Welcome to Stamp Show Here Today Episode #187
Today we are discussing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which opened August 19th 1909, the USPS announcement of Hot Wheels Stamps, 22 karat gold stamps, and United Kingdom Regional Issues. We also discuss some new issues being released as well as upcoming stamp shows for the weekend of August 24th – 26th. Images of the stamps we discuss during the podcast will be available on stampshowheretoday.com where you can also listen to and download episodes. Enjoy.
Episode #187 Show Notes
Hosts – Scott, Mark, Caj, Tom
This Week in History – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway
August 19th 1909 saw the first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which is now home of the world’s most famous motor racing event the Indianapolis 500.
The speedway was started as testing facility for Indianapolis’ growing automobile industry and was built on 328 acres of farmland. It was the idea of local business men that occasional races would be held at the track and after the race attendees would visit the various showrooms of the manufacturers.
The track, which is 440 yards from start to finish consisted of two long and two short straightaways connected by four turns. The first race on August 19th 1909 was five miles in length and was won by Austrian Engineer Louis Schwitzer with an astonishing, at least by 1909 standards, average speed of 57.4 miles per hour.
The event, which was attended by 12,000 people, was run on a track surface of crushed rock and tar. This proved a disastrous idea with the track breaking down in several locations and causing the deaths of two drivers, two mechanics, and two spectators.
The surface was replaced with 3.2 million paving bricks laid in a bed of sand and fixed with mortar. Now dubbed the brickyard it was reopened in December 1909. Due to low attendance the track owners decided in 1911 to switch to one long race event per year with a larger prize.
May 30th 1911 marked the debut of the 500 mile race we know as the Indianapolis 500. The grueling race drew media attention from around the country and was a hit with audiences. Ray Haroun was the winner in a time of 6 hours and 42 minutes and an average speed of 74.59 miles per hour. He won a prize of 14,250 dollars.
The race has since been run every year with the exception of 1917 – 1918 and 1942 – 1945 due to world wars one and two. Now with an average attendance exceeding 400,000 it is the best attended event in United States Sports.
The track has since been repaired and paved until the last of the original bricks were covered in 1961. With the exception of a 3 foot section at the start finish line which serves a nostalgic reminder of the tracks history.
On September 25th 1987 as part of the transportation issue, the racing car 1911 stamp was issued. This stamp, Scott number 2262, features Ray Haroun’s number 32 Marmon Wasp the winning car of the first Indianapolis 500. The stamp was designed by Tom Broad and accommodated the growing number of mailers who were utilizing the zip+ 4 Presort requirements.
The stamp was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and was engraved via the Intaglio process. It was issued in unused coils of 100 and precanceled coils of 500 and 3,000.
The stamp features two listed varieties. An untagged variety Scott Number 2262a with a red bureau precancel “zip + 4 presort” and an Imperforate pair Scott Number 2262b.
On May 20th 2011, the Indianapolis 500 Centenary stamp Scott Number 4530 was issued as a 44c forever stamp. This stamp also featured Ray Haroun driving the Marmon Wasp.
News and Notes
Canada Post announced nominees for E-Commerce Innovation Awards. Winner will receive up to $100,000 in free shipping, along with valuable marketing packages, and will be named one of Canada’s top retailers. With categories such as Social Impact Award, Most Disruptive Startup and Pure Play of the Year among others. The winners will be announced September 20th during an event at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Downtown Toronto. I want to know more about what this contest is for.
U.S. Postal Service to Release Hot Wheels 50th Anniversary Forever Stamps
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hot Wheels, The USPS has announced a set of 20 stamps featuring 10 images of Hot Wheels cars showcasing the photography of Len Rizzi.
Each design will feature one of the ten cars on the iconic orange Hot Wheel track. The name of the vehicle will appear in one of the top corners and USA and Forever will appear in one of the bottom corners.
The Hot wheel logo will appear in the top right corner of the pane and the back of the pane will have the Hot Wheel 50th Anniversary logo.
The cars will be – The 1990 Purple Passion, the 1971 Rocket-Bye-Baby, the 1994 Rigor Motor, the 1974 Rodger Dodger, the 2018 Mach Speeder, the 1969 Twin Mill, the 2006 Bone Shaker, the 2008 HW40, the 1968 surfboard toting Deora, and the 1987 Sharkruiser
The art director for the stamps is William Gicker and the designer and typographer is Greg Breeding
The first day ceremony date and location are to be announced soon.
How Much Are 22 Karat Gold Stamps Worth?
These are not actual postage stamps, but are replicas. Most stamp collectors are not interested in collections of the gold replicas and therefore hey do not currently hold much value. As far as value in gold these replicas have only microscopic amounts of gold and therefore do not have any significant gold value. On ebay you may be able to find some that sell for between one to five dollars, but this depends on whether there are currently collectors for them and the subject matter of the particular issue.
United Kingdom Regional Stamps
First regional Stamps started in 1958 due to public demand. The stamps were issued for the various Regions or Countries of the United Kingdom.
The first Regional stamps included Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. The stamps bore the Wilding portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and various heraldic symbols or emblems of the regions they represented. The stamps were only sold in the specific region they represented, but were valid for use throughout the UK.
The Wilding design was replaced in 1971 with the Machin head design which contained a single symbol in the upper left corner. These stamps were issued for 30 years, though in 1973 the Isle of Man became postally independent and started issuing their own stamps.
In 1999 with the decentralization of power from Parliament to regional legislative bodies new designs were issued for Scotland and Wales. This was followed in 2001 with issues for Northern Ireland and England. Each region has four designs which all pay a specific rate and remain in use today.
The designs, although being definitives, are very diverse with many catalogs not keeping up with the changes. The traditional Queens head in the upper right has changed from silver to white to gray and the values of the stamps have had many changes of Serif and non-serif fonts that have undergone changes with font size over the various issues.
The most recent designs in use today started as borderless stamps with the color running all the way to the edge of each stamp. This was changed in 2003 to white bordered stamps due to the lack of effectiveness of the vertical tagging bands on some of the darker colored stamps.
With the changes in both major design and the minor tweaks they have undergone, along with many catalogs not giving new numbers despite these changes, I think anyone can have a very rewarding time discovering all of the interesting variety these stamps have to offer.
New Issues
United States – Aug. 26, Poinsettia. One ($1.15) global forever stamp, pane of 10; BCA; Kansas City, MO 64108; Linn’s, Aug. 13, page 1; USPS item No. 565904 (pane of 10).
One we missed last week.
United Kingdom – Aug. 16 Captain Cook and The Endeavour –
Marking the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook setting sail in one of the greatest voyages of discovery of all time aboard HM Bark Endeavour – with nearly 100 men including astronomers, artists and scientists.
Stamp Shows
August 24-25, 2018
Greater Kansas City Stamp Show
Gladstone, Missouri
Sponsored by: Gladstone Stamp Club
Event Location: Gladstone COmmunity Center, 6901 N. Holmes, Gladstone Missouri 64118
Contact: Perry Kilpatrick – kilpatrick61@gmail.com
Phone: 816-490-2624
August 24-25, 2018
AIRPEX 2018
Dayton, Ohio
Sponsored by: Dayton Stamp Club
Event Location: IBEW Union Hall, 6550 Poe Avenue (at Space Dr.), Dayton, Ohio 45414
Contact: Mike Komiensky – info@daytonstampclub.com
Phone: 937-299-9297
Website: www.daytonstampclub.co
August 26, 2018
Fourth Sunday Collectibles Show
New Haven, Connecticut
Sponsored by: New Haven Philatelic Society
Event Location: Annex YMA, 554 Woodward Ave., New Haven, Connecticut 06512
Contact: Brian McGrath – hukeda@comcast.net
Phone: 203-627-6874
Website: www.nhps1914.org
August 26, 2018
Las Vegas Sunday Stamps Show
Las Vegas, Nevada
Event Location: Hilton Garden Inn, 7830 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89123
Contact: Jim Forte
Phone: 702-772-4623
Website: www.thelasvegasstampshow.com