Stamps capture national headlines in February, March

Philatelic Foreword by Jay Bigalke

Several recent articles published nationally have done quite well in sharing the message of philately with everyone.

The one that likely received the most attention from the news media and the public, too, was the surprise unveiling of the Betty Ford commemorative forever stamp March 6 at the White House. Pictured nearby is a screenshot from the livestream of the event.

PBS, USA Today, and numerous nationwide and local outlets shared the news of the stamp to be issued April 5.

Another philatelic story that made headlines was the announcement of the sale of William H. Gross’ complete United States stamp collection to take place in June. Charles Snee’s article on that upcoming sale is in the April 8 issue.

The first report of the sale was by The New York Times with an article by James T. Barron on March 11. Many other outlets also carried the story and hung their hats on the 1868 1¢ blue Benjamin Franklin stamp with a Z grill (Scott 85A), known to collectors as the 1¢ Z grill.

The headline published by Smithsonian Magazine on its website read, “Why a 1-Cent Postage Stamp Could Sell for $5 million.” That headline is sure to capture the attention of anyone reading it.

Lastly, the stamp honoring UCLA basketball coach John Wooden and the Manatees stamp (featured in the April 8 issue) have had continued coverage beyond the first-day ceremonies, and for the Manatees stamp, multiple stories were published in advance. Articles about the Underground Railroad stamp issue also have appeared.

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