In the last dozen years, the British North America Philatelic Society has published 150 titles, most of them in color, almost all of them available to members at an appealing 40 percent discount. I know of no other philatelic society that comes close to that impressive achievement.

Every so often, it is good to step back and review some basic elements of our philatelic specialty of first-day cover collecting. Longtime collectors might enjoy a review of certain topics, while newer collectors might appreciate some words of advice.

The United States Post Office Department honored Adlai E. Stevenson II on a 5¢ stamp issued Oct. 23, 1965, shortly after he passed away suddenly on July 14, 1965, while serving as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

In Great Britain, definitive stamps, which are used for everyday mail, have a very long life. The current Machin design, with the sculpted portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, was introduced in 1967.

A block of three of the 1845 5¢ New York postmaster’s provisional, once part of a larger block of 10 that was stolen from the famous Benjamin K. Miller collection in 1977, was recovered in late September.

Beyond people in the sports and entertainment worlds, there are not many who become genuine legends in their own time, and it is interesting to find covers addressed to such a person. One man arguably in that category was Gen. Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964).

John Vanderlyn's paintings have been shown on several United States stamps; his Landing of Columbus was a stamp subject in 1869, 1893 and 1992.

Thousands of value changes, hundreds of new listings, and myriad editorial improvements, including many hundreds of revised and expanded listings, can be found in the 2016 Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940. The 2016 edition of the catalog, the 22nd edition, widely regarded as the best single-volume catalog for the classic-era stamps of the world, incorporates more than 15,850 value changes.

Values on scarce wartime postal history covers have grown increasingly volatile as collectors’ interest has intensified. This Oct. 29, 1941, airmail cover from New York City to the Dutch East Indies sold recently on the eBay Internet auction website for $1,225 after spirited bidding by 10 competitors.

Dictator is defined as a ruler with total power over a country. We owe this term to the ancient Romans. In the Roman Republic (509-27 B.C.), a dictator was an extraordinary magistrate appointed by the senate in times of emergency.

Collecting Canada columnist Fred Baumann traces the early history of cancellations on Canada stamps, from the simple target cancels to the more descriptive numeral cancels, some of which are quite scarce today.

I recently received three large boxes of stamps. These stamps had been donated to a local charity that didn’t quite know what to do with them and passed them on to me for review and eventual disposition to a suitable organization.

Pillar boxes — the red, cast-iron mail receptacles on the streets and roadways of the United Kingdom — are as iconic to England as Big Ben and red double-decker buses. Pillar boxes were introduced to the British Isles in 1852. Their inspiration came from Europe.

There is strong demand for all Morocco local post stamps. Many of the stamps are quite colorful and feature exotic beasts such as camels and lions in the designs.

A good set to look for is India’s first airmail set (Scott C1-6) issued in 1929-30. The stamp design features an inset portrait of King George V, while the vignette depicts a DeHavilland Hercules biplane flying the mail above a lake with mountains in the background.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese forces bombed American military installations at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in a surprise attack that suddenly thrust the United States into World War II. Letters that were in transit across the Pacific Ocean are tangible mementos of that fateful event.

While the Oct. 26-28 auction presents a wide range of classic issues, one highlight is from just two years ago: a complete pane of six of the upright variety of the U.S. $2 Jenny Invert issued Sept. 22, 2013 (Scott 4806d).

Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries in New York City has announced a sale of “An Important Collection of United States Essays and Proofs,” which the auction catalog notes is “offered at unreserved auction by order of an anonymous collector.” The Nov. 17 sale presents a significant selection of more than 430 lots, including some unique items and others not previously listed in the 2016 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers.

Michael E. Aldrich of Carefree, Ariz., held a sale of U.S. and worldwide stamps Sept. 9-10 featuring a 4¢ Pan-American Exposition issue invert. The stamp, which shows an early electric automobile driving around Washington, D.C., has a black vignette in an elaborate deep red-brown frame.

A year after the United States Postal Service slashed parcel prices for big commercial shippers by as much as 58 percent, it is planning to boost its Priority Mail shipping prices by 9.8 percent. If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the new prices, announced Oct. 16, will become effective Jan. 17, 2016, and will affect all consumers and organizations that send parcels via the Postal Service.