VOICE OF THE American Helvetia Philatelic Society Vol. XIX, NUMBER 4 JULY 1993 Letter from 1843 with a "Zürich 4", celebrating 150 years of Swiss stamps, PPT Museum. Table of Contents: 141 A Profile of a Swiss Stamp Collector, Ernest 123 From the President, Ernest Bergman Bergman, by Robert Gleichenhaus 125 The Postal Rates From Switzerland to the 144 Auction 96, prices realized U.S. in the Strubel Period, a correction by 145 ROMPEX '93, Convention Awards Herbert Brach 146 The 1880 Essays of Switzerland, by H . K. 131 Zumstein Specialized Catalog 1992 : Nothing Heissinger New Regarding Strubels? (II) Urs Herman, 149 AHPS Auction 97, by George Struble translated by Herbert Brach 153 Members' Mini - Ads 140 1829-45 Basel-French Mail, by Hansuli 154 In Search of a Railroad, by Charles J. Sieber, a Book review by Harlan LaBlonde F. Stone 159 Did You Know? by M . Rutherfoord American Helvetia Philatelic Society OFFICERS 1992 - 1993 ELECTED OFFICERS APPOINTED OFFICERS REPRESENTATIVES President Editor Union of Swiss Philatelic Ernest L. Bergman Mario Wiedenmeier Societies 1421 Harris Street 12 Lyncrest Drive Ralph Soderberg State College, PA 16803- Galveston, TX 77550-3215 P .O . Box 36067 3024 Home : 409-763-4855 Grosse Pointe Woods, MI Home : 814-238-0164 48236 Circuit Sales Manager Home : 313-885-4125 Past President Emil L. Tobler Mario Wiedenmeier P.O. Box 26 American Philatelic Society 12 Lyncrest Drive Bradford, RI 02808 Charles J . LaBlonde Galveston, TX 77550-3215 Home : 401-377-2238 P .O . Box 264 Home : 409-763-4855 Chelmsford, MA 01824 Auction Manager Home : 508-256-3904 Vice-President George Struble Steve P . Turchik 210 18th St . NE Liechtenstein Study Group 727 E . Pleasant Street Salem, OR 97301 Chm : Max Rheinberger Santa Paula, CA 93060 Home : 503-364-3929 100 Elizabeth St ., #510 Home : 805-525-6362 Duluth, MN 55802 Publicity Chairman Home : 218-728-3925 Secretary & Librarian Awards Chairman Richard T . Hall Editor Emeritus 1994 AHPS Convention P.O. Box 666 Harlan F . Stone Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 P.O . Box 334 Home : 310-546-5226 Woodside, NY 11377 Home : 718-478-2374 June 1994 NAPEX Treasurer Washington D .C. Frank Young Slide Chairman 412 North Main Street Richard W. Blaney Herkimer NY 13350-1926 P .O . Box 1100 Home : 315-866-7822 Easton, MA 02334-1100 Change-of-Address should Home : 508-238-3134 be sent to the Secretary Regional Director West Advertising communications Dick Barton should be addressed to the 2800 Crestview Editor Loveland, CO 80538 Home : 303-669-8130 Subscriptions for 1993 Include AHPS dues : North Regional Director Central Regional Director East America, $15 ; overseas William R . Lucas David E . Durham, Pastor air delivery, $25. P.O. Box 2103 #7 Allenhurst Road VSPhV 30$, US only. Aurora, IL 60507 Buffalo, NY 14214-1201 Request membership appli- Home : 312-983-9149 Home : 716-833-6504 cations from the Secretary . TELL (ISSN 1042-2072) is the official journal of the American Helvetia Philatelic Society, affiliate #52 of the American Philatelic Society and a member of the Union of Swiss Philatelic Societies, and is published bimonthly (Jan-Mar- May-Jul-Sep-Nov) . Deadlines are the first of the month prior to publication (Dec-Feb-Apr-Jun-Aug-Oct). Opinions expressed in this journal are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by AHPS or the Editor . Articles on Swiss, Liechtenstein, UN Geneva and related philately are welcome and should be sent to the Editor. 122 Tell Vol XIX No. 4 July 1993 FROM THE PRESIDENT Our annual meeting in Denver is already a thing of the past and it was in every respect a most enjoyable one . Dick Barton, our Regional Director West, did an outstanding job with planning our meetings, getting the Helvetia member exhibits and making the final arrangements. He deserves a well-earned thank you from all of us. Based on attendance at previous meetings, it seemed to be better than in past years and 30 members, some with their wives, registered and participated in the various functions. Many old friendships were renewed and new acquaintances were made. ROMPEX as such and the about 70-frame Swiss and Liechtenstein exhibition was very competitive . We had two very competent and excellent Helvetia judges among the five, namely Chuck LaBlonde and Bob Zeigler. They had their work cut out with judging 320 frames . Harlan Stone garnered not only the Helvetia top award but also the Champion of Champion show award for his Switzerland's Imperforate Sitting Helvetia exhibit - congratulations, Harlan. More about the awards in a separate report. The highlights of our meeting, must have been the Seminars on "Identification of Strubels" prepared by Herbert Brach and very ably presented by Robert Gleichenhaus, since Mr . Brach could not attend for personal reasons, and "The De Coppet Razor Blade Cancels" by Chuck LaBlonde . Both presentations were absolutely excellent in every respect and entailed a lot of personal research which, I am sure, will be quoted in Swiss stamp literature . Bob Zeigler presented a very interesting and timely paper on "Swiss Stamp Valuations". Many thanks to all of you. Naturally, what would an annual get-together be without a swap session and the mandatory annual business meeting! The three main items of discussion and action were: 1. Budget - yes we have to make adjustments in our "household". The Budget Committee (Dick Hall, chm ., Frank Young & Chuck LaBlonde), appointed by the president, has already begun to work on this problem . It was voted on in the affirmative that annual membership fees should be raised but not more than $ 5. Furthermore, it was decided to have a society benefit stamp auction sale later in the year to gain additional revenues. 2. Item # 4 of the Criteria for National Convention Grand Award was thoroughly discussed in all its aspect and by vote changed, whereby a grand award winning exhibit can be shown again and automatically receive an Helvetia award noncompetitively . Depending on show rules it can also compete for overall show awards . More about this in a separate report. 123 Tell Vol XIX No. 4 July 1993 3 . It was moved, seconded, and approved that Helvetia will meet in 1994 (June) with NAPEX (the National Philatelic Exhibitions, Washington D .C .) in Arlington, VA ; in 1995 (March 23-26) with SCOPEX and the APS Spring meeting in State College, PA, celebrating 50 years of APS establishing Headquarters in State College, PA ; in 1996 with ARIPEX in Phoenix, AZ and in 1997 with PACIFIC '97 in San Francisco, CA. Naturally, our participation in these shows need convention chairmen and at this time I am asking for a VOLUNTEER living in the Washington area to accept the position of CONVENTION CHAIRMAN for 1995 . Please get in touch with me. The Annual Breakfast at ROMPEX sponsored by the Auraria Postal History, Railroad Paraphernalia, Chowder and Marching Society was indeed a lot of fun where certain local members got awards for all kinds of worthwhile and worthless virtues . As only outsider, Mrs. Helen (Harlan) Stone received an order for "her unselfish staying at home, watching kids and bank accounts while Harlan is pursuing stamp shows around the world". With this happy note of fun in collecting stamps - Ernest L . Bergman 124 Tell Vol XIX No. 4 July 1993 Herbert Brach THE POSTAL RATES FROM SWITZERLAND TO THE U .S. IN THE STRUBEL PERIOD A CORRECTION At my age, I should know better . To I would like to make amends by adopt a simplistic approach to publishing a correction based on anything to do with Strubels is to information researched and published invite disaster . Yet, that is exactly by Alfred Bohnenblust in "Postge- what I did with my short up-date on schichte" No. 32 of December 1987 this subject which appeared in the and No. 46 of May 1991 . These two January 1993 issue of "Tell". articles also appeared, translated into English, in the "Postal History The data were correct, but the Journal" No. 82 of June 1989 and No. conclusions were not. It was a case of 89 of October 1991. judging what an elephant looked like from having had a glimpse at his Adapting Mr. Bohnenblust's work to trunk. It did not take long for me to the Strubel period, because his pu- have been taken to task for having blished research starts with the rates as done the membership a disservice by early as July 1st, 1850 and, up to the publishing insufficiently researched moment, ends on May 1st, 1857, we and thus, erroneous information . I am will restrict the period covered by this indebted to Mr. Harlan Stone, Dr. paper as factual information to the Heinrich Heissinger and Mr. Walter time segment September 15th, 1854 to Haemmerli from Switzerland for April 30th, 1857. Rates shown beyond having been shown the error of my this date are based on actual evidence, ways and for having been steered to but the conclusions drawn are to be the correct information. considered as speculative at this point. 125 Tell Vol XIX No. 4 July 1993 Since the overwhelming majority of stamps) was obligatory in the mail from Switzerland to the U .S . was beginning and became optional in May routed through France at the time, this of 1857. is the only route being considered here, although alternatives were avail- It is amazing, given the frequent rate able through Germany (in the closed changes, how well the postal Prussian mail bag through Cologne- employees were acquainted with the Ostend-England or via the Thurn & regulations in force at any one time. Taxis system through Frankfurt to That there were a few exceptions and Bremen.) that some letters managed to get through with odd rates, from time to Judging from the evidence, there were time, is only natural.