Diagonal plate scratches on 14¢ American Indian stamp
eBay sometimes gets a bad rap in the philatelic community, and that’s probably not without reason. You definitely have to be careful, and there are some things (never-hinged classics with no certificate, for example) that I simply wouldn’t take a chance on. Buyer beware!
In spite of this, some pretty cool items can turn up. Take for instance this 14¢ American Indian stamp. I purchased it not because I thought it was the most beautiful example that I’d ever seen—the bottom perforations are atrocious—but because it shows a plate flaw, a pair of nearly parallel diagonal scratches running from the chief’s shoulder up toward the “N” in “UNITED”, with one of the scratches then reappearing in the left margin to the left of the “IT” in “UNITED.”
14¢ American Indian stamp with plate flaw14¢ American Indian stamp with plate flaw (detail)
This sort of flaw is not especially valuable, and the scratches are less distinct than on a stamp I wrote about in November, but it was still an inexpensive and very cool acquisition.
2017 drew to a close a little over two weeks ago, but before it did, Philosateleian Post set some new records.
Throughout the course of 2017, Philosateleian Post carried 417 pieces of outgoing mail. That total, which does not include nearly 30 other pieces of mail that were misdelivered or needed to be returned to sender, represents a 27% increase over 2016, and it tops Philosateleian Post’s previous record of 408 pieces of outgoing mail established in 2014. The establishment of the new record follows two years of declining mail volumes.
“‘Real mail’ is alive and well so far as Philosateleian Post is concerned,” says proprietor Kevin Blackston. “In Philosateleian Post’s first year (2004), less than 100 pieces of mail were carried. We’re looking forward to another big year in 2017.”
Business mail comprised over 61% of Philosateleian Post’s volume, with letters and cards representing nearly another 18%. Approximately 10% of the mail carried was addressed to international destinations. Packages, postcards, and local deliveries made up the remainder.
About Philosateleian Post
Founded in 2004, Philosateleian Post transports mail only from the proprietor’s home to the nearest mail receptacle or post office, and does not compete with any official mail service. For more information, please visit http://www.philosateleia.com/post/
Many moons ago, I used to conduct stamp trades through this website. I had to give that up for lack of time, but managed to stay in contact and continue to conduct trades with one person, an individual by the name of Demetrios V.
Demetrios collected United States stamps only with round date stamps on them—regular machine cancels were of no use—so I would set aside the odd item with a round postmark to send to him, and in return he kept me supplied with new additions for my landscapes collection. We also corresponded by email over the years.
Last month, I received word from Demetrios’ wife that he had died after a battle with illness. It didn’t exactly come as a shock as Demetrios himself had mentioned that it looked like his time was near, but I was still saddened to hear the news.
Interestingly enough, it wasn’t long after that that Mrs. V. contacted me again to let me know that she had received a returned piece of mail that Demetrios had sent to me, but which was marked undeliverable and had been floating around for who knows how long. She forwarded the stamps inside to me, and when I received them, it was like receiving one last gift from Demetrios.
Although we never met in person, Demetrios was a friend in the Internet way, and I have no doubt he will be missed by all who knew him.
Philosateleian Post to commemorate end of World War I
In early 2018, Philosateleian Post will issue a special local post stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The 1-stamp design’s vignette depicts a dove, a traditional symbol of peace.
End of World War I
World War I began in July 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. By the time it ended in November 1918, over 16 million people had died.
“The Great War was a bloody milestone in the history of mankind,” says Kevin Blackston, proprietor of the San Antonio-based local post. “This new stamp is intended not to glorify the war, but to commemorate the peace that followed, short-lived though it was.”
Philosateleian Post’s End of World War I stamp is scheduled to be issued on World Local Post Day, January 29, 2018. The Local Post Collectors Society, which sponsors World Local Post Day on the last Monday of each January, selected the centennial of the end of World War I as the topic for the upcoming event.
Technical Specifications
Format: sheets of 48 (6×8). Design size: 28×28 mm. Separation method: perforated 12. Adhesive: water-activated dry gum. Printing method: inkjet.
Philatelic Services
To receive a mint single of Philosateleian Post’s End of World War I stamp, or for first day cover service, send either $2 or a self-addressed stamped envelope and your request to:
Kevin Blackston
Philosateleian Post
PO Box 17544
San Antonio TX 78217-0544
United States of America
About Philosateleian Post
Founded in 2004, Philosateleian Post transports mail only from the proprietor’s home to the nearest mail receptacle or post office, and does not compete with any official mail service. For more information, please visit http://www.philosateleia.com/post/
I’ve been remiss in mentioning it, but over the past several weeks, two of Philosateleia’s supporters have sent generous contributions my way. In October, Vivian B. provided a gift via PayPal, and earlier this month, James F. sent a check by mail.
Vivian and James are both longtime supporters who have sent gifts to help pay the bills in the past, and I’m pleased to say that their contributions this year should cover virtually all of Philosateleia’s expenses for 2018. Thank you to you both!
An error corrected
Steve R., a user of The Philosateleian U.S. Stamp Album recently pointed out an error on one of the pages for 19th century official mail stamps. The page for stamps of the Executive Department contained a space captioned “Daniel Webster,” the individual depicted on the 15¢ value used during the 1870s. The problem is that no such stamp ever existed!
The highest value in the Executive Department set was the 10¢ Thomas Jefferson, and I’ve updated the page with the correct name. You can download the corrected file from the updates & supplements page.
Interestingly, this mistake had apparently existed since I launched The Philosateleian way back in 2006, and I’d never caught it. That probably tells you something about how much time I spend in that part of my album, but I’m glad to be able to put it right. Thank you, Steve, for pointing out the problem!
