During the COVID years the contest was held in a controlled environment and streamed live on YouTube links from the USFS website (see Figure 1). This is now becoming a convenient tradition, as those unable to attend in person may still view Day One and Day Two.

Figure 1. Updated contest page from the USFWS website.

Growing Interest Among Wildlife Artists

For 2024, the five eligible species were brant, greater scaup, hooded merganser, northern shoveler and spectacled eider. Notably, there were 239 entries this year – up from 199, 191, 137 and 88 (in descending order) from the previous four years. This is a great sign that shows interest in providing artwork for federal duck stamps is not only alive and well but steadily growing as we emerge form Covid and approach the quarter mark of the 21st century. All of this year’s entries may be viewed on the USFWS Flicker site.

The judges for this year’s event were Jennifer Scully (artist and conservation partner), Tom Melius (retired Migratory Bird Program Director), John Mensik (retired biologist and co-author of Waterfowl of The World), Norma Opgrand (retired Duck Stamp Office Chief) and Ann von Stuelpnagel (Bruce Museum director of exhibitions).

Adam Grimm is Selected the Winner

Of the 239 entries, 15 advanced through to the final round of judging. At this point Grimm’s acrylic painting of of a pair of spectacled eiders was chosen over Rebekah Knight’s hooded merganser. Abraham Hunter took third place.

Now 46, it was the third win for Grimm who calls Wallace, South Dakota home. His artwork will now serve as the basis for the vignette of the 2025-26 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (See Figures 2 and 3).

Figure 2. Adam Grimm and his wife Janet, courtesy Watertown Radio.

Figure 3. Adam Grimm’s winning entry featuring a pair of spectacled eiders, courtesy USFWS.

A bit of duck stamp trivia; Grimm’s first win came in 1999 when he was only 21 years old – making him the youngest person to ever win the contest. Grimm has said “That changed my life, I could probably have made more money over the years painting art for some company, but spending time with my wife and kids is pretty worthwhile. I love to paint, and I enjoy the outdoors and hunting.”

Adam is more than a little worried his record may fall next year when his 17 year old daughter, Madison, becomes eligible to enter the federal contest – and for good reason; in 2013 Madison became the youngest artist ever to win the Junior Duck Stamp Contest (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Madison Grimm wins the Junior Duck Stamp Contest at age 6 with an oil  painting of a drake canvasback, courtesy of Cleveland.com.

“I’m a little concerned because she’s pretty good and she’s actually won the Federal Junior Duck Stamp competition three times.” From all I have read about Adam Grimm, if Madison wins he will be one of the proudest fathers ever!

Rebekah Knight Comes Very Close, Again

Rebekah Knight has been knocking on the door for quite a while now. The Deepwater, Missouri artist was first spotlighted on this website in 2016. At that point, like Madison, she had also won the junior duck stamp contest (in 2006 when she was 15).

More to the point, she placed second in the federal duck stamp contest that year to James Hautman (see The Million Dollar Duck to Air on Animal Planet on Wednesday, September 14 at 9 PM EST and James Hautman Wins – Rebekah Nastav-Knight 2nd).

It seems only a matter of time before we will be reporting that talented Rebekah is the actual winner (see Figures 5 and 6).

Figure 5. Rebekah Knight alongside the top three entries in the 2024 Federal Duck Stamp Contest (Google Images).

Figure 6. Rebekah Knights second place painting of a hooded Merganser (Google Images).

Perseverance and ensuing successes by young artists like Madison Grimm and, especially, Rebekah (Nastav) Knight continue to shine a bright light on the junior duck stamp program and for this they are to be applauded. Launched in 1991, the program aims to grow awareness of the importance of preserving wetlands in Americans starting at an early age.

The Bruce Museum Original Duck Stamp Art

Prior to donating his originals to the Bruce Museum in 2022, Richard Prager had painstakingly and steadfastly formed one of the top five collections of waterfowl stamps of all time. In my opinion, the collection surpassed even those of Hall of Famers E.L. Vanderford and Jeannette Rudy.

While Prager’s plans to exhibit his collection at stamp shows never came to pass, some of the crown jewels (over two-thirds of the original duck stamp contest entries extant) may now be seen in person by visiting the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut through February of 2025 (see Figures 7 and 8). Those unable to visit the museum may view the originals here.

Figure 7. Conservation Through the Arts, now on exhibit at the Bruce Museum through February. Photo by Patrick Sikes.

Figure 8. Original art for the 1944-45 federal with notes by Walter Weber. Selected by committee prior to the inauguration of the duck stamp contest.

It Takes a Village

While doing research for an upcoming series of posts, I ran across an article in Outdoor Life by Emily Reed (August 16,1921). The article is titled “Is the USFWS Low-Balling the Total Number of Duck Hunters in the U.S.?” Reed then proclaims “There’s been a long standing disparity between duck hunters and the amount of duck stamps sold each year. Something doesn’t add up.’

“From 2011 to 2018, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) sold an average of 1.5 to 1.7 million federal duck stamps a year. But according to its annual harvest reports (HIP), duck hunter numbers have been much lower, fluctuating between 800,000 to 1 million over the last decade or so. That means there are potentially 500,000 to 700,000 more stamps sold each season than there are duck hunters – a staggering number.’

“The USFWS attributes the extra sales to collectors, hunters who buy two or more stamps, passionate birders, outdoor enthusiasts, and vehement supporters of National Wildlife Refuges who value preserving bird habitat across the nation [my emphasis].”

Throughout the long article Reed attempts to make a case for the number of stamps being bought and used by actual hunters being understated. While this may be true, it is clear that non hunters (especially stamp collectors) make up a significant portion of the duck stamp revenue pie.

In fact, I would say that stamp collector support is vitally important going forward. While everyone does not possess both the passion and the wherewithal to make a major contribution to the hobby on the scale of a Jeannette Rudy, Richard Prager or Will and Abby Csaplar – most people can buy a single duck stamp (or maybe a few more) for $25.00 each.

In many parts of the country today $25.00 pays for a burger and fries, a couple of burritos or a pair of movie tickets. This is a very small sacrifice to make to help ensure that waterfowl and the hundreds of other (often unspoken) species that make our National Wildlife Refuge System home survive for future generations to enjoy and experience!

To buy a duck stamp click here.

The post Adam Grimm Wins for the 3rd Time; Rebekah Knight is Second appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.

Although White Pine County encompasses 8,886 square miles, making it the 5th largest in the state by area – the population is only 8,788 (2022) or less than one person per square mile. Named after the Pines that flourished in the region, it was formed in 1869 by splitting Lander County into two. Ely became the county seat after the original, Hamilton, was destroyed by a fire in 1887.

Ely was established in 1878, originally a stagecoach stop and trading post along the Pony Express and Central Overland Routes, the latter a transportation route connecting Salt Lake City, Utah and Carson City, Nevada. After copper was discovered in White Pine County in 1906, Ely would become a boomtown (see Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1. The stage arrives in Ely in 1906. Courtesy of Western Mining History.

Figure 1. Ely, Nevada in 1906. Courtesy of Western Mining History.

It was copper that would soon play a major role in our story. The County Commissioners came up with a new use for White Pine copper that has delighted collectors of fish and game stamps and licenses for well over a hundred years now. The reddish-brown metal, due to to its inherent malleability and ductility, proved to be ideal for molding and manufacturing intricate shapes.

Can You Make Us a Realistic Horseshoe?

A. Carlise and Co. of San Fransisco had, through a series of acquisitions and mergers, including the Hayden Printing Company and venerable Britton & Rey Lithographers, recently become one of the leaders in the graphics arts industry in the western United States. For more on A. Carlise & Co., see California Hunting &  Fishing Licenses – Part Five.

Prior to the seasons of 1914-15, the White Pine County Commissioners approached A. Carlisle and posed this question: “If we furnish you with a supply of copper, can you manufacture our new licenses in the form of a realistic horseshoe? (as opposed to the stylized one produced the year before out of brass and shown in Part Two, Figure 10).”

The answer was clearly yes (see Figure 3) and a newspaper article which appeared in the Sunday, April 12,1914 issue of the White Pine News Weekly Mining Review indicates the Commissioners remitted $66.30 to A. Carlisle for “hunting licenses.”

Figure 3 1914-15 White Pine County Resident Hunting and Fishing License Fob.

Of the three figural licenses issued by White Pine County between 1914 and 1917, the resident license shown in Figure 3 above is a popular choice among collectors desiring only one or two representative examples of Nevada metal licenses for their collection. It also offers the advantage of not being as difficult to acquire as those that followed.

The Next Figural License Was a Real Corker!

Apparently emboldened by their splendid success, prior to the 1915-16 seasons the Commissioners approached A. Carlisle once again and upped the ante, “Can you make our licenses in the form of a Labrador Retriever?” For Carlisle, nearing the apex of their craft, again the answer was yes (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. 1915-16 White Pine County Resident Hunting and Fishing License Fob.

The resulting copper fob was a masterwork – featuring tapered edges with embossed fur that evoked a realistic Lab and undulating lettering that complimented the form of its head – epitomizing the golden age of American F&G licensing (1895-1920). Of the three figural licenses, the “dog” is a true pleaser and, therefore, always been the consensus favorite among collectors.

One of the Last Nevada Alien Hunting and Fishing Licenses

As previously discussed, the number of non resident and alien licenses issued in Nevada between 1909 and 1917 was was ridiculously small. This explains why the total number of examples recorded (non resident and alien combined) for all 16 counties in collections today is less than 20.

After comparing serial numbers for White Pine County resident, non resident and alien licenses in collections and on the internet, I believe that starting at least as early as 1913-14, 1000 total licenses where initially manufactured each year – of which 994 were resident and the remaining six (numbers 995-1000) divided somehow between non resident and alien (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. 1913-14 White Pine County Resident, Non Resident and Alien Hunting H&F Licenses. The resident license was dug by a bottle collector and all three are from different sources (click to enlarge).

Further, If they ran out of licenses late in the year and reordered, it would have almost certainly been only resident licenses (200 additional were ordered in November of 1913 per the White Pine News Weekly Mining Review). The fact is, they hardly ever sold a non resident or alien license.

As luck would have it (probably because they are unused remainders that found their way into the collector market), two examples of the 1915 White Pine County Alien Hunting and Fishing License have been recorded (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. Extremely Rare 1915-16 White Pine County $25 Alien Hunting and Fishing License Fob.

Starting in 1917, Nevada passed a new game law in which the third provision of Section 61 provided:

“In no case shall a hunting license be issued to any such person not a citizen of the United States” (my emphasis, see Figure 7). Therefore, it is possible the two 1915-16 White Pine County Alien Hunting and Fishing Licenses may be the latest metal alien licenses to have been recorded.

Figure 7. An article which appeared in the Reno-Gazette-Journal on September 28, 1917.

A. Carlisle at the Top of Their Game

For the 1916-17 seasons, the County Commissioners requested A. Carlisle manufacture licenses in the shape of a horseshoe similar to the one shown in Figure 3 – with the addition of a hunting rifle laying across it.

The third and final White Pines County copper license is the most intricate – featuring a detailed and entirely realistic rifle. The rifle’s craftsmanship represents the apex of Nevada Hunting and Fishing License manufacturing – a lofty place that would seldom be approached in U.S. fish and game licensing. Alas, the miniature rifle was fragile and, therefore, missing from the majority of examples found in collections today (see Figure 8).

Figure 8. 1916-17 White Pine County Resident Hunting and Fishing License Fob.

Nevada Metal H&F Licenses are Discontinued

Prior to the 1917-18 seasons, the Nevada State Legislature passed a bill that effectively ended the run for Nevada metal hunting and fishing licenses. An article appeared in the March 28, 1917 issue of the Reno Gazette-Journal which discussed the the new law in detail.

Under the heading Double License System Established, the article basically stated that Nevada counties were to discontinue issuing combination hunting and fishing licenses and begin issuing separate hunting and fishing licenses for residents, non residents and aliens (fishing only).

In addition, the new licenses were to be modeled after the paper licenses being issued by California and include “a detailed description of the purchaser” (see Figures 9, 10 and 11).

Figure 9. 1917-18 California Resident Hunting License.

Figure 10. 1917 California Resident Fishing License.

Figure 11. 1917 Eureka County Resident Fishing License.

I imagine this new law was an attempt to crack down on “license sharing.” The hand-written descriptive details (height, eyes color and hair color) and the owner’s signature would accomplished this purpose – while by necessity make metal licenses obsolete.

The Nevada counties were much quicker in 1917 to meet the new licensing requirements than in 1909. Only six of the 16 counties had metal licenses manufactured for the 1917-18 seasons: Churchill, Elko, Lander, Ormsby, Storey and Washoe. For the 1918-19 seasons there were none.

White Pine County & A. Carlisle’s Legacy

The figural licenses issued by White Pine County from 1914 through 1917 represent the best of the Nevada metal license period. Their amazing workmanship and eye-appeal allows them to transcend their intended utilitarian function and, inasmuch as they were intended to be displayed by sportsmen and observed by a game warden from a short distance, may be viewed today in much the same light as vintage jewelry – as close as we get to real fish and game treasure!

Holding the power to enchant and capture the imagination of all ages, they continue to develop curiosity about different areas of our hobby in long-time F&G collectors and help attract new ones to join in.

In 1917 A. Carlisle & Co. moved from San Fransisco to to Reno, where they continued printing paper hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for most of the Nevada counties for decades. They are still in business today.

I hope you have enjoyed learning about the metal licenses issued by Nevada. As stated in the introduction, I am not an expert in this area and due to the scarcity of reference material it was necessary to go to primary sources (the newspapers) for much of the information presented here.

I know other collectors can add to this body of work and would encourage you to contact me with things I may not have gotten completely right or missed altogether. In the meantime I would like to thank Phil Beguhl, Ron Bommarito, Bob Ferraro, Marty Hall and Fred Holabird for their time and help in preparing this series of posts.

The post The Figural F&G Licenses Issued by White Pine County, Nevada – Part Three appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.

In 1909 and 1910 there were 15 counties in Nevada: Clark, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Ormsby, Storey, Washoe and White Pine. Mineral was formed from Esmeralda in 1911, bringing the number to 16.

In 1919 (after the Nevada metal licenses had been discontinued) the lower half of Humboldt County became Pershing County – the last county to be formed in Nevada. In 1969 Ormsby County was consolidated with Carson City to form the independent city of Carson City. (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Current Nevada County Map (2024).

It took different periods of time for each of the 16 counties to get their own F&G programs started and to begin issuing their own licenses. Lander was the last county to begin issuing licenses, for the 1913-14 seasons.

Thus, following the 1912-13 seasons, the aluminum state licenses would no longer have been needed by any of the counties and discontinued. In fact, no Nevada State Hunting License after 1912-13 has been recorded.

Counties Begin to Issue Their Own Licenses

At least two counties, Churchill and Lyon, began issuing their own licenses soon after the state law (see Part One) went into effect – in time for the 1909-10 H&F seasons. Between 1909 and 1917, several counties would order their licenses manufactured in the form of a fob so that it could be readily attached the watch straps, hat bands and suspenders common to the period (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. 1909-10 Lyon County Hunting License fob.

There is another early Nevada metal license that has puzzled collectors. It closely resembles the 1909 State licenses, to include the same border design, the embossed “STATE OF NEVADA” and expiration date of Feby [sic] 28,1910 – however it is much smaller (1.5″ vs 1 7/8″), manufactured out of brass instead of aluminum and resembles a token (see Figure 3). A handful of these can be found in collections today.

Figure 3. 1909-10 White Pine County? Hunting License.

After researching this blog, I now believe it is possible that the brass license above may have been issued by White Pine County for a short period of time in the Fall of 1909. Let’s have a look at two articles which appeared in The White Pine News in 1909. The first is interesting because in addition to establishing the number of state licenses which had been sold in White Pine County by July 20 (403), it states:

“Only one non-resident license costing $10.00 has been issued but none has been secured by foreigners [aliens], as they do not like the idea of separating themselves from $25.00 which is the amount it costs them to fish and hunt in this state (see Figure 4).”

Figure 4. Article in The White Pine News (Ely, Nevada) on July 20, 1909.

This helps to explain why the the Nevada metal non resident and alien – or as long time collectors reverently refer to them, the “tens and twenty-fives” are so difficult to acquire!

The second article, dated two months later on September 18 is important to my theory about the brass disc shown in Figure 16; it states:

“… Up until the present time 597 licenses have been granted by the county clerk, and the supply of tags has fallen short, that the clerk has placed an order for an additional number of tags (my emphasis, see Figure 5).”

Figure 5. Article in The White Pine News on September 18, 1909.

As Churchill and Lyon counties were already contracting to have their own licenses manufactured by this point in time, is it possible the White Pine County Commissioners followed suit and the result was the brass discs shown in Figure 3?

It makes sense that if the Commissioners were contracting to produce a state “knockoff” they would try to make it conform as closely as possible not only to the original aluminum discs but also the “letter of the law.” If you read the middle of Section 2 in Figure 1 above, you will find:

“… which license shall have stamped thereon the words ‘Hunting license No…. State of Nevada. Expires February 28,19….’ with the registration number [my emphasis] and appropriate year stamped therein.”

The brass license shown in Figure 3 is the only Nevada state or county license recorded that contains all of the specifications in the law, to include the registration number.

Another possibility is that the County Commissioners requested additional licenses directly from the state – but they no longer had any stock on hand. Rather than attempt to have a very small number of licenses manufactured and shipped by Patrick & Co. in San Fransisco (at a time when White Pine had already exhausted their supply and needed them yesterday) the State Commissioners then went to a local manufacturer in Reno? Additional research is needed to help solve this mystery!

More Counties Join In

By the 1910-11 seasons, at least 12 of the 15 Nevada counties were issuing their own hunting and fishing licenses (based on examples recorded, see table below). Remember, Mineral was not formed until 1911. It is assumed Elko, Lander and Nye counties were still issuing sportsmen aluminum discs embossed with the current expiration date supplied by the state.

We now get to see the earliest example recorded of a $25.00 Nevada alien metal license, issued by White Pine County for 1910-11 and shown curtesy of a long time collector who wishes to remain anonymous (see Figure 20). It was manufactured to be a fob, much like the Lyon County license shown in figure 6.

Figure 6. Extremely Rare 1910-11 White Pine County Alien Hunting and Fishing License fob.

Between 1910 and 1917, the vast majority of Nevada counties ordered their H&F licenses to be manufactured from many different types of metals, including aluminum, brass and copper and also in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This is an aspect serious collectors find so very appealing – the diversity of the pieces in a sizable collection. However, from the standpoint of fish and game licensing and enforcement there was something more significant at work here.

According to an article which appeared in the Reno-Gazette-Journal on February 26, 1914 with the headline “NEW LICENSES IN READINESS… The design [size and shape] differs from last year’s in order to not give the warden or his assistants need for minute inspection.”

Now let’s take a look at some of the different Nevada county licenses that were issued between the 1912-13 and 1914-15 seasons (see figures 7-11):

Figure 7. 1912-13 Eureka County Hunting License made to place on suspenders.

Figure 8. 1912-13 Lincoln County Resident Hunting & Fishing License Fob in the shape of a shield.

Figure 9. 1912-13 Mineral County Resident Hunting and Fishing License Fob on a strap.

Figure 10. Rare 1913-14 White Pine County Non Resident (brass) Hunting and Fishing License Fob in the shape of a stylized horseshoe, courtesy of Phil Beguhl.

Figure 11. Fancy 1914-15 Douglas County Resident Hunting and Fishing License Fob in the shape of a rose? (enlarged to show detail).

It should be noted that, with the exception of the “odd” Non Resident, Alien or Duplicate Nevada metal licenses – in other words, when talking about typical resident licenses – those issued by Mineral County (as shown in Figure 9 above) were issued in the lowest quantities and are the most highly sought after by advanced collectors today.

The only sales figure I could find for Mineral County was for the 1915-16 seasons (53 licenses). A census conducted by a collector ten years back shows four licenses for all years (1911 – 1916), total. This did not include mine (obtained later) and probably one or two others, but you get the idea. When discussing them with a long-time collector he told me they were “worth their weight in gold.”

Continue to Part Three

The post The Figural F&G Licenses Issued by White Pine County, Nevada – Part Two appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.

Although avidly pursued by a relatively small group (a couple of dozen?) of hardcore collectors located primarily on the west coast for well over a half century, information has always been hard to come by – even harder than the items themselves. I am talking about the metal hunting and fishing licenses issued by both the state and the counties of Nevada from 1909 through 1917.

The small number of collectors specializing in this area (trying to get every license from every year) can be attributed to the fact that these metal licenses were issued in low quantities and have always been difficult to locate and to acquire. Because of their scarcity and, as one long-time collector and picker put it – a sentimental feeling among Nevada collectors – people have a hard time parting with them. Therefore, patience and perseverance are requisite to playing the long game.

With the exception of one for which about 100 unused remainders were found in a storage shed belonging to an ex county clerk and subsequently entered the collector market (1917-18 Storey), Nevada metal licenses seldom show up on eBay or in internet auctions.

We are talking old school collecting here – lots of phone calls, driving long distances to meet with other collectors in person, attending bottle shows (as many surviving examples have been dug) and coin shows (a cross-over interest), all in the hopes of adding a new piece or two of treasure…

Their pursuit exemplifies one of our hobbies greatest attributes – being an exciting thrill of the hunt adventure. While attempting to put together a comprehensive collection of these artifacts is not for everyone (those who have stuck with it for 30-50 years have collections numbering 30 -100 pieces), I have found that most F&G collectors – especially the ones focussed on stamps – are thrilled to acquire just one or two pieces for their collection or exhibit.

For collectors desiring only representative examples of Nevada metal hunting and fishing licenses, three special pieces stand out as consensus favorites, so they will be the focal point of this series – the figural licenses issued by White Pine County from 1914 – 1917.

Nevada Requires Licenses to Hunt or Fish

In the big picture, Nevada was a relative latecomer in requiring sportsmen to obtain a license. In 1909, after 28 states or territories had already done so, Nevada became one of nine states to begin issuing hunting and fishing licenses. Altogether – Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas and West Virginia became the largest “entering class” in U.S. wildlife conservation history (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Sections 1-7 of the new Nevada Game and Fish law; reproduced in an article which appeared in The Daily Independent (Elko, Nevada) on March 27, 1909.

Surrounding States Already Issued Licenses

By 1909 all of the states surrounding Nevada (except Arizona which started in 1913) were already issuing hunting and fishing licenses. These included California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Utah (see Figures 2-6):

Figure 2. 1909-10 California Resident Hunting License.

Figure 3. 1909 Union County, Oregon Hunter’s License.

Figure 4. 1909 Idaho Fish and Game License.

Figure 5. 1909 Montana Resident and Citizen’s Hunting and Fishing License.

Figure 6. 1909 Utah License to Hunt and Fish.

While all of the above were printed on paper, there existed a precedent for issuing metal hunting licenses. The first two issued by California, in 1907-08 and 1908-09, were made out of aluminum (see Figures 7-9). For more on this, see California Hunting & Fishing Licenses – Part One.

Figure 7. Type I 1907-08 California Hunting License.

Figure 8. Type II 1907-08 California Hunting License.

9. 1908-09 California Hunting License.

When the Nevada Fish Commission put in their Bill to license hunting and fishing, they modeled it after California and Oregon game laws (see Figure 10).

Figure 10. Article in The Daily Appeal (Carson City, Nevada) on January 20, 1909.

As the 1908-09 California Hunting License was current at the time, it was natural for Nevada to copy them – and they did. The California discs were produced by Patrick & Company of San Fransisco. Nevada purchased their state hunting licenses for 1909-1910 from Patrick and they are virtually identical to the California licenses from the previous year (see Figures 11 and 12).

Figure 11. Original Envelope for a 1908-09 California Hunting License.

Figure 12. A page from Will Csaplar’s Waterfowl exhibit showing 1908-09 California Resident and Non Resident Hunting Licenses and a 1909-10 Nevada Resident Hunting License (click to enlarge).

If you read Section 3 in Figure 1 above, you find that the Nevada Game and Fish Law allowed for licenses to be manufactured for issue to three classifications of sportsmen:

“First. To any citizen of the United States who is a bonafide resident of the Sate of Nevada, upon payment of one dollar [Resident].’

“Second. To any citizen of the United States, not a bona fide resident of the State of Nevada, upon the payment of ten dollars [Non Resident].’

“Third. To any person not a citizen of the United States upon the payment of twenty-five dollars [Alien].”

Licenses were not required of women, of children under the age of 14, or of persons hunting on their own land.

It should be noted that prior to enacting the new game law, there was a great deal of animosity toward sportsmen from the surrounding states (non residents) entering Nevada and depleting the state’s natural resources. The following is an except from an editorial piece which appeared in the January 21, 1909 The Daily Appeal, “A high license [fee] for non-residents and strict enforcement of [game] laws would do much toward preserving game in this state.” 

A 1909 Nevada Resident license is shown in Figure 12, a non resident license in Figure 13 and no alien license has been recorded from 1909.

Figure 13. 1909-10 Nevada $10 Non Resident Hunting License.

I have in my collection another very rare and unusual 1909 Nevada Hunting License that has long been a puzzle to both myself and my Nevada license collector friends. In lieu of a fee there is a star (see Figure 14). While doing research for this blog I realized that Section 7 of the 1909 Game and Fish Law actually allowed licenses to be issued to a fourth classification:

“Not more than one license shall be issued to any one person for the same fiscal year, except upon an affidavit by the applicant that the one issued had been lost or destroyed [Duplicate]…”

If my hunch is correct, Nevada would have had only one type of duplicate license manufactured for issue to all three classifications of sportsmen – thus a star was placed where the fee was normally embossed in the aluminum to maximize its utility.

Figure 14. 1909-10 Nevada Duplicate Hunting License.

It is interesting to note that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began to issue “star notes” around this same time (1910) to replace notes that had been misprinted or damaged. The replacement notes were indicated by a star before or after the serial number (see Figure 15).

Figure 15. Replacement of a Series 1907 $5 Note with a Star Note, courtesy of Kearney Coin Centre.

State Licenses Were Used Temporarily

Although I cannot find this in print to reference, I am now fairly certain the state-issued licenses were always intended to serve a stop-gap purpose. Section 2 of the 1909 Game and Fish Law stated:

“Licenses granting the privilege to hunt, pursue or kill wild birds or animals, or to take or catch fish during the open season as fixed by law, shall be issued and delivered, upon application, by the County Clerk of any of the counties of the counties of this State, or by the Fish and Game Warden of any of the counties of this state…”

Further, Section 6 stated:

“All moneys collected for licenses as provided herein, shall be paid into the county treasury to credit of the [County] Fish and Game Preservation Fund, which is hereby created, and the moneys in said fund shall be applied to the payment of expenses incurred in the prosecution of offenders, and for the revenue to pay fish and game Wardens and deputies…”

In other words, by law all licensing of hunters and fishermen in the State of Nevada was to be conducted at the county level. It seems that for a period of time, the state obtained the aluminum discs embossed “State of Nevada” from Patrick & Co, and and distributed them to the various county commissioners, as needed.

Continue to Part Two

The post The Figural F&G Licenses Issued by White Pine County, Nevada – Part One appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.

Beyond the fact judges could not be expected to be familiar with the material, he was concerned they would not appreciate a two frame forerunner section for a five frame exhibit – especially one featuring so many non-stamp licenses. He had a good point; admittedly, the balance seemed a little out of wack. Fortunately, there was a mitigating solution.

One of the most interesting aspects about the development of the early military F&G licenses and stamp program is that servicemen often did not have to purchase either a license or Form 3333; it was provided gratis for their service. Of particular interest to philatelists, after obtaining the license he/she was then required to purchase a new federal migratory bird hunting stamp each year – leading to to some spectacular federal usages!

Bolstering the Forerunner Section

After relaying my friend’s comments to Will, he asked me to reach out to the fish and game community to help him bolster the forerunner section. He desired to obtain more early federal stamp usages by active military personnel and veterans – preferably some really good ones displaying multiple stamps.

Several collectors helped; allowing Will to acquire some of the very best pieces from their personal collections. Tim Hickey and his father, Tom, have long specialized in federal ducks used on license. Tim contributed many key items, including 1) the first federal duck (RW1) on a Form 3333 issued at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (see Figure 15).

Figure 15. Exhibit page showing examples of the first federal migratory bird stamp used on a Washington Hunting and Fishing License issued at Fort Lewis and a Form 3333 issued at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

2) Arguably the most spectacular federal Form 3333 usage extant (military or otherwise). The hunter, George Fleck, obtained a Form 3333 in 1934 to which he started affixing duck stamps every year. After placing RW1 and RW2 on the front, he turned the blue card over and placed RW3-5 on the back. This where it really gets wild; he then cut out a piece of white card stock such that when it was folded it was the same size as the 3333 and affixed duck stamps from the next four years (RW6-9). Finally, he cut another piece of card stock (orange) and affixed the next five duck stamps (RW10-14) for a total of 14 stamps in all (see Figure 16).

Figure 16. The George Fleck Form 3333, ex Hickey.

And 3) A New York Hunting and Fishing License issued in 1940. The hunter, D.K. Gerhing (unlike Fleck) did not hunt for waterfowl every single year. However, between 1940 and and 1946 he affixed five different federal ducks to the front – making it the highest number of different federal migratory bird hunting stamps affixed to a license that has been recorded (see Figure 17).

Figure 17. The L.K. Gerhing License, ex Hickey.

Now seeing that the exhibit had the potential to be to be something special, I decided to let Will acquire a favorite piece from in my own collection; an Idaho resident Hunting and Fishing License with RW13-16 affixed (RW16 is on the back, visible in the upper left corner – see Figure 18).

Figure 18. Idaho Hunting and Fishing License with RW13-16 affixed, ex Torre.

Westpex 2023

Going into Westpex, Will’s forerunner section to the military adhesives would feature all of the pieces shown above plus a Form 3333 bearing intact RW8, 10 and 11 (less than 10 stamps total from these years recorded on then blue card); a selection of licenses permitting U.S. personnel to hunt and fish in occupied lands following WW2 as well as the earliest recorded hunting and fishing license from Fort Knox (in a metal Frame) in addition to the Fort Knox button.

Not just a powerful group, but all the pieces necessary to tell the early part of Will’s story prior to the first military adhesives being issued at VAFB. Will’s research showed that the “forerunner” to PTSD, referred to as “Battle Fatigue” was a serious issue following WW2. Therefore, in the second half of the second frame (following WW2 in the storyline) Will included several references to this fact and it tied in nicely.

Following our effort to improve the balance between the non-stamp licenses and stamp usages – there were 29 licenses showing fish and game stamp usages spread across 31 exhibit pages for an average of almost one per page.

After helping Will write a synopsis for the new exhibit, I emailed it to a few judges for peer review prior to submitting it to the Westpex exhibits chairman for distribution to the jury. Ron Lesher, a noted revenue specialist, had some excellent constructive criticism. Despite the power in the first two frames he was also concerned about acceptance for the two-frame forerunner section by the judges.

His concern was for the buttons and remaining non-stamp licenses. Ron explained that Will needed to address the issue directly, in the synopsis. He informed us that he had published an article in the American Philatelist (February 1998; pages 149-151), wherein he expanded the international definition of revenues to include licenses. According to Ron Lesher licenses are, in fact, a very important part of revenues.

The jury at Westpex enjoyed the military exhibit, scoring it at 85 points – enough to earn Will a gold medal its first time out. Much to our relief, the judges very much appreciated the forerunner section (see Figures 19 and 20).

Figure 19. The military exhibit was awarded its first gold medal at Westpex 2023.

Figure 20. The beautiful Westpex gold medal!

However, as the vast majority of the text in the first two frames discussed the licensing and philatelic aspects of the material and much of the text in the following three frames focussed on the mitigating aspects of the military license and stamp program as it regarded PTST and related mental illness – the judges perceived the forerunner frames and the military adhesive frames of the exhibit as having two (disjointed) storylines. In hindsight, this impression was helped along by my recommendation to have the headings in two different colors.

The Bottom Line. As much as they liked the exhibit and believed it contained an important story, they were unable to discern a golden thread. This was a little disappointing, however, since Will had already made the decision to get feedback from at least two juries before redoing the exhibit – we would stick to the plan.

GASS 2023

Will decided to next show the exhibit at the Great American Stamp Show (GASS) in Cleveland,  Ohio. Sponsored by the American Philatelic Society and the annual highlight on the exhibiting calendar (in the absence of an international event), the show could be expected to feature an accomplished jury comprised of judges with diverse areas of expertise. Hopefully, this would include revenue stamps.

One of the constructive comments made by the Westpex jury pertained to how Will could improve the military exhibit short of a complete rewrite – improve the title page. Specifically, they thought the original title page’s featured item was a bit random, in that it referenced a point from well into the exhibit (the European occupation – see Figure 21). A strong case was made for substituting an age-appropriate item – closer to the beginning of his storyline, such as it was.

Figure 21. Title Page used at Westpex 2023.

Fortunately, I had previously placed the perfect piece for the job and after making Will’s need clear to its current owner he agreed to part with it. It was a 1928 California Resident Citizen Angling License overprinted “CIVIL WAR VETERAN” – a spectacular showpiece that fit in perfectly (see Figure 21).

Figure 22. 1928 California Citizen Angling License overprinted “CIVIL WAR VETERAN.”

Other than changing the the featured item on the title page, Will entered the military exhibit into GASS essentially unchanged from Westpex. At the time, both of us may have believed the improved title page and a different jury would produce a different result. We would turn out to be prophetic, however, not in the way we hoped.

In fairness to the GASS jury, the exhibit was far from the best version of itself and there apparently was no revenue specialist to assign to Will’s exhibit. While they loved the new item on the title page, the eye-catching federal usages in the first two frames (and the entire forerunner section in general), like the Westpex jury they detected the disjointed or “two storyline” flaw.

Further, the more utilitarian appearing VAFB stamps and their usages (the focus and real power of the exhibit) was lost on them; they inexplicably deducted 3 points for Rarity – resulting in the exhibit scoring 83 and dropping to a Large Vermeil.

Finding the Golden Thread

Initially, I felt frustrated. I disagreed with both jury’s takes on the exhibit’s “flawed” storyline. Golden thread aside, when I reviewed the exhibit I did not see two storylines – I saw a changing storyline. Unfortunately, Will was not able to adequately articulate the changing storyline on the exhibit pages.

Will’s material was incredible and it was well organized. However, improving the exhibit significantly would require a complete rewrite and, therefore, a complete remount. This was not unexpected; Will’s plan always included getting feedback from two juries and then redoing the exhibit.

However, COVID had delayed Will’s new exhibit by four years and he was now 86. As redoing an exhibit can be a daunting task for someone later in life, I offered to get more involved and help out. The first thing I wanted to do was review all of his notes and research in order to get a good frame of reference with which to proceed.

Clue #1. What really jumped out at me were Will’s notes discussing “Shell Shock” experienced by American military personnel in WW1 and a reference to an online article published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), From Shell Shock and War Neurosis to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A History of Psychotraumatology (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181586/)

This suggested Wills storyline regarding the mitigating effects of outdoor activities, specifically hunting and fishing, could extend all the way back to WW1 – the beginning of the exhibit.

Clue #2. Then I took a closer look at the exhibit, trying to ascertain exactly where the judges disconnect in the storyline took place. The first time Will referenced the mitigating effects of hunting and fishing on mental illness was following WW2, midway through the second “forerunner” frame. There were only three of them and they could easily be missed if the judges did not read every single page (which was what happened in Cleveland).

Something else struck me about his section of the exhibit; In the bottom row of the second frame (late 1950s) Will first showed state fish and game stamps and their usages. Issued by California, their intent was to provide hunting and fishing licenses and stamps (read opportunities) to disabled veterans at “NO FEE” (see Figure 23).

Figure 23. 1958 California NO FEE Fishing License & Stamps for Disabled Veterans.

Curious about the timing of this, I conducted an extensive internet search which revealed some game-changing or, in this case exhibit-changing information: In 1958 (the same year California introduced the No Fee licenses and stamps), Congress passed the Engle Act – requiring all military personnel to purchase state hunting and fishing licenses.

Clue #3. After sharing this news with Will, I contacted Ron Lesher to discuss my findings and get more advice. Ron suggested that we next do a complete fee analysis for all of the licenses in the exhibit (analogous to a rate study in postal history) and print it on the pages. His intent was that we would increase points for Philatelic Knowledge.

In so doing we determined that 42 out of the 46 licenses issued prior to the Engle Act were provided to active military and veterans at no fee (NF). Following the Act – not including those provided to disabled veterans at no fee – at least 52 out of the 57 licenses* were issued at fees which rapidly escalated over the years.

*We were unable to obtain fees for the five rare Ft. Leonard Wood licenses – a very remote base located deep in the Ozark Mountains.

It suddenly became clear that Federal, State and Local governments encouraged active military and veterans to participate in hunting and fishing from the beginning (following WW1) by providing them H&F licenses at no fee. When this was no longer possible due to passage of the Engle Act in 1958, the DOD continued to encourage hunting and fishing by means of issuing an increasing number of different fish and game stamps.

Within this context, the stamp program developed at VAFB became part of a much larger (and more compelling) story – The Golden Thread.

Florex 2023

As stated above, a good storyline goes a long way towards a successful exhibit. At this point, the forerunner section idea simply went away (along with the troublesome two color heading scheme) and it became part of the main storyline as told in four chapters.

Ron suggested an appropriate new title, U.S. Fish & Game Licenses and Stamps Issued to Active Military and Veterans, and Will agreed to make the change.

In addition to getting rid of the two color scheme for the headings; we also eliminated the shading in the headings – a once effective practice that now seems to be out of vogue. We employed bold blue headings combined with bold red year dates. This red, white and blue effect fit Will’s theme and served to draw the viewer in.

Ron’s idea of printing the fees throughout the exhibit helped equalize the licensing and philatelic aspects between what was formally the forerunner section and the three military adhesive frames. We then wove the expanded mental health mitigating story (the golden thread) from the beginning of the exhibit to the end.

In order to balance the story’s flow we actually removed some of the PTSD references from the last three frames; then removed any extraneous text in order to be concise and to the point. This would help the judges from missing key aspects of the storyline in the limited time allowed each exhibit.

Finally, we created a new Title Page that provided sufficient BACKGROUND for the storyline and greatly curtailed the ORGANIZATION/PLAN (see Figure 24).

Figure 24. Will’s current Title Page  (click to enlarge).

Now the best version of itself, the military exhibit was very well received the next time Will showed it, at Florex in December of 2023. The exhibit was awarded a large gold medal, the Statue of Freedom Award as the best U.S. stamp exhibit and the show’s Reserve Grand (see Figures 25-26). It came close to maximizing points on every line of the evaluation form, finishing with a total of 94.

Will was happy and I was relieved and joyous. We shared in a great sense of gratitude to all of the people (collectors, judges, friends and family) who contributed treasured items from their collections, invaluable advice and unwavering support. Without them, this day would not have been possible – an extraordinary one for our fish and game hobby!

Figure 25. The military exhibit was well received at Florex 2023.

Figure 26. The Florex Reserve Grand Award.

Will was subsequently invited to enter it into the 2024 George Brett Cup, taking place at Rompex (Aurora, CO) in May of this year. There it will represent the fish and game hobby as it competes for “The most outstanding exhibit of 20th century material in the U.S.”

In the meantime we invite you to take a few minutes to scan the following two online articles in order to appreciate why the story is still relevant today…

Why Nature-Based Therapy Is Gaining Traction Among Veterans

VETERAN HUNTING AND FISHING ORGANIZATIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

…then click on this link to view the exhibit in its entirety, discovering the important story it has to tell. To all current and future collectors thinking about exhibiting a specialized area of F&G stamps,

The post An Important Story to Tell – Part Two; Finding the Golden Thread appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.

This brings me to the subject of today’s blog; over the the years I have come to believe exhibiting’s greatest reward is the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding for your own material and subject area. 

No matter how long you have been collecting and researching them, the process allows for you to think about the assembled pieces of paper in front of you in ways you never experienced before. This allows you to develop curiosity and greater knowledge with which to appreciate your material, make a deeper personal connection with your hobby and, via the exhibit (either at shows or online), allow others to share in this connection and maybe even attract new people to share in the hobby.

Today we will share in the recent efforts by Will Csaplar, one of our hobby’s most avid exhibitors. After 40 years of ardently collecting and researching an area close to his heart, Will introduced an exciting new exhibit at Westpex in 2023. It was then titled United States Military Fish & Game Licenses, Stamps and their Usages. Will is a retired Coast Guard Captain and explained his new exhibit is the fusion of three life-long interests: conservation, philately and military history.

His goals are to shed a light on this previously unexplored area of U.S. revenue and fish and game stamps (whose significance is much more than meets the eye), provide a philatelic reference and encourage fellow collectors with similar specialized interests to exhibit their fish and game stamps.

Exhibiting at the National Level

Will Csaplar and others have experienced considerable successes with waterfowl stamp exhibits, the most well known and highly collected area in the fish and game field. These have helped elevate our niche hobby’s standing within organized philately (see Figure 1). He now believes (and I agree) the time has come when other lesser known areas of fish and game stamps may begin to engender top-notch national level (APS World Series of Philately) exhibits.

Figure 1. Csaplar’s A License and Stamp System for Waterfowl Conservation in the 20th Century U.S. has received numerous accolades since its introduction at Westpex in 2015.

Over the last five years or so, the judging of exhibits at the national level has undergone a salient change. On the judges evaluation forms (think score sheets) there are seven specific areas to be evaluated. The one at the top of the sheet is labeled Treatment. Treatment counts for a maximum of 20 points (out of 100 – or 20%).

As Philatelic/Subject Knowledge totals 25 points and Rarity is also 20 points, Treatment may not, on the surface, seem like a make or break criteria for doing well. However, a prospective exhibitor should be aware that Treatment currently contains the key for putting together a successful exhibit.

According to the evaluation form, maximizing points for Treatment consists of selecting a good (meaning appropriate and accurate) Title, presenting a concise Plan (organization/layout), then showing the judges how the exhibit develops the stated plan (Development). Finally, demonstrate the exhibit is comprehensive within the scope of the Title and Plan (Comprehensiveness).

A Tip for Maximizing Treatment Points

A great start toward maxing treatment points is simple and two-fold. First (and most important) come up with a good story to tell. Then consistently weave your storyline throughout the entire exhibit, making sure to reference it frequently in every frame (ideally at least once on every row).

Many judges refer to a good storyline as the “golden thread.” As far as the exhibitor is concerned, he/she should think of it as the “golden ticket”, for it contains the magic power to get you where you want to go (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Golden ticket, prop from the Tim Burton film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. The Warner Bros. Collection. Courtesy of The National Museum of American History.

More to The Point(s)

Second, while telling your story, try to be concise and to the point. This can be challenging for both the novice and experienced exhibitor. Over the years we become so knowledgeable and passionate about our material that when the time comes to write up our exhibit we simply go a little overboard – or a lot.

If you overwrite your exhibit one of two things is likely to happen: 1) the judges (at the expense of all the other exhibits assigned to them) are simply not going to spend much time on it or 2) they might attempt to filter through your extraneous information and be likely to miss key elements of the golden thread.

Either way, you are doing yourself a disservice and, at the end of the day, increasing the odds of going home disappointed. One judge put it to me this way last year, “If you have a lot more to say, put it in an article or blog post.” Fair enough.

A Treasure Trove of Really Good Storylines!

The great news for aspiring fish and game exhibitors is that our “niche” actually consists of the largest number of stamps in U.S. philately (over 25,000). Within them lay a treasure trove of really good story lines waiting to be extracted and developed! This means that with some imagination, research and effort (expect some trial and error) it is possible for fish and game exhibitors to do an excellent job when it comes to Treatment.

Everyone knows about waterfowl hunting stamps and the great migratory bird conservation story. However, beyond waterfowl stamps there are numerous lesser known – up to now – areas that are fascinating, ripe for specialization and thanks to Csaplar’s latest glass ceiling-breaking effort, have all the makings of successful national level exhibits. This is an exciting time for our hobby!

A sampling of these areas are fishing stamps, big game stamps, turkey and upland bird stamps, fish and game stamps issued by tribal governments, fish and game stamps issued by military bases, bow and arrow (archery) stamps and pre-stamp licenses (yes, licenses are considered revenues):

Figure 3. 1972 Missouri Trout Stamp

Figure 4. 1965-66 Maryland Big Game Stamp for Archers

Figure 5. 1986-87 New Mexico Turkey Stamp

Figure 6. 1914 California Angler’s License

To get more ideas, visit the Gallery Index and scroll down to sample some of the possibilities.

Developing the Golden Thread

There are two ways to approach developing the golden thread. The first – and most straightforward – is to come up with a story you would like to tell first and then select material from your collection which supports the developing storyline in your exhibit. The second is to select an area you feel passionate about and wish to share, then develop the storyline around it.

The latter involves a deeper dive and, as we shall see – more trial and error. However, the rewards can be equally as satisfying and, on occasion, the resulting golden thread can be a revelation! It is the latter approach we will explore in this post.

After selecting an area you would like to exhibit, there are several options for developing storylines. One of the things I discovered (long ago), is that telling the story chronologically – both within any sections (exhibitors often refers to these as “chapters”) and/or from the exhibit’s beginning to end – often allows for the story to flow better.

When developing a nascent exhibit’s storyline, this does not mean you must start at the beginning and methodically work toward the end. One approach is to start in the middle (your focus), then work in both directions. For example, when Will originally envisioned a military exhibit (decades ago) he wished to showcase the fish and game stamps issued by Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB).

The VAFB stamps were the first adhesives issued by the Department of Defense to license hunting and fishing on military bases in the U.S. The early stamps (1967-68 through 1969-70) feature a large “$1” superimposed across the face of the stamp and are viewed as iconic by advanced collectors – somewhat like the St. Louis Bears postmasters provisionals (see Figure 7 and 8).

Figure 7. Saint Louis “Bear” postmasters provisional with a large 5 (cents) printed at the top. Courtesy Robert Siegel Auctions.

Figure 8. 1968-69 VAFB Hunting Stamp

More importantly to Will, the VAFB fish and game program developed by adding different stamps (representing greater choice) with which to encourage active personnel and veterans with base access to participate in outdoor base activities. Outdoor activities – specifically hunting and fishing – had been consistently shown in medical studies to help mitigate PTSD and the psychological trauma of war.

Very cool, especially if you have a frame of reference for fish and game stamps. Keep in mind, however, most judges you encounter will not be fish and game (or even revenue) specialists. Therefore, simply showing a couple of frames of VAFB stamps and usages, alone, was probably not going to cut it.

In this case, the VAFB stamps are very scarce to extremely rare so coming close to maxing Rarity (difficulty of acquisition) should not be a problem. However, right below Treatment on the evaluation form is Importance. For F&G exhibitors, especially those showing non-waterfowl stamps – Importance has historically been the sticky wicket, if you will.

According to the latest APS Judging Manual (revised October 2019), “Importance is a measure of the challenge in creating the exhibit…”

It is further defined as follows: “…It has two parts: 1. Philatelic: how much philatelic depth and diversity is shown in the development of the exhibit; 2. Exhibit: the significance of the exhibit within its subject area. The exhibit can be important because it is the definitive showing of the subject, because it shows creativity in treatment, or because the exhibitor provided unusual or special insights in the exhibit.”

With this in mind, Will could not realistically expect to show the VAFB stamps and usages by themselves. With such a narrow subject, he could not expect to do really well. So, how did he deal with it? Instead of thinking of them as too narrow a subject, Will started thinking of the VAFB issues as too narrow “a focus.” How could he widen the focus while continuing to develop his storyline?

Were the VAFB stamps the only U.S. Military F&G stamps? No, his research showed the DOD selected VAFB to initially develop a license and stamp program. Then, following the program’s success, they instituted similar programs at the Military Academy at West point, NY and at various bases across the country (see Figure 9).

Figure 9. 1983-84 West Point Fishing Stamp

Great, Will now had an end to his exhibit – and his storyline – by showing a sampling of stamps and their usages from the subsequent bases. With regard to Importance, showing the VAFB stamps and the subsequent stamps they inspired would be an example of the whole being greater than the parts. At this point he set out to acquire F&G stamps (and their usages) issued by as many different military bases as possible.

A Forerunner Section Can Add Value

When I exhibited (1992-2001), through the trial and error stages I eventually came to appreciate the advantages created by inserting an earlier forerunner section before my main focus. For starters, the very first adhesive fish and game stamp was the 1934 federal migratory bird hunting stamp.

Therefore, our material was then viewed as contemporary (and not in a good way) by the judges – especially when competing against postal history and classic U.S. exhibits for the top awards.

Even a half frame of pre-stamp licenses added age and proved effective in making my exhibits more successful. Thankfully, exhibiting (and judging) has changed a great deal since my experience in the 20th century. Judges are much more open-minded and, as a result, exhibitions are much more inclusive today. In fact, 20th century exhibits are now eagerly sought by exhibition committees and, just last year, a 20th century exhibit won the Champion of Champions (see Figure 10).

Figure 10. Nicholas Lombardi’s exhibit “The 1903 Two Cent Washington Shield Issue” won the Champion of Champions competition at the 2023 Great American Stamp Show in Cleveland, Ohio. Courtesy of Linn’s Stamp News.

Today, a good forerunner section offers more value than simply adding age to F&G exhibits; it serves to add context. For this reason, it may also play an integral role in the developing storyline. For close to ten years now, Will has successfully employed a one-frame forerunner section with his exhibit, A License and Stamp System for Waterfowl Conservation in the 20th Century U.S. 

Therefore, the next logical step was to collect material with which to create a pre-military adhesive section. At the time Will made this decision (15-20 years before the exhibit was first shown) little did he or I know that one day this would ultimately become much more than just a forerunner section.

Amazing Early Military F&G Material

When I first visited Will to assist him in organizing and selecting the material for the new exhibit’s forerunner section, I was amazed – both by the quantity and quality of early military F&G items he had collected.

I knew about the 1922 Hunting Permit issued by the U.S Naval Reservataion at Olangapo, P.I. – the earliest U.S military base hunting license recorded – as it was included in the military section of Will’s big exhibit (see Figure 11).

Note, all of the exhibit pages shown in this blog (with the exception of Figures 19 and 21) are from the current version of the exhibit.

Figure 11. The earliest U.S. military base hunting license recorded.

Likewise, I was aware of the 1938 Fort Hoyle, Maryland Hunting Permit with a 1938-39 Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp affixed  but was surprised to discover he had another one from the previous year – making it the earliest (not Form 3333) usage of a fish and game stamp on a military issued license (see Figure 12).

Figure 12. The earliest military base hunting licenses (not Form 3333) for which a stamp usage has been recorded.

Perhaps the most startling thing was the number of early military licenses he had that were issued in the form of celluloid pin-back buttons – or badges as some collectors refer to them. Simply put, military F&G buttons are difficult to acquire. I have a few in my own collection and I see or handle maybe a half-dozen a year (many of which show heavy rust or are otherwise not really exhibitable). Will had over a hundred to choose from, including many gems (see Figures 13 and 14).

Figure 13. A page from the forerunner section showing the earliest recorded military license button.

Figure 14. A couple of amazing buttons issued by Fort Knox and the Naval Air Station Lakehurst, NJ.

It did not take long for us to agree he should take a chance and break with convention, so to speak. The plan would be to expand the forerunner section for the new exhibit from one frame to two.

At the time – all of his amazing pieces not withstanding – we did not really know why he should take this calculated risk – it just felt right. In addition, Will initially wanted to show the exhibit as five frames. As he was exhibiting a subject most judges would be unfamiliar with, he (sensibly) did not want to spend a lot of time and money before getting some constructive feedback from a couple of judging panels (juries).

In keeping with the precedent we had established with his waterfowl exhibit, I advised the headings for the two frames of forerunners be in a different color of ink (blue vs red) than those for the final three frames. This choice would prove to be a double edge sword; initially reinforcing a less than optimal take on the exhibit by the judges – but also allowing for the motivation which led to the exhibit being what it is today.

Continue to Part Two

The post F&G Exhibit Has an Important Story to Tell – Part One appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.

Prologue

At that time, we (especially those of us living in the western U.S.) were enduring a painful and demoralizing one-two punch from COVID-19 and wildfires. Now COVID, although not to be taken lightly, is seemingly on a path to dummy itself down via an endless series of mutations – the vast majority of which have proven too be either far less deadly than the original strain or unable to gain a competitive advantage. In addition, we now have effective vaccines and many people the world over have acquired some level of natural immunity through direct exposure.

I realize that as I write this a winter surge may be only a matter of weeks away, however, I also understand the number of cases in the U.S. (no doubt underreported due to the rise in home testing) is half the number of this time last year and a third of when I wrote the introduction to Killer Twelve in 2020. This gives me reason for optimism.

With regard to wildfires, while climate change and drought will remain a concern for the foreseeable future, their most feared product – destructive and deadly fires – may also be trending in a positive direction. When I wrote the introduction to Killer Twelve we had recently been evacuated for the third time in the last four years. Beyond stressful. Once again, things have greatly improved.

As I write this today, we have not been evacuated three out of the last four years. More importantly, this past year the total number of acres burned in California was 363,917 – compared to 2,569,386 acres last year (2021). While it would be irrational to make too big of a deal out of such limited data, I choose to believe that the cumulative efforts of four years of intense fire mitigation may finally be showing the fruits of our labor. This, once again, gives me reason for optimism going forward.

With regard to the hobby of stamp collecting, I can tell you from personal experience and from what I have learned from talking to other collectors and dealers – the hobby is not only alive and well but continuing to expand its wings during the “COVID Renaissance.” For this, I am grateful.

For all of these reasons, rather than looking forward to 2023 – I am truly excited about its prospects. I am happy to say that today we are not publishing Killer Thirteen with a diversion primarily in mind – simply to continue its original purpose as a visual resource that is both educational and fun.

      *********

Killer Thirteen is intended to showcase the wide variety of items that can be included in a fish and game collection and is highlighted by 43 different pieces that were chosen for their eye appeal and, yes, a bit of “wow” factor. It can be reached by clicking on Killer beneath the Home page banner, then clicking on “Killer Thirteen“. This is a very high resolution page and may take some time to load the first time or two, then it gets faster.

The Killer pages are collages that are intended to achieve an uncommon visual experience. For this reason, the text has been limited to captions that are only visible when hovering over each image. We recommend first taking in the entire collage at once, with the aid of the scroll bar located to the far right of your screen (or with the dial on your mouse, for those with that option).

If you click on an image it will expand in size (allowing the entire caption to be seen). From there, you can navigate through the collage using the forward and back arrows located at the right and left sides of your screen. The slide show function is especially effective with the Killer pages. It may be activated by clicking on the symbol located at the lower right of the enlarged image (it looks like a triangle facing right). Once the slide show is running, the same symbol then turns into a pause button (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Screenshot of a 1903 Advertising Cover from Killer Thirteen, enlarged image showing the command functions located at the sides and in three corners.

1942 Marion County Water Fowl Error

The first stamp located in the upper left corner of the collage is a 1942 Marion County (Kansas) Water Fowl Stamp. It is no secret that the Marion County fish and game stamps are a favorite of mine and many other collectors. The stamp program’s story is interesting and fun, the cumulation of many years of efforts on the part of county residents who strove to build a community recreational area “second to none in the entire U.S.” towards the end of the Great Recession. Their achievement is both remarkable and inspiring.

The series includes many important fish and game “firsts”, including the first locally issued fish and game stamp in the U.S. with one required for fishing in 1940 (see Figure 2), the first locally issued stamp required to hunt waterfowl in 1941 – and just the second state or local waterfowl stamp in the U.S. after Ohio’s stamps for Pymatuning Lake were introduced in 1937 (see Figure 3) and, in 1943, the first “Duck Stamp” in the world (see Figure 4).

Figure 2. 1940 Marion County Fishing Stamp.

Figure 3. 1941 Marion County Water Fowl Stamp, ex Bellinghausen.

Figure 3. 1943 Marion County Duck Stamp, Csaplar collection.

In 1942, remainders of the 1941 stamps were rubber stamped “1942” and intitialed by Park Supervisor Jerry Mulliken. The example shown in Killer Thirteen is remarkable not just because it lacks Mulliken’s initials – but because it is rouletted beneath the year date, in error (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. 1942 Marion County with Extra Row of Roulettes (enlarged). Ex Bellinghausen.

To read an in-depth article about these fascinating stamps, see The Fish and Game Stamps of Marion County, Kansas.

1941 Pymatuning Waterfowl Stamp on License

The Pymatuning stamps are represented in Killer Thirteen by an example of the 1941 hunting stamp used on license. Considered one of the “Holy Grails” of the F&G hobby, the Pymatuning stamps for hunting waterfowl (1937 – 1945) had very low quantities sold – a hundred or so each year – and are very difficult for collectors to acquire today.

Pymatuning Lake (actually a reservoir) was constructed by the State of Pennsylvania and straddles the northern Ohio-Pennsylvania border (see Figure 5). Once the lake was completed, Ohio residents wished to use it for hunting and fishing. The State of Ohio negotiated a reciprocal agreement with Pennsylvania whereby Ohio sportsmen could use the lake – provided they first purchased a special Pymatuning hunting or fishing stamp.

Figure 5. Brochure which tells the history of the Pymatuning project. First printed in 1938; revised in 1939.

The reason for this was that Ohio license fees were $1.00 less than Pennsylvania; so purchase of the stamp would make mutual use of the lake fair for residents of both states. Since $1.00 was a lot of money during The Great Recession and WWII, only the Ohio residents who lived near the lake (and figured to get their money’s worth) tended to purchase the stamps. Since that region of Ohio was very sparsely populated, very few stamps were sold.

This particular example, located in the far right column, third down, currently graces the Will Csaplar collection and is one of the highlights of the award-winning exhibit A License and Stamp System for Waterfowl Conservation in the 20th Century U.S.

This example is special for two reasons; it was the first Pymatuning stamp acquired by Will and Abby and it is simply a stunning piece – with both the cloth license and the stamp being completely sound and in immaculate condition (rare for this series, see Figure 5a).

Figure 5a. 1941 Pymatuning Hunting Stamp on License, Will Csaplar Collection.

Non Resident California Hunting License

Directly above the Pymatuning Waterfowl Stamp is a captivating 1923-24 California Hunting License. California started requiring the purchase of hunting licenses in 1907 and, after the first two were produced out of metal (see Figure 6), the licenses were subsequently printed on paper and featured amazing chromolithography by some of the finest artisans in San Fransisco (see Figures 7 and 8).

Figure 6. Type I 1907-08 California Hunting License.

Figure 7. 1909-10 resident California Hunting License.

Figure 8. 1914-15 Resident California Hunting License.

Owing to to their beauty, many sportsmen and their relatives saved the paper licenses. Therefore, the licenses issued to residents – while highly sought after – fortunately are not terribly difficult to for collectors to acquire today. However, the licenses issued to other classifications of hunters, such as non residents, aliens or declarant aliens were issued in far smaller quantities and relatively few have survived the hundred or so years since they were produced.

The 1923-24 Non Resident License shown in Killer thirteen features one of the more popular and, some might say romanticized designs, depicting geese on the once vast central valley marshlands – prior to the land being “reclaimed” for farming and ranching purposes (see Figure 9).

Figure 9. 1923-24 Non Resident California Hunting License.

For a comprehensive overview of these incredibly historic pieces, including the license that inspired George Lawyer to propose the first federal migratory waterfowl stamp, click here.

Licenses in Celluloid Pinback or “Button” Form

Throughout the history of fish and game licensing in the U.S., the licenses themselves have been produced and issued in many different forms. In addition to the cloth, metal and paper licenses we have seen above, a number of states and military reservations issued hunting and fishing licenses that were layered between a circular or oval piece of metal and a coating of celluloid (an early form of plastic).

The back of the license featured a pin for the the purpose of attaching the “button” (some collectors refer to these as pinbacks or badges) to the outer garment, usually a coat or jacket, while hunting or fishing. The purpose of the button was to present proof of having obtained a license which was visible to game or fish wardens from a distance, thereby eliminating the need for them to approach and engage every sportsman and, thus, make their work more efficient.

Also located in the back, the button often contained a small compartment where an accompanying paper license containing additional personal information could be carefully folded and inserted. As a rule, both the button and the paper portions were imprinted with matching numbers.

The first hunting and fishing buttons were issued by the states of Maryland and New York in 1916 and 1917, respectively (see Figures 10 and 11). Over the years, license buttons were adopted by many other states and the practice was greatly gaining in popularity among state game and fish commissions in the 1930s – until metal shortages during WWII brought it to an abrupt halt.

Figure 10. 1916 Allegany County, Maryland Hunters License Button, Csaplar collection.

Figure 11, 1917 New York Hunting and Trapping License Button. Note: this button features an unusual screw and cap on the back, instead of a pin.

When the collecting of fish and game stamps really took off in the 1970s (in large part due to the publication of E.L. Vanderford’s Handbook), the closely related hobby of license collecting followed suit. Specialized shows dedicated to the collecting of licenses sprang up across the country, especially in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Many of the more serious collectors focussed their attention on the pleasingly-shaped buttons and it did not take long for them to learn which buttons were common and which were rare. In general, the more difficult buttons to acquire for most states were the same as the paper licenses – those issued to classifications of sportsmen that were not residents, especially those from the southern states.

Killer Thirteen features four of these buttons, including one that is so rare we originally wondered if it was a fake (the consensus among collectors who have contacted us that it is, indeed, authentic – see Figure 12) and another that has become legendary among license and button collectors, the Non Resident Special Ohio River Button issued by the State of West Virginia in 1940.

The Ohio River button is somewhat unusual in that the metal has been cut out so that the paper license is visible from the front (see Figure 13). This practice was largely confined to Arkansas and West Virginia.

Figure 12. 1933 Non Resident MS Trapper’s Button.

Figure 13. 1940 Non Resident WV Special Ohio River Button.

Two More Early Licenses of Note

Located near the bottom of the collage (second from the bottom in the left column) is a license that is rather plain in appearance – however, very significant to our hobby from a historical perspective. It is a federal gun permit, issued in 1904 by the Department of the Interior to license Richard Weir to hunt in the E.D. of Santa Barbara Reserve (see Figure 14).

What is now known as the Santa Barbara National Forest was established by the General Land office in California on December 22, 1903. The permit featured in Killer Thirteen is the earliest recorded license to hunt in California – preceding the state-issued metal license shown in Figure 6 by three years.

Figure 14.1904 Federal Gun Permit for Santa Barbara Preserve – the earliest license to hunt in California.

The piece located at the bottom right of the collage is also of tremendous importance. It is a license in the form of a letter, issued in 1910 by the Department of the Interior to Franklin Albertson, a resident of Epley, Washington, permitting him to hunt and fish on the Colville Indian Reservation.

Authorized by a U.S. Army Captain at Fort Spokane, Washington on July 19, the license spells out the limits of 50 trout and 10 ducks in any one day as well as reminding the sportsman that the introduction of liquor on an Indian Reservation is forbidden by an act of Congress. A truly remarkable piece of fish and game history that is shown here courtesy of Will Csaplar (see Figure 15).

Figure 15. 1910 Federal Permit to Hunt and Fish on the Colville Reservation – the earliest license to hunt or fish on an Indian Reservation in the U.S.

Some Rare Usages

Crow Creek

Located five places above the 1910 Colville License in the collage, there is another significant Indian Reservation license, this one dating from 1998. In 1961 the Crow Creek Sioux became the second tribal government (after the Rosebud in 1959) to adopt a license and stamp system – independent from the State of South Dakota. To date, only one Crow Creek stamp from 1961 has been recorded, a big game stamp whose date was changed to 1964 with a ball point pen (see Figure 16).

Figure 16. 1961 Crow Creek Big Game Stamp, changed for issue in 1964. Ex Vanderford.

Starting in 1989 the Crow Creek Tribal Council authorized the Department of Natural Resources to contract with the State Publishing Company in Pierre. The result was that the new Crow Creek fish and game stamps looked very professional and very much like many of the state stamps that were being issued at the time (see Figure 17).

Figure 17. 1989 Crow Creek Reservation Waterfowl.

Starting in 1995 and continuing through at least 2005, the tribe issued stamps to license tribal members as hunting guides. Unused stamps are not easy to acquire and examples used by the guide on license, are extremely difficult for collectors to acquire (see Figure 18).

Figure 18. 1998 Crow Creek Guide Stamp on License.

For more information on these stamps, see Fish and Game Stamps of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.

Illinois Daily Usage

Following the end of WWII and the return of the majority of American soldiers back to the states, there was an unprecedented demand for public hunting grounds. Many of the prime waterfowl areas had already been acquired by wealthy businessmen and sportsmen for the purpose of operating private hunting clubs.

To ensure that all sportsmen had a fair opportunity to enjoy a recreational hunting experience for a nominal cost, the State of Illinois developed, owned and operated a number of public wildlife areas around the state where hunting was allowed during specific times of the year. A mail-in drawing system was devised for applicants to secure places in blinds for ducks, geese and pheasants.

Once the applications were approved, the hunters went to a site on a designated day and at a designated time. Once there, one, two or three Daily Usage Stamps were affixed to the permit (depending on the number of hunters sharing the blind).

The earliest recorded Daily Usage Stamps are dated 1951. It is the only year that was issued imperforate (see Figure 19). After that, the stamps were issued in sheets of 25 (5 x 5) with individual stamps perforated on two, three or four sides. One of two recorded examples from 1952 is located at the bottom left of the Killer Thirteen collage, this one is perforated on all four sides (see Figure 20).

Figure 19. 1951 $2.00 Illinois Daily Usage.

Figure 20. 1952 Illinois $2.00 Daily Usage, perforated on all four sides.

The stamps were either wetted or stapled to the permit, the hunter’s state hunting licenses were held as collateral during the shoot and, at the end of the day, the permits and stamps were to be returned to the onsite agent in order to get their hunting licenses back. The permits and stamps were then supposed to be sent to the Illinois Department of Conservation Headquarters in Springfield for accounting purposes and destruction.

For this reason, it was always difficult for collectors to obtain unused stamps (the Department would not sell them). A relatively small number of stamps from 1951 through 1972 have made their way into the philatelic market – primarily as a result of a collector appealing to a sympathetic license clerk who gave them the stamps at no charge.

With regard to stamps affixed to the original permits, very few have been recorded in fish and game collections. In most cases their origin has not been verified, however, I have heard stories ranging from a discovery of a cigar box in a cabin in the woods belonging to a deceased game warden to dumpster diving at wildlife sites who failed to return all of their permits before the deadline.

Regardless, prior to the APS Show in Sacramento this past summer, the latest Daily Usage Stamp on license in collections from the original, classic series (1951-1972) was dated 1965. There are a number of these 1965 permits around and it is believed they all originated from the same retired game warden.

I had a booth at the APS Show and on Saturday I took a break to walk around “the floor.” I asked every dealer if they had any fish and game stamps and looked at their stocks. One dealer provided me with a big surprise by offering me the piece shown in Figure 21 (located four places above the 1952 stamp in the collage). This now the latest known usage from the original series. This just goes to show you never know what you will find at a stamp show!

Figure 21. 1970 $5.00 Illinois Daily Usage pair on permit. Note: the permit has information for two hunters; therefore it has two stamps affixed and the manuscript “3” tells us they were assigned blind #3 at The Carlyle State Fish and Wildlife Area (rubber stamped at the upper left).

To learn more about these stamps, see The Illinois Daily Usage Stamps.

Vandenberg Air Force Base

Portions of military reservations and occupied territories have historically been opened to hunting and fishing (following federal seasons and limits where applicable) for the purpose of affording military personnel the opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreational opportunities. Such activities are viewed as therapeutic, a chance to decompress and, in general, important for the personnel’s health and well being.

The Vietnam and subsequent conflicts brought with them a host of new mental challenges for active and returning personnel. In addition to PTSD, divided political views and a mixed reception upon returning stateside contributed to feelings of guilt and anger. The pentagon recognized this challenge and began to develop more outdoor opportunities and increase the level of organization for hunting and fishing programs on military bases and installations.

Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), located in Santa Barbara County, California (not far from the Santa Barbara National Forest) became the first U.S. military reservation to issue adhesive fish and game stamps in 1967 with one required for hunting (see Figure 22).

Figure 22. 1967-68 VAFB Hunting, ex Vanderford.

For decades, until the very end of the 20th century, hunting and fishing on VAFB (as well as the majority of military reservations), was limited to military personnel. For this reason, military hunting and fishing stamps have always been very difficult for collectors to acquire.

Not only would they not allow civilians to hunt or fish on the base – they would not sell the stamps (even after they were no longer valid) to civilian collectors. The vast majority of the U.S. military stamps that have found their way into the philatelic market were via a handful of ex military collectors with good connections such as E.L. Vanderford.

Acquiring military fish and game stamps used on license is even more difficult and often the result of either blind luck (a retired military sportsmen saved his/her license as a memento and then it ended up in a garage sale or at a flea market) or a lot of effort on the part of motivated collectors.

The license shown in figure 23 (located two places above the Illinois Daily Usage Permit in the collage) is a real mind-blower – dating from the early 1980s, it has no less than nine different VAFB hunting and fishing stamps affixed! Four are completely visible (as they are stacked), and they include 1983-84 deer, 1984-85 deer, 1984-85 pig and 1984-85 small game.

Figure 23. California hunting license with nine different VAFB stamps affixed.

We hope you enjoy spending some time with Killer Thirteen!

The post Happy New Year and the Introduction to Killer Thirteen appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.

Unfortunately, for the third year in a row an uptick in Covid cases caused the event, once again, to be cancelled and the contest was held virtually, from a “controlled environment” in the Washington, D.C. area. As in the past two years, the USFWS streamed Day One and Day Two of the contest live on YouTube from a link on their website (see Figure 1).

Please note: The video for Day Two has a glitch; after pressing the red “play” arrow in the middle of the screen, hover your curser over the timeline bar at the lower left and click on it just past the beginning. The video will then play.

Figure 1. USFWS online press release announcing the contest would be streamed live (click to enlarge).

The Hautman Bothers Dominate the Contest…

At the end of the weekend, Joseph Hautman, who lives in Plymouth, Minnesota was chosen as the winner with his acrylic painting of three tundra swans flying over a wetland (see Figure 2). Joseph joins his brother, James, as the only artists to win the art contest six times; James achieved this feat only last year. Along with their brother, Robert, the Hautmans have come to dominate the federal duck stamp program with a combined total of 15 wins in the last 33 years – including five of the seven (see Figures 3 –6).

Figure 2. Joseph Hautman’s paining of tundra swans, which will serve as the basis for the vignette for the 2023-24 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp.

Figure 3. The Hautman brothers; Joe, Jim and Bob. Photo courtesy of CBS News.

Figure 4. Joseph Hautman’s previous five wins. Courtesy of CBS News.

Figure 5. James Hautman’s six wins. Courtesy of CBS News.

Figure 6. Robert Hautman’s three wins. Courtesy of CBS News.

For a recent (June 26, 2022) online article about the Hautman brothers presented by CBS News Sunday Morning, see A true duck Dynasty: Wildlife artists Jim, Robert and Joe Hautman.

…Despite a Renewed Interest Among Artists

Frank Mittlestadt of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin placed second in 2022 with his own acrylic tundra swan painting and Robert Hautman placed third with an acrylic of American wigeon. That the brothers placed first and third is all the more impressive considering the number of entrees increased substantially this year.

In all, 192 entrees were submitted, however, five of these were disqualified as the artists failed to follow the rules (to see the 2022 entry form and regulations, click here). As in the past, low resolution scans of the 187 entrees that were judged were made available for viewing via flickr.

A total of 187 entree were judged this year – a significant increase over the 137 from last year.

The five species eligible for this year’s art contest were the American green-winged teal, American wigeon, Barrow’s goldeneye, mottled duck and tundra (whistling) swan. The entrees were judged by Richard Houk, philatelist; Marshall Johnson, conservation partner; Sean Murtha, an artist from the Bruce Museum in Connecticut; Christopher Nicolai, waterfowl biologist and Paul Schmidt, conservation partner.

The above is per the official USFWS press release and Suzanne Fellows, Chief of the Federal Duck Stamp Office; an introduction by Suzanne and much more biographical information about the judges is included in the beginning of the Day One video above.

Of the 187 entrees, 54 made it out of the (first) “in or out” round and into the second round where they were scored by each of the five judges holding up a card with a large 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 printed on it. The seven entrees with the highest cumulative score advanced to the final round. It was here that Joseph’s tundra swans was the clear cut winner with a score of 24 (see Figure 7).

Figure 7. Joseph’s painting of three tundra swans received a near perfect score. Image courtesy of the USFWS.

Frank Mittlestadt’s tundra swan painting received a 21, good for second place (see Figure 8) and then there was a three-way tie for third. At this point, the judges were asked to vote again on the three pieces and Robert’s American wigeon officially claimed third place.

Figure 8. Frank Mittlestadt’s tundra swans received a score of 21 to take second place. Image courtesy of the USFWS.

Drake University Chosen as 2023 Contest Site

For those unaware, Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa was originally selected to host the 2020 federal duck stamp art contest. The event was intended to pay tribute to two native sons, who just happen to be two of the most important protagonists in the U.S. waterfowl stamp story – Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling and Maynard Reece.

Sadly, what would have been a marvelous celebration of the program and duck stamp hobby had to be postponed due to the outbreak of Covid19 in the U.S. With a little luck, we may still be able to enjoy that experience as Drake has been selected to host the 2023 contest (see Figure 9).

Figure 9. Charming Drake University was founded in 1881. Photo courtesy of U.S. News & World Report.

In the meantime, Joseph’s tundra swans will grace the 2023-24 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp where it will raise badly needed funds to help protect wetland habitats within the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is important to understand that these areas provide support and safety not only for migratory waterfowl – but for over 500 additional species that call theses refuges home. To purchase a federal duck stamp, click here.

Congratulations and our heartfelt thanks go to Joe and the entire Hautman family for all that you have done for both North American wildlife and the hobby of duck stamp collecting from all of us at Waterfowl Stamps and More.

The post Joseph Hautman Wins Contest; Frank Mittlestadt Second appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.

Federal Waterfowl Stamp Catalogs

Updating the federal catalogs primarily consisted of two operations: first, bringing the listings up to date, literally, through 2021-22 and second, adjusting the valuations to more accurately reflect market conditions.

With regard to the standard catalog, some of the early federal stamps saw modest increases in unused condition (see Figure 1), however, more significant changes occurred in the contemporary listings, starting around 1990 and continuing to date. Values for unused stamps from the last three decades showed increases across the board, reflecting a market where the demand for these issues has consistently outstripped the supply for such a period of time that we can fairly label it “a trend.”

This trend began about six or seven years ago and has picked up steam with the stamp collecting renaissance brought about, in large part, as a result of the COVID pandemic.

Figure 1. The demand for early federal ducks in very fine or better, never hinged condition remains strong.

With regard to the graded catalog, the changes were quite mixed – with significant movement in both directions. This underscores the potentially volatile nature of a sub-niche market where the number of players, items and transactions are relatively few and far between compared to the mainstream.

The graded changes were such that we felt they deserved a breakdown providing numerous examples in this introduction, so that readers may come to their own conclusions as to whether they wish to consider this area:

RW5 in grade 95 increased from $1,250 to $1,750.

RW10 saw big increases in most of the higher grades (90 – 98).

RW14 in grade 100 increased from $900 to $1,750 (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. RW14 graded 100. courtesy of Gordon Wrubel.

RW15 in grade 98 increased from $475 to $675.

RW23 in grade 100 increased from $1,100 to $3,500.

RW25 in grade 100 increased from $1,100 to $1,350.

RW26 in grade 90 increased from $140 to $190 and in grade 95 from $190 to $275.

RW27 in grade 90 increased from $105 to $160 and in grade 95 from $140 to $225.

RW28 showed substantial increases in grades 90 through 100 (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. RW28 graded 100. Courtesy of Gordon Wrubel.

RW29 in grade 90 increased from $115 to $160 and in grade 95 from $150 to $225.

RW30 in grade 90 increased from $105 to $150 and in grade 95 from $145 to $200.

RW37 in grade 90 increased from $80 to $135.

RW43 saw decreases across all grades to include grade 95 from $60 to $35.

RW45 showed substantial decreases across all grades, including grade 90 from $35 to $18 and grade 95 from $60 to $30.

RW46 in grade 90 decreased from $35 to $20 and in grade 95 from $60 to $30.

RW56 in grade 100 decreased from $650 to $450 (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. RW56 graded 100. Courtesy of Gordon Wrubel.

RW57 in grade 100 decreased from $500 to $300.

RW69 in grade 100 decreased from $250 to $175.

RW77 in grade 100 decreased from $400 to $200.

RW77b showed decreases in all grades.

RW80 showed increases in all grades (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. RW80 graded 100. Courtesy of Gordon Wrubel.

RW83, RW83b, RW84 and RW84b showed dramatic increases in all grades.

So there you have it; although from these results one can generalize that the market for earlier graded federal stamps (RW37 and before – or those issued prior to the end of the Vietnam War) remains very strong while the market for many of those issued after the war concluded, not so much… potential players should also have gained an understanding – this is not an area for the faint-of-heart.

To be taken to the standard Catalog of Federal Waterfowl Stamps, click here.

To be taken to the graded Catalog of Federal Waterfowl Stamps, click here.

New Csaplar Exhibit Gallery

It is with a tremendous sense of pride that we are able to share with everyone unable to attend the recent 2022 London International Stamp Exhibition a new, updated gallery which presents Will Csaplar’s exhibit exactly as it was shown there (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. Will Csaplar’s exhibit in the frames at the London exhibition.

For those unaware, Will’s superb exhibit, A License and Stamp System for Waterfowl Conservation in the 20th Century U.S., was awarded a second International Large Gold Medal (see Figure 7), following a similar honor at Bangkok 2018.

Figure 7. The certificate awarded to Will Csaplar.

For the complete story on this amazing accomplishment, click here.

To be taken directly to the new exhibit gallery, click here.

To be taken to a very high quality PDF of the exhibit, click here.

First of State Duck Stamp Print Galleries

While the market for multicolored duck stamp prints (both federal and state) has been weak for a very long time now due to, in most cases, overly optimistic edition sizes which resulted in a glut on the market that was exposed by the advent of Ebay in the 1990s, the same cannot be said for many of the “first of state” prints issued in the 1970s – those which had print runs totaling 500-600 prints.

These include California (1971), Iowa (1972, see Figure 8), Maryland (1974), Massachusetts (1974), Illinois (1975), Indiana (1976), Michigan (1976), Mississippi (1976, see Figure 9) and South Dakota (1976).

Figure 8. 1972 Iowa by Maynard Reece (600 dpi).

Figure 9. 1976 Mississippi by Carroll $ Gwen Perkins (600 dpi).

The collecting of duck stamp prints is still very much alive and well, and the depressed print values  – especially for those issued during and immediately after the Heyday and Post Heyday periods, when duck stamp and print collecting was at a fever pitch and print publishers, in the moment, manifestly misjudged future demand – is simply a matter of excess supply over and above adjusted real demand .

Publishers produced way too many extra prints to meet an expected level of future demand that never materialized; a calculated guess which was based, in large part, on a decade or two where the real demand was steadily increasing exponentially and, in hindsight, was inescapably unsustainable. Today we might refer to that period as a “bubble.”

The fact is, there are always new collectors desiring to collect state prints, whether it be the first print issued by the state in which they were born, currently live or have hunted  – or even all of the prints by a favorite artist, from a particular state or the first print issued by many or all of the states.

Regardless, whenever the desire extends to those early first of state prints issued in the early to mid 1970s, before edition sizes increased exponentially, there still exists a considerable challenge factor – especially when trying to locate many of them in really nice condition.

As we at Waterfowl Stamps and More are beginning to focus more attention on pictorial state duck stamps and prints, we have introduced two new galleries for the First of State Duck Stamp Prints. Initially, it was our intention to reproduce all of the prints in high definition (600 dpi).

Unfortunately, after many attempts at building the gallery – we were faced with the fact that with the technology currently available – the gallery simply would not load in a reasonable amount of time, even at download speeds in excess of a gig.

Therefore, we rescanned the the entire group at 300 dpi and, while certainly not fast, a poll of users has found it to be acceptable and, as time goes on and technology improves, it will only get faster.

Then we made the decision to add a second gallery, featuring only the early prints (1971 – 1979) at 600 dpi for those who are willing to wait a while longer for higher quality image.

To see all 50 First of State Duck Stamp Prints at 300 dpi, click here.

To see the early (1971 – 1979) First of Ste Duck Stamp Prints at 600 dpi, click here.

New PDFs & Flipbooks

As Waterfowl Stamps and More’s mission statement for the website is to serve as a comprehensive educational resource, we are pleased that feedback consistently shows the PDFs to be one of the site’s most popular features. Recognizing the value for collectors and dealers to be able to print a hard copy of the digital information for their reference library – or to read while on a plane or someplace where a fast internet connection is not readily available – we have added many new ones to the list:

The Kansas Upland Game Bird Stamps first provides a comprehensive overview of the popular Kansas Quail Stamps (see Figure 10), the precursor series to the Upland stamps and one of the prettiest and most important series in the hobby (third earliest fish and game stamp series behind only the federal waterfowl stamps and the Pymatuning Waterfowl Stamps).

Figure 10. 1937-38 Kansas Quail stamp.

When the series ultimately reaches the Upland Game Bird stamps, themselves, readers will learn “the rest of the (quail stamp) story” and discover a number of fascinating printing errors and varieties (see figure 11).

Figure 11. Ghost serial number on 1968 Kansas Upland Game Bird stamp, ex Smiley.

1913 Hunting & Fishing Licenses in Historical Context has proven to be one of the all-time most popular blog series I have written. There are many days each month when the series still receives more “hits” than any other – many years after it was published!

The series starts out with an overview of hunting and fishing licenses issued in the U.S., whereby a periodic decline in printing quality is clearly evident following the decade spanning 1910 to 1920, which I state is the apex for license collectors (see Figure 12).

Figure 12. 1912 Nebraska Resident License to Fish and Hunt – simply spectacular!

In Part One to the series, I include a short essay aimed at supporting my thesis that one of the main factors that stimulates us to collect anything (in this case pre-stamp hunting and fishing licenses) is, more often than not, “It is cool because it is so old.”

From there I postulate, “A historical frame of reference may allow us to form stronger connections with the old licenses and this, in turn, could make a difference when we are deciding whether or not to add these to our personal collections.”

Which leads us to the meat of the series – taking a historical journey through the chosen year, 1913, and then illustrating as many licenses I could locate that were issued on or around the significant dates – allowing readers to quickly develop a better appreciation for just how “old” these artifacts are (see text below, along with Figures 13 and 14).

January 17  Prime Minister Raymond Poincare (see Figure 9) was elected the President of France (1913-1920). Prior to the onset of WWI, Poincare had made a considerable effort to strengthen the Franco-Russian Alliance, announcing in 1913 that he would meet with Tsar Nicholas II in St. Petersburg in July of 1914. After Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo in June of 1914, Poincare kept his commitment and used the opportunity to urge Russia to be cautious with Germany. However, Russia continued to mobilize toward a potential conflict.

Figure 13. French President Raymond Poincare.

Figure 14. Thurston County, Washington Resident Hunter’s License – issued January 17, 1913.

The Maryland Big Game Stamps is a series about a stunning set of oversized stamps, which I chose to write about during the Spring of 2020. It was intended as a “show and tell” to provide a diversion or escape for everyone who was confined to their homes and emotionally grappling with the beginning stages of the pandemic.

In the preface, I stated my original intention of saving this particular series for a point down the road, when the website was more completely built-out, generating more traffic and could benefit a greater number of people…

“Then something occurred to me a week or so ago. As I observed the world around us changing so rapidly and the effect it was having on all of our lives, I realized – there may never be a better time than the present.”

The Maryland Big Game Stamps include some of the most exciting stamps in the hobby, so enjoy (see Figures 15 and 16).

Figure 15. Illustration comparing Maryland’s first big game stamp (1960-61) to regularly-issued postage and airmail stamps of the day.

Figure 16. 1965-66 Maryland Big Game Stamp for Archers. A consensus choice as one of the best designed U.S. fish and game stamps, ever. Ex Vanderford.

Finally, we have the five-part series on Collecting Used Federal Duck Stamps. This extended series of posts was designed to serve a dual purpose. Initially, it was intended to serve as a counterpoint to the previous post, A Collector’s Quest For the Ultimate Federal Set.

A Collectors Quest focussed on collecting federal duck stamps in the best condition possible: unused, never hinged stamps graded 98 or 100 “Jumbo.” Such a pursuit represents tremendous challenges; first locating the stamps and then managing to pay for them. The fact of the matter is, this method of collecting is very expensive (see Figure 17).

Figure 17. Unused RW1 graded 98 Jumbo. Courtesy of Bob Budesa.

While this is fine for collectors with considerable means, the primary goal of Collecting Used Federal Duck Stamps is to present an attractive alternative approach; pursuing a set of used federal ducks with very small, unobtrusive signatures. Taking advantage of this method, the collector is able to enjoy a similar challenge factor – at a fraction of the cost (see Figure 18):

Figure 18. Used RW5 signed by C.H. Bry. Courtesy of Michael Jaffe.

The secondary purpose is to tell the story of collecting federal duck stamps and prints, in general; starting with the laws that established the federal duck stamp program in 1934 and subsequently, in 1935, required that the stamps be signed across their face by the hunter (see Figures 19 and 20).

Figure 19. Officials holding Jay N. “Ding” Darling’s original artwork for the first federal duck stamp (click to enlarge).

Figure 20. Article which appeared in the September 27, 1935 issue of The Coolidge Examiner.

The series goes on to trace the development of collecting duck stamps and prints as a hobby, with features on early duck stamp collectors; the collecting of limited edition “duck stamp prints” and how the closely related hobbies reinforced and benefitted each other; first federal duck stamp art contest; the result that WW2 and, especially, the Vietnam War had on the hobby; the effects of droughts; the rise of the “duck stamp dealers” and print publishers and the positive and negative effects various economic climates had on the hobby (see Figures 21, 22 and 23).

Figure 21.Robert Dumaine, coauthor of The Duck Stamp Story.

Figure 22. In 171, the U.S. was taken off the gold standard.

Figure 23. U.S. Stamp Market Index (1970-2014). Click to enlarge.

And, of course, you will find a lot images of really cool duck stamps – which were signed in a very small, unobtrusive manner by the hunters, out of respect for the (frequently) amazing duck stamp art (see Figures 24 – 27). So please, enjoy!

Figure 24. RW31 with a very small, unobtrusive signature.

Figure 25.  RW36 with a very impressive, very tiny signature.

Figure 26. RW42 with a very small signature by Andrew Colella.

Figure 27. RW54 with a signature completely within the border.

To be taken to the PDFs, click here.

To be taken to the Flipbooks, click here.

Bonus  –  Help Solve a Mystery

I acquired the button shown in Figure 28 from an advanced collector a few years ago (we are showing it greatly enlarged for your inspection). Ostensibly, it has the potential to be one of the most important and iconic pieces in the hobby. On the other hand, there is that old saying, “If it seems too good to be true…”

Therefore, before we include it in the upcoming Killer Thirteen Gallery, we are soliciting feedback in the way of any information readers may be able to supply. Opinions are welcome also!

Figure 28. 1933 Mississippi 1933 Non-Resident Trapper’s License Button.

What We have been able to determine so far (or not): We cannot find evidence of a state-sanctioned trapping season in Mississippi in 1933; that is an issue. As all Mississippi Trapping buttons are super rare and among the Holy Grail’s of the hobby – it is tempting to write it off as an incredibly good fake.

However, the printing – to include the lettering and numerals – is identical to the other Mississippi buttons produced and issued in 1933 (see Figure 29). In addition, the pin, itself, is identical to the one used by the venerable Bastion Brothers in Rochester, N.Y. during this same time period (the back of this button is missing the Bastion Bros paper insert and is, therefore, unmarked).

Figure 29. 1933 Mississippi Resident Hunter’s License Button.

So far, our best guess is that it is a bona fide sample button produced by Bastion Bros for the Mississippi Game and Fish Commission for a proposed trapping season that, for some reason, never came about. Or, perhaps there actually was a season but we are unable to find a record of it. Can anyone help solve this mystery? If so, please drop us an email.

The post Federal Stamp Catalogs Updated; New Csaplar Exhibit and First of State Print Galleries; New PDFs and Flipbooks appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.

The London International Stamp Exhibition, originally scheduled for the spring of 2020 and then postponed for two years due to COVID19, recently concluded. For two American revenue collectors, Will Csaplar and Michael Mahler, the extended wait was well worth it – as Csaplar’s and Mahler’s exemplary exhibits were each awarded a prestigious 2nd international large gold medal. That their twin achievements took place in England made it all the more memorable and significant.

For stamp collectors, England represents not only the birthplace of their hobby, it is the place where philately has historically been most highly appreciated, enjoyed and respected. It is home to the world’s most venerable “stamp club”, the Royal Philatelic Society London (est. 1869). The Society counts among it’s membership the world’s most distinguished collectors, notably Queen Elizabeth II (see Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1. A youthful Queen Elizabeth II enjoys her stamp collection, circa 1950s. Courtesy of Getty Images.

Figure 2. Queen Elizabeth looking through a stamp album with Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL) president Christopher G. Harman in 2019. Courtesy Linn’s Stamp News.

Steeped in history, the London International Philatelic Exhibitions, which have taken place roughly every ten years since 1890, are widely regarded as the world’s “largest philatelic stage” and not just in the figurative sense.

The 2022 edition featured a whopping 588 exhibits from around the world; exhibits at all levels and in a wide range of collecting categories or classes – demonstrating that philately, at one time referred to as “the hobby of kings” (in large part due to the fame King George V achieved as a collector), is now avidly pursued among people from virtually every country around the world – and people from all walks of life.

The Penny Black

It was in England, in 1837, that Sir Rowland Hill, KCB, FRS (see Figure 3) first proposed to Parliament “A bit of paper just large enough to bear the stamp, and covered at the back with a glutinous wash.”

Figure 3. Sir Rowland Hill. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Hill, an English teacher by trade and part time inventor, is best known today for his tireless dedication to social reform. At the time when he proposed an adhesive stamp, England’s system of postal rates was complex, confusing and, to the majority of the country’s citizens who were of limited means, perceived as unfair if not unjust.

The rates were based upon the number of sheets in the letter and the distance the letter was carried. The crux of the matter is that the cost was paid by the recipient – not the sender – often resulting in unpleasant surprises and, in extreme cases, even financial hardship.

Hill published a booklet titled Post Office Reform; Its Importance and Practicality in February of 1837 (see Figure 4). In the booklet, Hill made the case for a relatively low, uniform postal rate to be paid by the sender. Hill’s proposal caught the fancy of the general public and an epic campaign ensued which attempted to influence the government to adopt this new system. It was an adhesive stamp that would make Hill’s plan logistically possible and, therefore, practical.

Figure 4. Post Office Reform; Its Importance and Practicality by Rowland Hill. Courtesy of David Feldman Auctions.

According to the British Postal Museum, “A parliamentary Select Committee was formed under Robert Wallace MP, a long time campaigner for postal reform, and a low uniform postage rate was recommended. This eventually became law in 1839.”

The vignette or central image of the first stamp design, was based upon a silver medal created by William Wyon commemorating Queen Victoria’s visit to London in 1837. Wyon was, by all accounts, extremely gifted and was the chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 till the time of his death in 1851. The medal featured a bust of Queen Victoria in profile (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. 1837 Wyon medal. Courtesy of Grosvenor Auctions.

English artist Henry Corbould was then commissioned to sketch the medal and the sketch was used by Charles and Frederick Heath to engrave Victoria’s head onto a metal die for the purpose of printing the stamps. Two different values were to be printed; a 1d in black and a 2d in blue.

The 1d black was put on sale first, on May 1, 1840 and it became valid for use on May 6; the stamp, known by collectors as the “Penny Black” thus became the world’s first adhesive postage stamp. The “Two Penny Blue” was put on sale a couple of days later, on May 8 (see Figures 6 and 7).

Figure 6. A block of six of the “Penny Black.” Courtesy of Spink Auctions.

Figure 7. A block of six of the “Two Penny Blue.” Courtesy of Spink Auctions.

Stamp Collecting and The Royal Philatelic Society London

The two stamps were widely admired by the general public and the hobby of stamp collecting soon became “a thing” after they were issued; by 1860 the hobby had spread across continental Europe, the European colonies, the United States and around the world. With it, a new profession arose, “stamp dealers” soon began facilitating the buying and selling of stamps among collectors.

It was in the office of one of these dealers, J.C. Wilson, that the Royal Philatelic Society London was formed. At a meeting of collectors and dealers on April 10, 1869, the first officers were elected. Originally, and for the balance of the 19th century, the club was known as The Philatelic Society, London. It was in November of 1906, that King Edward VII granted the Society the privilege to use the “Royal” prefix.

Several members of the royal family were among the world’s first stamp collectors, starting shortly after the two stamps featuring Queen Victoria were issued in 1840. Prince Alfred is said to have been the first member of the royal family to pursue the hobby avidly. He eventually sold his collection to his older brother, Edward VII and he, in turn, gave it to his son the Prince of Wales, later to become King George V (see Figures 8).

Figure 8. King George V. Courtesy of the Everett Collection.

George V greatly expanded the “royal collection”, making several notable purchases including the finest example of the Mauritius Two Pence blue for a world record £1,450 in 1904 (currently valued at over (£2,000,000). His extensive collection is famous for filling 328 “red albums” each containing 60 pages (see Figure 9).

Figure 9. This stamp, issued by Gibraltar, shows King George V working on his prized collection.

The First London (International) Philatelic Exhibition

The first London Philatelic Exhibition was organized by the Philatelic Society, London to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world’s first stamps being issued. The Exhibition took place primarily at the Portman Rooms on Baker Street in London from May 19-26, 1890 (see Figures 10 and 11).

The Portman Rooms site was the original location for Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum (including the infamous Chamber of Horrors) at the Royal London Bazaar from 1835 to 1884. When Tussaud’s moved to their current location on Marylebone Road, the location briefly became the Baker Street Picture Galleries for the sale of paintings on consignment. It was named the Portman Rooms in 1886 and, after an extensive remodel in 1889, became well known as one of London’s best venues for dances, concerts and events – including many events promoting women’s suffrage.

Figure 10. Souvenir of the first London Philatelic Exhibition. Courtesy of Stamp News Online.

Figure 11. The First London International Stamp Exhibition. Courtesy of the Association of British Philatelic Societies.

The first London Philatelic Exhibition has become important to philatelists as the occasion upon which the Duke of Edinburgh announced to the world that his son (to become King George V) was an avid stamp collector. The revelation gave the relatively young hobby a great boost in credibility and would help pave the way for stamp collecting to become the number one hobby in the world during the 20th century.

By the time George V was done collecting, the Royal Stamp Collection was the best in the UK, lacking only the unique Guiana 1c magenta to be complete for all British-issued stamps and certainly among the very best in the world.

After George V died, his son George VI took over the Royal Stamp Collection and continued to expand it in his own distinctive “blue albums.” After George VI passed in 1952, the collection was left to Queen Elizabeth II. While Queen Elizabeth has continued to expand the collection in her own “green albums”, her greatest contribution to philately unquestionably has been her willingness to share the Royal Collection with the world – making it available for loan and putting it on exhibit for all collectors to appreciate and enjoy (see Figure 12).

Figure 12. Queen Elizabeth enjoys looking at stamps with a magnifying glass which originally belonged to George V. Courtesy of Express.

The Royal Stamp Collection has now been passed down for five generations and is currently valued at £150 million; it continues to awe and inspire philatelists around the world. As for the “Penny Black”, it is now a cultural icon of the UK, along with James Bond, the Beatles, Fish and Chips, Football, the Queen and Royal Family, the White Cliffs of Dover and a relatively recent addition – Harry Potter.

London 2022 International Stamp Exhibition

The 2022 edition of the London International Stamp Exhibition was held February 19-26 at the Business Design Centre and Exhibition Venue in the district of Islington. It is one of the venerable exhibition venues in the UK and dates back to 1862. It was extensively remodeled and opened in its current form in 1986 (see Figures 13 and 14).

Figure 13. The Business Design Centre and Exhibition Venue.

Figure 14. The central exhibition area, prior to the show being set up.

There were so many collectors desiring to show their exhibits at what was originally supposed to be the 2020 International Exhibition, that initially the organizers were faced with having to turn away most of the applicants. A series of high level meetings took place and then a bold and logistically difficult plan was unveiled: in order to accommodate the most exhibits possible, the exhibition would be divided into two (shorter) halves – with roughly half of the exhibits shown in each half.

This would necessitate an unprecedented amount of organization and planning and an enormous amount of manpower (virtually all of it by volunteers) in order to set-up the first half of the exhibits, judge all of them in half the normal time – and then take them all down, secure them safely in the “Bin Room” and repeat the effort in order to get the second half set-up and judged. All available space that would accommodate exhibit frames would be utilized and, in many cases, the frames themselves would be set up in a zig-zag or “U” configuration (see Figures 15, 16 and 17).

Figure 15. The exhibits layout, showing all rooms in the venue that would be utilized.

Figure 16. The breakdown of when (first half vs second) and where (what hall or room) the classes would be shown.

Figure 17. A shot of one of the exhibit areas; as you can see – the frames were folded to squeeze in as many as possible.

This would have been very difficult, as originally envisioned – prior to COVID19. In 2022, in the middle of the Omicron surge, it was flat out crazy. There was very little in the way of professional help available and the volunteers went way above what was expected of them to pull this off. However, at the end of the day, it all worked out (see Figure 18 and the short video which follows).

Figure 18. The 2022 London International Exhibition is set up and ready to open.

In my opinion, this was a tremendous feat and yet another example of where humanity has been able to overcome tremendous adversity to not just persevere – but to to enjoy our lives to the fullest. From everyone at Waterfowl Stamps and More, kudos and our heartfelt appreciation to the the Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL), the organizing committees, the volunteers, the commissioners, the judges and all of the participating exhibitors for staying the course in the face of COVID and making this event possible.

Will and Michael are Awarded their 2nd International Large Gold Medals

There was some unexpected last minute drama: storm Eunice and it’s high winds reaching 122 mph battered England on Friday and prevented many of the exhibits from arriving in time to be set up prior to the scheduled first day of the show, Saturday, February 19. This necessitated they be set up on Saturday and delayed the opening of the already shortened first half of the exhibition by one day – making the judge’s job even more difficult than anticipated. I was told the exhibits, in some cases, were literally being judged as they were being set up!

Fortunately, the American west coast Commissioner, Akthem  Al-Manaseer, had arrived earlier in the week with Will’s and Michael’s exhibits and they were set up without delay (see Figure 19).

Figure 19. Will’s eight-frame exhibit, A License and Stamp System for Waterfowl Conservation in the 20th Century U.S., set up in a U-shaped configuration and ready to be judged. Courtesy of Michael Jaffe.

For the American contingent in the first half, representing the collecting areas of Postal History, Revenue, Postal Stationary, Open, Modern, Post Cards and Youth classes, the exhibitors had worked hard for many years to finally reach this point – the London International Exhibition being, arguably, the pinnacle in organized philately.

Everyone held high hopes, albeit tempered somewhat by the expectation that the judging would be strict in London, the birthplace of the adhesive postage stamp and the bastion of organized philately.

The judging lived up to expectations, with only six of the American exhibits in the first half being awarded large gold medals – including Will Csaplar and Michael Mahler. Will’s exhibit received a final score of 95, one point less than it received in Bangkok in 2018, where it scored highest in the revenue class. To see the current version of Will’s exhibit (as it was shown in London), click here.

The London medal was a replica of Wyon’s 1837 medal (see Figures 20 and 21).

Figure 20. The 2022 London International Philatelic Exhibition medal.

Figure 21. The certificate awarded to Will Csaplar.

In London, only two revenue exhibits scored higher than Will’s; one by one point (96) and one by two points (97). Delightfully, the 97 was awarded to my close friend Michael Mahler’s fascinating exhibit, U.S. Civil War Era Fiscal History Panorama.

Postage stamps paid for a service (the delivery of mail). Most revenue stamps did not, instead simply paying taxes on various classes of objects. Michael Mahler’s exhibit focuses on documentary taxes of the Civil War era, imposed on a wide range of documents in everyday use, designed to raise funds to support the Union war effort. They continued on a broad scale for years after the war’s end, until 1872, to help retire wartime debts. Nearly every piece of paper that changed hands was taxed, and survivors provide a fascinating “slice of life” as it was in those days.

Michael received a special silver medal, very similar to the one which served as a model for the world’s first adhesive postage stamp 182 years earlier (see Figures 22 and 23). To see Michael’s exhibit in its entirety, click here.

Figure 22. The first frame in Michael’s U.S. Civil War Fiscal History Panorama. Courtesy of Michael Mahler.

Figure 23. The beautiful medal Michael received for best exhibit in the revenue class.

My Take-aways from London 2022

Will and Michael were very happy with their fine showing in London. As for myself, I experienced an interesting series of emotions; relief, joy, satisfaction and, ultimately, excitement:

Relief. When Will last showed his exhibit, in Bangkok, it was cresting a long wave of success that began, nationally, at Westpex in 2015 and then internationally at World Stamp Show New York 2016. Will’s decades of supporting a hobby that he and his wife Abby had deeply loved and believed in had resulted in, arguably, the finest collection of waterfowl stamps ever formed. The appreciation for their exhibit had been growing steadily in the world of organized philately. All the accolades and gold medals it earned – especially the large gold in Bangkok – served to shine a bright light upon our niche hobby (see Figures 24 and 25).

Figure 24. From an auspicious beginning at Wetspex in 2015…

Figure 25. …to the first large gold in Bangkok, Will’s exhibit served to shine a bright light on the hobby of collecting waterfowl stamps.

Then came COVID19. Along with all of the angst and uncertainty it produced for all of humanity was a near two-year postponement of the London International Philatelic Exhibition, originally scheduled for May of 2020. While everyone involved waited patiently and tried to remain confident, personally, I worried a bit about the eventual outcome.

I knew the judging would be strict in London and, to a lesser extent, had a sense that with stamp exhibiting (much like sports), momentum can play an important role when one is hoping and praying the stars will align. Therefore, when I learned that Will’s exhibit had received a second large gold medal in London – my initial reaction was relief (see Figure 26).

Figure 26. I received this in an email from U.S. Commisioner Akthem  Al-Manaseer on February 21 at 10:26 am, PST.

Joy. Will and Michael are two of the most dedicated people I know when it comes to working tirelessly to advance the field of collecting revenue stamps. We share a similar passion and I feel fortunate to count them among my close friends for over 30 years. I was so happy for both of them, personally, and so my second reaction was pure joy. I immediately called Will and Michael and shared the fabulous news!

Satisfaction. I must admit, that after 30 years of philatelic exhibiting – as both a participant and a consultant – this was a new feeling for me. It seems that for virtually this entire time I have been working in an effort to get organized philately to grant “equal rights status” to revenues in general and waterfowl stamps in particular.

When I first began this quest, a long-time judge told me that it is often a difficult road for a collector in any philatelic specialty area (read: non-postage; non-postal history area) before reaching the point where a consensus exists among judges in which they “see your material close to the way you do.”

For Will to win a second large gold medal for his exhibit of waterfowl stamps in London, of all places, and prove that Bangkok was not a fluke – felt like validation for our hobby and all of the time and work that everyone has put in, starting with the pioneer fish and game collectors like Vanderford, Lebo and Pruess and continuing up to Will And Abby.

For a relatively brief but wonderful period of time, I felt satisfied with our collective accomplishments – and it felt good.

Excitement. After Akthem returned to California, Kay and I drove down to pick up Will’s exhibit on his behalf. Akthem informed us he had requested feedback on the exhibit from Chris Harman, the London Exhibition Jury President. Harman is a revenue stamp collector, himself, and a recognized expert in the field.

Not only had Harman graciously agreed to share some of his very limited time with Akthem, he then proceeded to provide him with  some of the finest constructive suggestions Will has ever received. He explained not only exactly why the exhibit’s score had dropped a point since Bangkok – but specifically what Will could do (remove one or two featured items that did not exactly match the exhibit title; expand and improve the section headings and provide a better case for the exhibit’s importance to world-wide philately) that would not just allow the exhibit to earn the lost point back – but gain an additional one or two.

The exhibit received a score of 95; no other exhibit in the entire exhibition received a higher score than 97 – and Akthem had just told us that the Jury President explained how Will could add 2-3 points to his score… now that is truly exciting! After sharing this news with Will, he has already started implementing the changes.

Next year, in 2023, after seven years of showing his exhibit overseas, Will will bring it back to the United States. While he has his sights set on securing a Grand Award for our hobby and participating in the Champion of Champions (C of C) – more importantly, he will be fulfilling another of the goals that he and Abby originally set – to make the exhibit available so that as many people as possible can appreciate it and enjoy it in person.

The post Will Csaplar’s Exhibit is Awarded a 2nd International Large Gold Medal in London appeared first on Waterfowl Stamps and More.