WILKINSBURG STAMP CLUB NEWS

Volume 17 Issue 9 Wilkinsburg Stamp Club is a member of APS #12293 April 2018 New U.S. Forever Airmail Stamps

group of Army pilots JN-4H biplane. The biplane delivered mail along a route was also featured on the that linked Washington, stamps originally issued in Philadelphia, and New York 1918 to commemorate the initiating the world’s first reg- beginning of regularly ularly scheduled airmail ser- scheduled airmail service. The vice. stamp designs evoke that United States Postal Service The United States Post Office earlier period. will honor the beginning of Department, took charge of The stamp designer and airmail service by dedicating the U.S. Air Mail Service later typographer was Dan Gretta; Philately - is the two United States Air Mail that summer, operating it from Greg Breeding was the art study of stamps and Forever stamps this year. Aug. 12, 1918, through Sept. director postal history and The first, depicted here in 1, 1927. Airmail delivery, dai- other related items. blue, commemorates the ly except on Sundays, became pioneering spirit of the brave part of the fabric of the Amer- It also refers to the pilots who first flew the mail ican economy and spurred collecting, research, in the early years of aviation. growth of the nation’s avia- and enjoyment, of The first-day-of-issue tion industry. stamps and other ceremony will take place May The red stamp will commem- philatelic products. 1, 2018 at 11 a.m. at the orate this milestone with its Smithsonian National Postal first-day-of-issue to take place later this summer. Contact Information; Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, DC. Both stamps, are printed in the Please update your email The event is free and open to intaglio print method, a design address so we can notify the public. transferred to paper from an you quickly with any urgent On May 15, 1918, in the engraved plate, depict the type matters. midst of World War I, a small of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss Inside this issue: Notable People on Stamps:

Maxim Gorky The Mother, Summerfolk and Club News 2 Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, Children of the Sun. He had an primarily known as Maxim Gor- association with fellow Russian WILKPEX 2 ky, was a Russian and Soviet writers Leo Tolstoy and Anton writer, a founder of the socialist Chekhov; Gorky would later Smallest Country 2 realism literary method and a mention them in his memoirs. Sends most mail political activist. He was also a (Information source Wikipedia) five-time nominee for the Nobel DDR Upcoming Shows 3 Prize in Literature. Fifteen years 3/28/1953 before success as a writer, he Fancy Cancels 3 frequently changed jobs and roamed the Russian Empire; these experiences would later Junior Corner – 4 influence his writing. Gorky's Soviet Union, Catalog most famous works were The USSR Lower Depths, Twenty-six Men 4/3/1958 50 Years Ago 4 and a Girl, The Song of the Russia India Stormy Petrel, My Childhood, 9/20/2000 3/28/1968 Volume 17 Issue 9 April 2018 Page 2 Club News WILKPEX - WSC 68th Annual Stamp Show

Volunteers needed to help set first-day covers for 2019 SAT, APRIL 14, 2018 YOUTH AREA up at Gateway Hall Friday April New forms for the Phlea 10 AM - 5 PM 13th, 2018 at 7 PM. No need to market at WILKPEX are now SUN, APRIL 15, 2018 FREE PARKING call, just show up! available. 10 AM - 3 PM Election was held for the two Club received a donation for FREE ADMISSION stamp related items, these and Sports Cachet & Cancellation year positions of president and “World Famous recording secretary. Andy No- other items will be included in Location; votny will continue another the Phlea Market at the WSC Satirical Souvenir Sheets” GATEWAY HALL term as President,. Danielle show April 14th & 15th.. Exhibits MONROEVILLE FIRE CO. Weaver will now be recording Laura gave an informative talk Philatelic Phlea Market NO. 4 secretary making a position of on Exhibiting, which enticed 50/50 Raffle 4370 NORTHERN PIKE, Secretary/Treasurer until her several people into exhibiting 9 Dealers MONROEVILLE, PA 15146 time as Treasurer expires, un- this year for the show, Good Engler Stamps less reelected to that post. Andy going Laura! Geezers Tweezers For more Show Information and Danielle will be installed at It was once again discussed to Visit our website at; try to find a bigger building, so R J Associates the meeting in June. Mickey's Stamps http://.www.wilkinsburgstampclu New Members; we can support more dealers at K2 Collectible Stamps b.com John and Joyce Harding our 2020 Show. or Collect Australia, New Zealand, We will be have a table at the John's Philatelics Contact; Switzerland, Belgium, and US Churchill Community Day The Cover Connection Danielle Weaver "Love" stamps. Member of APS August 11th 2018. If you would Richter Stamp Company Phone; Tom D. Smith New Jersey US like to help contact Tom's Stamps 412-727-1096 and World Wide Danielle Weaver (dealer information see E-Mail; A winning Cachet & Souvenir [email protected] website at: http:// [email protected] Sheet idea was discussed for www.wilkinsburgstampclub.c 2019 WILKPEX based on the om) new Mr. Rogers Stamps, it was discussed to order stamps and Worlds Smallest Country sends most mail per person WSC Meetings Vatican City Conciliation issue. It www.vaticancitystamps.org Visitors are welcome! Size: 0.17 sq. mi. consisted of thirteen regular / 2nd and 4th Sunday Population: around 783 issues and two special No Holidays Located in Rome, Italy, it is delivery stamps Next meetings the size of a golf course, In 1938 the Vatican April 8th & April 22nd and considered the smallest released its first airmails, Summers Meetings country in the world. It a distinguished by the June thru August walled enclave inside of the inscription Posta Aerea. 2nd Sundays only city of Rome, Italy For more information Doors Open 12:30 For a country that has no visit the Vatican Philatelic Meeting starts at 2PM street address, the Vatican Society web site; Churchill Borough Building, 2300 William Penn Hwy City has a very efficient http:// Churchill, PA 15235. post office: an international Free light lunch available mail dropped in the Vatican DUES ARE ONLY $8.00 PER mail will get to it’s FISCAL YEAR (JULY-JUNE) destination faster than one Members that haven’t paid dropped in Italy just a few your dues,can send payment hundred yard away - in fact, to: Wilkinsburg Stamp Club there is more mail sent and sent to: annually per inhabitant Wilkinsburg Stamp Club from this country (7,200 P.O. Box 10552 mails per person) than Pittsburgh, PA 15235-0552 anywhere else in the world. On 1 August 1929, the Vatican released its first stamps, a definitive series known to collectors as the Volume 17 Issue 9 April 2018 Page 3 Upcoming Shows WSC Newsletter

SPRING STAMP EXPO April 14, 2018 Holiday Inn Akron It’s your newsletter! April 7, 2018 Tuscora Stamp Club West 4073 Medina Rd. Help Make it special Cumberland Valley Phila- Tuscora Park, 161 Tuscora Ohio 44333 telic Society Avenue, NW, New Phila- (I-77 Rt. 18 exit). Original articles for the Eugene Clarke Center, 235 delphia, Ohio 44663 Contact; David G. Pool, newsletter may be submitted by any of the membership to S. Third Street, Chambers- Contact: Jim Shamel [email protected], Deb Foltyn at a meeting or burg, Pennsylvania 17202 jim- Phone: 330-832-5992. emailed to Contact: Quinn With- [email protected] LANCOPEX 2018 [email protected] erspoon, m April 27-28, 2018 Snail mail: [email protected] Phone: 740-922-4610 Philatelic Society of Lan- Deb Foltyn 717-264-1252 caster County 1023 Brintell Street TRI-STATE MONTH- Farm & Home Center, Pittsburgh, PA15201-1637

WILKPEX LY COIN & STAMP 1383 Arcadia Rd., Lancas- Ideas or content suggestions April 14, 15 SHOW ter, Pennsylvania 17601 are welcome.

Wilkinsburg Stamp Club April 22, 2018 Contact: Lou DiFelice, Note* articles submitted may Gateway Firehall, 4370 10 am—4 pm [email protected] be edited for content or to fit Northern Pike, Monroe- Sheraton Bucks County Phone: 717-572-3419 the Format. ville, Pennsylvania 15146 400 Oxford Valley http://www.lcps- Club members get a free Contact: Tom Donohue Langhorne, PA 19047 stamps.net/ hard copy of the newsletter. wilkinsburgstamp- Contact: Allen Brock [email protected] 305-852-7678 Non-members can receive copies of the newsletter by Phone: 412-373-8697 sending $1 per copy to the Website: http:// MONTROSE STAMP above address, checks should www.wilkinsburgstampclu BOURSE be addressed to b.com April 29, 2018 “Wilkinsburg Stamp Club” Sun, 10-4. TUSCOPEX 2018 Lincolnway Stamps Event

What are Fancy Cancels?

Fancy cancels include any obliterate the postage. Be- stamps or covers marked with sides frequent variations on an interesting cancellation geometric forms like stars, design to indicate the postage crosses, and circles, some is used. While many use the rare cancel marks featured terms postmark and cancel initial letters or imagery like synonymously, the earliest skulls or moons. In 1840, postmarks served only to Great Britain standardized its denote the date a letter was postmark system by adopting accepted at an official post a generic “Maltese Cross” office; it wasn’t until the design for all districts. advent of adhesive stamps in However, the mark conveyed 1840 that a separate system no additional information for indicating used stamps beyond the country, so the was required. British Royal Mail soon Some of the most interesting incorporated numbers cancellations are the associated with specific post- hand-stamps created before al routes, and finally date the advent of mail-processing marks. machinery. Many local post offices designed and carved their own stamps, resulting in an array of diverse cancels to serve the basic purpose of Volume 17 Issue 9 April 2018 Page 4 Junior Corner The Slobbo Gazette WSC Officers

The Tools of the Philatelists stamp face down in the de- The people of Slobbovia, President: or Stamp Collector; tector, and pour watermark having survived the great Andy Novotny spaghetti famine by means of [email protected] This month we will discuss fluid over it; if there is a wa- Watermark Detector. termark, it should become a great fish harvest will Vice-President: Watermarks are another way visible. celebrate the seasons catch Laura Kaczynski to recognize differences in with a new edition of the [email protected] Wilkinsburg Stamp Club similar stamps. A watermark Recording Secretary: is a design (maybe a letter, a Satirical Souvenir Sheet, and new special envelope to be Lorraine Vincent number, or a picture) that is [email protected] pressed into the paper that a issued April 14th 2018. stamp is printed on during In celebration the country- Treasurer: manufacturing. Watermarks men are having the annual Danielle Weaver Shark Games, including [email protected] are used to make it harder to counterfeit stamps. Some- shark sledding, shark toss, Newsletter Editor: times watermarks are visible, and Shark curling. All are Deb Foltyn or can easily be seen by look- welcome to attend and join in [email protected] ing at the back of a stamp as the fun. you hold it up to the light, or News Flash: Bruzilla Mailing Coordinator: by placing the stamp face Brown’s Bagel Bakery Burnt Danielle Weaver down on a black background. Brightly Before Breakfast, [email protected]

If these methods don't work, Fifty-five Firefighters Fierce- Web Tech: a watermark detector can be ly Fought Flames from Fire- Deb Foltyn used. A watermark detector is place and Flue. [email protected] a shallow, glass black cup or dish. Simply place your

WE’RE ON THE WEB! WILKINSBURG STAMP CLUB wilkinsburgstampclub.com Home of the Famous Satirical Souvenir

50 Years ago - April 1968 On 1 April 1968 thirteen ‘SOVEREIGN BIAFRA’ stamps of Nigeria from the inscription. 1965 issue were issued over- All are scarce as typically printed with the Biafran coat single sheets of 25 stamps of arms and the words were affected. SOVEREIGN BIAFRA. Eastern Nigeria separated The 1/2d and 1d values from from the Nigerian Federation the same 1965 Nigeria series in 1967 after military coups also exist surcharged with precipitated ethnic violence new values and overprinted across the country, particular- BIAFRA-FRANCE ly in the North. The new state FRIENDSHIP 1968 SOVER- of Biafra issued its first EIGN BIAFRA but these stamps on February 5, 1968. stamps are not believed to Biafran stamps were mainly have been used for postage. used on internal mail but Wildlife Provisionals. Is- some international mail was sued 1 April 1968. sent out by air via Libreville, Overprinting on several of Gabon. The civil war ended the large-format Nigeria on January 15, 1970. definitives was performed in two stages and in different colors resulting in the loss of either the red crest and obliteration bars or the black