PHSC enshrines late philatelist’s work in limited-run book
By Mike Walsh
Ron Brigham’s ultimate pinnacle of winning the Grand Prix d’Honneur for his amazing exhibit, “Province of Canada – Pence issues 1851-1868” will forever be enshrined, thanks to the Postal History Society of Canada (PHSC).
After hundreds of volunteer hours, the PHSC has released an elegant hardcover book that captures the rarities that made up Brigham’s extraordinary exhibit, which not only won the top honour in international philately but made the passionate philatelist the only Canadian to ever win the highest prize in competitive philately – a record that stands to this day.
Canada’s celebrated philatelist, Ron Brigham died on Aug. 4, 2022. He was 78.
“I felt that this collection deserved to be recognized and documented for what it was: the most important exhibit and collection of Canadian stamps ever assembled,” said David Hobden, who served as president of the PHSC when the project surfaced as an idea from club member Bill Longley and germinated into a full-scale project involving club members.
“I could see no other organization undertaking the project, so in discussion with Bill Longley we decided to proceed with publishing the Brigham Pence and Cents. As the balance of the Brigham collections had already been assembled into various auction catalogues the Pence/Cents was the obvious starting place,” Hobden explains.
“I refer to this as the most important exhibit and collection of Canadian Pence/Cents, but this is an understatement,” adds Hobden, who received the Capex 22 Grand Prix – National for his exhibit, “Canadian Mails and Dispatches of the War of 1812.” Capex 22, the world’s first International One Frame Stamp Championship Exhibition, was hosted by Canada June 9-12, 2022 in Toronto.
“As the Pence/Cents are our nation’s first series of stamps, it would not suit to refer to them as anything less than our most important series,” Hobden says.
After the idea was hatched to enshrine the historic exhibit into a keepsake book, it received the seal of approval from Brigham, who provided the PHSC with photo scans of the amazing rarities from his championship exhibit.
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