Charles James Phillips (15 May 1863 – 2 June 1940) of

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England, and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, was a

philatelist Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. While closely associated with stamp collecting and the study of postage, it is possible ...

highly regarded in both England where he started his philatelic career and in the United States, where he emigrated to in 1922.

Philatelic activity in England

In 1890 Phillips purchased Stanley Gibbons & Co."The Story of Stanley Gibbons" by Michael Briggs in ''Gibbons Stamp Monthly'', July 2006, pp. 52–5
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for £25,000. It had first been offered to

Theodor Buhl Theodor August Buhl (baptised August Theodor Buhl; 16 May 1865 – 11 October 1922)"Occasional Notes" in ''The London Philatelist'', Vol. XXXI, No. 370, October 1922, p. 260. was a British stamp dealer in London who published ''Stamp News'', which ...

for £20,000."2422. Western Australia Convict Stamps" by Brian J. Birch in ''The Bulletin'', British Society of Australian Philately, Vol. 66, No. 5, October 2011, p. 103. Phillips wrote numerous philatelic articles, including those published in ''The Gibbons Monthly Journal'', ''The Stamp Advertiser and Auction Record'' and the ''Gibbons Stamp Weekly'' where he wrote articles on various collections he had helped build or sold. Eventually, after many changes, the Gibbons in-house journal became ''

Gibbons Stamp Monthly ''Gibbons Stamp Monthly'' (''GSM'') is a British philatelic magazine which can trace its roots back to 1890. GSM is published by the famous stamps and collectables firm of Stanley Gibbons and each issue includes updates to their various catalogues ...

''.

New York City activity

In 1922 Phillips sold the Stanley Gibbons business and emigrated to the United States, establishing his headquarters in New York City. There he continued his practice of selling stamps to help collectors build up their unique collections. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

in 1933, he helped arrange for the sale the Arthur Hind collection of rare and classic United States and

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...

stamps and, despite fears by observers that the sale would go badly, the sale of the collection actually brought results far greater than expectations. Phillips wrote numerous articles on stamp collecting, especially in ''Stamps'' and in ''Philatelic Classics'', which was his own journal. Many of these articles dealt with famous members of the stamp collecting community and are of a historic nature. Phillips also wrote and published a number of books on philately, including: ''The Duveen Collection of Rare Old Postage Stamps: a Brief Description of Some of the Rarities of this Famous Collection'', published in 1922, and ''Denmark 1851–1899: Detailed, Descriptive, Priced Catalogue of the Early Issues, Together with Lists and Prices of the Numeral Cancellations'', published in 1925. He also wrote, in 1936, a book for the ordinary stamp collector entitled ''Stamp Collecting: The King of Hobbies and the Hobby of Kings'', a book he is most probably remembered for.

Honors and awards

Phillips was one of the initial signers of the

Roll of Distinguished Philatelists The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists (RDP) is a Philately, philatelic award of international scale, created by the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in 1921 to honour those who have advanced philately through research, expertise, or service. ...

in 1921. In New York City, he was presented with the Award of Merit by the

Collectors Club of New York The Collectors Club, often referred to as the Collectors Club of New York, is a private club and philatelic society in New York City. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest existing philatelic societies in the United States. Its stated purp ...

in 1939 for his career of service to philately. And, in 1941 he was named to the initial list of the

American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame The American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame award honors deceased philatelists who have contributed significantly to the field of national and/or international philately. History The APS ''Hall of Fame'' award was founded at the 1940 American Phil ...

References

External links

Profile in APS Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Charles James 1863 births 1940 deaths British stamp dealers American stamp dealers Philatelic literature British philatelists American philatelists Businesspeople from New York City Signatories to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists Stanley Gibbons American Philatelic Society British emigrants to the United States 19th-century American merchants

Philatelic activity in England

New York City activity

Honors and awards

See also

References

External links