Among the many difficulties the newly formed Confederate States of America endured in the summer of 1861 was the failure of its post office department to provide sufficient numbers of that item most crucial to its service: the postage stamp. Faced with the resulting din of customer complaints, a handful of industrious Texas postmasters solved the problem by simply making their own homemade stamps. In this thoroughly researched history of these rare and highly coveted stamps, The Great Texas Stamp Collection traces their journey from creation through their rediscovery years later by local, and then international, stamp collectors—a journey that culminated in the sale of a few pieces at a recent auction in New York that fetched more than $250,000. Weaving the larger contexts of Texas and U.S. postal history together with individual tales of greed, intrigue, forgery, and discovery, Deaton’s book is rich with characters from European royalty to early stamp dealers to common criminals, while also providing detailed examinations of the stamps themselves, including a complete census of the stamps now known as the Texas Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals. Appealing at once to devoted philatelists, Texas and U.S. history buffs, and amateur collectors of all kinds, The Great Texas Stamp Collection offers a unique vantage point from which to view our history as well as the very nature of collecting.

Among the many difficulties the newly formed Confederate States of America endured in the summer of 1861 was the failure of its post office department to provide sufficient numbers of that item most crucial to its service: the postage stamp. Faced with the resulting din of customer complaints, a handful of industrious Texas postmasters solved the problem by simply making their own homemade stamps. In this thoroughly researched history of these rare and highly coveted stamps, The Great Texas Stamp Collection traces their journey from creation through their rediscovery years later by local, and then international, stamp collectors—a journey that culminated in the sale of a few pieces at a recent auction in New York that fetched more than $250,000. Weaving the larger contexts of Texas and U.S. postal history together with individual tales of greed, intrigue, forgery, and discovery, Deaton's book is rich with characters from European royalty to early stamp dealers to common criminals, while also providing detailed examinations of the stamps themselves, including a complete census of the stamps now known as the Texas Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals. Appealing at once to devoted philatelists, Texas and U.S. history buffs, and amateur collectors of all kinds, The Great Texas Stamp Collection offers a unique vantage point from which to view our history as well as the very nature of collecting.

Provides illustrations and short essays about U.S. and foreign postage stamps related to Texas history and events, people, or locales.

Featuring more than 1,000 color pictures and current pricing, this dynamic field guide is the most complete and compact guide to U.S. stamps on the market.

The most popular hobby in the world, stamp collecting has millions of fans in the United States alone. Many are adults who have turned a childhood interest in philately into a pleasurable (and often profitable) lifetime avocation. This volume has everything needed to start a personal stamp collection: Entries for nearly 200 countries; Spaces for more than 2,600 stamps; Over 1,100 black-and-white illustrations of stamps; Easy-to-use Stamp Identifier Table and Index. Clear instructions for using the album and the Stamp Identifier Table are included, along with many useful hints and tips on building a collection. An entertaining, inexpensive way to learn about faraway people and places, stamp collecting brings a sense of excitement and adventure with each new acquisition. This book offers would-be collectors that ticket to discovery.

A comprehensive introduction and guide to collecting U.S. stamps.