David G. Phillips - Philatelic Pioneer Dies At 92

David G. Phillips, philatelic pioneer dies at 92.

David G. Phillips, postal historian, collector, dealer, auctioneer and prolific philatelic publisher, best known for the American Stampless Cover Catalog series, died Monday, August 17, 2020 at Mt. Sinai Hospital, in Miami, Fl., after a brief three week brief illness. He was 92.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1928, Dave's interest in collecting U.S. stamps began at age 10. He was taking his duplicates to school and selling stamps to classmates by age 13. Part time dealing helped offset tuition expenses when he attended Purdue University, graduating in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME). After graduation, he joined his father's engineering firm but he placed collecting and dealing on hold and joined the U.S. Army. After basic training, Dave trained as an Ordnance Officer at Fort Meade, Md., and served in Korea as a First Lieutenant during the War in Korea, where he earned a Purple Heart.

After returning from Korea in the 1950s, Dave returned to manage his father's engineering firm and he established his a parttime stamp business, D.G. Phillips, Inc., in North Miami, specializing in the stamps and postal history of Korea as well as U.S. postal history and stationary. Throughout his life his philatelic passion remained Cincinnati, Ohio & Classic U.S. postal history, U.S. postal stationary, Philatelic literature and the postal history of the Empire of Korea.

In 1970, Dave purchased the rights to the AMERICAN STAMPLESS COVER CATALOG (ASCC) from E. Norton Sampson, including most of his U.S. stock. This launched a thirty-plus year philatelic publishing career that included a few of the following titles: 19th Century U.S. Postmarks & Cancellations; American Illustrated Cover Catalog; American Stampless Cover Catalogs, Volumes I to IV; Catalog of U.S. County and Postmaster Postmarks; The Christmas-Tuberculosis Seals of Korea; A Collector's Guide to U.S. Machine Postmarks, 1871-1925; Confederate Patriotic Covers and Their Usages; Confederate States of America Stampless Cover Catalog; Doane-Thompson Catalog of U.S. County and Postmaster Postmarks; The Florida Collection of Charles F. Meroni; Florida Stampless Postal History 1763-1861; A Guide to 19th Century United States Postmarks and Cancellations: The New Herst-Sampson Catalog; The Korea Empire and Republic Stamp Album; Korean Kingdom and Empire Philatelic Catalog and Handbook/Kerr; Korean Stamp Catalog/Dilley; Maryland Postal History and Handstamped Markings of the Stampless Period; Postal History and Usage of 1907 And Earlier Precancels; Postal Markings of United States Expositions / 1st ed.)/Bomar; Presidential Campaign Illustrated Envelopes and Letter Paper, 1840-1872; The Speedy: a History of U. S. Special Delivery Service; U.S. Parcel Post, A Postal History; The United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Vol. I-II-III (Reprint ed.)/Brookman; D. G. Phillips United States Covers and Postal History Auctions; United States Registered Mail 1845-1870; and many more.

After a serious health condition nearly claimed his life, in the mid-1990s and again in 2005, Doctors convinced Dave to cease fulltime operations for this condition, shortly thereafter. Prior to this, he was an active member in the: American Philatelic Society Accredited Judge, American Philatelic Research Library (APRL), American Stamp Dealer Assn. (ASDA), United Postal Stationary Society (UPSS), Postal History Society (PHS), United States Stamp Society (BIA/USSS), Korea Stamp Society (KSS), Florida Stamp Dealers' Assn., Hollywood Stamp Club, Hollywood, Fl., and the American Philatelic Society presented Dave with an Honorary Lifetime Membership in the APS for his contribution to philately and postal history with the four volume "AMERICAN STAMPLESS COVER CATALOG" (ASCC) series. Dave re-started a very limited online ebay and HipStamp sales of U.S. postal history and postal stationary in 2009 to keep himself busy, until his recent hospitalization and passing. United States postal history and stationary was his passion to the end.

Inquiries may be directed to me through the SCF messaging system and Contributions in his name may be made to the American Philatelic Research Library, 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA. 16823.

***Title Updated by Mod***

I remember when he was publishing great book after great book.
I always looked forward to the next one.

My first postal history book ever was a copy of the ASCC.

What a legacy. Was he active here or on any other stamp forums?

No, he was never active on any stamp forums. While we had many, many hours of discussions since the advent of social media and philatelic forums he was, let's say, "old school."