Letters to and from the frontlines of combat are enduring keepsakes for both their content AND their covers. Enthusiasm for soldiers’ mail, also known as military mail, has given made collectors out of everyday people and given rise to special clubs dedicated to military post.
 
One of the best known of these clubs is the Military Postal History Society. The Michigan-based organization was founded in 1937 as the War Cover Club, American Philatelic Society Unit #19.
 
The War Cover Club originally focused primarily on American soldiers mail from World War I. Through the years, the field of military mail collecting expanded, and the group changed its name in 1991 to better reflect the diversity of interests of its members. Today those interests include the study of the postal aspects of wars and military actions of all nations such as soldier campaign covers, patriotics, naval mail, occupation and internment covers, picture postcards of a military nature, camp cancels, field post offices, and V-mail.
 
The Society also studies prisoner-of-war mail, propaganda labels and leaflets, and censored mail.
 
The MPHS an open membership organization and publishes a quarterly journal (the Military Postal History Society Bulletin) as well as separate books such as the APO directory. Subscription to the journal is included in the annual membership dues

For information about membership, visit: http://www.militaryphs.org/home.html

With February 14th just around the corner, love is in the air…literally…as Valentine’s Day cards jam mailboxes around the world. According to the Greeting Card Association, 25% of all seasonal cards sent each year in America are Valentine’s, making it the second most popular card-sending occasion in the Unites States
 
Valentine’s Day originated in 5th Century Rome as a tribute to St. Valentine, a Catholic bishop. February 14th evolved into a holiday for lovers over time, and Charles, duke of Orleans, sent the first true Valentine card in 1415. The recipient: his wife. (He was imprisoned in the Tower of London at the time.) 

Continue reading

Recognizing an opportunity to spread the love for Valentine’s Day, the United States Post Office created a commemorative stamp series dedicated to love. The USPS issues new Love stamps annually with design featuring a wide range of subjects, including flowers, animals, cherubs and love letters, as well as abstract designs. The series, originally intended to be used for Valentine’s Day, has also been popular for wedding correspondence, and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards. Continue reading