BVI SHINES AT INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC  EXPO

The Specialised Catalogue of British Virgin Islands Stamps 1787-2001 has earned new international laurels at the Inter-American Stamp Exhibition “INTEREXPO ‘05” recently held at the Intercontinental Hotel in the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, from 15-22 October.

Pictured here (from l to r) are: Dr. Peter McCann (Vice President of the Federation of International Philately), and Dr. Giorgio Migliavacca (President of the BVI Philatelic Society and editor of the Specialised Stamp Catalogue of the BVI) receiving the special prize of the Ecuador Posts Ministry from Ecuador Philatelic Federation delegate Dr. Rodrigo Paez Teran. 

[photo by Astrid Wenzke]

The Catalogue has won a Large Vermeil Medal with 88 points (two shy of gold). The Ecuador Posts Ministry Award was presented as a special prize to extend felicitations for the literary achievement. The presentation was made at the conclusion of the splendid Palmares, awards dinner, held at the Gran Caribe Restaurant.

The volume published by the BVI Government in 2001 under the aegis of the Millennium Committee had won gold medals at the prestigious American Philatelic Society StampShow (Atlantic City) in 2002, and in Buenos Aires International “Temex” Show in 2003. The book had also received similar accolades at Bangkok 2003, Napex 2004 (Washington), and in New Zealand in 2005.

The Inter American International Exhibition  was very impressive and featured over 160 collections displayed in as many as 784 frames (over 1500 sides). Featured were also 121 entries in Literature Class. The show focused on Central and South American Philately as well as the Caribbean and North America with the breathtaking collection of Brazil’s legendary Bull’s Eyes formed by Mr. Luis Alemany earning the well deserved International Grand Award.

Dr. Migliavacca was awarded a Vermeil Medal for his collection of the Postal History of ITALIAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN USA  DURING WORLD WAR II  which had won Gold and the Grand Award Display Class at Americas '99 (Orlando, Florida). Additionally, in Santo Domingo he received a LARGE SILVER Medal for his Maximum Cards Cards collection THE WORLD OF OPERA.

Dr. Migliavacca represented the BVI at the InterAmerican Federation of Philately (FIAF) General Assembly held in conjunction with Interexpo ‘05 in Santo Domingo. BVI Commissioner at Interexpo ‘05, Mrs. Astrid C. Wenzke said that the Assembly, the exhibition, the awards dinner and the social calendar provided a splendid opportunity for BVI Philately to be better known and promoted. “Many people knew about Dr. Migliavacca and the BVI Philatelic Society through his books and articles and were visibly pleased to meet him and to have his input at the Assembly. The Assembly had the highest attendance in FIAF history and Dr. Migliavacca met delegates and commissioners from over 28 countries of the Americas, holding meetings and discussions at the highest level. Delegations from Canada, USA, Portugal and Spain also participated.”

Dr. Migliavacca disclosed that negotiations for admitting the BVI Philatelic Society to the Federation of International Philately (FIP) proved very promising. “We have been invited to similar events to be held in 2006  in Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Costa Rica, and Washington, and we hope that we will be in attendance. In this respect I have already spoken to the BVI Philatelic Society’s Secretary Mr. Roger Downing who will most likely attend two of the mentioned international events,” he said.

He also disclosed that as a result of the recent negotiations the BVI Philatelic Society is going to receive at least 20 exhibition frames at no charge after the international exhibition in Washington next year. “We have generated publicity and goodwill for the BVI at an international level because many of the delegates and commissioners are prominent business people in their respective countries. They were very eager to learn about the BVI both as a tourist destination and as a premier finance centre. The BVI Philatelic Society presented two Special Awards consisting of Coral Figurines depicting the Turtle Dove and Hibiscus. The Jury awarded these special prizes to a major collection of Bolivia that had earned a Gold Medal displayed by Bolivia’s Commissioner Mrs. Martha Villaroel de Peredo, and to a thematic collection on the Small World of Dogs exhibited by Mr. Arturo Ferrer Zabala,” Dr. Migliavacca said.

Incidentally, the lavishly produced programme of the Exhibition prominently featured an article by Dr. Migliavacca titled “The Magic of Virgin Islands Stamps”.

The BVI Philatelic Society President elaborated on the special prize presented to him by the Ecuador Posts Ministry: “The carved wood globe is  surmounted by a Galapagos Islands Turtle  and it is quite amazing how many of nature’s little secrets the Virgin Islands and the Galapagos share in common; there could not have been a better special prize for the BVI Catalogue,” Dr. Migliavacca commented.