The first couple of months of 2023 are now in the rearview mirror, and there are new United States stamps that our albums need to accommodate as they begin showing up on incoming mail. With that in mind, I’m pleased to announce the release of the Spring 2023 Supplement (263 KB, 4 files, 8 pages) for The Philosateleian U.S. Stamp Album. This update includes spaces for all new United States stamps issued through the beginning of March, and it is ready for you to download and print at your convenience.
I hope you’ll let me me know if you have any comments or questions. Thank you for using The Philosateleian!
PSCS Local Post celebrates love with pair of hearts
The latest mailing I received from San Diego Local Post operator Renato L. had one of Renato’s own local post stamps on the front, but some additional material that I had not previously seen on the back: several copies of a PSCS cinderella stamp picturing a pair of smiling hearts.
The design is bordered by simulated printed perforations.
PSCS stamp picturing pair of hearts
I have not yet received official word on whether these are official issues of PSCS Local Post, or simply decorative seals, but I suspect they are the former. In any case, it’s another item to watch for on your incoming mail.
American Heart Association envelope features hearts
An American Heart Association fundraising mailing earlier this month contained a colorful business reply envelope with faux postage designs printed on it.
The smaller-than-business size envelope has three copies of a landscape-orinted pink-and-white design picturing a small heart superimposed over a large heart—an appropriate design, considering the sender.
American Heart Association business reply envelope with stamp-sized designs picturing heart
Most such designs I’ve seen printed on business reply envelopes use a more typical portrait orientation, so this BRE stood out a little bit to me.
In my capacity as treasurer and public contact for the Local Post Collectors Society, I recently received a letter inquiring about Washington Local Post. Washington Local Post produced several covers bearing Boy Scout-themed cachets in 1965 as illustrated in Levy’s Boy & Girl Scout Cachet Covers of the United States, and the writer wanted to know if we could tell him anything more about the operation.
I had never run across any Washington Local Post material myself, but queries to a couple of other LPCS members garnered a bit of information. It seems Washington Local Post was active in Canton, Texas, which is east of Dallas, from 1965 to 1967, but it’s unclear exactly who was responsible for it, or whether there were ever any Washington Local Post stamps.
One of the Society members who shared information with me communicated there was also a Washington Local Post active in Pennsylvania from at least 1982 until around the turn of the century, but there’s no indication it was in any way connected to the earlier operation in Texas.
Do you have any information about the Washington Local Post from the 1960s? If so, I would love to add some more details.
Bat’s Private Post celebrates WLPD 2023 with four animal stamps
Beverly Hills-based Bat’s Private Post is one of several private local posts celebrating World Local Post Day by issuing a stamp or stamps picturing local flora and fauna.
On February 5, Bat’s released four stamps. Two of the stamps have face values of 68¢ each: one features a blurry image of Bigfoot from film recorded at Six Rivers National Forest in California, and the other shows a Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus semotus). Each stamp covers Bat’s Private Post’s combined charge for local postage and first-class domestic postage.
The other two stamps are denominated $1.50 and cover Bat’s Private Post’s combined charge for local postage and first-class international postage. Those stamps depict a Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) and Mearns’ coyote (Canis latrans mearnsi), the latter of which is native to southern California.
Bat’s Private Post World Local Post Day 2023 animal stamps
World Local Post Day 2023 was officially scheduled for January 30, the final Monday in January, but local post operators have the freedom to celebrate the event on any alternate dates of their choosing.
