From the American Topical Association:
The American Topical Association has achieved 1st place in the 2018 CG International Philatelic Promotion Awards. The competition concluded at the International Stamp Fair Sindelfingen on 27 October 2018. It was conducted by Auction House Christoph Gärtner GmbH & Co. KG. The honor, consisting of stèle awards, certificates, and a cash prize, was presented for the best overall entry to promote philately. ATA’s entry included an issue of its journal Topical Time – edited by Wayne Youngblood – and its youth activity booklet The Magical World of Stamp Collecting – edited by Aimée Devine with contributions from MaryAnn Bowman. This is the first time the ATA has placed this high in the CG International Philatelic Promotion Award, having won second place in 2016. Your membership in ATA makes its participation in philatelic activities possible. Thank you for your membership support! Learn more about this award at here.
Christmas (Canada 2018)
Issue date: November 2nd.
From Details magazine:
The Secular Stamps:
This year, Canada Post continues its long tradition of Christmas stamps with a secular issue that’s designed to inspire plenty of warm thoughts. The three stamps – domestic, U.S. and international rates – display colourful folk-art inspired depictions of traditional cold-weather wear, the very items you’ll likely find under many trees this Christmas.
Did you know European settlers brought wool- producing sheep to North America, as early as the mid-17th century, to keep their families’ feet warm with knitted socks? Or that worsted caps worn by voyageurs are possibly the predecessor 
of what we now call toques? What about early Canadians who definitely warmed up with fur-lined mitts made of animal skin, a style that likely originated with the Inuit? In Canada, even dressing for the cold connects us with the past.
At this gift-giving time of year, Canada Post will deliver on the wish list of discerning collectors with a limited edition uncut production press sheet that features multiple booklets from this issue, along with booklets of the 2018 sacred Christmas stamp (page 10). Also included is a bonus pack of all four stamp booklets plus two Official First Day Covers and a souvenir 
sheet. Unlike uncut press sheets specifically designed as collectibles, the production press sheet is made up of actual booklets before they’re cut for sale. This Canada Post first is sure to make the season very merry and bright for collectors.
The religious stamp:
Few stories have inspired as many creative interpretations as the Nativity. For centuries, artists have used the methods and media of their time to express their vision of the birth of Christ.
This year’s stamp, designed by Montréal-based Paprika and illustrated by Daniel Robitaille, employs the simple but rich symbolism of traditional folk art to revitalize the essential elements: the Holy Family, their humble accommodations, the makeshift crib and the heralding star of Bethlehem. Imagery on the Official First Day Cover continues the story, showing the intrepid Magi following the star to seek the Infant King. Warm colours evoke a sense of family intimacy and peace that befit the season. 
[press release]
Annual Christmas stamps mark the beginning of the festive season
Canadians can choose either sacred or secular themes for their holiday greetings.
OTTAWA – Nothing marks the beginning of the holiday season like the arrival of the first Christmas card or letter. That’s been so for a long time: Canada issued the world’s first Christmas stamp – bearing a map of the British Empire and the words “Xmas 1898,” and since 1964, Canadians have been treated to holiday-themed stamps every Christmas.
This year, holiday mailers can again choose stamps with a sacred or secular theme. The sacred PERMANENT™ domestic-rate stamp features a rendering of the Nativity that is inspired by folk art.
The secular stamps offer bright and colourful illustrations of knitwear – socks (PERMANENT domestic rate), a hat (US rate) and mitts (International rate) – that evoke the warm and cozy items traditionally found under many a Canadian Christmas tree.
Both stamp issues are designed by the firm Paprika (Montréal), illustrated by Daniel Robitaille and printed by Colour Innovations (Toronto).
In a philatelic first, Canada Post is making available a limited edition of 500 uncut production press sheets, which feature several of each of the stamp booklets. This collectible is packaged for gift-giving. It includes a bonus gift of both the sacred and secular booklets (four in all); a secular souvenir sheet; and two Official First Day Covers, which are cancelled in St. Joseph, Man., (sacred) and Cardigan, P.E.I. (secular).
Stamps are available online or at postal outlets throughout Canada. The uncut press sheet is available online only at canadapost.ca/shop.
Canada’s 2019 Stamp Programme
Canada Post has a preview (“sneak peak”) of its 2019 stamp programme in the latest issue of its Details philatelic catalogue:
- We’ll kick off 2019 with a new definitive of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (January 14), more from the From Far and Wide series (January 14) and our Lunar New Year stamps welcoming the Year of the Pig (January 18).
- In February, our Black History stamp salutes Albert Jackson, the first Black Canadian letter carrier. Gardenias bloom in our flower issue, and we pitch toward spring with a nod to the Vancouver Asahi baseball team.
- Watch carefully as bears lumber across our stamps, and learn how Canadian ingenuity in aviation has made us soar.
- We’ll bring back the past to relive the Red River Resistance, the founding of Manitoba and the legacy of historic covered bridges. Nature gets its due with stamps depicting endangered turtles, and some tasty Canadian desserts will whet your appetite.
- As usual, the year ends with a semi-postal fundraising stamp for your generous donations that directly support the Canada Post Community Foundation, plus sacred and secular Christmas issues.
- During the year, we’ll also release commemorative envelopes to mark the 150th anniversaries of the Fusiliers Mont-Royal, the Fusiliers du St-Laurent and the Princess Louise Fusiliers.
1918 Armistice (World War I) (Canada 2018)
[press release]
Stamp marks 100th anniversary of Armistice of 1918
Our soldiers’ immense sacrifice had a profound impact on Canada
OTTAWA, Oct. 24, 2018 /CNW/ – Canada Post unveiled a stamp today that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War, a conflict that irrevocably changed Canada and its status on the world stage.
Canadian soldiers stood fast at Ypres, stormed the Regina Trench, climbed the heights of Vimy Ridge, captured Passchendaele and, on November 11, 1918, entered Mons. The immense 
sacrifice of our soldiers earned the country widespread recognition and had a profound impact on Canada.
The stamp depicts a dove suspended above barbed wire and includes the image of a poppy, a powerful symbol of remembrance and the principal emblem of The Royal Canadian Legion. The imagery symbolizes struggle, peace and remembrance and honours those who made the supreme sacrifice in defence of freedom and democracy.
The stamp was unveiled at the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre, which has a responsibility to provide care for veterans. The stamp is cancelled in Ottawa, home of the National War Memorial, which appears on the back of the Official First Day Cover. 
At the unveiling event, Thomas D. Irvine, Dominion President of The Royal Canadian Legion, introduced the Legion’s Bells of Peace Initiative in partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada. At the setting of the sun on November 11, the Parliament Hill carillon and bells at Legion branches and spiritual centres across the country will ring 100 times to mark the sacrifices of our veterans and the joy that peace brought at the end of the war. Youth will 
also be engaged to research locations and place flags on the graves of Canadian Veterans of the Great War.
Canada’s war effort was remarkable, but victory came at a terrible price. Of the more than 650,000 Canadians who served with the Allies, more than 66,000 were killed and 172,000 wounded.
After more than four years of horrific trench warfare, fighting came to an abrupt end at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The armistice signed earlier that morning in a railway car near Compiègne, France, silenced the guns on the Western front and brought relief to the world that had never before seen such a conflict.
The stamp, which comes in a booklet of 10 is available on canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada. 
From Details magazine:
After more than four years of bitter struggle, the fighting in the First World War came to an end at “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. This stamp celebrates the silencing of the guns and commemorates those who fought and died for peace. Of the more than 650,000 Canadians who served with the Allies, over 66,000 were killed and 172,000 wounded.
Designers Larry Burke and Anna Stredulinsky, of Halifax’s Burke & Burke, placed the dove – a universal symbol of peace – at the centre of the stamp. The bird hovering over barbed wire in a devastated landscape serves as a poignant metaphor for the return of peace to a war-torn world.
“To us, the armistice was less about the moment of its signing than the lasting peace it brought,” explains Burke, adding that photos of the celebrations in 1918 were selected for the booklet, pane and Official First Day Cover to convey the relief, joy and hope that Canadians felt when the fighting stopped.
After the war, Armistice Day was observed on a Monday in early November until 1931, when a campaign led by the Canadian Legion resulted in a fixed date of November 11 and a new name: Remembrance Day. Every year on this day – when the clock strikes eleven – Canadians observe two minutes of silence in honour of the brave individuals who have served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace. This year, on the 100th anniversary of the First Word War armistice, we once again reflect on their sacrifices and renew our solemn promise never to forget.
Canada’s RPSC Names New Editor
[press release]
The RPSC Appoints New Editor for The Canadian Philatelist
The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) is pleased to announce that Robin Harris FRPSC has been appointed to the role of editor of The Canadian Philatelist, its flagship publication. Founded in 1950, The Canadian Philatelist is the official journal of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada. Members receive six issues yearly as part of their membership. Each issue of The Canadian Philatelist contains compelling philatelic articles, business and news of The RPSC, philatelic news, auction and events calendars, meeting notices and Society reports.
Robin is well known for his contributions to Canadian philately and the RPSC. He is the webmaster of the RPSC and editor of the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps. Robin also writes the Around the World column for Canadian Stamp News and sat on Canada Post’s Stamp Advisory Committee. In addition he edits the BNAPS Elizabethan study group’s newsletter Corgi Times and has just won the John S. Siverts best Study Group newsletter award for a fourth time.
Robin has been collecting stamps for nearly 50 years. His interests include, but are not limited to: Canada, particularly the Elizabethan II era; Great Britain Machins; United Nations; and United States.
Ed Kroft FRPSC, President of the RPSC, praised the appointment: “The RPSC is pleased to have Robin as editor of our publication. I thank Herb Colling, our past editor, for all of his work and contributions. The RPSC encourages submissions to the journal from all philatelists.”
Those wishing to submit articles for publication are encouraged to contact Robin at editor@rpsc.org.
Information on The RPSC is available by: e-mail: info@rpsc.org, telephone 1-888-285-4143, on our website: www.rpsc.org, or from RPSC National Office, P.O. Box 69080, St. Clair Post Office, Toronto, ON M4T 3A1, Canada.
Zwillinger Convicted, Sentenced
This message is basically to put the latest news on the VSC home page. You can find the completely story, as it unfolded, here.
Former American Philatelic Research Library president and American Philatelic Society secretary Steve Zwillinger, 63, has been given an 18-month suspended sentence, following his plea bargain in August to one count of “a sexual offense in the third degree.” He was expelled from the APS this past summer after his guilty plea.
White Ace/ArtCraft Parent Closes
This story has been kicking around philately for a month or so as a rumor; now it is confirmed. It’s the passing of a giant of our hobby. White Ace once published some of the most-used albums for collectors. ArtCraft was a staple of first day covers, before its run ended after 77 years in 2016. And so many of us grew up awaiting delivery of The Washington Stamp Exchange’s little yellow flyers with special offers.
[press release]
After 85 Years, Washington Stamp Exchange Is Closing
Washington Stamp Exchange was incorporated in 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression, when Leo and Sam August pooled their meager assets to start a business selling first day covers and stamps to collectors. Their first location in Newark, New Jersey at the corner of Washington and Market Street, became their inspiration to name their business Washington Stamp Exchange.
In the photo on the left, Americover 2014 tour participants visit Washington Stamp Exchange headquarters in Florham Park, NJ.
Stamp collecting and the relatively new specialty of cover collecting were rapidly growing hobbies then, and their business was already gaining collector interest when a fortuitous encounter with a salesman offering engraved stationery le
d to their introduction of ArtCraft Engraved first day covers in 1939. [The first ArtCraft cachet is shown on the right.]
Stamp issues were relatively infrequent in the early 1940s, so while the ArtCraft first day covers were a quick success, adding new products became important to continuing the growth of their business. In 1945, they released the first White Ace stamp album which they published under the trade name of The Washington Press.
At left, company owners Michael August, son of one of the August Brothers, and Tim Devaney, son-in-law of the other, celebrated ArtCraft’s 75th anniversary at Americover 2014, the annual show and convention of the American First Day Cover Society, held that year in Somerset, NJ.
From those beginnings, and through exceptional creativity and hard work, the company became a mainstay of the stamp collecting hobby. In addition to its products for collectors, the Washington Stamp Exchange was instrumental in the founding of the American First Day Cover Society and has been a major supporter of the American Philatelic Society, the Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum and the National Postal Museum.
After 85 years, many millions of ArtCraft First Day covers, hundreds of thousands of White Ace Albums and the enthusiastic patronage of many thousands of loyal customers and friends, it is with considerable reluctance that the management of the Washington Stamp Exchange has decided to close its business at the end of 2018.
Starting with this announcement and continuing until it is sold out, everything remaining in stock – ArtCraft First Day Covers, White Ace Albums and supplies – will be offered at steeply discounted prices. Much of what is available can be found on the company’s website www.washpress.com. [At right, Americover 2014 tour participants Otto Thamaset, John Hayner and John Friederich show some of the goodies they purchased at Washington Stamp Exchange headquarters.]
The disposition of artwork, production materials, equipment and fixtures has not yet been determined, and inquiries are invited from dealers or from anyone seeking to acquire such items as well as large volumes of collectible items and supplies.
World War I Armistice Centennial (Canada 2018)
[media advisory]
Canada Post and Royal Canadian Legion mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice
OTTAWA, Oct. 19, 2018 /CNW/ – Canada Post and The Royal Canadian Legion will hold a special event to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, which ended the First World War, with the unveiling of a new stamp and the launch of the Bells of Peace initiative across Canada.
What: The unveiling of the stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice and the launch of the Bells of Peace initiative
Who:
- The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
- Thomas D. Irvine, CD, Dominion President, The Royal Canadian Legion
- Major (Retired) Gerald “Jerry” Bowen, Veteran of the Second World War and Korean War
- LCdr James Brun, Royal Canadian Navy
- Jay Davis, Vice-President of Engineering, Canada Post
- Katie Quinn, 2018 Vimy Pilgrimage Award alumna
When: Wednesday, October 24, 10:30 am EDT
Where: The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre
1750 Russell Road, Ottawa
Vegetable Gardens (Netherlands 2018)
[press release]
Sowing, growing and harvesting on a postage stamp
The Hague, 19 October 2018 – The Dutch Post Office (PostNL) released 6 new stamps today, featuring vegetable gardens in The Netherlands. A variety of vegetables are pictured on the Mijn groentetuin (My vegetable garden) postage stamp sheet in various cultivation stages: sowing, growing and harvesting.
Typography
The vegetables are photographed from various vantage points. The typography on the photo has been placed into a square block on each stamp. Different font sizes have been used within the block, causing the word LAND to increase in size, thereby pushing out the other text.
Mini-calendar
Vegetable gardens can be found everywhere in The Netherlands: as a part of an ornamental garden, as a separate vegetable garden, in allotment gardens and as a nursery or horticultural business. The Mijn groentetuin (My vegetable garden) stamp features 6 vegetables: oak leaf lettuce (leafy greens), eggplant (fruiting vegetables), fennel (bulbous vegetables), radish (root vegetables), sweet potato (root vegetables) and turnip greens (leafy greens). There is a mini-calendar incorporated into the edges of each postage stamp, with a description of which months are best for sowing or harvesting the respective vegetable, both in the greenhouse and in open soil.
Proud of the garden
The Mijn groentetuin (My vegetable garden) stamps were developed by De Vormforensen in Arnhem, comprised of Anne-Marie Geurink and Annelou van Griensven. In their design the vegetable garden is represented so that the various vegetable cultivation stages are clearly visible. Pride in one’s garden must also be emphasised. “That’s why it’s my vegetable garden and not the vegetable garden”, says Van Griensven. She tells how nothing is staged or neatly raked-over during the photography session. “We want to see the beauty of things the way they are. At most we placed a leaf somewhere else so as to better showcase the potato, for example.
Matched colours
The vegetables were selected based on what the developers thought would be pretty to show. The colours also had to go together. Geurink: “We opted for a mix of oak leaf lettuce as the base vegetable, the hipper sweet potato, the unknown turnip greens, the increasingly popular fennel, the almost surreal eggplant and the good old radish.”
Availability
The Mijn groentetuin (My vegetable garden) stamp series has 6 different stamps with the value Nederland 1 (The Netherlands 1), intended for post weighing up to 20 grams to a destination within the Netherlands. The postage stamps will be available starting on 19 October at Bruna post offices and at www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels. You can also order the stamps over the phone from the Collect Club customer service department at 088 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.
U.S. Threatens To Withdraw From UPU
The U.S. plans to pull out of an international postal treaty, because it allows China to ship packages to the U.S. at discounted rates. That, according to the Administration, costs the U.S. Postal Service about $170 million a year.
President Trump says the Universal Postal Union agreement benefits China and other countries at the expense of U.S. businesses: It’s cheaper to ship merchandise from Beijing to New York than from San Francisco to New York.
“The current system has led to the United States subsidizing the imports of small packages from other countries,” Jeff Adams, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, told the Washington Post.
Administration officials say the U.S. is willing to renegotiate the 144-year-old treaty, but will leave UPU if no agreement is reached. The treaty requires a year for a country to withdraw. Withdrawl might affect international rates for U.S. mailers, but not for at least six months.
“President Trump deserves tremendous credit for the administration’s focus on eliminating the anti-US manufacturer subsidy China receives from the U.S. P
ostal Service,” Jay Timmons, the president of the National Association of Manufacturers, said in a statement. “This outdated arrangement contributes significantly to the flood of counterfeit goods and dangerous drugs that enter the country from China.”
This comes as the trade war between the U.S. and China gains intensity, although the White House says it is separate.
UPU director Bishar Hussein says he will seek a meeting with U.S. officials.
