Which exhibit took top honors at World Stamp Show-NY 2016?

By Denise McCarty

Alvaro Castro-Harrigan of Costa Rica won the grand prix d’honneur at World Stamp Show-NY 2016 for his exhibit “Panama: First Issues as a State of Colombia and their Forerunners.”

The grand prix national went to Gordon Eubanks of the United States for “The United States Imperforate Issues of 1851-1856 and Their Importance in an Expanding Postal System.” 

The other top award, the grand prix international, was presented to Wei Gang of China for “China: The Postal History of Mongolia 1841-1921.”

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World Stamp Show-NY 2016, an International Federation of Philately sanctioned international exhibition, took place May 28 through June 4 at the Javits Center in New York City. 

The top three exhibition awards were presented Thursday evening, June 2, at the palmares banquet held at the New York Marriott Marquis. Other awards were presented during the day.

At FIP international exhibits, the grand prix d’honneur is awarded to the most outstanding exhibit in the championship class, which is comprised of exhibits that have been awarded three large gold medals in three different years at international exhibitions held during the past 10 years.  

Castro-Harrigan’s eight-frame exhibit was among 18 competing in the championship class at World Stamp Show-NY 2016. The exhibit focuses on the classical period of Panama from 1807, including consular agencies of European and Central American countries, up through Panama’s 1887-88 Map issue.

In the introduction to his exhibit, Castro-Harrigan wrote: “Few Latin American countries offer as many challenges to the philatelist as the postal history of Panama. The nineteenth-century was characterized by an ill-administered postal system, harsh climate conditions, and a difficult, political, social, and economic environment providing fascinating opportunities for research.”

The grand prix national recognizes the most outstanding exhibit of the philately of the host nation. Eubanks’ exhibit of the United States 1851-56 imperforate issue also received a large gold and a special prize for material.

Likewise, Wei Gang’s exhibit of the postal history of Mongolia was awarded a large gold and special prize for material in addition to the prize for the most outstanding exhibit from an area other than the host country.

To read the complete World Stamp Show-NY 2016 palmares, click here.

What else happened at World Stamp Show-NY 2016?: 

Long-awaited 'Classics forever' stamps issued

'A Hit Man and his stamps' fascinate at WSS-NY '16

Siegel sale spearheads WSS-NY '16 auctions