April, 1976 Page 61 from the President's Desk We Have April, May and June to Go Before the Vacations Start Again, and Our Hobby Will Be Put Aside for Awhile
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EDITOR : Robert T . Clarke, 1338 Naples Drive, Dallas, Texas 75232 American Philatelic Society Affiliate No . 52 Vol . 2, no. 4 (whole no. 15) April, 1976 page 61 From the President's desk We have April, May and June to go before the vacations start again, and our hobby will be put aside for awhile . These three months will still be a very busy time for our circuit director, Bob Zeigler . After that . boom, no more circuit director . Regretfully, Bob has informed me that due to family, business and school commitments, he will not be able to continue his work as circuit director . This did not come out of the clear blue sky since Bob told us that when he took over from Dr . Ganz . All of us who sold and bought material to and from the circuit will back me up when I say that Bob did a splendid professional job . It will be hard to find a replacement as good and as dedicated as Dr . Ganz and Bob Zeigler. An urgent appeal goes out to our members to make themselves available to replace Bob, starting in September of this year . The job requires much time and a great deal of knowledge of the Swiss and Liechtenstein philately . The satisfaction of helping your fellow collector will however be greater than the sacrifice of time, spent on the job . If you feel inclined to tackle the work of circuit director and want to become a staff member of the A .H .P.S ., please contact me. After receiving the March "Tell," I read articles, semi-articles and bits of information from Sob Zeigler, Fred Lesser, Bob Clarke and five times from Dr . Ganz. These are all familiar names in the "Tell ." In order to expand the contents of the "Tell" with different views on whatever subject about our common hobby : the Swiss and Liechtenstein philately and also subject matter on these countries, other than philately, I urge all of you to send some copy to the editor for placement in the "Tell ." Also, for those who never "showed" their collections at exhibitions, I would like to have your thoughts go in that direction . Until two years ago, I had never issued anything into exhibitions but promised a friend of mine to get some material together for a show he sponsored . It was not the bronze medal I earned for this first showing what turned me on . It was the satisfaction of seeing my own material, representing very few dollars but a lot of time, amongst collections made by others. It also gives you new and fresh ideas in how to set up your collections with more imagination . Any suggestions from experienced "showers" and your own adventures in shows should be mentioned in the "Tell" so that in the near future the A .H .P .S. will be represented in more shows by more members . The "Bepex" in New Jersey was an excellent start. Vol . 2 No . 4 rage 62 Date : April, 1976 Table of Contents From the President's Desk 61 AHPS Welcome to new members 62 AHPS Sales Circuit Report # 7 63 New England Chapter News 64 The Marketplace 64 AHPS Writer's Award to Felix Ganz 64 BEPEX Show a Success 65 Swiss Cancellations, Part 48 66 G eneva After 1830 69 It Pays to look for Cancellations 73 Old Swiss Letters 74 Amateur Collector to visit INTERPHIL 76 Vol . 2 No . 4 Page 63 Date : April, 1976 AHPS Sales Circuit Report # 7 The switching incident reported last month has not been resolved. All of the people on the circuit declared their innocence, and none of them could supply enough information to determine where the switch occurred . We have suspicions, but without positive proof the case must be closed . However, this may mean a change in the character of future circuits. It is now time to begin looking for a replacement for the present sales manager, who will resign with regret on July 15 . While I am sorry to place this burden again on AHPS after only one year, the pressure of my work will be very great next year, and there is no way that I can run the circuit as I think it should be run. Whoever replaces me should have a lot of time available-- at least an hour or two a day, and several more hours on weekends . I also recommend a pocket calculator and an occasional aspirin! With nearly 70 circuits dispatched as of March 15, sales have reached almost $5000 . Some time in April they should surpass last year's total . One circuit so far has definitely been lost by the USPS, and a claim has been filed, processed, and the proceeds refunded to the owners . Another may be lost, but with the incredible delays in the mail (35 days between two points in Texas, for example), nothing is certain. Remember that all sales books for this year must reach me by May 1. LATE BOOKS WILL BE RETURNED . Vol . 2 No . 4 Page 64 Date : April, 1976 New England Chapter News Our next meeting will be held on April 14 at the house of Mr . Georges Peter in Beverly, Mass . Invitations will be sent out to all our "faithfuls ." The March "Tell" made mention of a Boston show, to be held April 30-May 2, 1976 . On Saturday afternoon, May 2, a time slot from 2 PM till 5 PM is set aside for the A .H.P .S. We will have speakers and also a slide program . Members from the A .H .P.S . are invited to send in material for the show . Contact Dave Beaber . Your president, Jan Donker, will be at the show from 12 noon till 6 PM and hopes to meet all New England Chapter members, members from out of state and friends with interest in Swiss philately . Come one, come all and, please, bring a friend. AHPS Writer's Award to Felix Ganz Felix Ganz has been named winner of the Writer's Award by the American Helvetia Philatelic Society for his lengthy, illustrated article on "Postal Cancellations and Markings in Switzerland and Liechtenstein ." The award, worth $100, was donated anonymously two years ago for the best article to appear during the year 1974-75 in the AHPS monthly journal "Tell" or one of its predecessors, the "Helvetia Alphorn ." Dr . Ganz's article, which has appeared in 48 installments so far, is the basis for a definitive handbook that would supplement two famous studies of earlier Swiss postal markings, "Handbook of Swiss Pre-Philately" by Jean Winkler and "Handbook of Swiss Cancellations 1843-1882" by Andres and Emmenegger. In dealing primarily with 20th century markings, Dr . Ganz has covered mobile, emergency, military, propaganda, special event and other markings that he has classified in almost 20 different groupings . Vol . 2 No . 4 Page 65 Date : April, 1976 BEPEX Show a Success An eye-opening 11 Swiss exhibits, sponsored by AHPS, highlighted the 1976 BEPEX in New Jersey Feb . 27-29, with top honors going to Harlan Stone over Felix Ganz in a close judges' decision . Together the displays made up probably the strongest showing of Swiss material in the U.S . in at least the last decade . They included particular strength in Rayons, Strubels, perforated Sitting Helvetias on covers, essays and proofs, and military mail. For his exhibit of the Federal imperforate stamps of 1850-62, Harlan Stone won the BEPEX best-in-show trophy . Helvetia gold medal, APS award for best exhibit by one of its members, and Jacobson Memorial Award for best exhibit by a member of a BEPEX club . The display in- cluded complete platings of the Rayon II (40 types) and large l5rp. Rayon III (10 types). Felix Ganz won a BEPEX best-in-section award and the Helvetia silver medal for his display of the perforated Sitting Helvetia stamps . It included virtually all combinations on domestic and international mail except the 40c . gray stamp on granite paper . For a second exhibit show- ing World War I military covers with and without "soldier stamps," he received a BEPEX silver medal with felicitations of the jury and the Helvetia bronze medal. Bob Ross, exhibiting World War II military stationery, won a BEPEX silver medal and the SPA award for the exhibit containing the best re- search. Pete Thorsell received a BEPEX silver medal for a selection of essays and proofs, including a full sheet of a Girardet essay of the 25c. Standing Helvetia stamp . He also won a BEPEX bronze medal for a display of Fournier forgeries of early stamps and postmarks. Bill Weitzmann won a BEPEX silver medal with felicitations for his ex- hibit of the Strubels . Other winners were Jan Donker and Gerry Diamond, who won BEPEX bronze medals for their respective displays of the Wil- liam Tell stamps and flight vignettes on covers of 1924-27. Other exhibitors of Swiss material were Harlan Stone, who showed Campione d'Italia stamps on and off cover, and Gordon Sprague, who displayed a cross-section of stamps on printed pages. The Northern New Jersey Chapter of AHPS won the Reggio-Skinner trophy for the highest point total by a participating BEPEX club, based on the individual awards won by its members . Contributing to the total were Harlan Stone, Bob Ross, Bill Weitzmann, Gerry Diamond, and other chapter members who showed non-Swiss material. The BEPEX judges, all members of the Collectors Club of New York, were Ernest Kehr, Abbot Lutz and Robert Odenweiler . Ernest Kehr, recently elected an honorary member of AHPS, served as chairman .