Philosateleian Blog
Fall 2010 update for The Philosateleian
Summer officially lasts for another two weeks, but already there’s a hint of coolness in the air when I step out the door in the morning.
To help you get ready for the cold months ahead when you’re stuck indoors, the Fall 2010 Supplement (158 KB, 3 files, 7 pages) for The Philosateleian U.S. Stamp Album is now available. This is a small update, but it includes spaces for the U.S. stamps issued up to this point in the year.
There’s one more update left this year. 2011 marks the 5-year anniversary of the launch of The Philosateleian, so we’ll try to come up with something exciting to mark that milestone.
If you like the album pages, please don’t forget to show your support for the project. Happy collecting!
Guide to the 14¢ American Indian stamp
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the 14¢ American Indian stamp. It’s mentioned in the “About the author” sidebar on this blog, there’s an entire archive section dedicated to it, and an image of the stamp is, of course, used in the header of the website.
It is, therefore, with great excitement that I can finally announce the launch of 14 Cents: The American Indian Stamp.
This new section of Philosateleia will give you a brief intro to the stamp, show you examples from the United States, the Panama Canal Zone, and the Marshall Islands, and explore extra items that look like the stamp or are related to it.
The guide has been in the works for a long time, and by no means is it a finished product. Over time, I plan to add images of various covers and other material in my collection.
I welcome your comments and suggestions, and I hope you enjoy 14 Cents: The American Indian Stamp.
Dream or nightmare?
If you’re looking for some kiloware to sort during the cold winter months, a company in Finland can help you out.
That’s assuming, of course, that you have somewhere to store over 27 tons of covers.
The single lot is being offered in an October 2 auction. It contains 25,000 kilograms (approximately 55,000 pounds) of covers packed in more than a thousand boxes. All of the covers were addressed to a company based in Finland.
The auctioneer has not yet released an estimate of the final sale price.
Many stamp collectors probably dream of having a virtually unlimited stash of material to go through, but this volume of covers boggles the mind. There’s little doubt it would be fun to sort through, but one has to wonder how many collectors even have a place to store so much material (or a family willing to put up with it).
Would you buy this lot if you could afford it and had room to store the covers? Or do you think it would turn into a nightmare for a collector bold enough to tackle it all alone?
Gotta love cows
The $1 Western Cattle in Storm (1898) is often noted as one of the most beautiful stamps the U.S. has ever issued. I don’t own one of the originals, but my collection does include one of the bicolored reprints of 1998.
Anyway, it’s interesting to read about the design’s background and how it became a sought-after stamp. And you can do just that thanks to Chicago Stamps’s article, America’s Most Beautiful Stamp?
What do you think? Is this stamp the most beautiful issued? Or is there another design that’s #1 in your book?
Another thank you
The summer heat is still bearing down on those of us in the northern hemisphere, but special thanks go out to Frank H. for a cool move. He just made a donation to help support Philosateleia. Thank you, Frank!
You can be like Frank, too. Here are some ways you can help.
Album page update
If you get many new U.S. stamps on your mail, you may have noticed The Philosateleian doesn’t have spaces for the most recent issues. Don’t fear, though; updated pages will be available for you to download this fall, just in time for cooler temperatures that might have you spending a bit more time indoors.