Information is now available for our mid-year 2013
meeting September 13-14 in Huntsville, Alabama. Be sure to make reservations
early.
Our mid-year meeting will be located in Huntsville
and include a visit to the U.S. Space and Rocket
Center. We will have material available from a
number of dealers and presentations on Alabama
postal history. Be sure to join us for this
exclusive opportunity for CSA members.
Special Thanks to the
Founding Donors of the
William H. Gross Stamp Gallery
The Confederate Stamp Alliance
received a special "Thank You"
from the National Postal Museum.
Founding donors are individuals
who contributed $10,000 or more
on or before October 31, 2012.
These donors played a critical
role by providing seed money for
the construction of the
William H. Gross Stamp Gallery.
To recognize founding donors for
their significant role in
creating the William H. Gross
Stamp Gallery, each donor's name
will be etched on the
consolidated founding donor
panel in the gallery for the
life of the gallery.
Founding Donor
Spotlight:
Confederate Stamp Alliance
Confederate Stamp Alliance Trustee Deane Briggs (right) presenting donation to
Tom Lera, Winton M. Blount Research Chair, National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is
extremely grateful for all of
its donors.
Peter Powell
Named Member Emeritus of the Authentication Service
In recognition of his thirty years of service and detailed
knowledge of Confederate stamps and postal history the title of
Member Emeritus was bestowed on General Peter W. W.
Powell by the Authentication Service.
General Powell recently resigned his position with the
Authentication Service. His thirty years of excellent and
continuous service to the Authentication Service is an
exceptional accomplishment that may never be equaled. The depth
of his knowledge of Confederate stamps and postal history has
been a positive contribution to the examination process that
will be sorely missed.
The NEW Confederate States of
America Catalog & Handbook of
Stamps and Postal History
a major success.
The much anticipated update, expansion and re-write of
August Dietz classical work on Confederate Postal
History has gone from "brand new" to "out of print" in
only three months. This six year endeavor on the
part of the Confederate Stamp Alliance and its members
has been a tremendous success. Congratulations to the
editors Patricia A. Kaufmann, Francis J. Crown and Jerry
S. Palazolo and to the many other members who
contributed to this important contribution to
Confederate philately.
For an illustrated and far
more in depth look at both the history of prior catalogs
and the marvelous changes in this 2012 edition, see
A 21st Century Confederate Catalog.
Ground
Breaking Ceremony of the William H. Gross Gallery
Smithsonian National Postal Museum
Confederate Stamp Alliance members were honored to
participate in the Ground Breaking Ceremony of the
William H. Gross Gallery on Monday, June 4, 2012 at
the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Wielding the
shovels, left to right, are CSA Treasurer Tom Lera
(also the Winton M. Blount Chair in Research at the
NPM), CSA Past President Trish Kaufmann (NPM Council
of Philatelists Research Committee member) and CSA
member / COP member Vince King.
Read more...
Harry
G. Brittain, PhD has been
selected as the recipient of the
2012 Confederate Stamp Alliance
and National Postal Museum
Scholarship for his project
"Infrared Spectroscopic Study of
the 10-Cent Jefferson Davis
Stamps Issued by the Confederacy
During 1863-1864."
While
a great deal of scholarship has
been conducted on the engraved
stamps issued by the Confederate
States of America during the
1863-1864 time period, very
little forensic analysis has
been conducted on these stamps.
Using Fourier Transform Infrared
(FTIR) Spectroscopy coupled with
Attenuated Total Reflectance
(ATR) sampling, recent studies
have enabled an identification
of the components containedin
the inks used in the two
printings of the confederate
(CSA -13) 20-cent George
Washington. Dr.
Brittain will conduct FTIR-ATR
studies on the 10-Cent Jefferson
Davis Stamps issued by the
Confederacy (CSA-11 and CSA-12),
and to determine the nature of
the printing inks used in these
issues, CSA-11and CSA-12 blocks
bearing the Archer & Daly
imprint and the Keatinge & Ball
imprint will be analyzed. Since
these blocks represent the
development of the inks used in
the printings, their analysis
will serve to create a timeline
for the various types of inks
used to print these issues. This
information will then be used to
assign approximately printing
timelines for issues not
containing an attached imprint.
The Smithsonian National Postal Museum (NPM) and
The Confederate Stamp Alliance (CSA) provide a scholarship of up to $2000 for original research
and analysis relating to any aspect of Confederate postal
history. Click here
for more information on
applying.
National Postal Museum
Announces Launch of Centralized Gateway to
World’s Greatest Philatelic Research The Smithsonian’s National
Postal Museum announces the launch of the
GlobalPhilatelicLibrary.org website, a
centralized information gateway to the world’s
greatest philatelic research. Click here
for more information.
About Confederate Philately
Much
of the history of that short-lived
political experiment, the Confederate
States of America, was
reflected in its stamps, covers, and
other postal mementos. The bitter Civil
War spanned the entire life of the
Confederacy -- the four years from 1861
to 1865 -- and the marks and record of
that great struggle are nowhere found
more clearly than in the postal history
of the "Lost Cause." All collectors of
Confederate stamps come to realize this
very early in their pursuit, and this
fact has much to do with the fascination
that the Confederate collector
invariably experiences.
There
are hundreds of varieties of
stampless,
Handstamp
Paid and Manuscript covers
as well as Provisional adhesive stamps
and envelopes used before the
Confederate government could issue
regular stamps. There are 17 major
varieties of regular issue Confederate
States stamps -- also minor varieties
and endless shades.
There
are Prisoner-of-War and Flag-of-Truce
covers, Express Company markings,
Blockade-Run covers to
and from
Europe, College covers, Official
and Semi-Official envelopes, Packet and
Steamboat covers, Patriotic covers with
their war mottos, covers showing use of
United States stamps in the
Confederacy, and many interesting
letters.
Nowhere
else in philately can one find such
strange usages, makeshifts and evidences
of desperate
shortages.
There are envelopes made of wallpaper,
envelopes used twice over, and
United States stamped envelopes
seized and overprinted for the use of
the Confederacy.
Today
Confederate items are almost 150 years old.
Some are scarce and hard to find, but
many are within reach of all.
More
has been written about Confederate
stamps and covers --
and still is being written -- than
nearly any other specialized field.
Ever had a question regarding a Confederate philatelic item
and wish you knew someone who could give you an answer? Well, the CSA
recognizes this need and has established a "Mentor Program" whereby you
can call or email a very knowledgeable Confederate philatelist and
fellow CSA member with your question.
Our annual convention in Cleveland, OH, was
terrific. Lots of dealers, great exhibits, wonderful
fellowship and excellent presentations.
Here is a
brief summary and photos.
We have begun sending our newsletter via email to
the majority of our members. If you somehow
missed it,
here is a .pdf version.
Join the
Confederate Stamp Alliance...
The
CONFEDERATE STAMP ALLIANCE is a non-sectional, non-political
organization for fraternity, research and cooperation among a choice
group of hundreds of collectors of Confederate stamps, covers, and
postal history. Its members' interests
cover all possible phases of the stamps and postal history of the
War Between the States, both North and South.
The
ALLIANCE'S official publication, THE CONFEDERATE PHILATELIST,
is published quarterly and sent to all members. It
contains original articles on Confederate philately as well as
news of the ALLIANCE and its members.
One
of the important services available to members of the CONFEDERATE
STAMP ALLIANCE is its Authentication
Service. This panel of experts will issue a formal
written opinion on any item submitted by a member for a nominal
fee. Any authentication issue should be submitted to the CSA
Authentication Service for formal expert review.
Each
year the CONFEDERATE STAMP ALLIANCE holds its
Annual Convention and Exhibition,
usually in conjunction with a national or regional show. Anyone
who is a student of the War for Southern Independence or who
collects or is interested in starting a collection of Confederate
or Civil War material in any form will find that membership in
Confederate philately's national society provides distinct
advantages.
Become A Member. Please
accept our cordial invitation to join the CONFEDERATE STAMP
ALLIANCE and participate in the many varied activities
in this
fascinating philatelic field. All are welcome.
If you are
interested in becoming a member of the CONFEDERATE
STAMP ALLIANCE, just access the Membership Application
Form below and print it out. The directions for filling out the
form and mailing it are self-explanatory. Use the back button to
return to this page. 1 May 2012 -- Current Membership
stands at 688.
The Confederate
Stamp Primer OnlineThe Confederate Stamp Primer
Online by Patricia A. Kaufmann is a basic guide for those who
don't have access to classic philatelic literature on the
subject or for those who do, but would like a quick online
reference. You may view just the section in which you are
interested or read it systematically from one page to the next.
This primer deals only with stamps and not the vast area of
postal history covered by The Rebel Post. A section
called "Trouble Spots" is being added one treatise at a time to
cover such common problems as identifying #11 from #12, London
print from Local print, altered plate reprints and more.
Harry
G. Brittain, PhD has been
selected as the recipient of the
2012 Confederate Stamp Alliance
and National Postal Museum
Scholarship for his project
"Infrared Spectroscopic Study of
the 10-Cent Jefferson Davis
Stamps Issued by the Confederacy
During 1863-1864."
