The Post Office Department’s explanation for the issuing of the Kansas – Nebraska overprint stamps is not necessarily the real reason for their existence.  Explore the backstory of this issue and the methodology used to print them.  Spend time examining the perforations, gum breakers, gum ridges, overprint measurements and numerous varieties.  Learn the methods and procedures for expertizing these overprints.  Included will be a study of forged overprints, a “must” for all who are interested in the Kansas-Nebraska overprint stamps!

By day Mike Girard is a mild-mannered Senior Engineering Aide for a manufacturer of modular power components.  By night he is an expertizer for the American Philatelic Society’s Expertizing Department examining Washington/Franklin issues and other troublesome stamps issued up to 1950.  A serious collector for the last 25 years, Mike specializes in all things Washington/Franklin, with side interests in postal history of U.S. towns named Girard and U.S. stamps from 1847 to 1950.  He is a member of the American Philatelic Society, the United States Stamp Society and the Perfins Club, and author of the article, “Why are the paste-up joints on the Scott #356 horizontal coil reversed?” (The Specialist).  Girard maintains a personal website dedicated to showing how to examine Washington/Franklins stamps for fakes as well as being a repository for other topics he finds interesting.