U.S. Notes Cartoon Contest, February 10, 2014

By John M. Hotchner

A philatelic line was clearly the most popular theme for the February cartoon caption contest. In honor of the Olympics, the contest featured the downhill skier on the 1988 22¢ Olympic Winter Games stamp shown in Figure 4.

Mirroring what happened all too often at the Sochi Olympics, Charles Sullivan of Boynton Beach, Fla., represents this group with, "I hope I don’t become an invert."

theme that got multiple entries was commentary on first-class rates and the recent 3¢ increase to 49¢. A clever example is, "Stamp prices go uphill faster than I go downhill," sent by Marvin Anderl of North Chesterfield, Va.

Politics is the basis of the nonphilatelic line winner, which is shown in Figure 4. It plays off the fact that the presidential election season is now just over the horizon, with the opening bell being the contest for Iowa’s delegates at the nominating conventions. It was submitted by Edgar Dunlap II of Gainesville, Ga.

On the philatelic side of the contest, Bennett Bardfeld of Vineland, N.J., wins with this reference to the international $1.15 airmail rate: "Comrade — can you spare 93¢? Or I’ll never get to Sochi."

Both winners will receive the book Linn's Stamp Identifier published by Amos Hobby Publishing, or a 13-week subscription to Linn's (a new subscription or an extension). The book has a retail value of $12.99.

Here are a few of the runners-up:

"Sochi? I thought we were going out for sushi!" by Steve Kotler of San Francisco, Calif.

"Congress has gone downhill before me and smoothed the way," was sent by Willi Kuehl of Eastsound, Wash.

"I’m in Sochi, Putin on the Ritz!" by Bennett Bardfeld of Vineland, N.J.

"Groundhog admiring his shadow ahead … over, around or through?" from Jo-An Watson of Kalamazoo, Mich.

"Maybe they’ll hire me to deliver Express Mail," sent by May Aginsky of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Thanks and a tip of the hat to all who entered. The next cartoon caption contest will be announced in the April 14Linn's.