Walter R. McCoy

Walter R. McCoy
Walter R. McCoy
Born	January 12, 1880
Died	June 20, 1952 (aged 72)
Nationality	USA
Occupation	Engineer
Spouse(s)	Ethel Bergstresser McCoy
	Engineering career
Institutions	Collectors Club of New York ; Philatelic Plate Number Association ; American Philatelic Congress
Projects	Created the largest collection of Bureau issue plate number pieces
Awards	APS Hall of Fame ; USSS Hall of Fame

Last updated April 22, 2019

Walter R. McCoy (January 12, 1880 – June 20, 1952), of New York City, was an advocate of the hobby of stamp collecting and created award-winning collections of his own. He was the husband of Ethel Bergstresser McCoy who was famous for her United States airmail collection.

The City of New York, usually called either New York City (NYC) or simply New York (NY), is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2017 population of 8,622,698 distributed over a land area of about 302.6 square miles (784 km²), New York is also the most densely populated major city in the United States. Located at the southern tip of the state of New York, the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass and one of the world's most populous megacities, with an estimated 20,320,876 people in its 2017 Metropolitan Statistical Area and 23,876,155 residents in its Combined Statistical Area. A global power city, New York City has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world, and exerts a significant impact upon commerce, entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, fashion, and sports. The city's fast pace has inspired the term New York minute. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy.

Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is related to philately, which is the study of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth century with the rapid growth of the postal service, as a never-ending stream of new stamps was produced by countries that sought to advertise their distinctiveness through their stamps.

Ethel Bergstresser (Stewart) McCoy, of New York City, was a philatelist who created a number of stamp collections, and was active within the philatelic community. She was the daughter of Charles Bergstresser (1858-1923), one of the founders of Dow Jones & Co.

Collecting interests

Walter McCoy specialized in the collection of Bureau issues and his Bureau plate number collection consisted of 20,580 pieces. It was exhibited at the 1947 Centenary International Exhibition (CIPEX) held in New York City, and won the gold prize. A description of the collection was written by George Benedict Sloane.

George Benedict Sloane, of New York City, was a noted philatelic dealer and auctioneer. He was also a popular writer of philatelic articles.

Philatelic activity

McCoy, along with his wife Ethel, were very active within the philatelic community. Walter McCoy was one of the founders of the Philatelic Plate Number Association, later renamed the Bureau Issues Association, and later the United States Stamp Society. He was also active at the Collectors Club of New York, serving there as president, and at the Board of Governors of the American Philatelic Congress, where he was a member.

The Collectors Club, often referred to as the Collectors Club of New York, is a private club and philatelic society in New York City. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest existing philatelic societies in the United States. Its stated purpose is "to further the study of philately, promote the hobby and provide a social, educational, and non-commercial setting for the enthusiastic enjoyment of our common passion".

Walter R. McCoy Award

Water McCoy edited the Congress Book of the American Philatelic Congress from 1945 to 1950. His wife, Ethel, created the annual Walter R. McCoy Award for the best article in the Congress Book.

Honors and awards

Walter McCoy was elected to the United States Stamp Society Hall of Fame, and also to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame in 1952.

The American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame award honors deceased philatelists who have contributed significantly to the field of national and/or international philately.

Legacy

After Walter McCoy died, his widow, Ethel, in 1964, donated his famous collection of Bureau issue plate numbers to the Collectors Club of New York.

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References

Walter R. McCoy

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