AFDCS Chooses BALPEX for Its 2026 Convention

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[press release]
AFDCS Chooses BALPEX for Its 2026 Convention

The American First Day Cover Society, the world’s largest not-for-profit FDC collecting organization, will hold its Americover 2026 exhibition and annual convention in conjunction with BALPEX 2026, the Maryland World Series of Philately show. The dates are August 7-9, at the BWI Airport Marriott Hotel in Linthicum Heights, Md.

For the past four years, Americover has been part of Great American Stamp Show, of which the AFDCS is a co-sponsor with the American Philatelic Society and American Topical Association. However, “GASS” will not be held in 2026 because of the Boston 2026 international exhibition and the AFDCS decided it wanted to continue its streak of 71 consecutive annual conventions.

That means the hotel will be hosting two WSP exhibitions that weekend, BALPEX’s and Americover. A single jury will judge both.

The Baltimore Philatelic Society has sponsored the BALPEX show and exhibition since the 1930s. Its 2017 Grand Award exhibit, “Colonial Central America” by James Mazepa, won the APS Champion of Champions competition for that year. The BWI Airport Marriott has a free shuttle from the airport and there is a free shuttle from the Amtrak BWI station to the airport.

From 1993 to 2019, the AFDCS held Americover as an independent show at locations around the country. It became a World Series of Philately exhibition in 2005. Although it will have a booth, meetings and seminars at Boston 2026, “we felt holding Americover at BALPEX would be a better fit for us than the International,” said AFDCS president Lloyd A. de Vries.

“We are happy to have the AFDCS join us for BALPEX 2026, and look forward to a great show,” said Richard Taschenberg, BALPEX exhibits chairman and program coordinator.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. It publishes its bimonthly award-winning journal First Days as well as handbooks and catalogues and maintains a YouTube channel. The AFDCS also promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 57, Somerset, WI 54025-0057.

Bumper Crop of Candidates for AFDCS Board

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Eight members are running for the four open seats on the American First Day Cover Society’s 2025 election, only three of whom are incumbents. The ballots are now in the mail to members.

The winners of the election will serve three-year terms, beginning January 1, 2026. In addition, the fifth-place finisher will immediately join the Board to fill a vacancy caused by a resignation. Directors and officers receive no compensation for their service and are not reimbursed for expenses related to serving on the Board.

The election is only being conducted by mail; there is no online voting. Because of Pandemic-related problems, the first separate election mailing was distributed in 2020, and turnout was so much better than in previous elections that the AFDCS decided to continue the practice.

The candidates are Steven Ripley, an event and emergency coordinator from Florida; Shirley Ulling from California, a school transportation worker before retirement; Walter Douglas George, a retired supermarket executive from Massachusetts; Chris Calle, a professional artist who lives in Connecticut; Bobby Liao, retired software executive from California; Lloyd de Vries of New Jersey, a retired broadcast journalist; Jim Tatum, a former television and film professional; and Michael Moticha from California, a career Army officer. Tatum, de Vries and Moticha are incumbents.

After the results of the board election are known, the Directors will choose officers for the next calendar year — president, executive vice president, first vice president, treasurer and recording secretary — as well as a chair of the Board.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to its journal First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 57, Somerset, WI 54025-0057.

Scott Catalogue Update (September 2025)

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UX649 Schooner postcard
UY56 Schooner reply postcard

6023 250 Years of Delivering
a. post office loading dock
b. customers at post office entrance
c. equestrian statue
d. dogs and their walkers
e. coffee shop entrance
f. USPS driver waves
g. park bench
h. people and animals
i. carrier accesses blue curbside collection box
j. balloons at rooftop party
k. carrier at apartment cluster box
l. restaurant customers wave
m. carrier accesses green USPS relay box
n. Next Generation Delivery Vehicle in profile
o. bookstore entrance
p. USPS carrier checks her watch
q. carrier delivers to man at old house
r. winter tree
s. crowd of pedestrians in street
t. carrier holds child at home

6024 Benjamin Franklin

6025-8 SpongeBob SquarePants
6025 Bikini Bottom characters Sandy Cheeks, Patrick Star, Plankton, Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob, Gary, and Squidward Tentacles
6026 SpongeBob face with mouth open
6027 SpongeBob face with mouth closed
6028 SpongeBob and Patrick

Cachet Winners: It Runs In The Family

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Awards in the recent American First Day Cover Society cachetmaking contest for 2024 issues went to three mother-daughter pairs and one father-mother-daughter family unit. We also missed a grandfather/granddaughter combo at first, because of the difference in last names.

And the top award went to a brother-sister collaboration: Doug George and his sister Jennifer MacLellan, both of Massachusetts, produced what the judges decided was the best cachet of the year, a first day cover that was a booklet with a tiny embroidered baseball jersey for the Hank Aaron issue. It was also the winner in the Esoteric category. (Photo on the left.)

Marrah Reichert who tied for first place in the Juniors 10 and Under category, is Kevin Colton‘s granddaughter. Last year, he won the overall Top Cachet award. This year, his Holiday Joy FDCs won second in Se-Tenant Covers, third for the Big Dog Race in Event Covers, and he continued his domination of Foreign Covers with first- and second-place wins. But that’s Marrah’s Lunar New Year FDC shown here. She’s now 11 but was 10 when she produced this cachet.

Carolyn Marks designed the Miscellaneous Medium category winner for Shaker Design, while daughters Annajoy and Katelyn took home their own plaques for Juniors Ages 11 to 17 for, respectively, Bluegrass and Pinback Buttons. That’s Annajoy, Katelyn and Carolyn, left to right, in the photo.

Mother Amy Scolieri won Rookie of the Year honors, while daughter Genivieve placed second in Juniors Ages 10 and Younger. That’s Amy and Genivieve in the photo. Father Gregory Scolieri won second and third in Hand-Drawn/Hand-Colored/Hand-Painted. (His photo is below.)

Tricia Richmond won in the Printed Artwork/Design, Multicolored and Noncommercial categories, while adult daughter Darcy Richmond took second place Miscellaneous Medium and third in Noncommercial. The Richmonds were not able to attend Americover/Great American Stamp Show 2025, where the awards were presented.

There’s even a father-daughter connection of sorts. Arianna Calle, now a college student, has won in the Junior categories in the past. This year, she placed second in the Hand-Colored/Hand-Painted and Printed from Original Artwork, first and second in Hand-Colored/Hand-Painted and Printed from Non-Original Artwork, and first in the Printed/Single-Color. Her father Chris provided the artwork for the second-place Event cover of the year. (Chris ran the contest, but swears he did not get involved in Arianna’s categories. But he did get to flash a big smile while holding two of her awards.)

Back to that George family: Doug won first and third in the Hand-Colored/Hand-Painted and Printed from Original Artwork category, second and a tie for third in single-color, first place on his own in Duck covers and third in a collaboration in that category, and first and third in the Se-Tenant issues category. Sister Jennifer, on her own, won third place in Esoteric.

“Both my sister and I were shocked and amazed that we won the Top Cachetmaker award this year,” Doug told The Virtual Stamp Club. “Just being able to work with my brother and connect and learn from him is rewarding enough,” added Jennifer.

“The Hank Aaron booklet design was all Doug’s idea,” she said. ” It was great to see his vision come together.”

The Hank Aaron FDC combines her embroidery wizardry with other cachetmaking techniques.

We promised you a photo of Gregory Scolieri, here receiving his award from competition chair Chris Calle.

You can see the complete (illustrated) list of winners here on The Virtual Stamp Club, starting here.

Photos courtesy of Doug George.

McFarlane Book Wins AFDCS Literature Award

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Press Release
McFarlane Exhibiting Book Wins AFDCS Ward Award

First Day Cover Philatelic Exhibiting: A Master Class by Andrew McFarlane is the 2024 winner of the American First Day Cover Society’s annual Philip H. Ward, Jr., Memorial Award for Excellence in First Day Cover Literature. It also won the Grand Award in the 2025 Great American Stamp Show literature competition as well as a large gold. The more than 500-page book was published by Exhibitors Press and is available on Amazon in both hardcover and paperback editions. Autographed copies may be ordered from his website.

The first four volumes of Kenneth M. Stern’s ongoing series of catalogues of Walter G. Crosby First Day Covers, covering 1928 through 1943, was the runner-up. The fifth and final volume, 1944 through 1949, was published earlier this year. All are also available on Amazon and Stern publishes updates on his website.

“It’s an honor even to be considered,” said McFarlane. “Receiving the award goes beyond anything I’d ever dreamed.”

As an exhibitor, he has won more than seven national exhibition Grand Awards, including that of the American First Day Cover’s Americover in 2005, 2011 and 2013. McFarlane, an IT consultant, also is the recipient of the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors’ Diamond Award for multi-frame exhibiting. He lives in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains with his wife Caroline.

Philip Henry Ward, Jr., began servicing first day covers in 1909. An electrical engineer by trade, he wrote on new issues for The American Philatelist, Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News and The Weekly Philatelic Gazette in the early 20th century.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to publishing its journal First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 57, Somerset, WI 54025-0057.

USPS “Easter Eggs” on 2025 Stamps

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I haven’t seen these mentioned elsewhere, but we learned at Great American Stamp Show that there are at least two “Easter Eggs” or hidden images in U.S. stamp designs for 2025. The first was on the Betty White stamp: Her visible earring is in the shape of a paw print, to represent her love and advocacy for animals:The second is on a stamp not yet issued, one of the Holiday Cheer stamps:On the one with the birds, at least two of the snowdrops on the branches have “frost” inside them. (The one shown here is sideways.)And I’m told there will be others in 2026.

Monty Python (UK 2025)

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
And Now for Something Completely Different!
Set of 10 Stamps Celebrate Monty Python

  • Issue date: 14 August
  • Six stamps in the main set celebrate unforgettable characters from the iconic television series, Monty Python’s Flying Circus
  • A further four stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, celebrate the 50th anniversary of the cult film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
  • The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/montypython and by telephone on 03457 641641

Royal Mail has announced that a set of 10 stamps will pay tribute to one of Britain’s most influential and enduring comedy troupes – Monty Python.

The main set of six stamps celebrates the unforgettable characters and sketches from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the iconic British comedy series that redefined television humour. Each stamp features a vibrant montage of scenes and cut-out illustrations, perfectly capturing Monty Python’s unique blend of wit, satire and absurdity.

The stamps showcase legendary moments from the show, including the Spanish Inquisition, the Ministry of Silly Walks, the Lumberjack Song, the Dead Parrot Sketch, Nudge Nudge and Spam.

And in honour of 50 years of the cult 1975 film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a further four stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, celebrate the film that redefined spoof cinema and cemented the group’s international status.

Scenes featured are:

      • The Black Knight’s defiant “’Tis but a scratch!”
      • King Arthur and his knights receiving their divine quest
      • The panicked cry of “Run away! Run away!” from a failed charge
      • Sir Robin’s encounter with the Three-Headed Giant – “You’re lucky, you’re not next to him!”

    From iconic television sketches to blockbuster films, chart-topping albums, and sold-out live performances, the legendary group – Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin – has been at the forefront of comedic innovation for nearly sixty years, captivating audiences across generations with their unique blend of wit, satire, and surreal humour.

    Sir Michael Palin said: “Very glad to share a stamp with the nude organist!”

    David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy, Royal Mail, said: “Monty Python has left an indelible mark on global comedy, all while remaining unmistakably British at its core. From their groundbreaking television debut to a string of iconic films, this stamp collection honours a body of work that has shaped the comedic landscape for nearly six decades.”

    The stamps, and a range of collectible products, are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/montypython and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 10 stamps is priced at £17.90. The stamps go on general sale from 14 August.

The set of stamps is £10.20 or about $13.70 USD. The souvenir sheet is £6.80 or USD$9.13. The additional products include the presentation pack, first day covers, medal covers (FDCs), postcards, framed stamps and a fan sheet.

Want To See An Encore for a Favorite U.S. Issue?

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
USPS Stamp Encore Voting Open Now
Vote for your favorite stamp to be reissued in 2026

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is excited to announce the Stamp Encore Contest. To celebrate the organization’s 250th anniversary, and gear up to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, the public is invited to select a stamp pane from the past for re-printing as part of the 2026 Stamp program.

The Postal Service chose 25 stamp panes from some of its bestselling and most popular stamp issuances of the recent past. Voting is open through Sept. 30, both online and by mail. You can view the official rules and vote online at stampsforever.com/vote, or print a paper ballot from the website and mail it in.

This is an open invitation — everyone is welcome, and you can vote as many times as you want.

The Postal Service plans to announce the winning stamp design in May 2026 at the Boston 2026 World Expo to coincide with America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

Until then, the results will be a secret.

List of stamps:

Art of Disney: Magic (2007)
Bugs Bunny (1997)
DC Comics Super Heroes (2006)
Flag Act of 1818 (2018)
Have a Ball! (2017)
Mail a Smile (2015)
Peanuts (2001)
Star Wars: Droids (2021)
Wonder Woman (2016		 Batman (2015)
Charles M. Schulz (2022)
Disney Villains (2017)
Frozen Treats (2018)
Heritage Breeds (2021)
Message Monsters (2021)
Send a Hello (2011)
Total Eclipse of the Sun (2017)		 Bioluminescent Life (2018)
Classics Forever (2016)
Emancipation Proclamation (2013)
Happy Birthday (2021)
Let’s Celebrate (2020)
Mister Rogers (2018)
Star Trek (2016)
Transcontinental Railroad (2019)

AFDCS Seeks Board Candidates

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[press release]
Self-nominations are now open for the Board of Directors of the American First Day Cover Society, the largest not-for-profit FDC organization in the world. Each year, the membership of the AFDCS elects four people to serve on its board for three-year terms.

Those running for the board must be members in good standing and are expected to submit a statement of no more than 300 words and a photo. There is no other “qualifying process” for nominations: No 10-member petitions, minimum tenure in the AFDCS, nor the ability to recite cachet catalogue numbers from memory. Reasonable proficiency with email is expected.

Once elected, Directors are expected to attend the one in-person meeting a year (held at the convention) and ad hoc online meetings, participate in email discussions and vote electronically on matters that come before the board. The candidates are announced at Americover, the annual convention (held this year in conjunction with Great American Stamp Show) and the ballot and their statements are mailed to members in the fall. The terms begin on January 1.

Mark Gereb of New Jersey is chairing the AFDCS 2025 Nominating Committee, aided by Tris Fall of Pennsylvania and John Peterson of California. Those wish to run, or who would like more information, should contact Mark at rec.sec@afdcs.org.

The AFDCS Board of Directors consists of 12 elected members, plus three ex-officio members: the president, editor, and general counsel. (The Society’s complete bylaws are available at www.afdcs.net/bylaws). Directors are not compensated in any way for serving on the board, although they may receive reimbursement for expenses not related to serving on the board or attending meetings.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization, established in 1955. It publishes the award-winning bimonthly journal First Days, as well as handbooks and catalogues, maintains a YouTube channel, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as the exhibiting of FDCs.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 57, Somerset, WI 54025-0057.