A Visit to the Stamp Show in San Jose

Last Saturday I went to the Great American Stamp Expo held at Napradek Hall in San Jose. Several other FSC members were in attendance as well. Like most other collectors, I went to the show with a want list. My list was quite short as I wanted a used 10 cent Panama Pacific Exposition (400 or 400A) and an unused 10 cent Monroe (562) from the 1922 Fourth Bureau issue. Since I'm not seeking investment pieces, I am much more forgiving in terms of condition. A light hinge will not be a deal breaker in itself for me.

The five and ten cent issues of the Panama Pacific Exposition of 1913 are two of the most beautiful stamps in our history. I bought a nice used ten cent (400A) with light cancellation marks.  Many other collectibles from the expo survive. Coin collectors are familiar with the commemorative coins also issued which include the rare $50 gold coins, both round and octagonal.

The 1922 Fourth Bureau is another one of my favorite series.  I was in need of the ten cent Monroe and found a nice one at the show.  While the centering may be a bit off, it has nice color and is well struck.

My stingy budget allowed me to get another item at the show.  While looking through exposition postcards, I ran across a nice one from the Alaska-Yukon Exposition of 1909.  The card has some condition issues but I like the scene on the front as well as the message and expo station cancellation on the back. For a nominal price, I couldn't pass it up.

I noticed the address on the back as Jersey, Arizona. I lived in Arizona many years and never heard of that town. There is a good reason as the town no longer exists. Jersey was a short-lived gold mining town near Prescott.  It existed for only a few years. There are no remains of it, except of course for this postcard!