Eugene Klein (June 26, 1878 – April 30, 1944) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an internationally known stamp collector, stamp dealer, and auctioneer who was president of the American Philatelic Society from 1935 to 1937.[1][2][3]
Eugene Klein | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 26, 1878 |
| Died | April 30, 1944 (aged 65) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Stamp dealer Stamp collector Auctioneer |
| Years active | 1911-1944 |
| Known for | American Philatelic Society president 1935-1937 APS Hall of Fame Person who bought the "Inverted Jenny" sheet of 24-cent inverted airmail stamps |
Formative years
editBorn in Hungary on June 26, 1878, Klein was educated in Budapest and Vienna. As a youth, he developed an interest in philately.[4]
Philatelic activity
editKlein was the official expert of the American Philatelic Society from 1911 to 1931 and its international secretary from 1928 to 1935 and 1937 to 1944.[5] He also served as president (1935–1937) and international secretary again from 1937 until his death. He authored the 1940 book United States Waterway Packetmarks: Handstamped and Printed Names of Mail-Carrying Steamboats on the United States of America Inland and Coastal Waters, 1832-1899, called a seminal work by the American Philatelic Society, (APS), in a highly-collectable area.[1]
His customers included King George V of Great Britain and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.[6]
Honors and awards
edit
Eugene Klein was inducted into the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame in 1944.[1]
Inverted Jenny
editKlein is remembered as the dealer who bought the sheet of the 24-cent Inverted Jenny 1918 United States air mail stamps from its finder, William T. Robey.[1][7][8][9]
Illness and death
editIn poor health during his final months, Klein died at the age of sixty-five at the Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia on April 30, 1944.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "American Philatelic Society - Hall of Fame - 1942-1945". American Philatelic Society. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
- ^ Byrnes, Robert D. "Philately." Hartford Connecticut: Hartford Courant, October 11, 1936, p. E2 (subscription required).
- ^ "Klein Auction Saturday." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 7, 1942, p. 20 (subscription required).
- ^ "Eugene Klein, Philatelist, Dies." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1944, p. 7 (subscription required).
- ^ "Stamps." Washington, D.C.: Evening Star, August 11, 1935, p. B6 (subscription required).
- ^ "Stamp Collector Leaves $50,000." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 12, 1944, p. 27 (subscription required).
- ^ Panaritis, Maria. "'Inverts' Investing." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 18, 2007, pp. C1, C8 (subscription required).
- ^ Guarino, Ben. "Lost 'Jenny' Finally Lands." Boston, Massachusetts: The Boston Globe, June 4, 2016, p. A6 (subscription required).
- ^ Healey, Barth. "Stamps: Jennies sell for $1 million." Pittsfield, Massachusetts: The Berkshire Eagle, October 29, 1988, p. F4 (subscription required).
- ^ "Eugene Klein, Philatelist, Dies," The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1944.