Boston 2026 Show Adds Staff

[press release]

Officers of the Boston 2026 World Expo are pleased to announce an expansion of staff from across the country joining the Organizing Committee of America’s next once-a-decade international philatelic exhibition.

In alphabetical order they are:

  • David Ball, Natick, MA- Security Manager
  • Michael Bloom, Portland, OR- Volunteer Chair
  • Carol Bommarito, New York, NY- Art Director
  • Dane Claussen, Greenville, PA- Government/NGO Outreach Chair
  • Colin Fraser, Woodstock, NY- Dealer Bourse Chair (International)
  • Sandeep Jaiswal, Cranston, RI- Customs Broker Liaison
  • Suzanne Kouri, Lexington, MA- Development Chair
  • Chris Lazaroff, Chester, SC- USPS Liaison
  • Mark Reasoner, Columbus, OH- Dealer Bourse Chair (USA/Canada)
  • Scott Tiffney, Bellefonte, PA- Literature Chair

Their addition now brings the total of volunteers accepting leadership positions in the show to more than 30. Several are bringing their experience from posts with World Stamp Show-NY 2016.

The list of all current committee members can be found online at www.boston2026.org along with information about the exhibition taking place in Boston in May, 2026.

Americover 2018 Postmarks Design by APS Youth Fellow

[press release]

The proposed pictorial postmarks for Americover 2018, the annual show, convention and FDC celebration of the American First Day Cover Society, were designed by Dani Leviss. The New Jersey woman is part of the Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship program of the American Philatelic Society, in the design track. Her mentor is professional artist Chris Calle and her sponsor is Ann Duncan.

The theme of the show, which is being held August 3-5 in the Atlanta area, is “Georgia On My Mind.” The postmarks show a peach, the state fruit; civil rights demonstrators; and symbols representing singer-songwriter Ray Charles, who recorded the best-known rendition of “Georgia On My Mind.” (The song was written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930, the year Charles was born.)

Americover 2018 will be held at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast, 5993 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Peachtree Corners, GA 30092, just 20 miles from downtown Atlanta. There are two bourses at the show (commercial dealers and cachetmakers), a banquet, meetings, award-winning FDC exhibits, a youth table, a hospitality suite, live and silent auctions, seminars, and a forum by a U.S. Postal Service official involved with first day covers.

Leviss is also a first day cover cachetmaker and has in recent years had a table at the cachetmakers bourse. (The photo here is from Americover 2015.) She is the daughter of the late Gerry Leviss, co-founder of Barry & Gerry Covers, and her mother Donna often operates the BGC booth at Americover.

“I’ve always been running around stamp shows, sleeping under the table, looking through other dealers’ stock,” Dani Leviss says.

There is a special Americover room rate of $99 at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast, which includes Wednesday and Sunday nights.

For more information on Americover 2018 and the AFDCS, contact the AFDCS at P.O. Box 16277, Tucson, Ariz. 85732-6277, email showinfo@afdcs.org or visit www.afdcs.org.

Close Call on Servicing FDCs!

By Lloyd A. de Vries

Good thing I didn’t print my Dragon Cards for the United States Airmail stamps before seeing the design and measurements for the first-day cancels! Figure 1 shows my original design, which cropped (cut) from the photo several unnamed people at the launch of airmail service to New York City.

I figured chances were good those people wouldn’t complain!

The Digital Color Postmark measures 3.0 inches by 1.5 inches. The Pictorial Postmark was nearly as big, at 2.96 by 1.5.

The digital mock-up showed that that design would be like trying to fly from Washington to New York by following the train tracks south. (It didn’t work for the pilot that day, either.)

I re-edited the photo. Putting back the bystanders on the sides not only increased the width, it also decreased the height of the picture. The result (also a mock-up) is shown in Figure 2.

I also considered using my two vertical designs for dual cancels: One with the May 1 blue version of the stamp, and then with the August 11 carmine version. I expect similar first-day postmarks for the second stamp.

Again, I created a “mockup” and decided it could work, but the chances of failure were too high: No, no, discretion is the better part of valor. I’ll use a different design for the dual-canceled Dragon Cards.

Royal Academy Of Arts (UK 2018)

[press release]
Royal Mail Celebrates The Milestone 250th Anniversary Of The Royal Academy Of Arts With Special Stamps

  • A set of six stamps will be issued to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Academy of Arts
  • Founded in 1768, its mission is to promote the enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and give a platform for artists
  • The designs, all specially commissioned original artworks, were created by artists and Royal Academicians: Norman Ackroyd CBE, RA; Tracey Emin CBE, RA; Grayson Perry CBE, RA; Fiona Rae RA; Barbara Rae CBE, RA and Yinka Shonibare MBE, RA
  • Each design is the result of the artist’s reflection on their work and the RA’s annual Summer Exhibition – held uninterupted, every year, since 1769
  • The stamps and souvenir products can be pre-ordered now from www.royalmail.com/royalacademyand are available from 7,000 Post Offices nationwide from 5 June 2018

Royal Mail has revealed images of six stamps being issued to mark the 250th anniversary of the world renowned Royal Academy of Arts (RA).

The original works were created by Royal Academicians: Norman Ackroyd CBE, RA; Tracey Emin CBE, RA; Grayson Perry CBE, RA; Fiona Rae RA; Barbara Rae CBE, RA and Yinka Shonibare MBE, RA.

The designs, all specially commissioned artworks, depict the artists’ reflection on their works and the RA’s most famous exhibition – the Summer Exhibition. The exhibition, held every year uninterrupted since 1769, is co-ordinated by a Royal Academician. This year it will be co-ordinated by Grayson Perry.

Open to everyone, the Summer Exhibition includes works in a variety of media and genres and is arguably “the only exhibition where some of the world’s greatest artists show alongside amateurs”, according to RA Artistic Director Tim Marlow. Thousands of entries are received, from which over 1,000 artworks are selected and hung by the Royal Academicians. In the past, notable artworks displayed included Whistler’s Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter’s Mother, initially rejected from the summer exhibition of 1872.

An independent body, the RA was founded in 1768, with a mission to promote the enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and give a platform for artists.

As stipulated 250 years ago, the RA is still led by many of the greatest artists and architects of the day. Known as Royal Academicians, they teach at the postgraduate Royal Academy Schools, determine the exhibitions programme and select artworks for the Summer Exhibition.

Noted Academicians over the centuries have included Thomas Gainsborough, Pre-Raphaelites, John Everett Millais and Edward Burne-Jones and contemporary masters such as David Hockney.

Royal Academicians number a maximum of 80 at any one time. Potential members – artists or architects who are professionally active in the UK and aged under 75 – must be nominated by an Academician. The candidate’s name is written in the weighty Nominations Book and awaits signatures from eight supportive RAs. A traditional ceremony welcomes the newly elected, and during it they sign the historic Roll of Obligation. Each RA donates a Diploma Work to the Collection and becomes a Senior Academician at the age of 75.

Royal Mail spokesperson Philip Parker says: “To mark this landmark anniversary, Royal Mail commissioned six Royal Academicians to create original works for stamps. We are delighted with the range and creativity of these wonderful miniature works of art.”

The Artists:

Norman Ackroyd
Leeds born Norman Ackroyd CBE is an artist and printmaker who has been a Royal Academician for 30 years. He was appointed Professor of Etching at the University of Arts in 1994 and elected Senior Fellow at the Royal College of Art in 2000. His work can be found in several British and American galleries including the Zillah Bell Gallery, the Tate, the British Museum and the National Gallery of Art, Washington. He has also appeared in several television programmes, the most recent being a feature in an episode of BBC’s Countryfile in 2017. His stamp is entitled St Kilda: The Great Sea Stacs.

Tracey Emin
Tracey Emin CBE is renowned for her autobiographical, confessional and often candid art, working with a variety of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, needlework, film and photography. Born in Croydon in 1963, she studied fashion at the Medway College of Design and later printing at Maidstone Art College before obtaining a Master of Arts in painting at the Royal College of Art in London. She became a Royal Academician in 2007 and in December 2011 she was appointed Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy, being one of the first two female RA Professors along with Fiona Rae. She has exhibited and given lectures extensively throughout the world and is a Turner Prize nominee. Her stamp is entitled Saying Goodbye.

Grayson Perry
Grayson Perry CBE is particularly renowned for his ceramic vases but also works with printmaking, drawing and tapestry. He is an astute commentator on contemporary society and culture and there are often autobiographical elements in his work with images of his female alter-ego, Claire. He was born in Essex and did an art foundation course at Braintree College of Further Education before graduating with a Batchelor of Arts Fine Art degree from Portsmouth in 1982. He has written several books as well as prize-winning TV documentaries and was awarded the Turner Prize in 2003. His work is held in the collections of the Tate, Arts Council, Victoria & Albert Museum among others. His stamp is entitled Summer Exhibition

Fiona Rae
Hong Kong-born artist Fiona Rae has developed a distinctive style of work over the past 25 years, which is full of restless energy, humour and complexity and which has set out to challenge and expand the modern conventions of painting. She studied Foundation at the Croydon College of Art before gaining a BA Honours in Fine Art at Goldsmiths College in 1987. She has been shortlisted for the Turner Prize, served as a Tate Artist Trustee and became the first female Professor of Painting at the Royal Academy of Schools in 2011. She has exhibited extensively in galleries and museums throughout the world and her work is held in prestigious public and private collections. Her stamp is entitled Queen of the Sky.

Barbara Rae
Barbara Rae CBE is a Scottish painter and printmaker who studied at the Edinburgh College of Art and has taught art at the Aberdeen College of Education as well as at the Glasgow School of Art. She has received numerous awards for her art, with a number of works being displayed in institutions such as the University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, British Museum and Whitworth Art Gallery. The Royal Academy of Arts’ magazine, RA, has described Rae’s works as “intense colour bursts that evoke dramatic landscapes but remain resolutely abstract… distilling the colour, light and forms of nature into dazzling visions”. Her stamp is entitled Inverleith Allotments and Edinburgh Castle.

Yinka Shonibare
Yinka Shonibare MBE is a British-Nigerian artist whose work explores cultural identity, issues of race and class through the media of painting, sculpture, photography and film. He studied Fine Art at the Byam School of Art (now Central Saint Martin’s College) as well as Goldsmiths College. A Turner Prize nominee, he was awarded a MBE in 2004. He has works displayed in prestigious institutions including the Royal Opera House, the Tate Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Museum of African Art and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. His stamp is entitled Queuing at the RA.

The stamps and souvenir products can be pre-ordered now from www.royalmail.com/royalacademy and available from 7,000 Post Offices nationwide from 5 June 2018.

Duck Hunting (US FWS 2018)

The Scott catalogue numbers for this stamp and its varieties are:

RW85 $25 Mallards Hunting Permit Stamp, self-adhesive
b. Souvenir sheet of 4
RW85A $25 Mallards Hunting Permit Stamp, self-adhesive, souvenir sheet of 1

Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp

On June 29, 2018, in Hanover, MD, the U.S. Department of the Interior will issue the $25 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation stamp for the 2018–2019 waterfowl hunting season. The stamp will go on sale nationwide June 29, 2018, and is valid through June 30, 2019.
Distribution: Item 335800, 2018–2019 $100 85th Anniversary Commemorative Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, PSA Souvenir Sheet of 4

The 2018–2019 $100 85th Anniversary Commemorative Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) souvenir sheet of 4 stamps will only be distributed to Stamp Fulfillment Services (SFS) in Kansas City, MO, and by consignment via Amplex Corporation.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 335900, 2018–2019 $25 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, PSA Pane of 1: SFS will not make an automatic distribution to Post Offices.
Distribution: Item 336000, 2018–2019 $25 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, PSA Pane of 20

The 2018–2019 $25 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation PSA pane of 20 stamps will only be distributed to SFS in Kansas City, MO, and by consignment via Amplex Corporation.

Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

  • 335806 Migratory Bird Uncut Press Sheet (Pane of 4), $2,600.00.
  • 335906 Migratory Bird Uncut Press Sheet (Pane of 1) $1,170.00.
  • 336006 Migratory Bird Uncut Press Sheet (Pane of 20), $5,850.00.
  • 541818 Migratory Bird Silk Cachet, $35.00.
  • 541819 Migratory Bird Printed 85th Anniversary Cover, $35.00.
  • 541825*. Migratory Bird Commemorative Card, $70.00.

No locally produced items are authorized. Only merchandise that has been approved and assigned an item number by Headquarters Retail Marketing may be produced and sold.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Item Number: 335800
Denomination & Type of Issue: $25, Special
Format: Pane of 4 (1 design)
Series: Federal Duck
Issue Date & City: June 29, 2018, Hanover, MD 21076
Art Director: Suzanne Fellows, FWS
Artist: Robert Hautman
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint “FWS”
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 4
Print Quantity: 50,400 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Invisible Fluorescent
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.762 x 1.289 in./44.75 x 32.74 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.89 x 1.417 in./48.01 x 35.99 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.00 x 5.125 in./152.40 x 130.18 mm
Press Sheet Size
(w x h): 25.50 x 27.00 in./647.70 x 685.80 mm
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Selvage Text: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 85th Anniversary, Migratory
Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, Artist: Robert Hautman • U.S. Department of the Interior logo • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service logo • Silhouetted Image of Duck • Plate Number (1 position)
Back: Verso-text • Barcode • Black and white Sandhill Cranes image • 4 x $25.00

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Item Number: 335900
Denomination & Type of Issue: $25, Special
Format: Pane of 1 (1 design)
Series: Federal Duck
Issue Date & City: June 29, 2018, Hanover, MD 21076
Art Director: Suzanne Fellows, FWS
Artist: Robert Hautman
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint “FWS”
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 1
Print Quantity: 2,155,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Invisible Fluorescent
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.762 x 1.289 in./44.75 x 32.74 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.89 x 1.417 in./48.01 x 35.99 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.125 x 2.625 in./155.58 x 66.68 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 25.50 x 27.00 in./647.70 x 685.80 mm
Plate Size: 36 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal Markings:
Front: Selvage Text: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2018–2019 Migratory Bird Hunting & Conservation Stamp • Peel Here • Artist: Robert Hautman, Mallards© • If applicable sign your stamp • Conserve habitat for the future…Buy Duck Stamps! • Informational Text
Back: Verso-text • Barcode • Black and white Sandhill Cranes image • Ordering information • U.S. Department of the Interior logo • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service logo

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Item Number: 336000
Denomination & Type of Issue: $25, Special
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Federal Duck
Issue Date & City: June 29, 2018, Hanover, MD 21076
Art Director: Suzanne Fellows, FWS
Artist: Robert Hautman
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint “FWS”
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 200,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Invisible Fluorescent
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.762 x 1.289 in./44.75 x 32.74 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.89 x 1.417 in./48.01 x 35.99 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 8.25 x 8.25 in./209.55 x 209.55 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 25.50 x 27.00 in./647.70 x 685.80 mm
Plate Size: 180 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: P followed by five (5) digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Selvage Text: “Artist: Robert Hautman” (4 positions) • “Department of the Interior 20 x $25.00” (2 positions) • Silhouetted Image of Duck (2 positions) • Plate number (4 locations)
Back: Verso-text behind each stamp • Barcodes (4 positions)

Updated July 11th: The Scott catalogue editors have decided to assign just one number to all formats of this stamp, RW85.

De Ploeg Artists’ Society (Netherlands 2018)

[press release]
Art in Groningen: 10 stamps celebrating 100 years of De Ploeg

2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the De Ploeg artists’ society foundation in Groningen. PostNL commemorates the avant-garde in the north of our country with stamps using artwork from De Ploeg members. These new stamps were designed by Studio Joost Grootens in Amsterdam.

The stamp sheetlet 100 years De Ploeg shows 20 paintings and other works of art by artists such as Jan Altink, Johan Dijkstra, George Martens, Alida Pott and Jan Wiegers. Works of art by these artists and other members of De Ploeg are also being displayed in a major retrospective exhibition in the Groninger Museum entitled Avant-garde in Groningen, De Ploeg 1918-1928. The exhibition runs from 26 May until 4 November 2018.

Younger artists
The artists’ association De Ploeg was founded in 1918 as a response to the artistic climate in the city of Groningen. The younger artists wanted more opportunities to exhibit their own work. Although De Ploeg continued to exist as an active association up to the present day, its artistic heyday was the 1920s. Therefore artwork from this time period is chosen for the stamp sheetlet 100 years De Ploeg.

Multifaceted and interconnected
In close consultation with the Groninger Museum representative artwork was selected to be depicted on the stamps. “You can see clearly how multifaceted and creative that period’s artists were,” says Stephan van den Eijnden, Commercial Director Mail PostNL. “They had a very strong interconnection. That’s for example deductible from the large number of portraits they made of each other.”

Availability
The stamp sheetlet 100 years de Ploeg features 10 different stamps marked with Nederland 1, the denomination for mail weighing up to 20g that is to be delivered to an address in The Netherlands. The stamps are available from 22 May onwards at the postoffice counter in Bruna stores and online at www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels. Stamps can also be ordered by calling the Collect Club customer service line on 088 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.

Grain Silo Art (Australia 2018)

[press release]
Australia Post looks to towering grain silo art to inspire latest stamp issue

Australia Post is releasing a commemorative issue of four stamps to recognise the towns, businesses and artists who have created iconic art on silos across regional Australia.

Australia Post Philatelic Manager Michael Zsolt said: “Silo art projects have been appearing across Australia since 2015 and are a magnificent symbol of the local people, natural environment, history and industries that are at the heart of these rural communities”.

“The remarkable painted grain silos have revitalised the local towns, many of which have suffered from drought or population attrition. These murals have put these small country towns firmly on the national and international map, attracting an increasing number of visitors”.

The silo art featured on the four domestic base-rate ($1) stamps are:

  • Guido Van Helten, Brim (Victoria): The first silo art in eastern Australia was commissioned in Brim, Victoria as an initiative of artist Guido van Helten, silo owner GrainCorp and local community organisation Brim Active Group. The 30-metre-tall artwork depicts three men and one woman, wearing hats to shield their faces from the midday sun, and was completed over a three week period. The success of the mural as a tourist attraction encouraged the Yarriambiack Shire to commission five additional GrainCorp silo murals, now known as the Wimmera-Mallee Silo Art Trail.
  • Drapl and The Zookeeper, Thallon (Queensland): The four 30-metre-high, 40-metre-wide silos in Thallon were painted as part of a co-initiative between the artists (Drapl and The Zookeeper), the Thallon Progress Association and GrainCorp. Entitled “Watering Hole” the mural depicts aspects of Thallon, including the spectacular sunsets, the picturesque Moonie River, a scarred tree acknowledging the community’s indigenous history and sheep to reference the wool industry.
  • Amok Island, Ravensthorpe (Western Australia): Artist Amok Island was commissioned by FORM agency on behalf of silo owners CBH Group to paint their three silos located in Ravensthorpe. Titled Six Stages in Banksia baxteri, the mural depicts local flora and fauna, with each side of the three silos showing a different stage in the flowering cycle of the banksia, an endemic species to the area.
  • Heesco Khosnaran, Weethalle (New South Wales): The first silo mural to be created in New South Wales can be found in the Central West town of Weethalle. Inspired by Victoria’s silo trail, the Bland Shire Council called for applications from artists Australia-wide to undertake the project. Heesco Khosnaran was the successful artist selected by the council and community representatives; drawing inspiration for his murals from photographs representing the district’s main agricultural activities: shearing and wheat growing.

The products available with this stamp issue include a first day cover, stamp pack, minisheet, maxicards, self-adhesive booklets of 10 and a booklet collection.

The Silo Art stamp issue is available from 21 May 2018 at participating Post Offices, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at auspost.com.au/stamps. Please visit auspostcollectables.com.au for more information on the Silo Art stamp issue.

Memorial Cup Centennial (Canada 2018)

[press release]
Stamp honours the 100th presentation of the Memorial Cup
Trophy tells Canadian story of community, family, honour and respect

REGINA – Hours before the puck drops to start the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup Championship tournament, Canada Post lifted the veil on its newest stamp at City Hall, celebrating the storied history of one of the most cherished trophies in sport.

“The Memorial Cup, 100th Presentation stamp symbolizes junior hockey supremacy in North America, hockey’s connection to community and Canadians’ respect for tradition,” says Jessica McDonald, Canada Post’s Chair of the Board of Directors and Interim President and CEO. “The Cup is part of the very fabric of our great nation.”

Donated in remembrance of Canadians who made the supreme sacrifice for their country during the First World War, the Cup was rededicated in 2010 to the memory of all members of the Canadian Armed Forces who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty.

“What others have given us endures through our acts of remembrance, such as the Memorial Cup,” says The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, the Minister of Public Service and Procurement who is responsible for Canada Post. “Over the decades, competing for this Cup has shaped the characters and lives of thousands of young men.”

The Cup is awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) champion, following a four-team, round-robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL’s member leagues: the Western Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League.

“The CHL is very proud to be celebrating this special year in Regina,” says CHL President David Branch. “We thank Canada Post for commemorating this event and over the next 10 days, we’ll see some of the best junior players in the world compete for the ultimate prize in junior hockey.”

Illustrated by Louis Hébert and designed by Paprika of Montréal, the stamp evokes the Canadian flag. It features two players from the Regina Pats, which in 1919 competed in the first Memorial Cup against the University of Toronto Schools of the Ontario Hockey Association. The Pats are this year’s host team.

“The Regina Pats have a very long history in our community and in Canada’s hockey community,” said Regina Mayor Michael Fougere. “This design acknowledges that the Pats legacy is intertwined with the Memorial Cup’s, and I have no doubt our residents will be very proud of this representation.”

The stamp comes in pennant-shaped booklets of 10 and shows a Pats player from yesteryear facing off against a modern-day player, with an illustration of the Memorial Cup between them. As a tribute to the trophy’s origins, the Official First Day Cover includes a photo of two Canadian Armed Forces members accompanying the Cup. The OFDC is cancelled in Regina.

On May 27, 2018, the Memorial Cup will be presented for the 100th time at the Brandt Centre in Regina, where tonight the host Regina Pats play the champion Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League in the first game of this year’s national tournament.

The stamps and all related products are available at retail outlets and online at canadapost.ca/memorialcup.

[Communiqué]
Un timbre en l’honneur de la 100e Coupe Memorial
Un trophée à l’image du sens de la communauté, de la famille, de l’honneur et du respect des Canadiens

REGINA – Quelques heures avant la mise au jeu de la rondelle marquant le début du championnat de la Coupe Memorial Mastercard de 2018, Postes Canada a dévoilé son plus récent timbre à l’hôtel de ville de Regina, en Saskatchewan, en l’honneur de la riche histoire de l’un des trophées sportifs les plus prisés.

« Le timbre consacré au centenaire de la Coupe Memorial est le symbole de la suprématie du hockey junior en Amérique du Nord, du lien qui unit ce sport aux collectivités et du respect des traditions canadiennes », dit Jessica McDonald, présidente du Conseil d’administration et présidente-directrice générale par intérim à Postes Canada. « La Coupe fait partie de l’essence même de notre grande nation. »

Offerte en souvenir des soldats canadiens qui sont tombés au combat pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, la Coupe est dédiée depuis 2010 à la mémoire de tous les membres des Forces armées canadiennes qui ont donné leur vie pour servir leur pays.

« Leur ultime sacrifice subsiste grâce à nos actes commémoratifs, comme la Coupe Memorial », dit l’honorable Carla Qualtrough, ministre des Services publics et de l’Approvisionnement, et ministre responsable de Postes Canada. « Depuis des décennies, la Coupe contribue à forger le caractère et à façonner la vie des milliers de jeunes hommes qui se la disputent. »

La Coupe est présentée tous les ans aux champions de la Ligue canadienne de hockey (LCH), après un tournoi à la ronde de quatre équipes entre une équipe locale et les champions des ligues membres de la LCH : la Western Hockey League, la Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec et la Ligue de hockey de l’Ontario.

« La LCH est très fière de célébrer cette année spéciale à Regina, dit le président de la LCH, David Branch. Nous remercions Postes Canada qui a souligné l’événement. Au cours des dix prochains jours, nous allons voir quelques-uns des meilleurs joueurs junior du monde se disputer le prix le plus convoité au hockey junior. »

Illustré par Louis Hébert et conçu par l’agence Paprika de Montréal, le timbre rappelle le drapeau canadien. Il représente deux joueurs des Regina Pats, qui en 1919 se sont disputé la première Coupe Memorial contre la University of Toronto Schools de l’Association du hockey de l’Ontario. L’équipe hôte de cette année sera les Pats.

« L’histoire des Regina Pats remonte à loin, tant au sein de notre communauté qu’au sein de la collectivité du hockey au Canada, dit le maire de Regina, Michael Fougere. Ce design reconnaît le lien étroit qui existe entre l’héritage des Pats et la Coupe Memorial, et je suis sûr que nos résidants seront très fiers de cette image. »

Le timbre, qui est offert en carnets de dix en forme de fanion, montre un joueur des Pats d’antan qui affronte un joueur de l’ère moderne, avec une illustration de la Coupe Memorial entre les deux. En hommage aux origines du trophée, le pli Premier Jour officiel présente une photo de deux membres des Forces armées canadiennes avec le trophée. Son oblitération porte la mention « REGINA ».

Le 27 mai 2018, la Coupe Memorial sera présentée pour la 100e fois au Centre Brandt à Regina. Ce soir, l’équipe locale des Regina Pats jouera contre les Hamilton Bulldogs, champions de la Ligue de hockey de l’Ontario, lors du premier match du tournoi national de cette année.

Les timbres et produits dérivés sont en vente dans les bureaux de poste et en ligne sur postescanada.ca/coupememorial.

Zais To Leave APS for Dept of Education

[This story will be updated.]

American Philatelic Society president Mitchell “Mick” Zais has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Deputy Secretary of Education. That means he will have to resign his APS post, as required by White House ethics rules.

The Deputy Secretary is the number-two official at DOE. The vote was 50-48, along party lines. Sens. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) were not in Washington and did not vote.

“On behalf of the APS members, I would like to thank Mick for his years of service on the APS Board,” said Scott English, Executive Director, who also worked with Zais in South Carolina, “Even with his new responsibilities, I hope he still has time to collect, visit a few stamp shows, and even recruit a few new members in the Nation’s Capital. Best of luck in the next chapter!”

According to a press release from the Department of Education, “Dr. Zais most recently served as South Carolina’s elected State Superintendent of Education from 2011-2015. Prior to that, he served 10 years as president of Newberry College in South Carolina. Dr. Zais served 31 years in the U.S. Army and retired as a Brigadier General. He holds a B.S. in engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an M.A. degree in military history, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in organizational behavior and social psychology from the University of Washington. He served as South Carolina Commissioner of Higher Education and is a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, the states’ highest civilian award.”

He was elected to the APS presidency for a three-year term in the spring of 2016, and took office in August 2016. He previously served on the APS Board of Vice Presidents from 2013 to 2016.

Zais has been an APS member since 1976, joining after attending Interphil 1976, the seventh international show held in Philadelphia. He is also a member of the American First Day Cover Society, specializing in the Army half of the Army-Navy series of 1937, which he has begun exhibiting.

Zais’ nomination was first put forward last year by the White House. It was approved December 13th by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and sent to the full Senate for action. Then, because the Senate recessed for more than 30 days over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays without acting upon it, the nomination was “returned” to President Trump and had to be resubmitted in January.

According to the APS Bylaws, in the event of the resignation of the President, the Board of Directors will choose a replacement from among the current members of the Board. The Board must call a meeting within 10 days of the vacancy to fill the position. That meeting has been called for Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at 5 p.m. EDT. The telephone meeting is open to the public and APS members are welcome to join the call in to 888-537-7715 (toll free). The passcode is 13291358#

The current members of the Board, other than Zais, are:

  • Trish Kaufmann, Vice President
  • Jeff Shapiro, Vice President
  • Robert Zeigler, Vice President
  • Stephen Schumann, Secretary
  • Bruce Marsden, Treasurer
  • Michael Bloom, Director-at-Large
  • Peter McCann, Director-at-Large
  • Rich Drews, Director-at-Large
  • Mark Schwartz, Director-at-Large
  • Stephen Reinhard, Immediate Past President

McCann was president from 1999-2003, and Reinhard from 2013-2016. The newly elected president will complete Zais’ term through August 2019.

Zais participated in the unveiling of a flag stamp at the January 2017 first-day ceremony during Southeastern Stamp Expo. He is on the left:

The Virtual Stamp Club interviewed Zais about his first six months as president last January. The VSC radio feature is here (script and audio file).

Harry-Meghan Royal Wedding (Britain 2018)

[press release]
Royal Mail Celebrates The Marriage Of HRH Prince Henry Of Wales To Ms Meghan Markle With New Special Stamps

  • Four stamps marking the Royal Wedding will be issued on 19 May – the day of the wedding
  • Stamp images are taken from the official engagement photographs taken by Alexi Lubomirski at Frogmore House, Windsor, in December 2017
  • The wedding will take place in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
  • The miniature sheet of four stamps is available to pre-order from today at www.royalmail.com/royalwedding2018 and from 19 May at 7,000 Post Offices nationwide

Royal Mail today reveal images of the Special Stamps being issued to celebrate the wedding of Prince Henry of Wales to Ms Meghan Markle.

In December, three official engagement photographs were released, taken by New York based photographer Alexi Lubomirski at Frogmore House, Windsor. Two of these were selected for the stamps which are printed in a souvenir miniature sheet.


From the Royal Mail website:

“This very special stamp issue is designed to capture the unique nature of a royal wedding focused on fun, joy and a chance to celebrate with the public. This unique collection of souvenirs and gifts includes a Presentation Pack, Stamp Souvenir & Royal Wedding limited edition Coin Covers in collaboration with The Royal Mint.”