Although I share excess covers and stamps with other collectors via the Philosateleian Post Horn’s monthly giveaway, I’m not used to being on the receiving end in a contest. Imagine my surprise, then, when I recently received a letter containing a $25 gift card from American Philatelic Society Executive Director Scott English!
If you receive the APS E-Newsletter, you may have noticed that there’s a monthly quiz on the content of The American Philatelist. I was one of a couple of dozen readers who answered all five questions in the June quiz correctly, and my name was apparently selected at random to receive the gift card. How cool!
If you’re an APS member but don’t normally read the member e-newsletter, take a moment to open it up. If nothing else, the quiz might send you back to the print magazine to find some bit of information you missed, and that is an excellent way to learn. And you never know—like me, you just might win something!
If you follow the Letter Writers Alliance blog, you may have noticed that Philosateleia got a mention in a recent blog post promoting new Letter Writers Alliance artistamps! I created the frames for the two stamps, and while I’m pleased with how both came out, the blue one is my favorite.
Letter Writers Alliance fantasy stamps
If you’re already a Letter Writers Alliance member, log in to the LWA downloads page and you can print a sheet of my fantasy stamps for yourself.
If you’re not a member, lifetime membership is only $5. Tell them Kevin from Philosateleia sent you.
If you’re on any charities’ mailing lists, you may have already seen a new stamp used on their soliciations. If you haven’t, you probably you will soon since a new stamp for nonprofit mailings went on sale in April. The simple design features the letters “USA” in blue, and a star in red.
“USA” nonprofit stamp
What do you think of it? My own feelings are mixed. It’s nice to see something new since it has been over five years since the ubiquitous art deco bird stamp was released, and I do favor the new design more than the old one. Although it’s very much text-based, it’s less displeasing than last year’s “From Me to You” stamp; I think the presence of the star and the curls on the tips of the letters help in that regard.
On the other hand, I kind of feel like we’re missing the opportunity for something more creative. For example, the simple “American Scenes” nonprofit stamps used before the art deco bird were in my opinion more visually interesting.
Sea Coast
We can only hope that the USPS in the future might return to that sort of approach for its nonprofit stamps.
It has been a while since I shared any Purgatory Post stamps, but as I seem to have a bit of a backlog of new material from Scott A., now seems as good a time as any.
First up is the latest addition to Scott’s series of covered bridges of New Hampshire. The stamp on this cover I received in April pictures Rowell’s Bridge in West Hopkinton, New Hampshire.
Purgatory Post Rowell’s Bridge cover
Scott also recently celebrated Purgatory Post’s 15th anniversary with a groovy design depicting Upper Purgatory Falls, which fits right in with my landscapes collection. (Scott’s very first stamp pictured Lower Purgatory Falls.)
Purgatory Post Upper Purgatory Falls cover
Finally, here’s the really good stuff. Scott recently branched out from Purgatory Post and created several fantasy stamps for the Vermont Republic. The 1-, 3-, and 6-copper designs are printed in single colors, while the 9-, 12-, and 18-copper stamps all depict early Vermont leaders; included are the first two governors, Thomas Chittenden and Moses Robinson, and the famous Ethan Allen.
