Founded in 1935 as the Confederate Stamp Alliance, the Civil War Philatelic Society (Society) remains a non-profit, non-sectional and non-political organization for fellowship, research and cooperation among members of an avid group of hundreds of collectors worldwide of Civil War stamps, covers and postal history.
The purpose of the Society is to further the study of the stamps and postal history of the Civil War. The original name of the Society was the Confederate Stamp Alliance (Alliance) and the logo of the Alliance stated its purpose in three words: “fraternity,” “research,” and “cooperation” across the top. Below this were the words “non-sectional” and “non-political” to indicate the non-bias nature of the Alliance. These words are still true and they sum up the purpose of the Society. It is a society of collectors and students working together to collect and study the stamps and postal history of the Civil War, without the bias of politics or sectionalism.
The Society’s official publication was formerly the Confederate Philatelist. Effective 1 January 2021 it became the Civil War Philatelist. It is published quarterly and sent to all members. It contains original articles on Civil War philately as well as news of the Society and its members.
Other benefits of membership include:
- Searchable Confederate Philatelist and Civil War Philatelist. This feature allows members to search past issues of the CP and CWP for a keyword, by an author or by a year.
- Authentication Service. A knowledgeable and experienced panel will review items submitted for authentication and provide a written opinion for a nominal fee.
- Searchable Authentication Certificates. This feature allows members to search for a certificate based on multiple parameters.
Each year the Society holds its Annual Convention and Exhibition, usually in conjunction with a national or regional show. Anyone who is a student of the Civil War or who collects or is interested in starting a collection of Civil War material in any form will find that membership in the Civil War Philatelic Society provides distinct advantages.