US Stamps

What do you know about E. Tudor Gross and the 'Nude Eel' stamp?

Apr 28, 2021, 7 PM
Undoubtedly E. Tudor Gross was well-known to recipients of this 1946 Christmas card with a philatelic theme. But almost 70 years later, it leaves unanswered questions.

By John M. Hotchner

Shown nearby is a Christmas card sent in 1946 by E. Tudor Gross. A longtime philatelist, Gross was 67 in 1946.

He had joined the American Philatelic Society in 1915, and had served as president of the Rhode Island Philatelic Society in 1921-22. Gross also had written articles on postal stationery for national journals.

Attached to the card is a stamplike label, perforated gauge 12½, showing Gross. The inscription underneath this cinderella reads, “Type 1/Issued Nov. 6, 1946.” Below that is this message: “Watch for Type 2 in 1948.”

What happened in 1947? Was Type 2 ever issued?

Another puzzle is the meaning of the heading above the cinderella: “The G.O.P. Nude Eel Stamp.”

If you can answer any of these questions, please contact me by emailing jmhstamp@verizon.net; or by mail at Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125.

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