Contributors profile

Piero BARTOLONI

He lives in Rome, specialist in Legal Medicine, a profession that he practices as a freelancer.

After a young philatelic interest for Republic Philately and, backwards, for the Kingdom of Italy, for several decades – “bewitched” by the volume of Aldo Pozzolini Gobbi on the letters of the Fighters of the Risorgimento (Independency Italian Wars) starts collects these documents, with particular regard to the narration of main events of arms to struggle for Italian reunification.

Collector “in private”, has never exhibited his collection, “open” instead to all the experts of the subject.

Federico BORROMEO D’ADDA

Society membership and principal philatelic positions held: Club de Monte-Carlo, Accademia italiana di filatelia e storia postale, International Association of Philatelic Journalists, Italian Collectors of Definitive Stamps Society.

Collections and philatelic interests: Kingdom of Italy 1796-1814; West Indies, Caribbean area; Trient Südtirol 1770-1850; Wafer seals.

International awards: Italia 85, Moscow 97, Philexfrance 99, Salon du timbre 2012, Large Gold. The Stamp Show 2010, Gold. Sindelfingen 2012, Silver posthorn.

Publications: I luoghi della posta. Sedi ed uffici dalla Cisalpina al Regno d’Italia 1796-1814. Catalogo delle timbrature,1997. Nevis. The Stamps and Postal History, 1661-1890, 2014.

Spoken languages: Italian, French, English.

Lorenzo CARRA

Society membership and principal philatelic positions held: FRPSL, Accademia italiana di filatelia e storia postale.

Collections and philatelic interests: Postal relations of the Old Italian States with all over the world In particular Venetia and Mantua, special 1866.

International awards: Belgica 2001, Japan 2001, Philakorea 2001, Temex 2003, Large Gold. Italia 98, Ibra 99, Philex France 99, The Stamp Show London 2000, Wipa 2000, Alpe Adria 2000, España 2000, Hafnia 2001, Amphilex 2002, Bangkok 2003, Ticino 2003, Brno 2005, Washington 2006, Gold.  Many Italian Grand Prix and Large Gold.

Publications: 1866 la liberazione del Veneto, 1998. Il servizio pratico-postale in Austria, 2000. 1866. Terza guerra d’indipendenza. La posta militare italiana (with Gianni and Diego Carraro), 2014.  Many articles on National and  International Magazines.

Spoken languages: Italian, French, English.

Rocco CASSANDRI

Born in Ceprano (FR), Roman by adoption, graduated in Pharmacy, he worked for the major pharmaceutical companies until he reached the position of Chief Executive Officer.

AIFA inspector for a short period, member of some commissions in Farmindustria, he carries out consultancy activities for leading multinational companies. Vice president of a consultancy company in Rome.

Passionate about Postal History: Pontifical State specialized in the historical post and philographic study of the Roman Republic and Italian Risorgimento.

Bronze Horn in Sindelfingen in 2012 is co-author with Giuseppe Di Bella and Antonio Ferrario of the volume “Letters from the Italian War: on the tracks of the Garibaldians”.

Sergio CASTALDO

I have a degree in Economics, 2 masters as a Financial Planner and as a web based applications designer. I live and work in Rome for an Information Technology Company.

I work as a community manager for many Philatelic Companies and Philatelic Association, in order to enhance and expand their potential and disseminate their various activities. I collect “Vittorio Emanuele II first series of Italy: De La Rue and Turin” and I recently won national and international gold medals.

Internet and social network FSFI National delegate, I am a member of the AIJP Association Internationale des Journalistes Philatéliques, USFI Unione Stampa Filatelica Italiana, Institute of Post Historical Studies “Aldo Cecchi”, AICPM, Circolo Filatelico Bergamasco, AIFS, AFI Diena, Salerno Association of Philately and Numismatics , and I am also member of CIFO board and IT manager of the CIFO@Net platform.

Francesco DE CARLO

Graduated in Computer Science, he lives in Noci, province of Bari, where deals with digital marketing consulting and software development.

Borns “philatelically” in 1982, starting to collect Definitives Stamps as “Castelli” and “Siracusana” and then move collecting all Italian Repubblica Stamps.
A few years later he discovered the postal history: Democratica stamps used and Postal History immediately became one of his main passions.

In 2003 another fascinating discovery: the Italian series, especially the recent series, Women in Art and Priority Service stamps and so start collecting also variety of those Defnitive stamps set.

Passionate about journalism and historical-postal research, he created www.philweb.it, an online magazine of philatelic and postal news.
He is CIFO Board member since 2008, member of the USFI (Italian Philatelic Journalist Society) and writer for italian philatelic magazine “Il Collezionista”.

Arthur H. GROTEN

Arthur H. Groten, M.D. began collecting stamps (among other things) at age eight.  His first award winning (and APS Grand Award-winning) collection–of Canada’s Decimal issue of 1859–emphasized his interest in classical philately.

His Grand Award-winning collection of the postal history of St. Helena from the Napoleonic exile to her entry into the U.P.U. was the first fruit of that new passion, presenting for the first time definitive historical and postal historical proof of the censorship regulations to which Napoleon was subjected during his exile on the island.  His findings were presented in the American Philatelic Congress Book for 1989.

He then exhibited the King George V One Penny Typographed Issue of Australia to show what could be done with a “cheap” stamp. This was followed by numerous aspects of Mandate Palestine postal history [writing a number of seminal monographs] including the Baghdad-Haifa Overland Mail; Civil War Union patriotic labels; a study of how the U.S. Government encouraged the development of commercial airmail and is now working on the collection that is the subject of his article in this first issue of Post Horn.

Through his company, The Printer’s Stone, he published a series of six primary source data books, based on the USPOD Postal Guides and Supplements; The Postal Route Gazetteer of New York including a reprint of the 1839 Burr map of that state and a fine reprint of the venerable Catalog of the Crawford Library in association with the British Library. He has written extensively in the philatelic literature over the past 35 years, currently writing regular columns and articles for The American Stamp Dealer & Collector, The Philatelic Exhibitor, Kelleher’s Stamp Collectors Quarterly and Topical Time.

He spoke at four of the first six NPM/APS Blount seminars on wide-ranging topics.

In 2013, he was presented with the Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research.

He recently curated an International Large Gold collection of Bermuda and has written a book about Bermuda postal history to 1877 published by the APS in 2017.

He is a life member of the American Philatelic Society and SIP, a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society, London, and a member of the Collectors Club and the Postal History Society, among others.  He is currently President of the Postal Label Study Group and Poster Stamp Collectors Club, as well as Editor of their journals. He is past-president of the Ephemera Society of America.

Serge KAHN

Society membership and principal philatelic positions held: FRPSL, AEP Secretary General, Académie de philatélie (France), corresponding member, The Collectors Club (New York), International Association of Philatelic Journalists. National Jury member for polar philately.

 Collections and philatelic interests: Philately and postal history of polar activities (Arctic and Antarctic) from the origins to 1939. Polar aerophilately.

International awards: PNSE 2008 (Philadelphia, USA), Milcopex 2014 (Milwaukee, USA), Grand Prix. Polar Philately 2012 (Belfort, France), Grand Prix. AEP Philatelic literature 2016 Award. Cercle de la presse philatélique, Award 2016. Italia 2018, Large Gold

Publications: Dans le sillage des pionniers – Ahead of the Pack (with Hal Vogel), 2015.

Spoken languages: French, English.

Martino LAURENZI

Tuscan origins, Martino was born in the USA and  is an MD by training, and holds other academic degrees from European and American Universities in health-related sciences, including Epidemiology and Public Health.

Working for multinational companies in the pharmaceutical field he has held different positions including Head of Clinical Development, Chief Medical Officer, Head of Medical Affairs, and Pharmacovigilance. He is also a founding member and President of the CESEG (Gubbio Centre for Epidemiological Studies).

Since 1992 he lives in the USA, but returns to Italy as often as possible, at least a couple of  times a year.

Collector of World Stamps since 1960, of Great Britain and countries of the English area since 1970, in 1980 he started collecting material related to the postal history of the communications between the Italian area and the British Isles from 1450 to 1960. He has occasionally worked for national and international auction houses both as a descriptor and as an auctioneer. He is a member – among other organizations – of the CIFO, the Royal Philatelic Society of London, the New York Collectors Club, the American Philatelic Society, the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, the GB Overprint Society, the Forces Postal History Association and of the Westfield Stamp Club.

He began exhibiting in 2011 and has received several awards in Europe, in America and Asia in the field of traditional philately (overprinted Seahorses) and postal history. Most recently at the 100th Philatelic Congress of Great Britain he was awarded the Stanley Gibbons Cup for his material on the Communication between Italy and Great Britain during the Great War.

David LEE

David Lee is now working and has worked extensively in Ethiopia and also one time in Eritrea so it is not surprising his is a “Horn of Africa” collection incorporating Ethiopia until the end of 1950s, Colonia Eritrea and also items from pre-colonisation such as Egypt in Massawa and the barred-numeric cancellations 3862, 3840, and also Obock and Djibouti.

He is a member of the Ethiopian Philatelic Society, The Italy & Colonies Study Circle and locally to his home the Amersham & District Philatelic Society of which he is a committee member.

Ulf Johan LINDAHL

Lives in Greenwich, Connecticut in the United States, graduated from Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden and is Chief Executive Officer of A.G Bisset Associates, LLC.

Was a co-founder of A.G. Bisset in 1981, an investment management firm that is a currency risk management specialist and manages currency exposures for institutional investors in North America and Europe.  A.G. Bisset has won Global Pension’s “Currency Manager of the Year Award” multiple times starting in 2001. Provides investment advice that has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and numerous other financial publications.

Started collecting Ethiopia while living in Addis Ababa in 1964-1970 and became a serious collector of its postal history in 1992. Is President of the Ethiopian Philatelic Society and Editor of its quarterly newsletter, Menelik’s Journal.

Has exhibited Ethiopian postal history since 2010 (New York) and was awarded Large Gold at the APS Columbus and Omaha shows in 2018 and 2019 and Gold at Stockholmia2019.

Member of: Ethiopian Philatelic Society, American Philatelic Society, Postal History Society, American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors,  Royal Philatelic Society London. He is a member of the Ethiopian Philatelic Society, The Italy & Colonies Study Circle and locally to his home the Amersham & District Philatelic Society of which he is a committee member.

Claudio Ernesto Mario MANZATI

Lives in Milan, graduated in Pharmacy, received a Master in Business  Management at SDA Bocconi in Milan and trained as Global Manager at  IMD in Lausanne – CH.

Worked for multinational companies in the pharmaceutical field as Managing Director and Vice President Operations Europe; in 2010 founder and co-partner Italian Branch of the German Lean Institute.

Collector of Postal History of the Republic of Italy, from the ancient letters from XVth  century, he also collects material from the North Pole Russian Derivative Bases and from recent Military Peace Missions, in addition to all the Definitive Stamps and Postal History of the Italian Kingdom and Republic.

Since 2008 he was elected President of CIFO (Italian Collectors of Ordinary Stamps Society)  succeeding to the founder and his philatelist mentor Giovanni Riggi di Numana.

Co-author of studies and symposia including: Priority Service in Italy (2015), First classification and evaluation of the Italian Military Mail of the Peace Missions (2001 and 2013), The Postal Services from 1997 to 2002 in Italy during the period of transition from public to private and the effects on collecting (October 2003), the Italian Series of Definitive Stamps (October 2010), published by CIFO, he also collaborates with the editors of the specialized catalogue Sassone since 2012.

Exhibiting  since 2007, at national and international level in Traditional Philately, Postal History, Polar, Diachronic, Open and One Frame, has received 25 medals between Gold and Large Gold

National Jury of Modern and Contemporary Traditional Philately

Deputy Delegate for Italian Federation for International Affairs; in this role he was Italian Commissioner at Notos 2015 (Greece), Finland 2017,  Israel 2018 , Thailand 2018 and next to China 2019

Many times Jury or Commissioner at national exhibitions.

Member of: Académie Européenne de Philatélie, Royal Philatelic Society London, Collectors Club of New York, DASV Deutschen Altbriefsammler-Verein e.V., AIJP Association Internationale des Journalistes Philatéliques, USFI Union of Italian Philatelic Press

Languages: Italian, French, English

Mirco MASCAGNI

Born in the province of Bologna, graduated in Administration Sciences in Bologna and Master in General Management.

He works as CEO and advisor in industrial and financial companies,

Commissioner liquidator in procedures for administrative compulsory liquidation and coadjutor in Extraordinary Administration.

The current philatelic passion on the Postal History of the Duchy of Parma

In June 2008, it organized the second national edition of  “Philatelic – the Congresses of the Third Millennium”.

Thomas MATHA’

Thomas Mathà was born in 1972, he is a lawyer and lives in Bozen/Bolzano, Italy. Since a very early age he developed a keen interest in philately and postal history and published his first book Postal History of the Allied Occupations of Trieste 1947-1954 in 1992. For this book he was awarded with the AIJP-Medal for research. His different collections about Trieste and Julian Venetia obtained several Gold and Large Gold medals at national and international philatelic exhibitions. In the last twenty years he specialized in Postal History of the Old Italian States, with a special emphasis on Roman States, the Kingdoms of Naples, Sicily and Sardinia, publishing more than 100 articles in Italian and international magazines.

2008 he published together with Mario Mentaschi the book Letter Mail from and to the Old Italian States 1850-1870, which obtained several Gold and Large Gold medals at international stamp exhibitions worldwide. This work is considered today as one of the key books on postal history of Italy. The author was awarded 2008 with the FEPA Award for Exceptional Study and Research. He won for this book also the “Golden Posthorn” in Sindelfingen 2008. With his collections about the Postal History of the Papal States 1852-1870 he won many Large Gold medals at national and international philatelic exhibitions, of which 5 Large Gold medals at FIP world exhibitions. 2007 he was awarded with the prestigious Tilleard Medal of the Royal Philatelic Society London. He directed for eight years (2003-2010) the International Postal History Symposium of Sindelfingen, Germany. He served for ten years as the Editor of the magazine “Italien-Rundschau” of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Italien im BDPh.

Thomas Mathà is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, a member of the Deutscher Altbrief-Sammlerverein and the Italy & Colonies Study Circle and of several Local Philatelic and Postal History Associations. He is a member of the International Association of Philatelic Experts (AIEP) for Papal States Postal History and Trieste & Julian Venetia and currently also the President (2016-2020).

Giorgio MIGLIAVACCA

Since 1983 he lives in the British Virgin Islands where he is editorial consultant of The Island Sun newspaper and since 1987 member of the Stamp Advisory Committee.

Editor of Fil-Italia (Winner of 3 gold medals at APS StampShows 2015, 2016, 2018).

President of The Italy and Colonies Study Circle. Philatelic and Postal History Expert of the Tribunal and Chamber of Commerce of Pavia since 1973. C.P.A. since 1970 and Fine Arts Doctorate H.C.

Winner of numerous gold medals both as exhibitor and author of philatelic and postal history books, including Reserve Grand Award at Nojex, Grand Award at Americas 99 (Orlando), winner of the Apollonio Award for Best Book of the Year (USFI) at Italia 2009; he is one of the two Italians who have won the Postal History Society “Best Article of the Year” Award. The British Caribbean Philatelic Study Group has honoured him with two major awards: the Durnin Award and the Addiss Award.

Migliavacca has written hundreds of articles published by the major Italian, English and American stamp magazines; furthermore he has written 15 books, including the Specialized Catalogue of the British Virgin Islands. He is also a “Belcanto” musicologist (Oxford University Press and Nightingale).

Kevin NEWSON

Londoner, came to collecting (particularly postal history) through a long-term love of all things Italian.

Graduated in Town & Country Planning and now retired from own town planning consultancy practice.

Proofreader to fil-ITALIA and Giorgio Migliavacca’s COMPENDIUM (CIFO 2017).

Member, Italy & Colonies Study Circle; Royal Philatelic Society London and two London philatelic societies.

Roberto QUONDAMATTEO

Leaves in Rimini, graduate in Law at Bologna University, he did work in law firms and notary offices, and for various companies concerned with the distribution of tobacco as chief executive officer.

Collector of Stamps of the ‘800 and of Postal History of the Old Italian States, with particular interest on postal relations between the Old Italian States and the rest of the world.

He published many articles on Postal History on national and international philatelic magazines.

From 2012 he was member of the Italian Association of Postal History, of the Club of Golden Philately and now is a Member of ANFI from 2006, Member of the Association of Tuscany Postal History from 2014 and of CIFO Italian Collectors of Definitive Stamps Society from 2017.

Emilio SIMONAZZI

Society membership and principal philatelic positions held: Accademia italiana di filatelia e storia postale, Association internationale des journalistes philatéliques, Accademie Europèenne de Philatelie, Italian Collectors of Definitive Stamps Society.

Collections and philatelic interests: Italian states. Italian colonies

International awards: Prix international de journalisme philatélique 1992.

Publications: I 36 giorni del Re di maggio: Umberto II di Savoia, 9 maggio – 13 giugno 1946, attraverso la posta, corrispondenze, documenti, immagini (with Paolo Vaccari), 2005, The Censorship of foreign mail in Italy in the First World War-AICMP; Il commercio filatelico in Italia, 2017.

Spoken languages: Italian, French

Aniello VENERI

Born in Battipaglia (SA) he lives in Rome, where he is a Tax consultant.

Former President of Salernitana Association of Philately and Numismatics, he has been Regional delegate for Campania for AICPM and FSFI associations, as well member of Board of FSFI until 2015.

Member of CIFO Board from 2008 and, from 2018, he has become Vice President.

Promoter and animator of meetings and philatelic dinners in Rome.

Anthony VIRVILIS

Society membership and principal philatelic positions held: Former President of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation, Former President of the FIP Literature Commission, FIP Jury member for thematic philately and philatelic literature, International Association of Philatelic Journalists.

Collections and philatelic interests: Greece: pre-adhesive period, disinfected mail, small Hermes heads

International awards: Washington 2006, Gold. FEPA medal for exceptional service 2014. Hellenic Philotelic Society Medal 2016

Publications: Συμβολή εις την μελέτην της μκράς κεφαλής του Ερμού (Contribution à l’étude des petites têtes de Mercure, Grec-français), 1969.
Κατάλογος-μελέτη των ειδικών αναμνηστικών σφραγίδος της Ελλάδος (Catalogue-Study of the special commemorative postmarks of Greece), 1974.
Index to Name and Major Philatelic Auction Sales of Greece and Related Areas (with Louis Basel), 1989.
Εγχειρίδιο του ελληνικού φιλοτελισμού, Μελέτες, Μονογραφίες, Άρθρα, Βιβλιογραφίες, Ευρετήρια (Handbook of Hellenic Philately: handbooks, monographs, articles, bibliographies, indexes, Greek-English), 2003.
Οι “Πολωνικές” εκδόσεις του 1934 (The “Polish issues” of 1934), 2008.
Former editor of Philotelia.

Spoken languages: Greek, English, French.