• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Classic Latin America logo

CLASSIC LATIN AMERICA

News, commentary and opinion on Central and South American philately

  • Home
  • Resources
    • Introduction
    • Central America : Philatelic Societies & Specialized Catalogues
    • South America : Philatelic Societies & Specialized Catalogues
    • Fakes and Forgeries
  • Spanish-English Glossary
  • Auctions & Shows
  • Absolute Beginners
  • About
  • Contact
  • STORE

World Stamp Show – NY2016

NY 2016 Stamp Show logo

The US holds an international stamp show every ten years but it was back in 1956 that New York took centre stage as the host of the world’s most important philatelic event.

The cavernous Javits Centre in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan provided ample space for collectors and dealers to spend seven days meeting, buying, selling, exhibiting and discussing every facet of philately.

I holed up in a neat, little Airbnb in Weehawken on the west bank of the Hudson and took the ferry over in the morning. Quick, easy and traffic free.

With over 4000 exhibition frames, a multitude of dealers and world-class auctions there was plenty to keep me occupied. Amongst veritable treasures, the ‘Court of Honour’ proudly displayed the infamous 1856 British Guiana One Cent, a miserable little stamp in my humble view. I think you could have a lot more philatelic fun with the $9.5 million it was auctioned for in 2014.

And don’t get me started on John Lennon’s schoolboy collection…

NY 2016 Commemorative Stamps
This pair were Issued to commemorate the event. Not one of the USPS’s best efforts.

Latin America at NY2016

Much more interesting from a Latin American perspective was the Black Honduras, a key exhibit on the Mystic stand. This unique stamp was once the world’s most valuable after the British Guiana but still retains its place as the world’s rarest airmail.

Strictly speaking it is the Dull Blue Honduras with Black Overprint. But that doesn’t sound nearly so sexy, does it?

A good percentage of the Latin American single country groups were in attendance, most with booths staffed with volunteers to win new converts and catch up with far-away members, including Colombia/Panama, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.

Latin American specialist dealers are a rare bunch but Brian Moorhouse and Castlerock were present. I found an esoteric mix of proofs and material at the farthest end of the Back of The Book at the enigmatically named etradegoods, plus a shout out to A&D Stamps and D&P Stamps. Both are generalists but with a strong selection of Latin America.

Awards for Latin American exhibits were judiciously scattered amongst the various classes and the region even scored the top award of the show, the Grand Prix D’Honneur. This went to Alvaro Castro-Harrigan of Costa Rica for his snappily titled ‘Panama: First Issues as a State of Colombia and their Forerunners’.

And if you were wondering whether you might be eligible to go for the GPDH yourself next time around, note that you need three Large Gold Medals in three different years at international exhibitions held during the past 10 years.

Boston gets the crown for 2026 (www.boston2026.org) and is already in the planning stages.

Plenty of time to get those three gold medals then.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Never miss a new post

Receive an e-mail alert when new posts are published

Please ensure all fields are completed to activate your subscription. Your e-mail address will not be published and will only be used for sending you notification of new posts

Upcoming Events

May 23
23rd May 2026 - 30th May 2026

Boston | Boston 2026 World Expo

View Calendar

Recent Comments

  • John Schwind on Which country has the world’s worst postal service?
  • Charles Reynolds on The Collector | Neal West | Nicaragua
  • Ernesto Cuesta on One (Philatelic) Database to Rule Them All
  • Jewett Burr on The Collector | Robert Shaw | Paraguay
  • Derek Asquith on Which country has the world’s worst postal service?

No interest in Latin American stamps?

For news and opinion on the broader stamp market, click on the General Philately category below

Categories

  • Analysis
  • Auctions
  • Dealers
  • Events
  • Forgeries
  • General Philately
  • People
  • Philatelic Societies
  • Post Offices
  • Publications
  • Stamp Issues
  • The Collector

Featured Posts

  • 1866 Tres Centavos EagleCollecting and selling Mexico (Part 1)
  • RPSL Latin America bookletRoyal puts on a Latin American show
  • Mr PhilatelistCollect Latin American stamps but don’t speak Spanish?
  • Granadine Confederation 1859 1 Peso Carmine Block of 15, to be auctioned by Siegel on 30th September (est. $3k-$4k)Forthcoming auctions and initiatives in the hobby
  • ELASCA websiteIntroducing ELASCA – The European Latin American Stamp Collector Association
  • Mi Oficina logoLatin American Philately Zooms Forward (Updated February 2023)
  • The Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue: a review
  • ABNC Steel PlateOriginal ABNC steel dies come to market
  • 1868 genuine trial color proof in greenCollecting and selling Mexico (Part 2)
  • SOFICH Chile catalogueSOFICH, so good
  • Stamp Market IndexeBay disrupts catalogue publishing with Stamp Market Index
  • The MainsheetBookshelf Essentials – The Mainsheet
  • Venezuela AR39 stampScott Specialized adds another 67 listings to Venezuela
  • Composite proof of the Paraguay 1879 lion issueThe Collector | Joe Hahn | El Salvador & Paraguay
  • Stanley Gibbons' Latin American catalogues have not been published since 2007/8Part 20, Part 20, wherefore art thou Part 20…?
  • Honduras Ambulante Mourning CoverCollecting Classic Honduras
  • Introducing Venezuela's EscuelasBook Review – Introducing Venezuela’s Escuelas Stamps by Williams Castillo
  • Haiti 1898 President Sam, 50c Rose Brown Sunken Die ProofABNC proofs – understanding the different types
  • Asofilca Venezuela Specialized Stamp CatalogueVenezuela – the final specialized catalogue for 2022
  • Quetzal Guatemala StampThe Postage Stamps & Postal Stationery of Guatemala
  • John Shaw RPSLThe Collector | John Shaw | Paraguay
  • Brazil Bulls Eye ForgeryThe Numerals Issues of Brazil – Fakes, Forgeries and Counterfeits
  • One of the most prolific forgers in philately - Placido Ramon de TorresDiscovering the lesser-known forgers of Latin American stamps
  • Stockholmia 2019Exhibiting Latin America…from Denver to Stockholm (Part 2)
  • Lazy PostmanWhich country has the world’s worst postal service?
  • Central American NewsletterBookshelf Essentials Part II – The Central American Newsletter
  • Cefibol Catalogo Especializado en Filatelia BolivianaNew Specialized Catalogues: Bolivia, Nicaragua, Peru and Paraguay
  • Knowledge is power...but only if you know where to lookOne (Philatelic) Database to Rule Them All
  • Brazil catalogue cross reference bookCollect Brazil? You probably need this…
  • The Observer's Book of Postage Stamps by Anthony S. B. NewLatin American stamp design and its harshest critic

Archives

  • December 2024
  • July 2024
  • December 2023
  • August 2023
  • April 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • August 2022
  • April 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • April 2018
  • February 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • March 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016

Footer

Menu

  • Home
  • Resources
    • Introduction
    • Central America : Philatelic Societies & Specialized Catalogues
    • South America : Philatelic Societies & Specialized Catalogues
    • Fakes and Forgeries
  • Spanish-English Glossary
  • Auctions & Shows
  • Absolute Beginners
  • About
  • Contact
  • STORE

Recent Posts

  • Evolution of a Stamp: The Peru 1897 Lima Post Office Issue
  • The Future of Latin American Philately
  • Latin American stamp design and its harshest critic
  • One (Philatelic) Database to Rule Them All
  • Collect Latin American stamps but don’t speak Spanish?

Categories

  • Contact

© Copyright 2023 www.classiclatinamerica.com