Join us at Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City on Tuesday, June 20. Harry’s opens at 11 am for cafeteria style lunch; our meeting will start promptly at 12 noon. See the MEETING INFO menu item for directions. This month’s topic is

Kristin Patterson on “United States Tax Stamps Used to Raise Funds for the Civil War”

The United States Government enacted its first Federal Tax on October 1, 1862, to raise money to support a Civil War that had been going on much longer than President Lincoln had anticipated. This presentation will talk about the different revenue stamps that were created including ones inscribed Agreement, Bank Check, Certificate, Insurance, Mortgage, Playing Cards, Probate of Will, Proprietary, and more, ranging in face value from 1¢ to $200. These stamps are gorgeous pieces of history with many still attached to the item for which they collected the tax.

Kristin Patterson started collecting postage stamps when she was 10. But changed her focus 22 years and started collecting U.S. Civil War tax stamps and documents with revenue stamps. She has been very active in the philatelic community, serving 4 years as President of Sequoia Stamp Club, 17 years as Chair of PENPEX Stamp Show (www.penpex.org), and served on the American Philatelic Society and American Philatelic Research Library Boards.

Kristin has authored two books. In 2003, she self published It’s a Wrap! U.S. Revenue Stamps Used on Playing Cards, 1862–1883. This colorfully illustrated book highlights fifteen U.S. Playing Card Manufacturers who used the first U.S. tax stamps. In 2010, she published her second book, WESTPEX – The First 50 Years, about the most successful stamp show in the U.S.

Kristin has also written many articles for philatelic journals, including the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg. This article discusses how the Gettysburg Cemetery came to be and how the States, with volunteers who fought in Gettysburg, funded the effort during the Civil War.

During the presentation, Kristin will have with her some original Civil War documents to show.

Join us at Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City on Tuesday, July 18. Harry’s opens at 11 am for cafeteria style lunch; our meeting will start promptly at 12 noon. See the MEETING INFO menu item for directions. This month’s topic is

Nick Marinaro on “The CSS Hunley Part 3 of 3”

In the third of his three part series on the Confederate submarine Hunley, Nick Marinaro will discuss the latest scientific theory about what likely caused the submarine and crew to be sunk and lost until it was recovered and examined in our time.

Nick Marinaro, a Fresno native, has been interested in Civil War history since elementary school. He graduated from Clovis High School and Stanford University. In 2010 Nick retired as Fire Chief after a 38 year career with the Stanford University and City of Palo Alto Fire Depts. Nick has been a Lions Club member and officer for 21 years. He is also on the board of the Palo Alto-Stanford PAST Historical Assn. Nick has been a member of the Peninsula Civil War Round Table for the past 2-1/2 years and serves as the PCWRT treasurer.