APS Member Kelley New Stamp Advisory Panel Chair

Posted on October 20, 2023 by VSC

[USPS press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New Chairman Announced for Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced that Dr. Joseph L. Kelley will be the new chair of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, or CSAC. Appointed to CSAC in 2021, Dr. Kelley brings a science background to the stamp development process, as well as a deep love for stamps and stamp history. He will begin his term Oct. 20.

Kelley succeeds Bolivar Jose “BJ” Bueno, who completed his term as chairman.

Created in 1957, CSAC selects subjects for recommendation as future stamp issues, keeping in mind the interests of all postal customers, including stamp collectors. Appointed by the postmaster general, committee members are knowledgeable about history, business, science and technology, fine art, education, performing arts, sports and other subjects of public interest.

Dr. Joseph Kelley
Kelley is a stamp collector. His collection includes stamps from the United States, including U.S. Fish & Wildlife federal duck stamps, as well as the United Nations, Ireland, Vatican City and the Antarctic territories. He’s particularly interested in stamps related to the COVID-19 pandemic and honoring Mother Teresa. He recently became interested in stamps made of leather or other unusual materials. He is a member of the American Philatelic Society, Éire Stamp Club, Vatican Philatelic Society, American Topical Association and the Wilkinsburg Stamp Club.

Kelley says he became a stamp collector at his wife’s suggestion as a way to relax from his work as a gynecologic oncologist. An accomplished clinician, surgeon, educator, researcher and administrator, Dr. Kelley recently retired from medicine. He is professor emeritus in obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and serves on the board of directors of Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Kelley earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Colgate University, a masters in physiology from Rutgers University, and a medical degree from St. Louis University. His postgraduate training included a residency at Magee-Womens Hospital and a fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.

Within his community, Kelley has served on several academic and medical not-for-profit organizations. He and his wife, Karen Dunn, have three children and reside in the Pittsburgh area.

Submitting Stamp Suggestions
Due to the time required for research and approval in the stamp selection process, ideas for stamp subjects should be received at least three years prior to the proposed issuance. Each submission should include pertinent historical information and important dates associated with the subject. Proposals must be in writing and submitted by U.S. Mail. No in-person appeals, phone calls or e-mails are accepted. Mail your suggestion (one topic per letter) to the address below:

Stamp Development
Attn: Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260-3501

First Stamp Issues Honoring Boston 2026 Show

Posted on October 20, 2023 by VSC

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
First Stamp Issue Referencing Boston 2026

Empresa de Correos de Honduras (HONDUCOR), the postal service of Honduras, issued a pair of stamps on October 12 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the formation of its national philatelic organization, the Federacion Filatelica de la República de Honduras (FFRH) and continued support of its membership in the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal (UPAEP). Each sheets’ selvedge inscriptions also reference the Boston 2026 World Expo.

The 25 and 35 Lempira face valued stamps depict the first UPAEP post horn logo surrounded by the 28 member national flags and a close up of a stamp collector viewing a stamp with tongs and a magnifying glass, respectively.

The denominations, approximately US $1.01 and US $1.42, pay the basic international 20-grams letter rate to Group 2 and Group 4 countries. They were printed by offset in sheetlets of 30 in a 6×5 configuration. Only 7,500 sets were printed, 250 sheets of each denomination.

Top sheetlet selvedge tabs alternate the Boston 2026 logo with the show dates in English and Spanish. The six lower tabs are each different depicting the Boston 2026 web URL; sheet number; Boston 2026 logo; show dates; a description and Mi Oficina You Tube URL to learn more about philately from member countries; and the logo and QR code linking to the Mi Oficina web page. Mi Oficina is an active online group of mostly Latin American philatelists formed during the pandemic and continues to meet regularly via Zoom. They have published over 600 videos in the past 3 years.

Empresa de Correos de Honduras (HONDUCOR) is online at www.honducor.gob.hn.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

Harry Potter Wizarding World (UK 2023)

Posted on October 8, 2023 by VSC

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail Pays Homage to the Wizarding World with a Set of Atmospheric Special Stamps Inspired by the Battle Of Hogwarts

Iconic characters Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Lord Voldemort are shown alongside members of Dumbledore’s Army and the Order of the Phoenix, as well as Lord Voldemort’s followers and Death Eaters
The main set of 10 stamps depict characters as they appear in the later films, with a further six stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, featuring illustrations of beloved creatures and beings
The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to pre-order from today (5 October) at www.royalmail.com/harrypotter and by telephone on 03457 641 641

Royal Mail in partership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, today revealed images of 16 Special Stamps being issued to pay homage to the Harry Potter film series.

The main set of 10 stamps feature atmospheric images of characters – both good and evil – presented in the darker tone used for the later films, in which the Battle of Hogwarts reaches its climactic finale.

Each stamp has a secondary scene or character incorporated into the design and, in addition, the ‘1ST‘ font used for the value of the stamps replicates that of the iconic typeface used for the films.

Characters who feature on the stamps are: Ron Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, Molly Weasley, Bellatrix Lestrange, Narcissa Malfoy, Fenrir Greyback, Scabior, Lord Voldemort, a Death Eater, Severus Snape, Alecto Carrow, Draco Malfoy and Gregory Goyle.

A further six stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, feature illustrations of the fascinating creatures and beings of the wizarding world. From Aragog the Acromantula, to the beloved house-elf Dobby, the full set also includes Harry’s beloved owl Hedwig, Fawkes the phoenix, Buckbeak the hippogriff and Hermione’s cat Crookshanks.

The Battle of Hogwarts:
For over 20 years, the world has been captivated by the magic of the Harry Potter films, which culminated in an epic, two-part finale.

In “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows –- Part 1,” Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger set out on a perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort’s immortality and destruction – the Horcruxes.

On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends relied on one another more than ever.

“Part 2” saw the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalate into an all-out war. Many risked their lives in this battle, but no one was in greater danger than Harry Potter as he drew closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy said: “The Harry Potter stories and films have become a modern classic around the world. For more than two decades the characters in the Harry Potter series have captivated us and kept us enthralled. Each stamp is a miniature masterpiece, a fitting tribute to mark the climactic end to the Battle of Hogwarts.”

The stamps, and range of collectible products, are available to pre-order from today (5 October) at www.royalmail.com/harrypotter and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 16 stamps in the set is priced at £20.90. The stamps go on general sale on 19 October.

About Wizarding World:
In the years since Harry Potter was whisked from King’s Cross Station onto Platform nine and three quarters, his incredible adventures have left a unique and lasting mark on popular culture. Eight blockbuster Harry Potter films based on the original stories by J.K. Rowling have brought the magical stories to life and today, the Wizarding World is recognized as one of the world’s best-loved brands.

Representing a vast interconnected universe, it also includes three epic Fantastic Beasts films, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – the multi-award-winning stage-play, state-of-the-art video and mobile games from Portkey Games, innovative consumer products, thrilling live entertainment (including four theme park lands), insightful exhibitions, as well as a forthcoming Harry Potter TV series.

This expanding portfolio of Warner Bros. Discovery owned Wizarding World tours and retail also includes the flagship Harry Potter New York, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, and the Platform 9 3⁄4 retail shops.

The Wizarding World continues to evolve to provide Harry Potter fans with fresh and exciting ways to engage. For the worldwide fan community, and for generations to come, it welcomes everyone in to explore and discover the magic for themselves.

From VSC: Here are some of the other philatelic products offered by Royal Mail for this issue: First day covers with the 10 individual stamps, each £15.65. The Prestige Booklet FDCs are £5.00 but the Prestige Booklet is £25.25. A “limited edition” prestige booklet is £49.99, but not available until 5 November.The Medal Cover FDCs are £19.99 each, and each cachet is only shown with the stamps shown here. I got a kick out of the Dobby the House Elf medal design……with the sock. There are four postmarks for this issue, two for the set of 10 stamps and the prestige booklet pane, and two for the minisheet FDCs:And, for the truly diehard Harry Potter fan:a Gold Stamp Ingot for £49.99

Child Welfare Semi-Postal (Legos) (Netherlands 2023)

Posted on October 8, 2023 by VSC

[from PostNL press material] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Child Welfare Stamps 2023

Date of issue: 9 October 2023
Appearance: sheet of five special stamps in five different designs, marked with the denomination ‘1’ for post up to 20 g in weight destined for delivery within the Netherlands, with a €0.50 surcharge per stamp
Item number: 431260
Illustrations and design: The LEGO Group

On 9 October 2023, PostNL will issue a new sheet of Child Welfare Stamps marked with the denomination ‘1’ for destinations within the Netherlands. The design of this year’s five stamps revolves around LEGO toys.

Since 1924, PostNL has been issuing Child Welfare Stamps to raise money for projects aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable children. To this end, a €0.50 surcharge is added to each stamp. The proceeds from all surcharges will be used for projects developed by the Child Welfare Stamps Foundation (Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland). This independent foundation is committed to giving children in the Netherlands and other countries equal development opportunities.

The Charity
This year, more than 130,000 pupils from the last two years of primary schools will be taking orders for the Child Welfare Stamps from 27 September through 4 October. PostNL will deliver all orders starting on 11 October. The proceeds from the 2022 campaign amounted to €9.6 million (USD $10.2 million).

The theme of the 2023 campaign is ‘Let every child participate’, with the focus being on children facing social and societal exclusion. More and more children are falling behind at school. They have such big problems at home that they are unable to develop to their full potential, thus being unable to get the best out of themselves. Child Welfare Stamps helps these children with projects that make them feel more confident and broaden their horizons. This way these children can be guided towards positive development, at school and beyond.

‘We see more and more children falling behind and not getting the same opportunities to develop to their full potential,’ says Sofie Vriends, director of Child Welfare Stamps. ‘For example, one in 12 children now grow up in poverty. One in six children has a parent with a mental health or addiction problem. And a lot of children feel lonely on a regular basis. They do not get to learn enough and are isolated, at school and beyond. We believe in the resilience of these children and do all we can to give them the opportunities they deserve.’

About Legos
The LEGO Group is the Danish manufacturer of the well-known plastic building block and figurine toys. The founder of the 1916 family business is Ole Kirk Christiansen, who first made furniture and later wooden toys. The first building blocks appeared on the market in 1947: plastic blocks that you could click together to make structures. The first minifigures appeared in the 1970s, later followed by themed products such as city, medieval, engineering, space, science fiction, pirates and robots. The name LEGO comes from Danish and is an abbreviation of the words ‘leg godt’, which essentially means ‘play well’. The LEGO Group is still a family business, headed by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the founder’s grandson.

‘When we were asked whether the LEGO Group wanted to participate, we quickly said yes, of course!’ Marloes Zwagerman, Brand Relations Manager at the LEGO Group in Antwerp, Belgium, says. ‘It was really fun to be able to do this. And for such a great cause.

‘As far as I know, this is the first time LEGO elements have appeared on Dutch stamps. Stamps with LEGO did come out in Austria and Switzerland last year, but those were single issues. This is a complete sheet, with a huge print run. I also used to sell Child Welfare Stamps as a schoolgirl, in Hoogkarspel where I grew up. That made it extra special to be involved in this project.’

Design
The Child Welfare Stamps 2023 feature a winter scene set on the quay of a typical Dutch town, with typical Dutch fun on the ice of a frozen canal. In the background of the top row of stamps is a continuous row of canal houses. On the quay, children are playing: riding their bike, listening to music and riding a skateboard. The children on the ice are sledding and skating. Animals are depicted on the edges of the sheet: two cats, two birds and two squirrels. The middle stamp depicts a dog at the edge of the quay. The illustration continues across all sheet edges.

‘There are no Dutch nationals in our international design team, so I offered some suggestions on possible angles,’ says Zwagerman. ‘The popularity of cycling and skating, for example. And the typical Dutch setting with the row of canal houses. We deliberately avoided stereotypes like tulips and clogs. Other than that, the designers were allowed to tap into all their creativity.’

Technical Details:
Stamp size: four stamps measuring 36 x 25mm and one stamp measuring 36 x 50mm
Sheet format: 144 x 75 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: synthetic
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
Print run: 1,200,000 sheets
Format: sheet of five stamps in five different designs
Design/illustrations: the LEGO Group
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 431260

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

US Seeks Rate Increase for January 2024

Posted on October 6, 2023 by VSC

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
U.S. Postal Service Proposes New Prices for 2024

New prices scheduled to take effect Jan. 21, 2024
Postal Service prices remain among the most affordable in the world
First-Class Forever stamp will be 68 cents

[VSC note: This is almost word-for-word the press release for the previous rate increase request six months ago, which the Postal Regulatory Commission granted without change.]

WASHINGTON, DC — Today [October 6, 2023], the United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of mailing services price changes to take effect Jan. 21, 2024. The new rates include a 2-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, from 66 cents to 68 cents.

The proposed adjustments, approved by the governors of the Postal Service, would raise mailing services product prices approximately 2 percent. If favorably reviewed by the commission, the price changes would include:

Product
Letters (1 oz.)
Letters (metered 1 oz.)
Domestic Postcards
International Postcards
International Letter (1 oz.)

Current Prices
66¢
63¢
51¢
$1.50
$1.50

Proposed Prices
68¢
64¢
53¢
$1.55
$1.55

There will be no change to the additional-ounce price, which remains at 24 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products including Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item.

As inflationary pressures on operating expenses continue and the effects of a previously

defective pricing model are still being felt, these price adjustments are needed to provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan. The prices of the Postal Service remain among the most affordable in the world.

The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filing, with prices for all products, can be found on the PRC website under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. The mailing services filing is Docket No. R2024-1. The price tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

APS Summer Seminar Going Online Only

Posted on October 5, 2023 by VSC

There will be no in-person classes or events for the American Philatelic Society’s Summer Seminar 2024, if the proposed 2024 budget is passed by the APS board. That approval is likely. The Virtual Stamp Club has learned that APS executive director Scott English told staff members recently Summer Seminar doesn’t make enough money. It doesn’t lose money, its profit isn’t high enough.

The APS website describes Summer Seminar as “an exciting one-week, once-a-year learning opportunity each June for the APS community, and other collectors and hobbyists. It is appropriate for beginning to advanced collectors, and all courses are led by philatelic experts who are accomplished writers, exhibitors, expertizers, dealers, and specialized collectors.”

It also allowed collectors and others to get to know one another and socialize without the pressure of a stamp show.

“It doesn’t lose money, [but] it doesn’t make much money,” English told VSC.

Summer Seminar was online-only for the past three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 in-person edition was attended by 60 people, but similar seminars get “hundreds when it’s virtual only,” English said.

He believes the APS should focus on building its “online platform.”

“We’ve got to work on leveraging technology and reaching as many collectors as we can,” he said. “I love the traditions of the APS but we cannot let that be an obstacle to moving ahead.”

English said they are looking for other types of in-person programming. He feels it is difficult to produce a Summer Seminar that does both. Some past participants, however, think live streaming is possible for most of the courses. Both sides, however, agree that some of the courses do have a hands-on requirement.

In fact, English says that was a factor in choosing the subjects for the in-person events.

Members of the Mount Nittany Philatelic Society are worried that not having an in-person Summer Seminar will impact their SCOPEX show, which had been held the weekend before SS began. Summer Seminar brought serious philatelists to Bellefonte, Pa., where the APS is headquartered. SCOPEX will now be on its own.

Photographs, from top: Instructor Daniel Piazza, the chief philatelic curator of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.

Instructors Diane DeBois and Robert Dalton Harrison show one of their favorite pieces of philatelic ephemera using in their course.

Dr. Justin Gordon discussing Holocaust Philately in an elective.

Stamp Day 2023 (Netherlands 2023)

Posted on October 3, 2023 by VSC

[from PostNL press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Stamp Day 2023

“Dag van de Postzegel 2023”
Date of issue: 16 October 2023

Format: sheet with ten personal stamps in two different designs, with value 1 for post up to and including 20 grams for destinations within the Netherlands
Item number: 830063
Design: Sandra Smulders, Vormgoed, Gouda

Stamp Day is an annual international event. In most countries, the day is celebrated on the first Sunday after 9 October: the founding date of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The UPU sets the rules for international postal traffic between member states.

The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20g destined for addresses within the Netherlands. The sheet of ten costs €10.10.

The sheet was designed by graphic designer Sandra Smulders from Gouda using the 1923 Artist Series stamps as inspiration. Those were the first modern stamps after architect Karel de Bazel’s 1913 Jubilee stamps. The 1923 Artist Series comprises four stamps in three designs, created by architect Michel de Klerk, typographer Sjoerd de Roos and graphic designer Nicolaas van de Vecht. Their designs were selected from the 90 entries to the Dutch Numerical Stamp Competition launched by the Staatsbedrijf der Posterijen en Telegrafie [‘Dutch State Post and Telegraph Company’] in 1920. All Dutch artists were allowed to enter the competition.

The idea behind the competition was that a competition involving many artists would produce a better result than if one designated artist designed the stamps. However, the philatelic press was not very receptive. Later, the stamps received greater appreciation. For example, art historian Paul Hefting wrote in an article in De Gids in 1993 that the design of the 1923 Artist Series is defined by a mixture of austere and ornate ornamental forms. The atmosphere expressed by these stamps is said to be of a “modern religious propriety” and of a “great seriousness that beauty then entailed”.

Each of the ten stamps featured on the Stamp Day 2023 sheet contains a half diamond: a triangle composed of 25 stacked rectangles with rounded corners. The image area of each half-diamond stamp joins the image area of the adjacent stamp where possible, separated by the fixed frame, to create the illusion of a complete diamond shape. The diamond motif is taken from the 4-cent stamp in the 1923 Artist Series. The numbers and letters in the title Stamp Day 2023 are placed in and against the rectangles on the new stamps. The background colour on the stamps and the selvage changes from green to blue, from top to bottom. Behind the diamond shape on the stamps is a line drawing of an apple and an apple tree changing from white to green. The drawing of the apple also returns in a different form on the left and right hand sides of the sheet edge.

Smulders has produced designs for Stamp Day since 2020. In preparation for this new assignment, she visited the National Archives in The Hague, which manages the largest, most important collection of postage values in the Netherlands. “At the time, it hadn’t been decided which historical stamps would inspire the new design,” Smulders says. “But I already knew that the 1923 Artist Series was a candidate. Seeing the original drawing for the 4-cent stamp from this series in the archives absolutely delighted me. It was a strong graphic design – especially for its era.”

Smulders says the original drawings for the 1923 stamps, which she was able to access, have much more detail than the stamps themselves, because printing technology then was fairly limited.

“When I was sketching, I noticed that the words ‘postzegel’ (stamp) and ‘Nederland’ (Netherlands) contain the same amount of letters,” she says. “This meant I could imitate the 1923 stamp by placing the letters of the new title in the diamond in the same way.”

“Graphically, I created two different designs, with a half diamond pointing up or down,” Smulders says. “But by applying slightly different gradients everywhere, I ensured that no two stamps are the same.”

The apple and apple tree designs come from the 1923 1- and 2-cent stamps, with elements from the 2½-cent issue.

In addition to the past three years’ Stamp Day stamps, Smulders also designed for PostNL the 2022 World Animal Day, the Back to the 20th Century and Trains & Journeys (2019) stamp series, the 2018 Children’s Welfare Stamps, the stamp series celebrating 50 years of the Daily Fable (2018) and the 25 years of Fokke & Sukke (2018) stamp series.

The validity period for these Stamp Day stamps is indefinite.

Technical Details:
Stamp size: 40 x 30mm (wxh)
Sheet size: 122 x 170mm (wxh)
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: gummed
Printing technique: Offset
Printing colours: Cyan, magenta, yellow, black
Edition: 5,000 sheets
Format: Sheet containing 10 personalised stamps in 2 different : designs
Denomination: denomination 1 for post weighing up to 20g with : destinations within the Netherlands
Design: Sandra Smulders, Vormgoed, Gouda
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 830063

Paul Gaugin (Bosnia-Herzegovina 2023)

Posted on October 3, 2023 by VSC

Poste Srpske issued a miniature sheet on September 29 to mark the 175th anniversary of the birth of artist Paul Gaugin. The Bosnia-Herzegovina postal agency also produced an official first day cover (shown below). The denomination of each stamp is 3.50 BAM (“Bosnian Mark”), or about US $1.88. Collectors can place orders on Poste Srpske’s website [direct link to this issue]. In the upper right you will see a small flag and the letters “Sprsi.” Click on that, and the other choice on the dropdown menu is a British flag and “English.”