George Ward Linn
| George Ward Linn | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 7, 1884 |
| Died | March 28, 1966 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | USA |
|
Engineering career | |
| Institutions | American Philatelic Society |
| Projects | Founded Linn's Weekly Stamp News in 1928; created the first pre-printed cacheted first day cover. |
| Awards | APS Hall of Fame |
George Ward Linn (February 7, 1884 – March 28, 1966), of Ohio, was a philatelist who published philatelic literature extensively and was the founder of Linn's Weekly Stamp News in 1928, the philatelic journal for which he is most famous.
Philatelic publishing
Son of a printer and publisher, and with a strong interest in philately, George Linn published numerous journals devoted to the hobby of stamp collecting. These included: The Columbian in 1901, The Columbian Philatelist, from 1901 to 1907, Stamp News in 1909, and The Stamp Collector from 1909 to 1911.
Philatelic activity
Linn was, at times, a stamp dealer and conducted stamp auctions. However, he was most interested in promoting stamp collecting and in the creation of stamp clubs, and he attended most of the American Philatelic Society stamp shows and conventions held during his lifetime and created philatelic souvenirs for them.
Linn will be remembered by first day cover collectors for his creating the first pre-printed cacheted first day cover. This cover commemorated the passing of President Warren G. Harding, and featured the use of the black 2-cent “mourning stamp” (Scott No. 610) issued September 1, 1923.
Honors and awards
Because of his dedication to advancing the hobby of stamp collecting, he was named to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame in 1967.
Legacy
Linn's Weekly Stamp News continues to be printed to this day (2016), and subscribers can read it online.