The Philatelic Traders’ Society is excited to share what’s happening at Stampex in September. The 2022 show, proudly sponsored by Spink, is set to have more stands and even more philatelic attractions than last year. A full list of exhibitions, events and talks will be announced nearer the time or sign up to the newsletter at www.stampexinternational.com/signup or follow the PTS and Stampex @ptsandstampex across social media to be the first to hear the latest news.
 
Meet the PTS Member
With 80+ PTS Members taking part, the show will be packed with dealers, auction houses and businesses, including Spink, Royal Mail, Stanley Gibbons, Michael Chipperfield, Glasgow Stamp Shop, BB Stamps, Doreen Royan, Philasearch, Laser Invest, Colonial Stamp Company and more.  
 
New Tables
At the “clock end” the main Mezzanine floor, you will find a wonderful new ‘Table Top’ zone. Here you will be able to meet with those individuals you will have previously seen on the gallery bays including GB Naval Stamps & Covers, Benstamps, Philangles, Thames Themes, Stephen T. Taylor, John Curtin Stamps, Ian Perry Stamps and Thematix to name a few.
 
eBay Auditorium 
The eBay Auditorium will be host to daily Stampex Talks throughout the show. The full talk schedule will be announced at the end of August but expect to listen to Curators Chris Taft and Daniel Piazza, the British Library’s Richard Morel, Christopher Harman, Ian Shapiro and others. 
 
Court of Honour 
We are delighted to be showing Christopher Harman’s Chalon Heads collection.
 
World Postcard Day
Hosted on Saturday 1st October, we will be celebrating World Postcard Day with a dedicated postcard and a Postcrossing Meet Up!  
 
Exhibitions 
The ABPS organised competitive exhibitions with the lead theme focusing on Africa will showcase over 250 faces of national exhibition level material. More information is online at www.abps.org.uk
 
Bill Barrell 
Head to stand 69 to meet line engraved experts, Mike Williams and Graham Stockdale who will plate your 1d blacks and 1d reds free of charge.  Also, if you have any ‘oxidised’ GB line engraved stamps then they will reverse the chemical reaction for you – watch them put 1d blacks into water!
 
#xtremephilately Interactive Display
Want to give xTreme Philately a go? We will be hosting a special display of some of the very best #xtremephilately images to admire and inspire.
 
Global Philatelic Network and the GBPS
Head to the Global Philatelic Network’s stand at Stampex where you will also be able to meet and learn more about the Great Britain Philatelic Society. 
 
Society Day 
On Saturday, we have a whole host of societies scheduled to meet including the GBPS, Philatelic Congress of Great Britain Study Group, Ceylon Study Circle, Egypt Study Circle and East Anglia Postal History as well as others. This is a great opportunity to join a new society or meet them face-to-face. 
 
Youth Zone 
The Youth Zone and Stamp Active are back.  The kid’s auction is scheduled for 2pm on Saturday 1st October and is a big hit with the younger generation, as they are able to bid on lots and enjoy their very own auction.
 
GENERAL INFO
Please find all details about the event and register your attendance at: www.stampexinternational.com/tickets
 
Early Bird price: £10.00 ticket opening day (includes show guide)
Free Entry Thursday – Saturday and families welcome
  
VENUE
THE BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, 52 UPPER STREET, ISLINGTON, LONDON N1 OQH 
Nearest Tube Station-Angel Islington (Northern Line)
 
DATES/TIMES:
Wednesday 28th September: 10:30 – 17:30
Thursday 29th September: 10:30 – 17:30
Friday 30th September: 10:30 – 17:30
Saturday 1st October: 10:30 – 16:00
 
 
FOR MORE INFO OR TO JOIN THE SOCIETY PLEASE VISIT
www.thepts.net or www.stampexinternational.com
 
For further information, contact Isobel Klempka isobel@thepts.net
 
About the Philatelic Traders’ Society 
Formed in 1929 by a group of established stamp dealers, The Philatelic Traders’ Society was created to act for and on behalf of its members for the good of philately. With a Code of Ethics and a service for dispute resolution, The Philatelic Traders’ Society is regarded as a reputable organisation within the industry, upholding the values of honesty and integrity. The PTS also organises Stampex – the UK’s leading philatelic exhibition. www.thepts.net
 

From wartime tech pioneers to ‘Poco the Postcode Elephant’ the surprising story of the postcode is uncovered in a new temporary exhibition at The Postal Museum in London. 
Opening on Wednesday 30 March, Sorting Britain: The Power of Postcodes, delves into the Post Office innovation that revolutionised how post was processed, sorted, and delivered and its unintended outcomes for life in Britain.
Exhibition highlights include:

• ELSIE, one of the only original 1950s Electronic Letter Sorting Indicating Equipment left in existence, goes on display for the first time in 20 years, as visitors try their hand at coding post.
• Discover ‘Poco the Postcode Elephant’ which became one of the biggest advertising campaigns of the 1980s.
• From hearing aids to Colossus - the world’s first programable computer - understand how the Post Office was one of the biggest innovators in mid-century Britain.
• Stunning unseen maps of London from the 19th century to be displayed.

Postcodes are part of everyday life. They affect everything from communications and identity to house prices and care. Postcodes were trialled in Norwich in 1959, but their story goes back further. The exhibition explains the early postal districts of London, Liverpool and Manchester in the 1850s and 1860s to the modern coding we know today. 


Tech pioneers Tommy Flowers, Dame Stephanie Shirley CH and Sir Gordon Radley, were some of the brilliant minds working at the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill in the 1930s to 60s. Their impact will be explored, from postal mechanisation and postcodes to inventions like Colossus, the world’s first programmable electronic computer, and even hearing aids.
ELSIE, original 1950s Electronic Letter Sorting Indicating Equipment, will give visitors the chance to try coding the post:

• In 1960, there were around 28 million letters and packages passing through the postal system every day.
• With the help of ELSIE and coded post, an operator could sort up to 110 letters a minute, or about 6,000 letters an hour.
• It contained 144 destination pigeonholes.
• Around 8 million packages a day were incorrectly labelled, ending up in the ‘Dead Letter Office’ where addresses were traced by ingenious methods.

Visitors can find out about the importance of ‘Poco the Postcode Elephant’ - and the array of incredible memorabilia created for it - which helped change the nation’s habits in the 1980s through a decade-long advertising campaign. 
And, finally, Sorting Britain will consider ‘what does my postcode say about me?’, as it delves into how postcodes are now used to sort people, as well as post.
Contemporary British artist, Alison Turnbull, has been commissioned to create a response to the exhibition’s themes. Alison is known for transforming and reimagining readymade information, such as plans, diagrams, blueprints and charts, into vivid abstract paintings.
Chris Taft, Head of Collections said: 
“There was a great sense of national pride at the heart of the drive for innovation at the Post Office. The mechanisation of traditional systems, and ultimately the adoption of the postcode system, helped changed the face of Britain forever. Today, the advent of new technology continues to change how we communicate with each other at astonishing speed. Sorting Britain is a fascinating look into this little-known history, told through the wonderful collections at The Postal Museum.”
Sorting Britain: The Power of Postcodes, 30 March 2022 – 1 January 2023
The exhibition will be accompanied by events throughout 2022 at The Postal Museum and online. Details to be announced soon.

Admission included in the ticket price for The Postal Museum (£16 online)
www.postalmuseum.org

By Stephen T Taylor

When I started dealing in USA material full-time in January 2000, there was a philatelic auction in London which had a couple of USA “box lots” with short descriptions and low estimates (£200/£300 each)  One was full of “duck stamps” which I wasn’t very interested in and didn’t place a very high bid on but the other box was full of covers and folded letters, exactly what I needed for stock  – very disorganized with a few auction catalogues at the bottom of the box including Harmers New York 12 Jun 1990 “The Hessel Autograph collection of Presidents, Statesmen & Signers”.
I always carefully view large lots as there’s no telling what’s lurking inside and might have been missed by their describers.  This particular lot had numerous common covers worth £10 to £50 each but two caught my eye: one was franked “Free G. Washington” and the other “Free B Franklin”!  Both were ex-Hessel and listed in the auction catalogue that came with the lot.   Fortunately, no one else spotted these and I bought the box at their opening bid, a fraction of my top bid.
 As I didn’t yet have any clients who collected Free Franks, I consigned them to a US auction house where the pair sold for USD19,000 in May 2000.   
As David Phillips taught me when I lived in Miami in the 1990s, always read every letter and look carefully at every marking.
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