The Seventh
Annual Postal History Symposium
will be held November 2-4, 2012,
at the American Philatelic
Center, Bellefonte, PA. It
is sponsored by the American
Philatelic Society, the American
Philatelic Research Library and
the Smithsonian National Postal
Museum. The theme of the
symposium is: "Blue and Gray:
Mail and the Civil War."
The symposium seeks papers that
will address any aspect of the
mail and post office related to
the Civil War.
Click here for more
information or contact Thomas M.
Lera, Smithsonian National
Postal Museum at 202-633-9393
for further information.
The deadline for a proposed
paper is June 1, 2012, so an
early inquiry is recommended.
Research
Scholarships Available The Smithsonian National Postal Museum (NPM) and
The Confederate Stamp Alliance (CSA) are pleased
to announce 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...
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.
The History of the
Confederate Stamp Alliance. Who are these
fellas?
See the new historical photos of Confederate Stamp Alliance
luminaries on our CSA History Page.
The
NEW Confederate States of
America Catalog and Handbook
The classic work by on Confederate postal history by August
Dietz is being updated by members of the Confederate Stamp
Alliance.
Find out more
Special Alert! Four covers missing out of registered mail in transit through the
southern states during the summer of 2005.
Please review the photos of the covers
and their descriptions on the linked page. If you see any of
these covers or are offered them for sale, please immediately
contact Trish Kaufmann at trishkauf@comcast.net or 302-422-2656
Our 2011 Convention in San
Francisco is history. For photos and a report
on the activities
click here.
NOW AVAILABLE!
The 2nd Edition
of John Kimbrough and Conrad Bush's
Collector's Guide to Confederate
Philately is now available! This
monumental work has been updated to
500 pages with over 750 full color
images. The hardbound edition
is available for $95.00 through John
Kimbrough's website at
www.csastamps.com or by phone at
817-249-2447.
Still
Available...This major winner of literature
competitions:. Special Mail Routes of the
American Civil War:
A Guide to Across-the-Lines
Postal History by Steven
C. Walske and Scott R. Trepel
Click Here for details on how to order this book.
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.
