Where the hard-to-find philatelic truck sheet recently turned up: U.S. Stamp Notes

By John M. Hotchner

As a fan and collector of stamp club souvenirs, I was delighted to receive the autographed philatelic truck souvenir produced for the 2015 volunteers appreciation dinner at the Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library in Denver.

The philatelic truck was a public relations effort by the Post Office Department in 1939 to familiarize the public with postal services. 

As they traveled around the nation, the postal clerks staffing the truck gave away a philatelic truck sheet to each visitor. A little more than 730,000 were produced.

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These sheets used to be common, but have become increasingly hard to find as we pass 75 years since the truck was making its rounds. 

The front of the Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library’s philatelic truck souvenir was signed by the library’s officers and staff: John Sinski, president; Steve McGill, Dalene Thomas, John Bloor, and David Weisberg, board members; Howard Benson, chief operating officer; Brian Kramer, recording secretary; Jim Kilbane, vice president; Ellengail Beuthel, librarian; and Roe Emery, corresponding secretary.

The reverse side of the sheet shows the dinner menu. It was printed on a letter press by Marc Silberman, a library volunteer.

A total of 81 sheets were produced for the dinner.