The Taxman Cometh

                                              

It seems that taxes are a periennel condition of life as evidenced by this tax notice from 1866.  “all income for the year 1865; also, a list of taxable Carriages, Gold Watches, Piano Fortes, or other Parlor Musical Instruments, Gold and Silver Plate, Billiard Tables--kept for use--Yachets &c., &c.” 

                  

The tax notice was included in this cover from West Charleston to Brownington in May 1866. The two-cent Black Jack was canceled by an inverted “PAID” killer, probably left over from stampless period

Previous owner noted that there is a double transfer and that also a possible triple transfer at the lower right.

 

The previous owner also included this note:  “On July 1, 1862 Congress enacted the first income tax to meet Civil War requirements.  The rate, at first three per cent, was later raised, made progressive for a time and then returned to a propotional ten per cent figure with a 25% late fine in 1865!

(This originally appeared in the August 2013 The Vermont Philatelist, published by the Vermont Philatelic Society.)

Crossroads Stamp Show Purchases

The Crossroads Stamp Show held the 1st Saturday of April and October is usually a great place to find postal history.  Here are two items that I purchased from Vermont postal history dealer, Paul Abajian.

According to an article in The Vermont Philatelist, there are about 4 examples of this wonderful oval known.  The name of the town is in italic letters which is quite unusual.  South Strafford is still post office in Orange County.  Another nice item for my oval collection.

I have a small collection of postmarks showing the VERMONT completely spelled out. And the killer is a nice little fancy cancel also. This example from North Tunbridge, another post office in Orange County, is unusually fancy for such a small town. North Tunbridge existed as a post office from 1853 to 1911.

February 2014 Vermont Philatelist

Here's the Table of Contents for the February 2014 issue of The Vermont Philatelist

Vermont in the War of 1812   1

Cover of the Issue (Newfane RFD?)   3

Vermont Connection: Sir Wilfred Grenfell by George McGowan   4

Post Horn, The by Bill Lizotte   7

West Enosburgh: A Postal History by Bill Lizotte 12

Index to Volumn 58 17

2013 Pictorial Postmarks — 4th Quarter 21

Other Vermont Collecting Interests: PAID 3 in arc (1850s) by Glenn Estus 22

VPS Auction #113 24

Prices Realized VPS Auction #112 26

Post Offices from the Past: Center Rutland 26

UpDates and New Dates: North Montpelier Rural Station 27

Northeast Postal History and Ephemera Show 28

Crossroads Postcard and Stamp Show 28

The Freedom Train in Vermont

When I recently saw the list of exhibits at the Southeastern Stamp Show held in the Atlanta, Georgia area. I was surprised to see an exhibit about the Freedom Train.  Here's a short article I wrote in the May, 2009 issue of The Vermont Philatelist.

One of the major events of the USA Bicentennial commemoration held from 1970 through 1981 was the American Freedom Train tour of the continental United States in 1975 and 1976.

According to the website, http://www.freedomtrain.org/ “the display cars of the AFT were outfitted with the 500+ artifacts of Americana that they carr(ied) around the nation. Among them were the Bill of Rights, the Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland’s dress from The Wizard of Oz, Joe Frazier’s boxing trunks, Abe Lincoln’s stovepipe hat, and even a rock from the moon.”
The tour began in Wilmington, Delaware April 1, 1975 and ended on December 31, 1976 in Miami, Florida. Over 7 million visitors viewed the exhibits. Burlington, Vermont was the 3rd stop on the two-year national tour. The train was in Burlington April 11-12, 1975.

At each stop a special commemorative postmark was used. It seems that this was mostly overlooked by the Vermont philatelic community. There is no mention of the cancel in contemporary issues of the Vermont Philatelist. Even when Paul Abajian published his initial listing of The Special Cancellations of Vermont in 1997, this cancel was missing.

In the decade since less than 5 covers bearing the cancel have been reported. Even collectors who specialize in this issue don’t seem to have a Burlington example. All examples seen are dated April 11. It’s not known if there are April 12 examples in existence.

Highway Post Office

The Highway Post Office System was an attempt to speed up mail service between cities.  It lasted from the 1940s through the early 1970s.

Philatelic covers are usually very easy to find.  However, examples used by businesses and the general public are more difficult to find.

Here's a First Day of the initial run between Burlington, VT and Albany NY (1949) plus a Last Day between Albany, NY and Burlington, VT.  The post card from 1961 is a little more scarce.

First Trip--January 27, 1949

July 1, 1961

Last Trip--April 12, 1968

Flags of Our Nation: Vermont (August 2012)

The USPS issued the sixth and final section of the Flags of Our Nation coil stamps on August 16, 2012 in Sacramento, California at the APS Stampshow.  One of the stamps shows the Vermont State Flag, the state seal on a field of blue.  This has been the Vermont state flag since 1923.

Beside the FDoI  b/w and digital cancels used at Sacramento, there were First Day of Sale cancels used August 16th at each of the state capitals.  These were usually accompanied by a local FDoS ceremony. However, in Vermont, August 16th is a Bennington Battle Day, a state holiday.  A dedication ceremony of the new stamp was held in the Statehouse the next day, August 17.

The designs of both cancels are similar with the August 16th design reading "FIRST DAY OF SALE" while the August 17th design reads "State House Station".

Artist Tom Engeman was the designer for the whole 60 stamp series.

More Vermont Stars

A few more Vermont Star cancels: these all seem from the same manufacturer. They look the same, especially the "3D' stars.

Vernon (Windham County)

West Corinth (Orange County)

Irasburgh (Orleans County)

Barton Landing (Orleans County)

named changed in 1909 to Orleans