TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message Mark Maestrone 1 Looking Back at London 2012, Robert Wilcock 2 Part 2: The Build-Up to the Games Portugal's 1928 Olympic Stamps (Part 4) Manfred Bergman 10 My Most Valuable Stamp: Andrew Urushima 16 the Greek 1896 Olympic Chariot A New Olympic Collectors Organization is Born Mark Maestrone 17 Inaugural General Assembly of AICO & XXth Mark Maestrone 18 World Olympic Collectors Fair The Friendly Games (Part 3) William Silvester 20 Commonwealth Games Stamps Checklist William Silvester 26 William Harding, a Golfing United States President Patricia Loehr 27 The VII Amateur Baseball World Series Norman Rushefsky 29 Reviews of Periodicals Mark Maestrone 31 News of our Members Mark Maestrone 32 New Stamp Issues John La Porta 33 www.sportstamps.org Commemorative Cancels Mark Maestrone 36 On the cover: The Olympic Museum which recently reopened after an extensive two-year remodel of both the inside and gardens. [photo by Mark Maestrone] 2012 LONDON SPORTS PHILATELISTS INTERNATIONAL OLYMPICS President: Mark C. Maestrone, 2824 Curie Place, San Diego, CA 92122 2 Vice-President: Charles V. Covell, Jr., 207 NE 9th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601 Secretary-Treasurer: Andrew Urushima, 1510 Los Altos Dr., Burlingame, CA 94010 Directors: Norman F. Jacobs, Jr. – email only: [email protected] John La Porta, P.O. Box 98, Orland Park, IL 60462 Dale Lilljedahl, 4044 Williamsburg Rd., Dallas, TX 75220 Patricia Ann Loehr, 2603 Wauwatosa Ave., Apt 2, Wauwatosa, WI 53213 Norman Rushefsky, 9215 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Robert J. Wilcock, 24 Hamilton Cres., Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5ES, England Store Front Manager: (Vacant) Membership: Jerome Wachholz, 1320 Bridget Lane, Twinsburg, OH 44087 AICO & XXTH Sales Department: John La Porta, P.O. Box 98, Orland Park, IL 60462 Olympic Fair Webmaster: Mark C. Maestrone, 2824 Curie Place, San Diego, CA 92122 17 Sports Philatelists International is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and collecting of postage stamps and related collateral material dealing with sports (including Olympics) and recreation and to the promotion of international understanding and goodwill through mutual interest in philately and sports. Its activities are planned and carried on entirely by the unpaid, volunteer services of its members. Annual dues: $31.00 U.S./Canada (first class mail), $43.00 overseas (airmail). Internet-Only Member: $15.00 (worldwide) COMMONWEALTH GAMES JOURNAL OF SPORTS PHILATELY 20 Publisher: John La Porta, P.O. Box 98, Orland Park, IL 60462 Editor: Mark C. Maestrone, 2824 Curie Place, San Diego, CA 92122 Columnists: John La Porta, P.O. Box 98, Orland Park, IL 60462 Ad Manager: Norman F. Jacobs, Jr. – email only: [email protected] Circulation: Jerome Wachholz, 1320 Bridget Lane, Twinsburg, OH 44087 The Journal of Sports Philately is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. Advertising Rates: Covers $50.00; Full Page $45.00; Half Page $25.00; Quarter Page $15.00. Advance payment required. Camera ready copy must be supplied by the advertiser. Publishing deadlines: January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15 for the following issue. Single copy price (postpaid): $5.00 GOLF (US/Canada), $7.50 (overseas). 27 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and they do not necessarily represent those of the editor, the officers of SPI or the position of SPI itself. All catalogue numbers quoted in this publication are from Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue unless specifically stated otherwise. SPI and JSP do not guarantee advertisements, but accept copy in good faith, reserving the right to reject objectionable material. Vol. 52, No. 4 American Philatelic Society (APS), Affiliate Member #39 Summer 2014 Association Internationale des Collectionneurs Olympiques (AICO), Charter Member American Topical Association (ATA), Study Unit Member ISSN 0447-953X PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Mark Maestrone SPI Election, 2014-2016 AICO’s mission is “fostering quality Olympic philately, numismatics and memorabilia collecting It’s once again time to cast ballots to elect your related to the historical and cultural aspects of the officers and members of the Board of Directors of Olympic Movement.” SPI. Many of the faces will be familiar, but with a Following a unanimous vote from the assem- minor shuffle in the batting line-up! A new candi- bled delegates to create the new organization, a date for the board will be Joe Lopreiato. Stepping five-member executive board was elected. I was down at this time is Dale Lilljedahl. Please do take honored to have been chosen as First Vice-Presi- just a few moments to fill in your ballot (enclosed dent serving for a four-year term. with this issue) which you may then return by: I would like to thank our delegate to the Gen- 1. Mail to our secretary Andrew Urushima, 1510 eral Assembly, Norman Jacobs, for so ably repre- Los Altos Dr., Burlingame, CA 94010, USA, or senting SPI. A full report on the proceedings may be 2. E-mail to [email protected], or found on page 17 of this issue. 3. Enclose in your dues envelope (our Member- ship Chairman will forward it on to Andrew). 20th World Olympic Collectors Fair Our web-only members will receive a ballot via 23-25 May 2014 email. The deadline for receipt of ballots is August 1, 2014. Immediately following the founding of AICO, the new international Olympic collectors organiza- Dues Renewal tion, Lausanne played host to the annual World Olympic Collectors Fair. If you find a dues envelope included with this Over fifty dealers in Olympic and sports philat- issue of the journal, then it’s time to renew your ely, memorabilia and numismatics filled a large membership in SPI (web-only members will re- tent set up on the busy lakefront park/recreation ceive renewal notices by email). We had a very area. Judging from the foot traffic on Saturday, the small dues increase of just $2 for US/Canadian Fair appeared to be a popular diversion for the members and $4 for our overseas members neces- public enjoying the sunny spring weather. sitated by the increase in postage rates. We hope The Fair’s organizing committee (David Maiden, that you will continue to support sports and Olym- Jim Greensfelder and Halvor Kleppen of the IOC’s pic philately through continued membership in SPI. Olympic Philately, Numismatic and Memorabilia Commission, and SPI member Jean-Louis Emme- Founding of AICO negger) provided evening events for the partici- pants including cocktails and a tour of the Olympic SPI has joined 18 other Olympic collecting Museum on Friday, and a silent auction and official groups from around the world as a charter member dinner on Saturday. in AICO (Association Internationale des Collect- Lake Placid, New York, home of the 1932 and ionneurs Olympiques) which was founded in 1980 Olympic Winter Games, is a candidate to host Lausanne on 22 May. the 2015 World Olympic Collectors Fair. The SPI web site is located at: http://www.sportstamps.org Mark Maestrone: [email protected] Dale Lilljedahl: [email protected] Charles Covell: [email protected] Patricia Ann Loehr: (none at this time) Andrew Urushima: [email protected] Norman Rushefsky: [email protected] Norman Jacobs: [email protected] Robert Wilcock: [email protected] John La Porta: [email protected] Jerome Wachholz: [email protected] Journal of Sports Philately Summer 2014 1 Figure 2. SmartStamp FDC for Canoe Slalom, mailed from Figure 3. SmartStamp FDC for Paralympic Equestrian Waltham Cross P.O. in the town center adjacent to the Lee events, with SOC SmartStamp, mailed from Greenwich Valley Water Park. Post Office. Looking Back at London 2012 Part 2: The Build-up to the Games by Bob Wilcock covers mailed from post offices nearest to the venues (Figure 2) hosting the sports depicted on the ollowing their agreement with the London stamps issued on that date. It was not possible to Organising Committee of the Olympic and use the Paralympic logos because they were not yet Paralympic Games (LOCOG) for the use of published, so SOC’s own logo was used in conjunc- F official images on computer-generated tion with the Paralympic stamps (Figure 3). “SmartStamps,” in September 2008 and again in July 2009 the Society of Olympic Collectors (SOC) issued Royal Mail Olympic and SmartStamps to mark official “Open Weekend” Paralympic Sports Series events when there were tours of the Olympic Park under construction (Figure 1). 22 October 2009 saw the issue of the first installment of ten of a series of 30 stamps depicting 29 Olympic and Paralympic sports. Two of the stamps were dedicated to athletics (one for track and the other for the field events). Swimming, diving and water polo, however, were represented by a single “aquatic sports’ stamp, despite water polo Figure 1. ‘Open Weekend’ SmartStamp 2009 with Olym- taking place in a second (temporary) pool. The pic and Paralympic logos. stamp shows a diver, and, ironically, Royal Mail does not have undisputed copyright to the image! SOC’s agreement was originally ad-hoc. LOCOG The first series comprises aquatics, Paralympic were reluctant to authorize the use of the logo and archery, athletics (track), badminton, basketball, Olympic Rings, but did agree that the official boccia, canoe slalom, Paralympic equestrian, judo, pictograms could be used, and supplied official and weightlifting. The stamps were issued princi- images on disc. SOC took advantage of this for the pally in two 50-stamp sheets. Each sheet was first time on 22 October 2009 when Royal Mail composed of five designs se-tenant horizontally, and launched the first part of its 30-stamp “Sports in columns of ten stamps, rows 5 and 6 being Series.” SmartStamps depicting the pictograms divided by a gutter.