The Philatelic Foundation has announced a new service for stamps with low market value despite their high catalogue value which really reflect the value of very fine, fault-free examples. Therefore, submitters can expect the same quality and expertise for their stamps without having to pay a high fee for their certificate. The fees, which are still based upon catalogue value are:

A.  Catalog value of $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 with an actual fair market value estimate of 25% or less of catalog value due to condition issues, including faults and/or poor centering.

Flat fee of $75.00

B. Catalog Value in excess of $10,000.00 with an actual fair market value of 25% or less of catalog value to due to condition issues, including faults and/or poor centering.

Flat fee of 5.5% based on fair market value with minimum fee of $100.00

For each, the submitter is to state the fair market value, subject to revision by PF, if the fair market value is grossly undervalued. Applications are exactly the same and can be found here.

The 3-volume Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870 was just awarded the Large Gold Medal in the international literature competition at PHILAKOREA 2014, with a special prize for “best in class.”

This honor, together with three major awards won previously, confirms Fred Gregory and the PF as the worldwide authority in the early Hawaii post.

Gregory has made Hawaii postal service research his life’s work, which led to several journal articles and his outstanding website, Post Office in Paradise.  Bringing this experience to the PF project, Gregory lays out a clear, compelling narrative on 1,233 golden-edged pages that brings the era to life.

Entertaining and informative, Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870 details pioneer stampless covers, whalers and missionaries, the use of Hawaii and U.S. postage stamps on Hawaii mail and rates and markings.  Maps and illustrations trace the routes Hawaii mail traveled while a comprehensive list of vessel arrivals and departures provides an invaluable reference for determining the authenticity of postal history from this period.

Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870 also appeals to armchair historians with generous color illustrations and details on the everyday lives of missionaries, ship captains, fur and sandalwood traders, and a relatively isolated island nation emerging as a power player on the world stage.  As the StampShow Judges’ noted in their critique, it’s“an outstanding work of depth and wide interest.  Clear, easily readable… and thoroughly reliable… This will be the standard reference for a very long time.”

About 20 years ago, experts working on behalf of the Philatelic Foundation began updating Meyer and Harris’ classic 1948 research volume, Hawaii, Its Stamps and Postal History.  Our expert consultant, Fred Gregory, took charge of the project over time and its scope changed to become a completely new work.

The result – the ultimate resource for information on Hawaii’s early postal system and the first major work on Hawaiian philately in over half a century.

http://www.philatelicfoundation.org/educational-resources/hawaii-foreign-mail-and-other-publications/hawaii-foreign-mail-to-1870/.

The Philatelic Foundation is pleased to announce that Carl A. Contiguglia has become a Trustee. Carl is a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and has provided financial advice and raised capital for large corporate clients globally for 25 years and currently serves as Global Head of the firm’s Natural Resources Group. Carl received his A.B. with distinction from Cornell University’s College of Arts & Sciences and his M.B.A. with distinction from Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.

Carl is a student of Postmaster Provisionals, Carriers and Locals, Western Expresses, Italian States and Hawaiian Philately.

Carl resides in Manhattan with his wife and two daughters.

The Philatelic Foundation is a not-for-profit educational institution chartered in 1945 to encourage and advance philately. The Foundation engages in a broad range of educational activities including the expertization and authentication of rare stamps and covers and the development of educational projects. The Foundation is located at 341 West 38^th Street, New York, NY10018.Website:www.philatelicfoundation.org.

Who are the individuals behind the Philatelic Foundation – the experts, the executive director, the trustees – who continue to keep the high standard of what the Philatelic Foundation has become known for over the many decades of it’s continuing service to philately? Here we interview Mark Schwartz who is one of the Board of Trustees for the Philatelic Foundation.

Click here to see Mark’s interview as well as other Staff and members of the board…

A page dedicated to various research articles has been uploaded online. These primarily consist of articles written in The Philatelic Foundation Bulletin. Many of these were written in the 1980s-1990s and were distributed and sent to Contributing members on a regular basis. In the future, more articles will be placed online. These are organized in sections for those interested in particular pieces.

Click here to visit the page…

Whether you are a collector – from beginner to advanced, expert or dealer, confidence in what you buy is essential. That’s why people turn to the Philatelic Foundation for expertizing their stamps. Our newly updated “Why Expertize” page will take you through some of the reasons – with real-life examples – as to why you should place trust in our opinions. This page will highlight what you can expect on a certificate, protecting your investment by getting a certificate, some challenging areas of collecting and what grading can do to value.

Click here to visit the newly designed page…

The Philatelic Foundation has had a change in certificate fee rates. Despite these nominal increases, the Philatelic Foundation remains the best value for expertizing and commands the greatest respect in the field of philately.

The changes in the rates will be as follows for all submissions:

– Fee: The percentage of submitted value has gone from 5% to 5.5%.
– Minimum Fee: The minimum fee has not changed and will remain at $27.00. Thus, not affecting most a majority of the volume of submissions.
– Maximum Fee: This will be raised from $650.00 to $1,000.00 (which only affects less than 2% of submissions)
The above fees will be regardless of the service requested (Standard, Priority and Express)

Click here to visit the new applications…

A 5 frame exhibit on U.S. Fakes and Forgeries from the Philatelic Foundation’s Reference Collection has been uploaded online. This sneak peak into the Philatelic Foundation archives is sorted by issue and shows some of the reference material on file to assist in the expertizing process. Click here to learn more…

A letter mailed from Fairfield, Conn. to John Hancock in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. Click here to learn more…

An essential tool for understanding the postal history of Hawaii. Decades in the making, Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870 is the author’s first major work on the islands’ philately in 50 years. Gregory has expanded the work of Meyer-Harris, the previous authority, and uncovered new evidence that leads to new conclusions. Students and collectors of 19th century Pacific Basin postal history will find this work essential— historians will enjoy going in-depth into this unique period in time. For more details about this exceptional book and to order it from the Philatelic Foundation, click here.