Stamp Column Archives

The Glassine Surfer Column Archive

This column originally appeared in the American Philatelic Society's monthly magazine, "The American Philatelist." Since then some of the information may be out-of-date depending on how far back you're reading.

February 2003

February is a great month for stamp collecting. The only thing to look forward to is either Ground Hog’s or St. Valentine’s Day, depending on your perspective, and the weather is bad. So grab your tongs and delve deeply into your collection.

###

First Issues

The First Issues Collectors Club is for any collector interested in the first postage stamps issued by any country and they've opened a site to help you get in touch and get started.

If you thought all first issues were issued before 1900, you'll be surprised. The site has a catalog of first issues, listing the first issues up to 1993 and the Bosnia & Herzegovina issue from the Muslim government in Sarajevo.

The club has also included an in depth showcase section, highlighting certain first issues of note, such as the Penny Black, plus a quiz --- Can you tell a genuine #1 from a forgery?

If you have questions about first issues, or want to get in touch with the club, you can use their bulletin board, a top notch system the club runs. Register, log in, and post. It's very easy.

The First Issues Collectors Club site is a well designed, easy-to-use, pleasing site with all the tools to help make communication easier and collecting more fun, plus you'll find basic club information on how to join and the club bylaws.
 
The First Issues Collectors Club
http://www.firstissues.org

###

Story the Stamp: Iwo

This month nearly sixty years ago six Marines raised the American flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. A photographer snapped a picture of the raising, and less than five months later the image was issued on one of America’s great stamps.

At first the Post Office, as it was then known, gave their stock reply that no living person can appear on a US stamp, but on the eleventh of July people were flooding post offices to buy the “Iwo Jima” stamps, Scott #929.

The flag raisers were Marines Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, John Bradley, Harlon Block, Michael Strank, and Rene Gagnon, and the photog was Joe Rosenthal, and for a masterful retelling of the event seek out the 2000 book “Flag of Our Fathers” by James Bradley. It covers the battle, the photo, the times, and the men then and after.

Iwo Jima
http://www.iwojima.com/

###

Stamp Talk

The story behind the Iwo Jima stamp will also be the topic this month on one of Major Ted Bahry’s (USMC retired) Internet radio stamp collecting shows. On “Major Ted’s Stamp Talk” he’ll cover the Iwo stamp and the story behind the stamp with informed guests who know their stamps.

Back on December 7th Major Ted hosted an interesting history and postal history program in rememberance of Pearl Harbor, which you can still listen to if you visit Major Ted’s program archives.

On his site, you can listen to weekly programs going back to last summer. Just click one and you’re set, and each hour-long show is split into three segments so you can choose which topic best suits your fancy.

Click. Your media player will open, and the program will start. Just be sure that you turn on your computers speakers because this is Internet radio.

Major Ted's Stamp Talk
http://www.wsradio.com/majorted

While you’re there, sign up for the newsletter and you won’t miss the news about upcoming programs.

Since I “found” it, I’ve been listening to the archives whenever I’m online. It’s like reading the paper and overhearing people talking about stamps. You’ll learn a lot.

You won’t need it, but if you want some technical help, the site has a good section on “how to listen.”

http://www.wsradio.com/howtolisten.asp

###