Art: Philatelic Medals

In past years if one was an authority on philately, owned an outstanding stamp collection, he had only the value of his albums and the knowledge of his own virtue to console him. To correct this condition a group of Chicago stamp lovers met recently, subscribed the sum of $3,000, the income of which was to award two medals annually: one to the owner of the most important stamp collection of the year, the other to the author of the year’s most important contribution to philatelic knowledge, both medals to be memorials to the late Charles E. Severn.

Unknown to the U. S. masses, Charles E. Severn was philatelically famous, for many years edited Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News, oldest philatelic organ in the U. S, When it was announced last week that the two medals were to be Severn memorials so many stamp collectors rushed to subscribe that the committee announced that the original $3,000 endowment would be increased, foresaw 1,000 subscriptions.