Philosateleia
Kevin Blackston
PO Box 17544
San Antonio TX 78217-0544
United States of America

Philosateleian Blog

2016 year in review

We’re in the waning hours of 2016 now. With the calendar year almost in the books, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the year that was for Philosateleia and for my stamp collection.

The big move

The biggest event for Philosateleia in 2016 had to do not with the website itself, but with my family’s relocation from Florida to Texas. Preparations for the move and getting settled in here consumed a big chunk of the summer, and I still don’t feel like I’ve caught up on everything, particularly where stamps are involved. The move without question impacted how much time I was able to spend on the website, but hopefully we’ll be able to stay put in 2017.

Philosateleian Post

Philosateleian Post carried a total of 328 pieces of mail in 2016, down ever so slightly from 341 in 2015. Considering my summer move and how little time I had for stamps or the mail at that time, I’m pleased to have done that much.

Philosateleian Post also issued three new local post stamps during the year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of James Herriot, the centennial of the National Park Service, and the 10th anniversary of The Philosateleian U.S. Stamp Album. In addition, I was able to begin offering printing and perforating services thanks to…

The Southworth Perforator

I had purchased a Franklin hand perforator in late 2014, but in February of this year, I had the opportunity to purchase a Southworth perforator. The “new” machine has the capability of perforating the full length of a sheet of letter or A4 paper, something the Franklin couldn’t do.

The Southworth is a beautiful machine, and it’s a real joy to use, and I’m still just absolutely thrilled to be the caretaker for this piece of equipment.

Philosateleian Post Horn

The Philosateleian Post Horn, my monthly e-mail newsletter, began 2016 with just over 300 subscribers. As we head into the new year, the Post Horn’s subscriber list has grown by nearly 20%. As least part of that is due to…

Philosateleia in Linn’s Stamp News

On December 19, Linn’s posted an article about Philosateleia which provided a comprehensive overview of my stamp album pages and other philatelic activities. That writeup, which I understand also appeared in the print edition of the publication, helped drive a substantial amount of traffic to the site in December.

Your support

As has been the case in past years, several fans of Philosateleia, the Philosateleian Post Horn, and my free stamp album pages made generous donations of cash and stamps in 2016. Philosateleia’s expenses are fairly low, but every little bit helps, and I can’t thank you enough for helping to support Philosateleia.

American Indian military payment certificate

Although I’ve long been fascinated with stamps, money has never held much appeal to me. I speak from a collecting standpoint, of course; I like having money, and I really like having a little bit extra that I can occasionally direct toward my philatelic pursuits, but collecting the cash itself? Not my thing.

I’ll make an exception, however, for the $10 American Indian military payment certificate used by United States service members in Vietnam during the early 1970s. My mother-in-law, knowing my love for the 14¢ American Indian stamp, purchased one of the MPCs for me earlier this year, and I have to admit that it is an absolutely gorgeous piece of paper.

Front of miliary payment certificate picturing American Indian
$10 American Indian military payment certificate

I’ve added the $10 MPC to my exhibit 14 Cents: the American Indian Stamp, and you can read more about it there.

Thank you, Vivian (once again)

I received a donation today from Vivian B., a longtime supporter of Philosateleia. Vivian has contributed in the past to help cover Philosateleia’s operating expenses, and I really appreciate her latest gift. Thank you, Vivian!

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