated throughout this blog entry, bringing the total number of stamps honoring the 16th President of the United States with 74 distinct stamps.

This article will detail some of the events surrounding the assassination of President Lincoln and the odd events that occurred to those connected to that fateful night. Some have even suggested that the events of that night cursed those around it. For those of us who do not believe in curses, there are clearly some odd historical events regarding the participants that make for entertaining reading.

Introduction

At about 10:15 PM, on April 14, 1865, five people were alone in the Presidential Box at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC, watching the play Our American Cousin. Four of the attendees in the box were busy watching the play; the fifth was an unseen intruder with a nefarious plan to try to affect the outcome of the U.S. Civil War. Within a few short seconds, a mortal wound was delivered to the president and, in the span of a few hours, America was to lose what many believe have come to believe as her greatest president ever. Even though only one life was snuffed out that evening, many of the people surrounding the assassination would meet strange deaths in the following years, leading some to infer that they were cursed. This is the story of the mysterious deaths of those near and dear to President Abraham Lincoln following his assassination.

Background


Lincoln, the Lawyer U.S., 2009

Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States in 1861, the same year in which the country slid into civil war. The war, which was to last virtually Lincoln's entire presidency, split the country into two factions -- the northern states, called the Union, and the southern states, named the Confederacy. The Union sought to preserve the nation, while the Confederacy seceded in order to start their own nation. After early Confederate victories, the 4-year-long struggle wore them down and turned the tide toward the more industrial and better financed Union forces.

Late in the war, John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor of the day, grew disgruntled that his beloved South was losing the war, and actively sought ways to change the outcome of the war. He conspired with several others to attempt to kidnap President Lincoln, transport him into Confederate territory, and hold him for ransom in an attempt to force the Union to surrender. After carefully laying out the plans for the kidnapping, a last-minute schedule change by the President thwarted the attempt. Before the plan could be revised, a major army of the South surrendered, dooming the Confederacy to ultimate defeat.

The Assassination

Lincoln, the Politician
U.S., 2009

Booth, stung by the surrender of his beloved side, changed his plans to murder. He, along with some of the original kidnapping conspirators would attempt to assassinate several leaders of the government. Booth believed that a coordinated attack on the political leaders of the Union would create such chaos and disorder that the Confederacy would be emboldened to fight on.

On the night of April 14th, 1865, as President Lincoln watched the play with his wife, Mary Todd, and invited guests Major Henry Rathbone and his fiance, Clara Harris, Booth's plan was put in motion. He would kill the President, a fellow conspirator would murder the Vice-President, Andrew Johnson, and a third conspirator would kill the Secretary of State, William Seward, all at the same time. Only Booth would prove to be successful, and what a terrible blow to the recovering nation it was.

When Booth fired the fatal shot that murdered the President, the stunned crowd in Ford's Theater did not fully understand what was happening. During the ensuing chaos, Major Rathbone, the invited guest of the president, struggled with Booth in the Presidential Box. After critically slashing Rathbone with a sharp dagger, Booth managed to jump to the stage, run across the platform, and escape the theater.

President Lincoln, shot in the back of the head, would never regain consciousness. He was taken across the street to a boarding house owned by William Petersen, a German-born tailor. Through the night Lincoln struggled to survive but the final outcome was without doubt. Mercifully, at 7:22 AM, on Saturday, April 15th, 1865, the President died from his wound. America had lost her 16th President to an assassin's bullet.

Aftermath

Lincoln, the President
U.S., 2009

Following a twelve-day manhunt, Booth was found hiding in a barn in northern Virginia. Surrounded, but unwilling to leave the confines of the barn, hay surrounding the barn was ignited. As the flames intensified, a shot was fired and Booth was wounded. An over-eager, and slightly deranged, soldier named Thomas "Boston" Corbett fired the shot, although there is some minor controversy regarding this claim. Regardless of the source of the bullet, Booth was paralyzed and mortally wounded as well. After lingering for three hours, Booth died.

Thus, the two principal players in a watershed event in American history had died from bullet wounds.

Affected Lives

Many of the individuals in direct or indirect proximity to President Lincoln's assassination would go on to lead troubled lives, or meet untimely deaths.

Mary Todd Lincoln - Mary Todd always seemed to be bit daft, but her husband's assassination completely unhinged her. She wore nothing but black clothes as a sign of mourning for the rest of her life, but enigmatically often purchased bright colorful clothes for which she would never wear. These and other extravagant purchases, plus obvious signs of her being disconnected from reality, plus a suspected suicide attempt led her only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln, to have her committed to a psychiatric hospital. Following a public outcry, she was released to the custody of her sister, Elizabeth Edwards, at whose house she died several years later.

Major Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris - Major Rathbone and his fiancee were not the Lincoln's first choice of theater companions that fateful night. After others had begged off for the evening, Mary Todd invited the young courting couple. Oddly, the major and his fiancee where step-brother and step-sister, as Rathbone's widowed mother had married Harris's widowered father.

During the assassination attempt, Rathbone was seriously injured by the dagger-wielding John Wilkes Booth. Rathbone struggled to overcome the assassin, but the wound was too deep, resulting in a large amount of blood-loss. Rathbone ultimately survived and in 1867, he and his step-sister wed.

In 1883, in Hanover, Germany, where he was appointed U.S. Consul, Rathbone's mental health began a serious decline. A few days before Christmas that year, Rathbone murdered his wife/step-sister, Clara, and came close to murdering their three children, before trying, but failing, to commit suicide. He spent the remaining years of his life in an asylum for the criminally insane.

William Petersen - Petersen, a German-born tailor, owned the house across the street from Ford's Theater. Following the gunshot to the president, Lincoln was brought to Petersen's boarding house where he was laid across a bed while doctors frantically tried to save him.

A few years after the assassination, Petersen died from an overdose of laudanum (an alcohol-based mixture with opium). He was found on the grounds of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The question remains to this day as to whether it was an accidental death or a suicide. Just four months later, his wife followed him to the grave.

Mary Surratt - As the owner of the boarding house where Booth and his comrades met, much has been written of Mary Surratt and whether she had first-hand knowledge of the assassination plot and the plot to overthrow the U.S. Government.

It is very well documented and accepted by historians that she did know of the plot to kidnap Lincoln. It was at her boarding house that the plot for the kidnapping was hatched. After the kidnap attempt was thwarted by Lincoln's last minute change of plans, Mrs. Surratt seems to have taken a back seat in the conspiracy plot. Many historians question the amount of knowledge that she had of Booth's last-minute change of plans to murder the president, and whether such knowledge was sufficient cause for her execution.

She was tried with the other conspirators and by the thinnest of margins was condemned to die by hanging. Attempts by her supporters to contact the new president, Andrew Johnson, to plea for mercy on Mrs. Surratt were blocked by several people, including Senators Preston King and James H. Lane. On July 7, 1865, Surratt, along with 3 others involved in the Lincoln conspiracy where hanged. She was the first woman hanged by the U.S. Government.

Senators Preston King and James H. Lane - These two senators were part of the entourage who shielded the new president, Andrew Johnson, from attempts to plea for mercy on Mary Surratt's life. Both men died within a little over one year of Lincoln's assassination, some claim due to guilt over their complicity to allow Ms. Surratt to be executed.

Sen. King chose a particularly morbid way to commit suicide. He tied a bag filled with lead bullets around his neck and jumped from a ferry boat into New York Harbor, where he sunk to the bottom.

Sen. Lane likewise ended his life, although by a more conventional manner. Almost one year to the day after Mary Surratt's hanging, the senator killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot.

"Boston" Corbett - It's doubtful that a more strange character could have been found to have killed John Wilkes Booth. Corbett was a religious fanatic who had previously castrated himself to prevent succumbing to temptation from prostitutes. He had worked as a hat-maker, a field that exposed workers to mercury and led to many cases of dementia. The exposure to the toxin may have affected his mental capacity.

In the 1880s, he served as a assistant doorkeeper of the Kansas House of Representatives. Overhearing someone mocking the opening prayer, Corbett pulled out a revolver and threatened violence. Soon declared to be insane, he was sentenced to an asylum, from which he escaped several months later and disappeared from view. He is believed by many to have died in a terrible fire that consumed much of the town of Hinkley, Minnesota, his last known residence.

Special Mention

Robert Todd Lincoln - Robert was the sole surviving son of President and Mrs. Lincoln; two of his three brothers died as children, and the third died at age 18. Robert lived to the ripe old age of 82 and lived to see his famous father honored many times.

Robert had the unusual coincidence of being connected to the assassination of 3 U.S. Presidents. His parents had invited him to attend Ford's Theater on the night of the assassination, but he declined citing fatigue. Later as Secretary of War, he was an eyewitness to the assassination of President James Garfield at a train station in Washington, DC in 1881. Twenty years after that, while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY, then-president William McKinley was assassinated in 1901. Robert Todd Lincoln was near the first three presidential assassinations in U.S. history, over an almost 40-year span, an event probably unequaled in American History.

He was reputed to turn down future invitations to be near the president, although he was with President Warren Harding and former President Howard Taft at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

Ford's Theater - The infamous locale of the Lincoln Assassination also has a morbid history. Immediately following the assassination, the U.S. Government purchased the theater from its owner, John Ford, for $100,000 (US). The government forbade the building from ever being used as a place of entertainment. (The stipulation has since been overridden as special performances are sometimes held in the theater.)

Following the purchase of the theater, the building served as a record's warehouse and clerical office for the government. The last bit of tragedy to unfold in the building occurred in 1893, when the front part of the building collapsed, killing 22 clerks and injuring scores more people.

Curse or no curse, the lives and place surrounding the assassination of President Lincoln certainly seem to have a dark shadow clouding them.

News and Views

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:01:00 +0000

Here's a recap of some interesting philately news:

The U.S. Postal Service went from a $1.4 billion (US$) surplus to a $2.8 billion deficit in about 3 years according to this Yahoo article. Even with postage rates increasing this May, the post office may need to drop 6-day home delivery down to 5 days.

Don Shilling of Stamp Collecting Round-Up published a short article detailing one side effect for stamp collectors when the U.S. Postal Service has to cut back -- the stamp schedule for 2009 has been decreased. Even the iconic Flags of Our Nation coil stamps have been affected -- the fourth series of stamps, originally due in Fall 2009, has been delayed until 2010.

Could a 20 million pounds (UK) collection have actually been discarded by trash collectors? According to this article, collector Jim Ford is planning on suing his city council for the actions of the trash men who discarded the albums. There are lots of holes in this story; would such a valuable collection really be "aired out" after being soaked by a burst pipe? And would such a valuable collection have escaped the eyes of local philatelists for all these years? At least one expert says no. Update -- be sure to see the first comment from a reader who indicates he is collector Jim Ford! --

A ten-year old postage stamp has helped authorities in Chicago to arrest a man for mailing a bomb threat to a Jewish school. The Chicago Tribune reports in this story, that the threat was mailed with a stamp bearing a design of two swans forming a heart shape. A subsequent search of the suspect's home found a book of the 10-year-old stamps with one stamp missing. The authorities have found other evidence, including a fingerprint, which led to the arrest.

A Pi-Day Puzzle

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:01:00 +0000

Zazzle.com Pi Stamp
The mathematical symbol for pi

If you haven't looked at your calendar yet, today is Pi Day. This is the day in which the month and day of the calendar is 3/14, the first three digits to the mathematical formula for pi (3.14...).

Before I go any further, I want to ask you a puzzle that relates to pi.

Suppose you could put a steel band tightly around the equator of Earth. Assume, for the sake of this puzzle, that the earth is perfectly round, without hills or valleys, and that the steel band would make a exact circle around Earth where it is touching the surface evenly. Then, you take a cutting torch, open up a gap in this band, and weld in exactly 1 extra meter (for non-metric readers, approximately 1 yard) of metal.

Question -- how high would this extra meter of material allow the band to be raised, evenly, throughout the entire circumference of the earth. If you haven't heard this question before, the answer, provided below, will likely amaze you.

I have searched through various websites trying to find stamps that portray the symbol for pi, but have came up virtually empty-handed. I have yet to find a postage stamp, issued by a postal authority, with such an image.

I did find several representations of pi on stamps designed by Zazzle.com. For readers who have never heard of Zazzle, the company markets metered stamps with custom images that are valid for postage in several countries. Technically the stamps are metered stamps -- the barcoding on the stamp is what identifies the stamp as valid postage for the United States Postal Service -- the picture is just an add-on. Customers can provide their own images for the pictorial image on the stamp or purchase them with pre-made images.

Zazzle makes up various designs and sells them. They have several images with pi on them, including the two represented here.

Zazzle.com Pi Stamp
Pi to 80 decimal places

Are there any pi stamps issued by postal agencies and not companies like Zazzle? Maybe readers can provide another example, but a quick search through websites dedicated to stamps featuring mathematical-related terms failed to turn up an example.

Now, back to the puzzle. The steel band would be raised approximately 1/6th of a meter (approximately 6 inches for non-metric readers) above the surface of the earth! And even more amazingly, it doesn't matter what the diameter of the round surface is -- from something as small as a pea or as large as the sun -- the result is the same -- the band will be raised about 1/6th of a meter larger than the object in all cases.

For those who might doubt this, here is how the solution is determined. My apologies to mathematicians everywhere!

The circumference of an item is equal to the diameter of the object multiplied by pi. When you add one meter of material to the steel band, you are adding 1 meter to the circumference. Since pi is approximately 3, then the one meter of extra circumference increases the diameter of the circle by about 1/3 meter -- 1/3 meter in diameter * pi (approx. 3) yields approximately 1 meter in circumference. So by adding 1 meter to the steel band, we are, in effect, increasing the diameter of the band by 1/3 meter. This yields a radius increase of 1/6th meter (diameter = 2 times the radius). Thus approximately 1/6th of a meter is how much the steel band is raised from surface at any one spot.

For those who prefer their numbers more precise, divide the 1 meter by an approximation of pi (3.141592...) and you get 0.318309... of a meter for the increase in diameter, which yields 0.159159... of a meter increase in the radius.

Happy Pi Day!

News and Views

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Here's a recap of some interesting philately news:

Curious to know why there are so many Chinese stamp collectors? Slate Explainer answers why philately is such a hot hobby in China. Part of the answer lies in the fact that the Chinese government promotes the hobby as a way of spawning national interest.

Sarkozy and The 'Hobby of Kings', on last week's BBS News website, reveals to the general public what most philatelists have known for several years -- namely, that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is a dedicated stamp collector. His wife, Carla Bruni, is reportedly "glad her husband was enjoying a more sedate hobby. He was known to have previously enjoyed karaoke."

The most famous American collector would probably be President Franklyn D. Roosevelt. ChicagoStamps.com has a nice article entitled Our Stamp Collecting President. The article briefly references one of FDR's last acts, the creation of the United Nations commemorative postage stamp issued by the U.S. I further detail the story here.

Curious as to the current price for a first class stamp in the U.S.? Visit the minimalist website www.PriceOfAStamp.com. What better way to find out what those Liberty Bell "Forever Stamps" are going for these days.

Stamp News is reporting that Slovakia is joining the growing list of postal organizations to issue a scented stamp. Slovak Post's 2009 Easter stamp will be enhanced by the scent of narcissus. Looks like I may have to start working on an addendum to my World's Smelliest Postage Stamps article!

That's it for now. Don't forget ... if you need something (philately-related or not) from Amazon.com, use my special search page to find exactly what you want. You will pay the same price as if you had gone straight to Amazon.com, but by using the search feature, a small commission will come back to Stamps of Distinction.

Important Administrative Message

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:52:00 +0000

On January 12, 2009, I, along with 90+% of my co-workers, was laid off with no formal notice from Goody's Family Clothing, a large Southeastern retailer in the midst of complete liquidation. I was let go without any severance pay, accrued vacation/personal time pay, nor benefits. Needless to say, this action has put a great hindrance upon me and my family.

The owners of the company, Prentice Capital, New York, appear to have ignored the U.S. Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification ("WARN") Act, which requires medium-sized and larger businesses to notify employees 60 days prior to a mass layoff at any one facility. The size of Goody's Family Clothing, plus the large numbers of employees, makes the WARN Act seem applicable to my situation. Private discussions with some employees indicate that a class action lawsuit may be filed, but this will not help now.

Posts to this blog and, sadly, getting stamps for my stamp collection, will be suspended until I can get re-established and back on my feet. Coupled with a family member's medical emergency in August, this has been a rather tumultuous year.

I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this trying time.

Sincerely,
Tony Servies
Owner, Stamps of Distinction

Gifts for the Philatelist In Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:07:00 +0000

The perfect gift for that
hard-to-buy-for someone!

This time of year, spouses, friends, and children never know what to get for the philatelist in their life. Most collectors are just too picky with centering, print quality and other stamp details to put that special stamp on their Christmas wishlist. So what's a person to do?

One gift that most stamp collectors will enjoy, and likely need, is an up-to-date set of stamp catalogues. The Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogues, published yearly, have a well-deserved reputation as being one of the best catalogues in the world. Thousands upon thousands of stamps grace their pages.

Artfully designed with full-color stamp images, the Scott catalogues are a delight for the world-wide collector. It is not an exaggeration to say that nearly very major postage stamp ever issued is covered in its pages. Plus, most entries contain helpful identifying features that include watermark, color, perforation, and printing information.

This year, there have been a significant number of price changes throughout the catalog, chiefly due to currency exchange rates, but also including major price movements of key stamp issues. Anyone trading or dealing in stamps needs to have the most recent stamp values at hand.

Starting December 1st, Stamps of Distinction blog now has a storefront through Amazon.com containing the full set of the 2009 Scott catalogues. Amazon's prices are remarkable and include free shipping (U.S. only) on purchases over $25 for in-stock items. You will find that almost every website that carries the catalogues require a hefty postage and handling cost that inflates the purported savings to a point that you might was well just buy the item at your local store (when you can find them). Not so with Amazon ... not only are the catalogs below the retail price, the free shipping saves you as much as $10 per catalogue over some mail-order bookstores. Plus, if you order quickly, Amazon will deliver the catalogues to your doorstep in time for Jolly Old St. Nick to find them and put them under the tree!

Go to the Stamps of Distinction Store

What Do I Do With An Inherited Stamp Collection?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Last week, I received the following e-mail, which I will paraphrase:

My Mom inherited thousands of stamps about a year ago. We spent months looking them up in the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalog. After a couple of months of research, we came to the conclusion that in this very, very, old collection of stamps are some very rare stamps.

Once I read about you and studied your web pages, I decided to take a chance in contacting you. None of us collect stamps. And although I have thoroughly enjoyed studying and learning about them, we would like for them to find a home where they can be enjoyed and not shut up in a bank vault.

After responding privately to the e-mail's author and receiving permission from her, I have decided to make portions on my reply public since this is the second request from a non-collector on what to do with inherited stamps in just the last few months. I've also been asked a similar question from one of my regular readers who has also taken the time and effort to send me an envelope full of duplicate stamps as a donation.

My paraphrased reply is recorded below. Hopefully, it can be used to help readers that find themselves in a situation where they want to dispose of a stamp collection, when they themselves have limited knowledge of the philately hobby.

There are a few things that a non-collector can do to dispose of a stamp collection. The one thing you have tried -- valuing your stamps using a stamp catalog -- is often the most frustrating and can lead to disappointment. Be forewarned that you almost never get anywhere near the catalog value of stamps when they sell. Here's why.

The value listed in most stamp catalogs represent what a dealer would charge you if you went to them to purchase that stamp. It is their selling price, not their buying price. It does not take into account volume discounts, past business dealings with the dealer, or any other thing that establishes you as a frequent customer. For example, most of the 20 cent catalog values that you see in Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalog, for example, are the minimum value and are simply for the dealer's time and effort to secure that one stamp. In reality, many of these minimum value stamps are worth much less, sometimes only a penny or two. But a dealer has to stock them, take up space with their inventory, pay the light bill with them, etc.

When it comes to stamps that have a higher catalog value, a dealer's offering price will be closer to the catalog value, simply because their catalog value is due more to their rarity than for recouping the dealer's overhead.

Extremely rare stamps in great condition can and do yield a premium value over the catalog value. However, these types of stamps are very rare.

By the way, I would not recommend selling just a few stamps here and there, as a "cherry-picked" collection drops in value rapidly, once the higher-valued stamps are gone.

It's helpful to remember that the dealer can only stay in business by selling stamps. He can have the rarest stamp of all, but if he can't put food on his table with his business, he's soon out of work. So the dealer naturally wants to buy as cheap as he possibly can and sell as high as he possibly can.

This is not to suggest that a dealer will automatically take advantage of your lack of knowledge of stamps and offer a ridiculously low price for your collection. Yes, a few unscrupulous dealers might lowball their offer, but I think most dealers, especially those that have been in business for a long time and are members of recognized philatelic organizations, will offer you a fair price. However, the name of the game is to buy low and sell high.

Another thing that works someone trying to sell a stamp collections is that stamp collecting as a hobby has been in retreat for a number of years. I wish it wasn't so, but there are fewer and fewer stamp collectors, so the market is over-saturated with stamp sellers and under-saturated with stamp buyers. This, of course, is the supply and demand cycle of economics; there are lots of sellers, but few buyers.

Still another thing that hurts a non-collector who tries to sell a collection is that they tend to over-estimate the condition of the stamps they are trying to sell. Many stamps have to be in perfect condition to be anywhere close to their catalog value. That would include things like how well-centered the stamp is, if there are any damaged perforations, if the cancellation mark on a used stamp is light, etc. A stamp can quickly lose half of its value, if there is the slightest disturbance of the gum on the back of the stamp. It's like the old saw about real estate ("location!, location!, location!") except that for stamp collecting it is condition!, condition!, condition!

Now that I've shared the "bad" news, let me give a few pointers on what you may be able to do..

Consider using the collection as a starting point for your own collection. The stamp collecting hobby is not for everyone, but it does have its benefits. One of those is that it can fit anyone's budget. Another is that you can usually collect stamps well into your golden years because it is not as physically demanding as many other hobbies.

If you are determined to sell the collection, you can always accept any amount of money that was offered by a dealer. If it was an inherited collection, you have zero invested in it, so any amount you get will be better than no amount. I'd try to get quotes from at least two sources before I would close the deal, since you might just happen upon one of the few unscrupulous dealers in the business.

If you think the collection has one or more rare stamps .... for instance, one that catalog over $250 or so, you could send them off to be expertized. Expertizing is the process in which a philatelic expert will evaluate the stamp by determining if it is a genuine stamp. There are many forgeries in the history of stamp collecting, so this is an important step. Some services will also grade the stamp by evaluating key aspects of the stamp: is it centered on the paper, is the paper in good condition, are the colors bold, etc. Most will not give an estimate of its value, just its condition and whether it is a forgery or not.

There are sometimes substantial fees for this process so you would have to determine which stamps you can afford to have expertized and graded. Typically, it is only justified for higher-valued stamps.

Once you are armed with a grade and condition of a stamp, it would be a simple matter to e-mail some dealers, see if they are interested, and try to sell the entire collection to them.

Sell the collection on a stamp auction site. It might be a good thing for you to do, or it might be something that you can consign someone to do for you. However, non-collectors have to be careful in this venue. Having a poor description or an improperly labeled stamp will just result in missed opportunities, frustrated buyers, and a generally negative experience.

Did the deceased person have close friends that were stamp collectors? If so, maybe they will help you establish a value, or possibly offer to buy the collection from you. You might could even set up an installment plan with the deceased person's close friends where you receive more money than a dealer would offer, but over a period of months.

Re-evaluate whether you really want to sell them. If the collection is of some sentimental value, such as a deceased parent's collection, maybe it would be worth more in sentimental value to see that a child or grandchild keep them in the family. A decision such as this would depend on tangible factors, such as what a dealer might pay, as well as intangible factors, such as their value as a sentimental object or the closeness of the recipient.

Consider donating them to a charity. Many stamp magazines have a few ads from recognized charities that request donations of stamps. Other charities might be more local to you and your family, such as nearby veterans' hospitals, schools, or senior citizen centers.

Be sure to check with a tax consultant as to tax implications of such a donation. Some donations are tax-deductible, some are not, and some may trigger additional taxes; it all depends on your individual tax situation.

Best wishes in finding a new home for your inherited collection!

Stamp Issuer Datasheet - New South Wales (Australian State)

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:01:00 +0000

This chart represents a detailed analysis of stamps issued by New South Wales (Australian State), as supported by the 2009 issue of Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalog.

New South Wales (Australian State)
Basic Philatelic Information
Date of first recognized stamp issue	1850
Date of last recognized stamp issue	1907
Previous Stamp Issuer	None
Subsequent Stamp Issuer (if a "dead country")	Australia
Regular Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 133	Mint	Used
Catalog value of first listed stamp	$9500.00	$725.00
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$3.00 Scott #102	$0.40 Scott #98, #110, #111
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$9500.00 Scott #1	$2250.00 Scott #30
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$144,300	$21,500
Semi-Postal Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 2	Mint	Used
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$62.50 Scott #B1	$62.50 Scott #B1
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$300.00 Scott #B2	$300.00 Scott #B2
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$362.50	$362.50
Air Post Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Special Delivery Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Registration Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 5	Mint	Used
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$225.00 Scott #F5	$40.00 Scott #F5
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$1,700.00 Scott #F1, #F2	$400.00 Scott #F1, #F2
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$4,950	$1,080
Postage Due Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 10	Mint	Used
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$8.75 Scott #J1	$3.25 Scott #J2
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$600.00 Scott #J10	$275.00 Scott #J9, #J10
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$1,699	$740
Official Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 40	Mint	Used
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$5.50 Scott #O24	$1.25 Scott #O25
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$19,500.00 Scott #O22	$11,250.00 Scott #O22
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$40,925	$24,560
Parcel Post Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postal Tax Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None

Notes:

All stamp data is determined from analysis of the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalog, issued 2009. Other catalogs may have additional stamps, different costs, or different methodologies of labeling and identifying stamps.

All values are in U.S. Dollars.

All stamp valuations include major Scott numbered stamps, and exclude errors, variations, and stamps so rare as to be unattainable by all but the most advanced collectors.

Scott frequently uses a single catalog number for souvenir sheets or strips of stamps that were sold as a single unit. In these cases, the sheet is only counted as one unit and the component stamps are not counted individually.

Stamp Issuer - New South Wales (Australian States)

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:01:00 +0000

New South Wales, 1882 (Scott #65)
Image courtesy Jay Smith & Assoc.

New South Wales is the most populated state on the Australian continent. It is one of the six colonies that united to form the federation of Australia on January 1, 1901.

New South Wales, or NSW as it is commonly abbreviated, like all of the Australian continent, has been populated by native inhabitants called Aborigines for thousands of years. These aboriginal people lived in almost total isolation from the rest of the world until British colonizing efforts of the late 18th century.

Captain James Cook explored the east coast of the Australian continent in 1770. He claimed the land for Great Britain and originally named it New Wales, although he later began calling it New South Wales.

Following the American Revolution and its subsequent closure as an outlet for British prisoners, Great Britain began shipping convicted criminals to Australia. New South Wales was primarily used as a penal colony starting in the 1780s. The population explosion of Commonwealth convicts led to a serious demise in the health, safety, and opportunities for the Aborigines, seriously threatening their survival. Thankfully, public outcry and prison reforms led to Great Britain ending its policy of using New South Wales in this manner.

New South Wales is home to the city of Sydney, which is its capital and is the largest city in Australia. It is a prime international travel destination and is famous for its modern styled architecture, such as the iconic Sydney Opera House.

From a philatelic standpoint, New South Wales is a difficult country to collect. While postal service existed for many years, stamp issuance began in 1850 and ended in 1907, just a few years after the formation of Australia as a country in 1901. Many stamps, due to their age and scarcity, are difficult to find at an affordable cost.

Further complicating stamp collecting for this country is the fact that there are many variations of the stamps that were issued. Color variations, multiple printing plates, and differing perforations are just a few of the stamp varieties that exist.

New South Wales, 1897 (Scott #B1)
World's First Semi-Postal Stamp

New South Wales also had an interesting policy of printing stamps on paper that was watermarked with the intended denomination. This has led to many stamps of a specific denomination being printed on paper watermarked with a different denomination, resulting in yet many more variations. Many of these varieties are extremely rare and exist only in private collections, so it would be virtually impossible to collect these rarities.

New South Wales also has the philatelic distinction of being the first country in the world to issue a semi-postal stamp, which they did in 1897. The stamp was issued for the Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the the throne) of Queen Victoria and its charitable surcharge went to fight tuberculosis.

There are a few affordable stamps for New South Wales, so you can easily acquire a few representative stamps. But if you choose to collect this country, expect quite a few blank spots in your albums.

Good luck collecting this early British colony!

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U.S. Postal Service Issues 14-Striped Flag Stamp

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:01:00 +0000

United States, 2008
Flags 24/7

On April 18, 2008, the United States Postal Service issued a new set of definitive stamps featuring beautiful paintings of an American Flag flying in the breeze. The images, captured at different times of the day show the flag flying at sunrise, at midday, at sunset, and at night. The set is identified on the US Postal Service website as "Flags 24/7" and is available in coil form in either self-adhesive or water-activated ("lick 'em and stick 'em") variety.

The stamp series seems destined to become the workhorse patriotic stamp issue of the U.S. Postal Service, as the prior flag definitive American flag designs have yet to be re-released with the current postal rate of 42 cents (US). If this is the case, there will be millions of these stamps issued in the upcoming months and years. That is, unless the U.S. Postal Service corrects what appears to be an error on one of the stamps.

Close examination of the "evening" stamp, located in the lower-right quadrant of the official design featured on the U.S.P.S. website, reveals that the stamp apparently has one too many stripes.

"Evening" Flag Stamp

This stamp uses an image of an approximately half-full moon on a dark-blue sky as a way of denoting that the flag is visible in the evening.

A few collectors have pointed out that the flag does not appear to be illuminated, which is normal flag etiquette for nighttime display of the American flag. However, since the sky is dark blue and not black, others have argued that it is evening and not nighttime in the image. Regardless of this point of contention, a better point of discussion is whether the flag, as depicted, is an officially supported design.

Here is a little background for those who may be unfamiliar with the United States flag.

The American flag currently consists of a field of blue, called a canton, in which there are 50 white stars, each representing a state in the union. The remainder of the flag consists of 13 alternating red and white stripes, each representing the 13 original states ("colonies") that existed when the nation was born.

The design of the American flag is dynamic and its layout has changed several times since its introduction. Because the flag represents states in the union, every addition of a new state to the union required a new flag design. In the early days of the country, keeping the flag design up to date was not the top-most priority, so sometimes a few years elapsed before the flag was officially redesigned. However, in the last century, changes to the flag design are more in keeping with current events.

United States Flag Layout
per Executive Order 10834

Shortly after the addition of Hawaii as the nation's 50th and last state, the American flag design was changed from it's prior, and very short-lived, design with 49 stars, to include a 50th star. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10834 on Aug. 21, 1959 to prescribe the new design of the flag that was to be required in public use by July 4, 1960, the subsequent Independence Day holiday for the United States.

Because a flag can exist in various physical sizes, Executive Order 10834 published a detailed drawing of the design and included a table of proportional sizes that were to be used to create the official flag. By following the ratios prescribed by the Order, a very precise flag layout can be created.

One of the key elements of the American flag's design revolves around the use of the red and white stripes, representing the founding colonies. For the past 190 years, the flag has always consisted of 13 red and white stripes in a specific pattern. There are 7 red stripes and 6 white stripes. Because of the odd number of red stripes, and the interleaving of the colors, red stripes appear on the top and bottom of the flag.

Enlargement of Lower-Left Quadrant
Notice stripe colors below blue field

The size of the blue canton is such that exactly 7 alternating stripes run to the right of the canton. Because the top stripe is always red, the seventh stripe, the bottom of which lines up with the bottom of the blue field, is also red. The next stripe down would then have to be white. This stripe has the distinction of being the first stripe (from the top), that spans the full width of the flag.

It is this stripe which provides the vital clue as to the design error. The blue field rests above this long white stripe. If you counted from the top, this first long white stripe, is stripe number 8.

In the magnified view of the stamp image, there are 6 more stripes visible, before the image is clipped off. The small area located in the lower-left corner of the design is clearly white. By counting the stripes below the blue canton, starting with the white stripe (number 8) it is very evident that there is a 14th stripe and it is white.

This raises an even further design issue ... if the flag was bounded by red stripes as the top-most and bottom-most stripes, which every flag issued by the United States since the founding of the country in 1776 has been, it would leave one to think that the flag on the stamp, if it followed the usual red stripe convention, would actually have had 15 stripes!

Will the United States Postal Service clear up this design error? It is likely that they will be forced to change it, once the general public is more aware of this error.

If the stamp design is ultimately changed, the current design, issued in a much smaller quantity than originally planned, may possibly increase in value. Only time will tell.

Update: Thanks FoxNews.com for the major link! And special thanks to Gerard at The Presurfer for bringing it to their attention with his link.

Other Fun Posts

Stamp Issuer Datasheet - Ascension Island

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:01:00 +0000

This chart represents a detailed analysis of stamps issued by Ascension Island, as supported by the 2009 issue of Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalog.

Ascension Island
Basic Philatelic Information
Date of first recognized stamp issue	1922
Date of last recognized stamp issue	Active
Previous Stamp Issuer	None
Subsequent Stamp Issuer (if a "dead country")	N/A
Regular Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 918	Mint	Used
Catalog value of first listed stamp	$6.00	$25.00
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$0.20 few	$0.20 few
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$175.00 (Scott #8)	$200.00 (Scott #8)
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$3370	$3670
Semi-Postal Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Air Post Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Special Delivery Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postage Due Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 6	Mint	Used
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$0.20 Scott #J1-3	$0.25 Scott #J1-3
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$0.75 (Scott #J6)	$1.00 (Scott #J6)
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$1.95	$2.65
War Tax Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Official Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Newspaper Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Parcel Post Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postal Tax Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postal Tax Due Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None

Notes:

All values are in U.S. Dollars.

All stamp valuations include major Scott numbered stamps, and exclude errors, variations, and stamps so rare as to be unattainable by all but the most advanced collectors.

Stamp Issuer - Ascension Island

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Ascension, 1922 (Scott #3)
Image courtesy Jay Smith & Assoc.

Ascension Island is a small island located in the Atlantic Ocean, just seven degrees south of the Equator. Its approximate location is near the intersection of a line drawn due south of the westernmost part of Africa and a line drawn due east of the easternmost point of South America. Its placement between Africa and South America has made it a prime mid-point for historical sailing expeditions and for modern-day military exercises.

Ascension Island is part of the territory of Saint Helena, a British Overseas Territory. Besides the island of Saint Helena and Ascension Island, the island cluster of Tristan da Cunha is the third dependency of the territory.

Geographically, Ascension Island rose from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean through volcanic processes. The island was inhabited only by birds and turtles when first discovered by Portuguese explorers. When the Portuguese navigator Alfonso of Albuquerque sighted the land on the Roman Catholic holiday called Ascension Day, he named it after the day.

The early Portuguese started a trend in changing the barren island when they left goats on the island as a source of meat for future navigators. Later, mammal immigrants to the island included donkeys, sheeps, cats, and rats. The cat population became wild ("feral") with each passing generation and threatened the native birds of the island, who escaped to nearby Boatswain Bird Island. Following the eradication of the feral cats from Ascension Island, birds are beginning to return.

Ascension, 1938 (Scott #41)
Image courtesy Jay Smith & Assoc.

With the exception of a lone Dutch castaway, who is believed to have been purposely stranded on the island as punishment, and who probably only lived a few months, the island was uninhabited by humans until 1815. At that time, Great Britain set up a small base of operations as a buffer against potential hostile attempts to free the political prisoner Napolean I from exile on nearby St. Helena.

During World War II, the U.S. built an airfield on the island known as Wideawake Airfield. During the war, the airfield was primarily used as a staging point for transatlantic military flights. Immediately following the war, the airfield was abandoned.

With the Cold War and the concurrent Space Race between the West and the Soviet Union, Ascension Island once again became an important location for military and telecommunications exercises. It currently serves as an important tracking site and emergency landing point for the U.S. Space Shuttle program, as well as a key Global Positioning System (GPS) site.

Philatelically, Ascension Island is an intriguing stamp issuer to collect. There is only one post office on the island, located in Georgetown. Because the population of the island consists primarily of service workers for the air field, including the U.S. Air Force and the Great Britain's Royal Air Force, it would probably be difficult for collectors who are not connected to someone on the island to receive non-commercial covers.

The early stamps of the island are costly. While the most expensive stamp catalogs for $175 mint ($200 used), there are several stamps in the early years that catalog for $50 or more. Because of the relative scarcity of postal use through the islands single post office, many early stamps are even more expensive used.

The total catalog value for mint or used stamps is about $3700. Approximately half of this amount is comprised of the first 100 stamps. Most of the remaining 800+ stamps are easily affordable. The country only issues 5 or 6 stamp sets per year, making a modern collection within the budget of most collectors.

Flora and fauna are common themes for the Ascension Island stamps. Even though the island is small, its long history of being uninhabited has led it to be a safe shelter for many birds, sea life, and hardy plants.

Have fun collecting this unique island's stamps!

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7 Things You May Not Know About Charlie Chaplin

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

It's Fun Friday -- time for some fun for the weekend. Enjoy today's post and I'll see you back here on Monday with more philatelic news and notes.

United States, 1999

Entertainer Charlie Chaplin was probably the most well-known actor of the early 20th century. After adopting his trademark Little Tramp costume, consisting of baggy pants, bamboo cane, bowler hat, and over-sized shoes, Chaplin became a Hollywood icon. He was the most popular draw in the early days of silent film and, even to this day, when a list of early movie comedians is given, Chaplin is often the first name mentioned.

Chaplin lived a complex life. He could act in a lovable and unassuming manner in his slapstick sketches, or he could be politically defiant, as witnessed in his railing against the rise and rule of Germany's Adolf Hitler in The Great Dictator. He frequently found himself at odds with American political and social mores of the time, which ultimately led to his self-imposed exile to Switzerland, where he died in 1977.

Most Hollywood scholars know the basics of his life, yet there are many interesting facts about Charles Spencer Chaplin that the general public does not know.

He was the first actor to appear on Time magazine. Chaplin appeared on the July 6, 1925 issue of Time magazine, a U.S.-based news magazine. He was the first actor ever to appear on the magazine known for its influential cover photo.

He won only one non-honorary Oscar, and it was 21 years "late". Chaplin won an honorary Academy Award ("Oscar") in 1929, during the first presentation of awards. Originally nominated in a couple of categories, his name was withdrawn and he was presented instead with a special award. He also received an honorary award in 1972. The next year, however, he won a Best Music Oscar for Limelight, a film he had made 21 years earlier, yet had not been shown in Los Angeles until 1972, thus enabling his nomination and subsequent award.

He purposely avoided dialogue in two "talkies". Chaplin wrote, produced, and acted in two movies in the 1930s, well after conversations were prevalent in the "talkies" (motion pictures in which sound was added). Surprisingly, the actors did not talk in these two movies, relying instead on the musical score to set the tone for the movies, and the few spoken words coming from objects such as a radio.

He had a fondness for young wives. Chaplin was married 4 times. He was 29 and his first wife was 16 when they married. His second marriage was to 16-year-old Lita Grey, when he was 35. His third and possibly fictional marriage to Paulette Goddard, was rumored to have occurred when he was 47 and she was 28. He married his last wife, Oona O'Neill, daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill, shortly after Oona turned 18. Chaplin was 54.

He was ordered to pay child support for a child that was not his own. In the 1940s, Charlie had a brief relationship with actress Joan Barry. Several months after their breakup, she claimed that Chaplin was the father of the child to which she had just given birth. When blood tests proved that Chaplin was not the father of the child, Barry's attorney moved to have the tests ruled inadmissible as evidence. Because there was little historical precedent to admit the test results into the trial, the judge did not allow them to be used as evidence of Chaplin's non-paternity. After a mistrial and a retrial, Chaplin was ordered to pay Barry $75 per week for child support, a respectable amount in those days.

His corpse was stolen. Three months after Chaplin died on Christmas, 1977, his body was stolen in an effort to extort money from his family. Chaplin's body was recovered 11 weeks later after the grave-robbers were captured. He is now buried under 6 feet of concrete to prevent further theft attempts.

He has an asteroid named after him. Four years after his death, Ukrainian astronomer, Lyudmila Karachkina, named an asteroid after him. Ms. Karachkina, discoverer of 131 asteroids, named one of them 3623 Chaplin. It resides in the asteroid "belt" between Mars and Jupiter and appears as a magnitude 12.1 object, making it visible in a moderately strong telescope.

Bonus Trivia:

His daughter portrayed his mother in the movie Chaplin. The accomplished actress, Geraldine Chaplin, is Charlie's daughter with his last wife Oona. In the 1992 Hollywood movie adaptation of Charlie Chaplin's life, Chaplin, she portrayed Hannah Chaplin, Charlie's mother.

Previous Fun Friday Posts

Happy 30th Birthday, "In Vitro Baby," Louise Brown!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Note: This post originally appeared on Stamps of Distinction on June 4, 2008. I have pulled it from the archives because Friday, July 25th is the 30th birthday of Louise Brown, the first in vitro baby.

As this post describes, Portugal has issued what is thought to be the first stamp explicitly addressing the heartbreak of infertility faced by numerous couples. The design of their stamp is a poignant reminder of the feeling of emptiness that many couples have to endure.

Portugal, 2008
Is this the world's first
infertility-themed stamp?

In March, 2008, Portugal's postal authority CTT Correios de Portugal, S.A. may have made postal history when it issued the stamp shown on the left. It is thought that this stamp was the first ever stamp specifically issued to raise awareness of the struggles of infertility. In a March, 2008, article in Linn's Stamp News, the de-facto industry standard for philatelic news, suggests that this is, in fact, the first stamp on this topic.

Infertility is the inability of a couple to conceive a child or, if conceived, the inability to successfully carry the child to delivery. The condition is usually associated with strong emotions such as angst, grief, anger, a sense of incompleteness, and depression. The emotional impact to the affected individual or couple can be devastating.

For years, there were only three primary options available to infertile couples. One was to try home-remedies and "quack" cures, which had successes rates attributable to simple luck. Another was to accept their childlessness, which many did reluctantly. The last, and in my opinion, most noble option, was adoption.

As doctors searched for additional options for this debilitating illness, a new technique, called in vitro fertilization, or IVF, was successfully pioneered by British doctors, Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards. On July 25, 1978, their technique led to the birth of Louise Joy Brown, the first baby to have been conceived outside of her mother's body.

Louise's parents had tried for a number of years to conceive a child, but with physically blocked Fallopian tubes, Louise's mother was unable to conceive through natural methods. By removing her eggs, fertilizing them outside of the body, and then implanting them, Louise's mother was finally able to become pregnant and bear a child.

This event became a watershed event in the efforts to find a cure for infertility. It meant that couples who had previously been unable to conceive due to physical impairments stood a much-greater chance of conception. While in the best case, it offers about a 50% success rate in younger women, such a percentage is a marked improvement over the miniscule success rates without IVF. It offered a ray of hope and led to more attempts in finding a cure for the illness.

Unfortunately, the high cost of in vitro fertilization has kept the procedure out of reach of many infertile couples. But each year advances are made and many procedures have come down in cost.

The stamp issued by Portugal is beautifully designed and conveys the hopes of infertile couples with its imagery. The stamp shows a stylized silhouette image of a man and woman embracing a child. The image of the child is almost ghost-like in appearance, symbolizing the hope for the child, yet at the same time highlighting the fragility of conception for infertile couples.

The stamp is denominated as 0.30 Euro (approx $0.47 USD). It is currently available for purchase from Portugal's postal authority.

As an interesting side note, Louise Brown, the first in vitro baby will turn 30 years old on July 25, 2008. She currently works for Great Britain's Royal Mail postal authority. I wonder if she collects stamps?

Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Explorer

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Sir Ernest Shackleton led one of the most incredible Antarctic survival stories of all time. In an epic struggle of man versus nature, Shackleton showed superior skills in protecting his men from certain death at the hands of unbearable cold. In the process, he became immortalized as one of the Britain's epic explorers.

As an accomplished explorer of the Antarctic, Shackleton was granted knighthood in 1909 after reaching the southern-most latitude ever, a scant 112 miles from the South Pole. The journey back to their home base required that he and his crew live off reduced rations, in order to stave off near-certain death. He ultimately return to the United Kingdom a hero.

Even if his story ended there, he would still be fondly remembered as a great explorer of the Antarctic, at a time when many explorers were trying to map the region. But, with exploration in his blood, Shackleton launched his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition as an effort to cross Antarctica, a feat which had never been done.

Men signed up for the expedition at a fevered pitch, but only 56 men were finally selected. Half of that number would actually trek across the continent, while the other half started from the opposite side and placed supply depots at strategic locations. These depots would store food, fuel, and other supplies that would sustain the trekkers as they crossed the continent; without them, the expedition would be doomed.

The expedition ran in to trouble early on, as Shackleton's half of the men, on board the ship Endurance, became hopelessly trapped in an ice jam. The depot-providers, aboard the ship Aurora, had their own difficulties, in which several men perished.

With their ship wedged solidly in the ice, Shackleton had no choice but to weather out the winter season. The hope was that the spring thaw would break up the ice and the journey could continue to their designated starting point for the cross-continent trek. Unfortunately, after about 6 months of being surrounded by ice, the thawing and moving ice pack began to crush Endurance. In November of 1915, the ship sank below the sea, leaving all 28 men on that portion of the expedition stranded on the ice.

Endurance
Trapped in Antarctic ice

For the next 5 months, the crew of Endurance, who had managed to salvage almost everything from the ship, survived on the ice floes. When the ice began to split, they boarded three lifeboats that they had retained and headed for nearby Elephant Island.

Elephant Island is a desolate, ice-covered place, with no natural shelter. Dense fog and strong winds made it inhospitable to almost everything living thing other than migratory penguins and seals. Shackleton knew that he and his crew had no chance for rescue from such an isolated place, so he forged his rescue plan.

Upon landing his men at Elephant Island, plans were established for Shackleton and four other men to sail one of the lifeboats to the island of South Georgia, 800 miles away, through some of the most treacherous waters on Earth. After a brief period to prepare the crew and to ready the lifeboat James Caird for the momentous crossing, the 5 men set sail in a desperation journey in which their failure would probably doom the 23 men left behind on Elephant Island.

Clearly theirs was a last-ditch effort at rescue. The odds for a small boat to cross the storm-tossed waters were infinitesimally small. Yet Shackleton knew that it was the only hope that he and his crew would have.

After two weeks of sailing, including dealing with monstrous waves that threatened to sink the tiny boat, the men spotted the island of South Georgia. Unable to navigate to the harbors on the island, Shackleton was forced to land on the opposite side of the island and climb over mountainous terrain to the tiny village of Stromness. In doing so, Shackleton and his sole companion, having left their three colleagues with the beached lifeboat, became the first people to climb over the mountain to reach the village.

After acquiring supplies and a sailing vessel, Shackleton was able to go back after his men on Elephant Island. Miraculously, not one man on his portion of the expedition had died. The same could not be said for the depot supply team, which had lost 3 men during the mission. The surviving shore party was surprised when Shackleton landed his ship to pick up the survivors.

Ultimately, Shackleton's goal of trekking across the continent did not occur; the rough weather and circumstances had forced Shackleton to abandon his expedition. But he is fondly remembered as a fearless explorer who cared about his men to the point of risking his own life to make sure they were rescued.

Great Britain, 2003
Shackleton, his men, and Endurance

Shackleton's story does not end there. Several years after returning to England, where he wrote his account of the expedition, Shackleton once again got the urge to explore. This time, he set about gathering funding and public support for his plan to circumnavigate Antarctica. While heading south, he began to experience health problems, yet continued on, against his doctor's advice. Then, while preparing for the final push to the start of his expedition, he landed at South Georgia, where 7 years earlier he had arrived via the lifeboat James Caird. But this current visit would be his last, as he died of a fatal heart attack, one day after landfall.

Shackleton was honored by Great Britain as part of their Extreme Endeavours stamp issue. Consisting of 6 stamps, the set was issued on April 29, 2003. Shackleton is depicted on the 42 pence stamp, along with a picture of the doomed ship, Endurance, and several men awaiting rescue.

Other notable people appearing in the set include aviation pioneer Amy Johnson, Mt. Everest conquerors Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, travel writer and Arab explorer Dame Freya Stark, sailor Francis Chichester, and Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott.

Stamp Issuer Datasheet - Aruba

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

This chart represents a detailed analysis of stamps issued by Aruba, as supported by the 2009 issue of Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalog.

Aruba
Basic Philatelic Information
Date of first recognized stamp issue	1986
Date of last recognized stamp issue	Active
Previous Stamp Issuer	None
Subsequent Stamp Issuer (if a "dead country")	N/A
Regular Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 308	Mint	Used
Catalog value of first listed stamp	$0.25	$0.20
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$0.25 (Scott #1)	$0.20 (Scott #1)
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$7.50 (Scott #192)	$7.00 (Scott #192)
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$560	$438
Semi-Postal Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 75	Mint	Used
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$1.25 (Scott #B7, B45)	$0.60 (Scott #B7)
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$5.50 (Scott #B52)	$3.25 (Scott #B44)
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$159	$115
Air Post Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Special Delivery Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postage Due Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
War Tax Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Official Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Newspaper Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Parcel Post Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postal Tax Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postal Tax Due Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None

Notes:

All values are in U.S. Dollars.

All stamp valuations include major Scott numbered stamps, and exclude errors, variations, and stamps so rare as to be unattainable by all but the most advanced collectors.

Stamp Issuer - Aruba

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Aruba, 1986 (Scott #1)
Traditional House

The country of Aruba is a small, beautiful island located in the southern Caribbean, just a few miles north of Venezuela. Being outside of the usual ocean and wind currents that prevail in the Caribbean, the island typically has warm and dry weather, causing it to be a favorite spot for tourism, as the weather is much more predictable than many of the other islands of the area.

Native peoples from South America and the Caribbean initially settled the island. The first Europeans to discover the island were explorers sailing for Spain. Their discovery led to the Spanish colonization of the island in the 1500s. Later, in the 1630s, the Dutch began administering the island.

For years, Aruba was part of the Netherlands Antilles, a collective of islands administered by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. After a long diplomatic struggle, the island of Aruba was granted a level of independence in 1986 as a constituent member of the Kingdom, effectively putting it on an equal par with the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles, the other constituents in the Kingdom. Recent moves toward complete independence were scheduled, but have have been delayed, and it is probably only a matter of time until Aruba gains full independence.

Far and away, tourism is the most dominant source of revenue for the island. Its year-round warm temperatures and beautiful white sand beaches make it a popular destination for tourists heading north from Venezuela and south from the United States.

Aruba, 2000 (Scott #196)
250th Anniv. of Alto Vista Church

From a philatelic standpoint, Aruba is an excellent country to collect. After their separation from the Netherlands Antilles into a constituent state of the kingdom, the island nation began issuing stamps. Because this independence status happened in January, 1986, there are only slightly more than 20 years of stamps to collect for the country. All of the stamps are affordable, with the most expensive stamp cataloging at $7.50 (USD) mint and $7.00 used.

Another benefit of adding Aruba to your stamp collecting focus is that they put out a respectable number of stamps each year. They seem to release between 3 and 7 issues per year, with about 3 stamps per issue. Their stamp issuing policy is much better than some small countries who seem to run the printing presses day and night to flood the market with stamps.

Have a great time collecting the stamps of Aruba.

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10 Facts You Didn't Know About Houdini

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

It's Fun Friday -- time for some fun for the weekend. Enjoy today's post and I'll see you back here on Monday with more philatelic news and notes.

United States, 2002
(Scott #3651)

It is the epitome of fame when one can be identified solely by one name. Mention the names Elvis or Sinatra, and everyone knows that you are referring to the famous entertainers. Mention Washington or Lincoln, and most will quickly realize that these are U.S. Presidents. The same can be said for Houdini, the world-famous magician.

Harry Houdini is likely the greatest and most well-known magician of all time. While his tricks are not mind-shattering by today's standsards like they were during the early days of vaudeville, he was the master showman of his field. He knew how to promote himself and his efforts are still studied by innumerable magicians of today.

His life has been well-documented by various histories and biographies, but a lot of public misconceptions remain. How well do you know Houdini? Chances are that only true magicians or advanced historians will know all of the facts listed below.

Houdini was a stage name. Harry Houdini was not his real name. His real name was Erik Weisz and he was born in Hungary in March 1874. His name was Americanized to Ehrich Weiss on immigration papers when his family moved to the United States.

Houdini took his stage name from a magician's wife. From his earliest days, Weiss admired the French magician Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. Robert-Houdin had been very popular and was considered a forerunner of the modern magician. Weiss took the stage name Houdini, adding the "i" at the end to indicate that he was "like Houdin".

But the French magician's real name was Jean Eugene Robert; Houdin was the last name of his wife, which he had added to his own name. Harry Houdini unwittingly derived his stage name after the French magician's wife, and not the magician himself.

Houdini falsely claimed he was born in America. Houdini claimed on several occasions to have been born in Appleton, Wisconsin, in the United States, and not Budapest, Hungary as his birth record indicates. It is likely that xenophobia immediately before and after World War I, led him to claim to be a native-born American.

Houdini produced and starred in movies. To a master showman seeking a wide audience, cinema provided an unequaled opportunity for fame. Houdini starred in several silent films before establishing his own studio. From there, he produced and starred in two silent films, before realizing that his efforts were not very profitable.

Collections of his films have recently been released on DVD.

Houdini debunked spiritualists. In the early 1900s, many people were caught up in spiritualism as a way of contacting deceased relatives. People who were grieving would often pay enormous sums of money in order to contact the dead. Houdini recognized the spiritualist mediums for what they really were ... charlatans preying upon the delicate emotions of the recently bereaved. Because he was familiar with sleight of hand and other ways of manipulating audiences into believing the impossible, he was able to expose their tricks, which he often did.

Houdini did not die due to a failed Chinese Water Tank trick. It is a common misconception that Houdini died either in the famed Chinese Water Tank trick, or immediately after being rescued from the device. This is a myth based in part by a popular 1953 Hollywood semi-biographical movie starring actor Tony Curtis. In reality, Houdini was nowhere near a stage when he died; he died at a Detroit, Michigan hospital, one week after his last performance.

Houdini did not die due to a punch in the stomach. The purported cause of Houdini's death is a punch, or more accurately, several punches, to his abdomen by a Canadian college student trying to test Houdini's self-professed ability to "take a punch". When the student delivered repeated punches to Houdini's unprepared abdomen, the magician was staggered and was in pain. Shortly thereafter, he was admitted to Detroit's Grace Hospital and surgically treated for a ruptured appendix. There seems to be little doubt by medical historians that Houdini already had appendicitis, prior to the punches, and that the appendix was not ruptured by the punches, as they are not known to rupture due to trauma. More likely, the sharp pains Houdini felt were due to the appendix already being inflamed, and the rupture being an inevitable side-effect.

Houdini died on Halloween day. It seems coincidental that one of the most famous spiritualism skeptic would die on Halloween. Some conspiracy theorists have even advanced the notion that he was poisoned by pro-spiritualists whose livelihoods have been threatened by his debunking of their craft.
Houdini and his wife are buried in different places. Houdini was Jewish and was buried in Queens, New York, in a large plot with an elaborate tombstone. His wife, who was a stagehand and often part of his act, survived him by almost 17 years and wished to be interred beside him. At her death, she was denied this wish. It is speculated that because she wasn't Jewish (she was Catholic), she was barred from being buried in the Jewish burial plot. Another speculation involves her surviving families' wishes; they felt it would put her at risk of not going to heaven because of her being buried with a Jew. Regardless of the reasoning, these two performers, who worked together for all of their married life, were interred in two different cemeteries, in two different counties in New York state.

Houdini's U.S. postage stamp contains a hidden image. Magic is the art of deception -- everyone knows that a magician doesn't actually make anyone disappear; they just seem to. To honor Houdini's deceptive prowess, the U.S. Postal Service put a hidden image on their 2002 commemorative stamp shown above. With a special viewing lens that could be obtained from the post office (no longer available), one could see the image of Houdini wrapped in chains.

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Why Do We Collect Stamps?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

A recent spate of articles on the internet have promoted several themes as to why humans collect things. Written by psychologists sociologists, these articles attempt to explain some of the complex interactions that take place inside the human mind. They explore why some people will dabble in collecting and others will obsessively collect any and every item they can get their hands on.

Why do we collect stamps? This article will try to explore some of the reasons why stamp collectors choose to collect stamps, and more importantly why collectors continue to do so, once started.

We want to de-stress. Stamp collecting can be a perfect way to unwind at the end of a busy and stress-filled day. The time spent looking through stamps, finding and filling empty holes in an album, or on other, sometimes menial, collecting tasks help us to reduce the stress of the day. Of course, for the obsessive-compulsive collector, stamp collecting may actually increase stress, as the person struggles with their inner self.

We are obsessive. Blank album pages pose a challenge to many collectors. Sometimes, while putting stamps in albums, we see a few "holes" that just beg to be filled. We know we will have to get on an auction site, trade with others, or jump through several hoops just to complete the one page. In fact, some collectors can't seem to rest until they have that special stamp.

We like orderliness. "A place for everything and everything in its place" is the perfect motto for folks like these. Some collectors will arrange and re-arrange their collection, especially thematic collectors, as their collection expands.

We want to connect. The very essence of philately presupposes communication with others, otherwise there would be no purpose for stamps nor letters. Many collectors make lifelong friends and trade stamps, correspondence, and other paraphernalia in the servicing of their hobby. As a hobby stamp collecting requires that a person establishes connections with others in order to acquire material for their collection. It gives us a sense of belonging.

We want to avoid boredom. Imagine a life without stamp collecting. For many, the world would be a much less exciting place. Non-collectors probably won't understand, but those who are active in the hobby know that philatelic pursuits chase out boredom and is the perfect antidote to rainy days, or long winter evenings. There is always something left to be done to a collection; it is never finished.

We want praise. Imagine the excitement that a person feels when their stamp exhibit garners the praise of their family, their colleagues, and other collectors. Likewise, personal websites where people share their particular aspect of philately with others.

We want to learn. Many collectors will study their stamps and seek out additional information about certain topics. This quest for knowledge can be triggered by something as innocent as seeing a stamp and wanting to learn more about the topic. And stamp collecting is well-known for its ability to lead one to a treasure trove of information about geography, history, nostalgia, and the geopolitical forces that shape countries.

There are many other reasons that people collect stamps. There is a connection to wealth, as we hope to accrue a collection that is worth more next year than today. There is also a connection to permanence and remembrance, since some will want to leave a legacy to their children. But for most of us, the prevailing reason is that we like it! What other reason is needed than stamp collecting is enjoyable?

The Story Behind "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

In America, baseball is called the national pastime. Organized baseball was well into its glory years before other sports such as football, basketball, hockey and soccer were drawing much of an audience. Baseball has infected the American culture with its heroes, its jargon, and its cult of personality. It is only natural that one of America's most popular sing-along songs relates to the sport.

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a simple tune that tells of a girl who wants her beau to take her to a baseball game instead of to another popular spot. The song turns 100 years old this year, and the United States Postal Service has commemorated the event with a beautiful new stamp.

The song is instantly recognizable to most of those in the U.S. In fact, the song is frequently credited as the third most popular sing-along song in America, after the national anthem and Happy Birthday.

United States, 2008

Incredibly, the author of the song, Jack Norworth, had never been to a baseball game when he wrote the song. He was riding on the subway in New York, when he saw a sign advertising "Ballgame Today - Polo Grounds". The Polo Grounds was the name of the stadium used most notably by the New York (later San Francisco) Giants baseball team.

During the 30-minute subway ride, Norworth, an accomplished songwriter, dashed off the words to the song. Soon thereafter, he took the lyrics to composer Albert Von Tilzer who created the popular tune, which later that year, became a #1 hit.

Around 1910, the song began to be played during baseball games, even though there was a certain irony to singing about being taken to a ballgame, while at a ballgame. Over time it became an anthem to the national sport.

Norworth supplemented his original song of 1908 with new lyrics in 1927. Few people know that there is a story to the song, and most only know the chorus. For those unfamiliar with the song, here are the lyrics to the chorus:

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowds;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game.

When the 50th anniversary of the song rolled around in 1958, Major League Baseball presented Mr. Norworth with a lifetime pass to get into any ballpark. It's a shame they waited so long; Norworth died the following year. It is likely that he rarely used his pass, as it took 32 years after the song was written before he had seen his first Major League baseball game.

In 1976, Chicago White Sox announcer Harry Caray unwittingly altered the course of baseball history when he started singing the song during the 7th-inning stretch, an extended break in the action during the middle of the 7th inning of a ball game. Caray would often sing to himself or others in the broadcast booth while it was being played by the stadium's organist. Someone turned on his microphone, unknown to him, and his singing was broadcast to the fans in the stadium. The fans loved it and soon thereafter began to sing with him; singing along to the chorus became a Chicago tradition. Later, when Caray moved to the broadcasting duties of the crosstown Chicago Cubs, whose games were broadcast nationally by superstation WGN, the sing-along started becoming a national occurrence. Soon, fans from every stadium were singing along to the song during the 7th inning stretch.

Today, July 16, 2008, the United States Postal Service issues a 42-cent stamp commemorating this popular song. Drawn in the style of baseball trading cards popular during the song's early days, the stamp design captures a nostalgic essence of the song. It interweaves period typography and even shows the first 6 notes of the song on a music staff.

You can order this beautiful stamp, while supplies last, at http://shop.usps.com

Stamp Issuer Datasheet - Armenia

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

This chart represents a detailed analysis of stamps issued by Armenia, as supported by the 2009 issue of Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalog.

Armenia
Basic Philatelic Information
Date of first recognized stamp issue	1919
Date of last recognized stamp issue	Active
Previous Stamp Issuer	None
Subsequent Stamp Issuer (if a "dead country")	Transcaucasian Federation, Soviet Union (1923-1991)
Regular Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 658	Mint	Used
Catalog value of first listed stamp	$2.75	$2.75
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$0.20 very few	$0.20 very few
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$300.00 (Scott #357)	$300.00 (Scott #357)
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$8320+	$8320+
Semi-Postal Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Air Post Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = 2	Mint	Used
Catalog value of least expensive stamp	$1.00 both	$1.00 both
Catalog value of most expensive stamp (major Scott Numbers only)	$1.00 both	$1.00 both
Estimated total catalog value of recognized issues	$2.00	$2.00
Special Delivery Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postage Due Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
War Tax Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Official Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Newspaper Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Parcel Post Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postal Tax Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None
Postal Tax Due Stamps
Number of Stamps in Catalog = None

Notes:

All values are in U.S. Dollars.

All stamp valuations include major Scott numbered stamps, and exclude errors, variations, and stamps so rare as to be unattainable by all but the most advanced collectors.

Stamp Issuer - Armenia

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Armenia Overprint
One overprint used on
early stamps

Armenia is a small, mountainous, landlocked country bordered by Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. It is the smallest of the republics that gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union, of which it was a member.

The country is called Hayastan in the native language. The country's name is thought to derive from Hayk, who, legend has it, founded the Kingdom of Armenia in 2493 BC. Hayk was reputed to be a direct descendant of Noah, and the kingdom he formed encompassed Mount Ararat, the biblical resting spot for Noah's Ark. Mt. Ararat is now part of Turkey, but Armenians still use the symbol as part of their national identity.

Armenia was the first country to officially accept Christianity as their national religion, circa 300 A.D. The country is now officially a secular country, but the Christian roots go very deep, so much so that over 90% of the country are of the Armenian Apostolic church.

Militarily, the country has been conquered many times throughout its history. The Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, and Arabs have all controlled the land at various times. The most brutal oppressors, by far, were the Ottoman Turks, who in the period of 1915 through 1917 are thought to have massacred 1.5 million Armenians. The passage of time has only barely dimmed the pain of this event and Armenia still memorializes this tragedy.

Following Turkey's defeat in World War I, Armenia gained its independence in 1918. Two years later, the Soviet army annexed the country, and by 1922, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan formed the Transcaucasian Federation of Soviet Republics. This federation was absorbed into the Soviet Union. Armenia remained a part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991.

Armenia, 1992 (Scott #430a)
Part of first set issued
after Soviet Union collapse

From a philatelic standpoint, the postal history of Armenia follows its militaristic history. From 1918 through 1920, overprinted stamps of Russia were used in the region. Following the Bolshevik Revolution, Armenian stamps were printed and used for postage. Then, with the creation of the Transcaucasian Federation, Armenian stamps ceased to be issued after 1922 and stamps of the Soviet Union were used.

Following the breakup of the Soviet Union into its constituent republics in 1991, Armenia once again began issuing stamps. After several early years in which just a nominal number of stamps were issued, Armenia has recently started issuing a larger number of stamp designs at more frequent intervals. Clearly, the country has recognized the revenue potential of stamp issues.

Because there were many varieties of stamps issued following World War I, the country is expensive to collect. Scott lists 308 regular stamps in the relatively short period of 1918 through 1922. These stamps have a total catalog value of over $7650 (US), which would indicate an average cost of almost $25 per stamp. Many stamps are much cheaper than the average, but many are more expensive, as well. Fortunately, the stamps issued after 1991 have a more moderate cost.

An interesting fact can be noted about the catalog values of Armenian stamps, as valued by Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalog, 2009 Edition. With the single exception of a 1993 4-stamp set, in which the used stamps in the set are 50 cents (US) cheaper than the mint stamps, the catalogue values for every stamp of Armenia, from the earliest overprinted Russian stamps through the two "back-of-the-book" stamps, are identical for both mint and used stamps. You cannot save money by collecting only used stamps for this country, like you can with most other countries.

Have fun collecting the country of Armenia!

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The Bank That Was Sent Through the Post Office

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Servies) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

It's Fun Friday -- time for some fun for the weekend. Enjoy today's post and I'll see you back here on Monday with more philatelic news and notes.

"The Parcel Post Bank"
Vernal, Utah

The U.S. Post Office allows its customers to mail many things besides the familiar letter. A customer can send plants, insects, some types of live animals and some dead ones, too. A direct marketing research company surreptitiously mailed a football, a claw hammer, and even a water ski, with nothing other than adequate postage and a delivery label attached to it, just to see what happened. All were delivered with some chastisement from the destination postal clerk about the items needing to be properly wrapped. But the strangest thing to be sent through the mail was a bank. And not a child's piggy bank, but a savings institution.

Of course, the entire bank couldn't be sent through the mail system, as there are the obvious logistics of moving the building. But the next best thing was mailed -- all of the bricks used to construct the bank, all 80,000 of them.

On January 1, 1913, Parcel Post Service was inaugurated in the United States. This service provides for the shipment of packages between two places. Parcel post service was ideal for rural Americans, who could now use the post office as a delivery method to get packages sent through the mail. Farmers and rural craftsmen especially loved the convenience that it afforded them to get their products to market. City dwellers also used the service at a phenomenal rate. It was one of the most popular services added to basic mail service.

"it is not the intent of the United States Postal Service that buildings be shipped through the mail."

Mr. W. H. Coltharp, a young businessman in the town of Vernal, Utah, wanted to build a building and dedicate it to the memory of his father. After consulting with the directors of the local lending institution in the city, Coltharp proceeded with plans to build a building in which the front corner would be used as a new bank.

The bricks which Coltharp selected were made by the Salt Lake Pressed Brick Company, located about 120 miles away from Vernal, Utah by straight line, and even longer on the trails that weaved through Utah. Coltharp's problem was that the freight costs to haul 80,000 bricks from Salt Lake City to Vernal was prohibitive. The freight charges to ship the bricks to Vernal were about 4 times more expensive than what the bricks cost. In a stroke of creative genius, Coltharp decided he would have the bricks mailed to the small town, taking advantage of the cheap parcel post rates.

In order to meet the postal regulations of the day, Coltharp had the bricks carefully packaged in crates weighing less than 50 pounds, the upper limit of what the post office would permit. News accounts indicate that 40 or so crates were shipped each time, meaning that each attempted shipment was equivalent to one ton.

The trek from Salt Lake City had to take a very circuitous route in order to get to Vernal. First, the bricks were sent to Mack, Colorado, using the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. From there, they went to Watson, Colorado by way of a narrow gauge railroad. Finally the bricks were hauled the final 65 miles to Vernal by freight wagon. The total length of this route was over 400 miles.

As the post offices began to get overwhelmed by the cartons of bricks, the postmasters began to get frantic. Ultimately the entire quota of bricks were delivered, but the post office changed their regulations. The new rules stipulated that the sender and receiver could only ship or receive a total of 200 pounds of goods in a single day. In a clarification of the rule, the postal administration indicated that "it is not the intent of the United States Postal Service that buildings be shipped through the mail."

The Bank of Vernal was completed and was nicknamed "The Parcel Post Bank" by some of the town's residents. The building still exists and is still used as a bank; it now serves as a branch office of Zion's Bank and is located on West Main Street in the city of Vernal.

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