The Arrival of Norwegian Immigrants to America
Over 200 years ago in 1825, a small wooden sloop set sail from Stavanger, Norway, on a voyage that would quietly alter the course of history.
-
-
Postal History of the Confederacy
When the Civil War began in 1861, the Confederate States of America needed to build its own postal system from scratch. With Union stamps declared invalid in the South, the Confederacy rushed to design and issue its own postage.
-
The Story of America’s Duck Stamps
Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation stamps, more commonly known as “Duck” stamps, have been a cornerstone of American conservation since their debut in 1934. The program was born out of…
-
Discover Civil War U.S. Revenue Stamped Paper
Congress passed the Revenue Act of 1862 to raise money for the Civil War. This new act put a 2¢ tax on bank checks. While most paid the tax by affixing a 2¢ stamp to the check, Congress also authorized Revenue Stamped Paper where the stamp is printed right on the check, like this…
-
The Roosevelt Small Die Proofs
Roosevelt small die proofs are impression proofs of US postage stamps, painstakingly prepared by the Bureau of Engraving & Printing in the early 20th century. These proofs were bound into deluxe presentation albums, unofficially called “Roosevelt Albums” due to their distribution during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency.
-
Original Gum
When collectors and dealers use the phrase “original gum”, they are referring to the adhesive coating applied to the back of a postage stamp at the time of its production, before the stamp was ever used.
-
The Pan-American Inverts
The Pan-American Inverts are among the most storied and coveted errors in US philately. They capture both the drama of early 20th-century printing and the excitement of the Pan-American Exposition of 1901.
-
Inverted Jenny Position 63
Position 63 from the sheet of 100 #C3a stamps purchased in 1918 by William Robey is, in my opinion, the Jenny Invert with the most tantalizing history.
-
Why Collect Stamp Blocks and Strips of Four?
The broad appeal for blocks is scarcity or rarity, and eye appeal (blocks of 4 are balanced and pretty).
