Copyright 2011-2025 John N. Lupia, III
Edward Stern passport photo at age 43 in 1924 when he sailed to Germany, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Poland and Russia purchasing philatelic material for the Economist Stamp Company.
Edward Stern (1881-1953), was born on November 7, 1881, at New York City, New York, son of German Jewish immigrant Solomon Stern who came to America in 1870.
Edward Stern became a legend in philatelic circles as one of the most important stamp dealers in New York throughout the first half of the 20th century.
The 1904 Trow's New York Copartnership and Corporation Directory lists Edward Stern the owner of Economist Stamp Company, 79 Nassau Street, New York, New York, and was a registered trade name in the state of New York.
Edward Stern received his return address cover postmarked June 8, 1904 from a stamp dealer in London. Registered etiquette upper left corner with hand stamped registration number and departure cancel from London registry to New York and New York receiving cancel.
June 30, 1908 sent to Philatelic Hall of Fame, William R. Ricketts, Forty Forty, Pennsylvania. Receioving camcel July 1 9 AM, 1908. Stern's corner card with octagonal designed address label on while rectangular stamp on Postal Stationery #U383. $600 write john@numismaticmall.com
Stern's advertisement in the American Philatelist Vol. 23, No. 3, May (1910) : 22
Stern's advertisement in the American Philatelist, Vol. 25, No. 1, November (1911) : 137
Ed Stern's advertisement for their 1911 Price List in the American Philatelist, Vol. 25, No. 1, November (1911) : 126. By August 1912 the new address was 87 Nassau Street, New York, New York.
Stern's address is 87 Nassau Street, New York City, New York changed from 79 Nassau Street, postmarked registered October 8, 1912 sent to ANA Member #1542 and APS Member # 1421, Dr. Walton I. Mitchell (-1960), Wichita, Kansas. Printed corner card and Cinderella/ label as seal on the back flap. $400 write john@numsimaticmall.com
Economist Stamp Co., postmarked January 30, 1917, RPO Hudson Terminal Station, New York with Schermack to stamp dealer, E. H. Van Siclen, New York, New York addressed to his day job office at Johns Mansville Co., a manufacturer and marketer of building materials, including insulation, commercial roofing, and other products derived from materials like asbestos. Their New York operations were part of a larger corporation that began with the 1901 merger of the H.W. Johns Manufacturing Co. (New York) and the Manville Covering Co. (Wisconsin).
Economist Stamp Co., postmarked June 27, 1917 to Frank Emerson Greene, Balboa Heights, Canal Zone. write john@numismaticmall.com
Economist Stamp Co., postmarked registered June 10, 1919 to renowned philatelist, Fred Melville, London, England. Cinderellas on back as flap seals, sending and receiving cancels. write john@numsimaticmall.com
Discovery of 2¢ perf 11-1/2 to 12 somewhat irregular forgery by Edward Stern was reported in The Stamp Collectors" Fortnightly, Vol. 23, No. 704, Saturday March 4 (1922) : 76. This was when Sidney Barrett began as Secretary and Treasurer in the Economist Stamp Co.
In 1922, Sidney Francis Barrett began as Secretary and Treasurer in the Economist Stamp Co.
Ed Stern sells the C. F. Heyerman collection of 1869 pictorial and Pan-American inverts to Col. Edward H. R. Green.
Edward Stern article on Russian postage stamps, dealers, counterfeiters and a trial by jury published in MeKeel's Weekly Stamp News, July 7,1924, page 363.
In 1924 The Weekly Philatelic Gossip, Vol. 9, N. 39, reported a slur against Ed Stern by a writer whom Ed Stern alluded to without naming him wrote a vituperative piece headlining "warning from Latvia" and the editor of Gossip defended Stern's reputation in the December 27, 1924 issue. Stern had travelled to Russia with Maurice Sherman, who was the American representative of the Russian Philatelic Department, and was reporting on the state of philately there which was published in the July 7, 1924, issue of the The Weekly Philatelic Gossip. [see Above newsclip]. The passport photo at the beginning of this webpage was the one for this voyage throughout Europe to purchase philatelic material for their businesses. On this trip Edward Stern purchased part of the late Czar Nicholas' collection.
In 1926 Eugene N. Costales (1894-1984), a native New Yorker of Cuban descent became a partner in Economist Stamp Co.
In 1927 Sidney Barrett and Edward Stern were elected on the 15 member board of directors of the Association For Stamp Exhibitions to serve until March 1930. The list of all the board members reads like the Who's Who of Philately including : Charles M. Ams, Fernal Hutchins, Eugene Klein, John J. Klemann, Jr., Edward S. Knapp, John N. Luff, H. C. Needham, S. Newbury, C. J. Phillips, Joseph Solomon Rich, B. Schlesinger, George B. Sloane, and A. H. Wilhelm.
In 1929, Sidney Francis Barrett (1892-1953), became a partner in the Economist Stamp Company and remained with the firm until 1951.
In 1929, Edward Stern bought a collection for $100,000 that was formerly owned by Sir Nicholas Waterhouse, a fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of London.
First Flight Peru to New York, May 17, 1929, back stamped Cristobal, Canal Zone. $300 write john@numismaticmall.com
In 1930, Stern exhibited at the Collectors Club, New York, his collection of signatures of the Presidents of the United States on covers and several signers of the Declaration of Independence, including a rare one of Benjamin Franklin.
In 1931, while at Paris, he sold to King George V a part of a collection of rare stamps of British Colonies, previously owned by an American collector
In 1932, Costales left Economist Stamp Co. to establish his own independent firm under his own name.
Ed Stern traded at 299 Madison Avenue, New York at the end of his career and died on November 6, 1953. The Airpost Journal published his obituary written by Sidney Barrett.
Ed Stern Collection was sold at Parke-Bernet on March 15, 1955.