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Female philatelists

The list: 5 famous women stamp collectors

Stamps featuring famous women philatelists
Stamps showcasing female philatelists include, from left, an 8-cent Amelia Earhart stamp (1963), a 20-cent Virginia Apgar stamp (1994) and a 33-cent Ayn Rand stamp (1999).

Before Women’s History Month concludes, “The list” looks at five famous female philatelists — some of whom graced stamps of their own.

1. Amelia Earhart. The first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean relied on the sale of autographed mail carried on her flights to offset expenses for her aviation expeditions. She graced an 8-cent stamp in 1963.

2. Virginia Apgar. A pioneering physician in the research and prevention of birth defects, the developer of the Apgar score was also a philatelist. She was honored on a 20-cent Great Americans series stamp in 1994.

3. Ayn Rand. Stamp collecting was a childhood hobby for the Russian-American novelist, who took it up again in middle age. She was featured on a 33-cent American Literary Arts series stamp in 1999.

4. Queen Elizabeth II. An avid stamp collector from an early age, the longest-reigning British monarch oversees the Royal Philatelic Collection, which includes some of the world’s rarest stamps.

5. Maria Sharapova. The Russian tennis star started collecting as a child and has said she tries to pick up new stamps during her tournament travels.

Learn more about philately at the National Postal Museum’s site. Got ideas for future editions of “The list”? Email them to uspslink@usps.gov.

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