Eugene Klein (philatelist)

Eugene Klein
Eugene Klein
Born	June 26, 1878; Hungary
Died	April 30, 1944 (aged 65); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Stamp dealer; Stamp collector; Auctioneer
Years active	1911-1944
Known for	American Philatelic Society president 1935-1937; APS Hall of Fame; Person who bought the "Inverted Jenny" sheet of 24-cent inverted airmail stamps

Eugene Klein (June 26, 1878 – April 30, 1944) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an internationally known stamp collector, stamp dealer, and auctioneer who was president of the American Philatelic Society from 1935 to 1937.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Formative years

Born in Hungary on June 26, 1878, Klein was educated in Budapest and Vienna. As a youth, he developed an interest in philately.^[4]

Philatelic activity

Klein was the official expert of the American Philatelic Society from 1911 to 1931 and its international secretary from 1928 to 1935 and 1937 to 1944.^[5] He also served as president (1935–1937) and international secretary again from 1937 until his death. He authored the 1940 book United States Waterway Packetmarks: Handstamped and Printed Names of Mail-Carrying Steamboats on the United States of America Inland and Coastal Waters, 1832-1899, called a seminal work by the American Philatelic Society, (APS), in a highly-collectable area.^[1]

His customers included King George V of Great Britain and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.^[6]

Honors and awards

Eugene Klein was inducted into the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame in 1944.^[1]

Inverted Jenny

Klein is remembered as the dealer who bought the sheet of the 24-cent Inverted Jenny 1918 United States air mail stamps from its finder, William T. Robey.^[1]^[7]^[8]^[9]

Illness and death

In poor health during his final months, Klein died at the age of sixty-five at the Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia on April 30, 1944.^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "American Philatelic Society - Hall of Fame - 1942-1945". American Philatelic Society. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
^ Byrnes, Robert D. "Philately." Hartford Connecticut: Hartford Courant, October 11, 1936, p. E2 (subscription required).
^ "Klein Auction Saturday." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 7, 1942, p. 20 (subscription required).
^ "Eugene Klein, Philatelist, Dies." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1944, p. 7 (subscription required).
^ "Stamps." Washington, D.C.: Evening Star, August 11, 1935, p. B6 (subscription required).
^ "Stamp Collector Leaves $50,000." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 12, 1944, p. 27 (subscription required).
^ Panaritis, Maria. "'Inverts' Investing." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 18, 2007, pp. C1, C8 (subscription required).
^ Guarino, Ben. "Lost 'Jenny' Finally Lands." Boston, Massachusetts: The Boston Globe, June 4, 2016, p. A6 (subscription required).
^ Healey, Barth. "Stamps: Jennies sell for $1 million." Pittsfield, Massachusetts: The Berkshire Eagle, October 29, 1988, p. F4 (subscription required).
^ "Eugene Klein, Philatelist, Dies," The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1944.

External links

Eugene Klein writings

[APSHOF-1] "American Philatelic Society - Hall of Fame - 1942-1945". American Philatelic Society. Retrieved 2015-01-17.

[2] Byrnes, Robert D. "Philately." Hartford Connecticut: Hartford Courant, October 11, 1936, p. E2 (subscription required).

[3] "Klein Auction Saturday." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 7, 1942, p. 20 (subscription required).

[4] "Eugene Klein, Philatelist, Dies." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1944, p. 7 (subscription required).

[5] "Stamps." Washington, D.C.: Evening Star, August 11, 1935, p. B6 (subscription required).

[6] "Stamp Collector Leaves $50,000." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 12, 1944, p. 27 (subscription required).

[7] Panaritis, Maria. "'Inverts' Investing." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 18, 2007, pp. C1, C8 (subscription required).

[8] Guarino, Ben. "Lost 'Jenny' Finally Lands." Boston, Massachusetts: The Boston Globe, June 4, 2016, p. A6 (subscription required).

[9] Healey, Barth. "Stamps: Jennies sell for $1 million." Pittsfield, Massachusetts: The Berkshire Eagle, October 29, 1988, p. F4 (subscription required).

[10] "Eugene Klein, Philatelist, Dies," The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1944.

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