OFFICIAL HOME PAGE OF

STAMPS ON STAMPS COLLECTORS CLUB (SOSCC)

FOUNDED 1960

AMERICAN TOPICAL ASSOCIATION UNIT

AMERICAN PHILATELIC SOCIETY AFFILIATE NO. 127

 

 

THE WORLD'S FINEST STAMPS CAN
BE PART OF YOUR TOPICAL/THEMATIC COLLECTION

The information on this site was last updated on 14.02.2026 (DD.MM.YYYY)

 

 

 

The SOS Signal and Bill Critzer

Michael, Rammy and I added some 1997-1999 issues of the SOS Signal bulletins to our Club site. It is missing Issues No. 2 and 3 from 1998, and I am asking long time members who have kept their Signals all these years, to advise Michael if you can supply scans of them so that we can complete the group. For those newer members who may not have made use of this resource, take some time to go on the site and see the many years available. There is a wealth of information about SOS issues and their reproduced stamps, as well as an on going history of when the SOSSC was a more active organization.

The added SOS Signals, and the following issues thru No 27 in mid-2004, were produced by editor Bill Critzer, who, while no longer a SoS collector, stepped in to fill a glaring need of our Club.  At the same time, he was also the editor of other stamp organization bulletins. He and I had kept up a lively email back and forth for many years, but gradually lost contact. Working on these Signals reminded me of him, and  I decided to try and get in touch again. Sadly, I found that Bill had passed away in December 2023, after a long illness. As long as our Site continues, there will be a debt and a memorial to Bill.

Lou

You can access past bulletins on SOS Signal

 

Special SOS from Israel

In May 1840, Great Britain issued the world’s first postage stamps as part of a major postal reform that introduced prepayment for mail. The innovation was highly successful, and within a few years many countries adopted the system and began issuing their own stamps.

Originally intended simply as proof of payment, stamps soon became a powerful medium for communication and national representation, especially in international mail, allowing countries to express their identity and values.

Widely circulated and visually engaging, stamps sparked a global collecting hobby enjoyed by both beginners and advanced collectors. Between the two World Wars the hobby reached its peak, becoming a cross-generational pursuit ranging from casual collecting to serious philatelic research and exhibition.

The 3 stamps in this series illustrate different aspects of stamp collecting:

http://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/040389.jpghttp://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/585313.jpghttp://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/373872.jpg

Israel - Scott #2430-2

Issued: 16.12.2025

Philately Day

http://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/040389.jpg

The first stamp depicts children sorting and arranging stamps in an album, examining design details and learning about their imagery. The stamp showing a girl viewing a stamp through a magnifying glass was originally issued in Israel in 1949 and features the Israeli flag. A flaw in the printing plate caused the letter E in 'Israel' to appear as a C on some stamps, resulting in the country's name being misspelled as 'Isracl.'

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/he/8/8a/Israel_Flag_stamp_1949_-_Isracl.JPG התמקדות בשגיאה.

Inside #2430: Israel #15P

Israel or “Isracl”?

In 1949, Israel issued a postage stamp depicting the flag of the state, which had been established only a year earlier.

A flaw in the printing plate caused the letter E on some stamps (the lower stamp in the attached image) to resemble the letter C, so that the country’s name appears as “ISRACL” instead of “ISRAEL.”

Because the stamp was printed in large quantities, this variety is quite common, and its monetary value is low.

 

 Inside #2430: Pseudo stamps

Inside #2430 on tab:

http://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/815834.jpg http://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/470551.jpg http://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/731509.jpg

Israel #588, #193 & #984

http://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/585313.jpg

The second stamp shows visitors at a philatelic exhibition studying display frames and reading the descriptions prepared by an exhibitor who researched the topic in depth. The display includes items from the collection of the late Zvi Alexander, now preserved at the Alexander Museum of Postal History and Philately. These items document postal activity in Jewish colonies in the Land of Israel during the Ottoman period.

http://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/373872.jpg

The third stamp is dedicated to the Philatelic Service of Israel Post, established in the early years of the State and responsible for issuing the country’s postage stamps. In addition to producing stamps for postal use, the Philatelic Service maintains close ties with stamp collectors in Israel and abroad and creates special collector items such as My Own Stamp sheets, which allow individuals to personalize stamp designs and mail letters bearing their own unique message.

* My own stamp – The flag

*        https://services.israelpost.co.il/mystamp.nsf/Stage2?OpenForm&s=degel

http://israelphilately.org.il/images/stamps/904238.jpg

FDC

 

 

Stamps on stamps

The topic of stamps on stamps is one of the most diverse of all topicals. Ever since Sir Rowland Hill first advocated the use of prepaid pieces of paper to be adhered to letters to expedite their delivery, the postage stamp has fascinated people. It should come as no surprise, then, that the postage stamp is being used as a stamp motif, and that topical collecting of stamps on stamps is popular. The topic of stamps on stamps is an interesting one in that it covers many different areas and avenues while still being true to the stamp topic.

If you find the topic of Stamps On Stamps (SOS) appealing, we urge that you seriously consider joining us so as to associate yourself with collectors world-wide who are engaged in building collections of premium stamps through the medium of this topic and type of thematic collecting. You would be most welcome as a member of our unit.

The Stamps on Stamps Collectors Club is a non-profit philatelic organization. Membership is open to anyone interested in stamps on stamps, stamp anniversaries, and related topics. No member or officer of the group is paid for work done for the organization beyond reimbursement of expenses incurred on behalf of the unit.

The official bulletin of the Club is SOS SIGNAL, but it is not being published at the moment due to the absence of an editor (Are you interested in taking up the role?). Meanwhile, you can access past bulletins on SOS Signal. Additionally, some members, particularly our President, send out occasional brief articles of SOS relevance to members via email. Examples of these articles can be found in the "Articles of Interest" and "The First Page" sections. New SOS issues are listed in the "Gallery of New Issues".

To become a member and be part of the club's email list please contact our Secretary/Treasurer:

Michael Merritt
PO Box 362

Roosevelt NJ 08555
U.S.A.
E-mail to Michael Merritt

 

 

Visit the members sites

Rammy Molcho's site - Stamps on Stamps Virtual Collection

Plinio Richelmi's site - Stamps on Stamps Italian Group

 

 

NOTICE – ALL MEMBERS

SoS SIGNAL PUBLICATION HIATUS

EDITOR SOUGHT:

Other priority commitments on our editor’s time have put the SOS Signal
 into another publication hiatus.

Inquiries and especially interest in the editor position

may be directed to: Michael Merritt 

 

WEBMASTER: Rammy Molcho - E-mail to Rammy Molcho

 

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