John Nicholas Luff (November 16, 1860 - August 23, 1938) of New York City was one of the important philatelists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, notable as an early user of scientific methods in the study of postage stamps. The Luff Award of the American Philatelic Society is named after him. He developed a serious interest in philately in 1890, and joined the Pacific Philatelic Society in San Francisco, California. He moved to New York City in 1893 with the intention of becoming a full-time stamp dealer, and the following year joined the Scott Stamp & Coin Company, at the time one of the largest dealers in the world. At Scott he headed the approval department, edited the American Journal of Philately, and co-edited the Scott catalog. In 1896, he helped establish the Collectors Club of New York, and was later its president for a number of years. He became president of Scott in 1903, but moved to Stanley Gibbons in 1905, shortly after returning to Scott, where he remained for the rest of his life. Luff had become perhaps the most prolific philatelic writer of the age, with works ranging from the tutorial What Philately Teaches Us (1899) to the classic reference work The Postage Stamps of the United States (1902), and numerous articles in the AJP and Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News. In addition to building a US collection that won the gold medal at the Paris exhibition of 1900, Luff also collected Great Britain, Shanghai, Hawaii, Japan, and China. But his most important collection was a reference collection that he used as a basis for comparison when expertizing stamps at Scott. He sold the collection to Scott when he left in 1905; the collection was later donated to the Philatelic Foundation, where it mostly still resides and is in use as of 2003[update]. Luff was president of the American Philatelic Society from 1907 to 1909. He was named to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame in 1941. Mr. Luff's remarkable colleection of postage stamps of the world is described in detail in the Orange volume of The Stamp Specialist.
John Nicholas Luff
(November 16, 1860 – August 23, 1938) New York City
Luff was one of the greatest philatelists of all time. From the 1890s until his death, he was considered the most outstanding philatelic expert in the United States. He was among the first philatelists to use scientific methods in his research, building a large reference collection of genuine stamps and their forgeries to assist him.
Luff became seriously interested in philately in 1890, the year he joined the Pacific Philatelic Society in San Francisco, whose membership comprised some of the leading collectors in the United States. In 1893 he moved to New York City to become a stamp dealer, and in 1894 he joined Scott Stamp & Coin Co., one of the world's largest stamp businesses.
He headed the approval department, edited the American Journal of Philately (2nd series), co-edited the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, and wrote the Scott stamp auction catalogs. In the process he established himself as a leading expertiser of the stamps of a large number of countries. In 1903 he became president of Scott, but left in 1905 to join Stanley Gibbons, Inc. He soon returned to Scott, remaining with the firm for the rest of his life.
From the 1890s until the 1930s, Luff was one of the country's leading philatelic writers. Most of his papers appeared in the The American Journal of Philately (2nd series) and Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News. In 1899 he wrote a popular book about stamp collecting, What Philately Teaches. It was revised and reprinted in 1911 and 1915. He also wrote A Reference List of the Stamps of Panama (1905). Luff compiled a special issue of Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News (Vol. 16, No. 4, 25 Jan. 1902) on the stamps of Hawaii. Some of those articles were reprinted as Mekeel's Handbook No. 10, Postage Stamps of the Hawaiian Islands (1916).
Luff's greatest work was his The Postage Stamps of the United States (1902), which still remains a major reference work for students of U.S. stamps. It was reprinted in 1937, with the section on U.S. Postmaster Provisionals revised and expanded by Hugh M. Clark. It was reprinted serially in Weekly Philatelic Gossip from November 8, 1941 and May 8, 1943. This version was reprinted in book form in 1981 by Quarterman Publications.
Luff built an important U.S. collection, which won a gold medal at the international philatelic exhibition in Paris in 1900. His other collections included Great Britain and colonies (especially in the Pacific area), Hawaii, Japan, China, Shanghai and the other Treaty Ports. In addition to building these collections, he formed an enormous and celebrated reference collection which he used to support his expertizing work while at Scott Stamp & Coin Co. When Luff left Scott in 1905, he sold it to them. In 1946, when Hugh Clark sold Scott Publications, he gave the reference collection to the Philatelic Foundation where most of it still resides.
Luff was president of the Philatelic Society, New York, a rival to the older National Philatelical Society. The two clubs decided to establish a facility at which both clubs could each have offices, libraries, and meeting rooms. Luff joined others in establishing the Collectors Club in 1896 to fulfill these purposes. By the early 20th Century, both the NPS and PSNY had dissolved, ceding their property and libraries to the CCNY.
Luff was its president in 1906-1907 and again in 1922-1925, and was a long-time governor. At his death, he was its Honorary Life Governor. Luff was a judge at the international philatelic exhibitions in London (1923) and New York (1926). He was among the organizers and directors of the 1913, 1926 and 1936 (TIPEX) international exhibitions in New York City.
A long-time member of the APS, Luff was its official expert for many years and its president from 1907-1909. In his honor, the APS named its most prestigious award the Luff Award. He was one of the original group of philatelists who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921.
John Nicholas Luff
(November 16, 1860 – August 23, 1938) New York City
Luff was one of the greatest philatelists of all time. From the 1890s until his death, he was considered the most outstanding philatelic expert in the United States. He was among the first philatelists to use scientific methods in his research, building a large reference collection of genuine stamps and their forgeries to assist him.
Luff became seriously interested in philately in 1890, the year he joined the Pacific Philatelic Society in San Francisco, whose membership comprised some of the leading collectors in the United States. In 1893 he moved to New York City to become a stamp dealer, and in 1894 he joined Scott Stamp & Coin Co., one of the world's largest stamp businesses.
He headed the approval department, edited the American Journal of Philately (2nd series), co-edited the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, and wrote the Scott stamp auction catalogs. In the process he established himself as a leading expertiser of the stamps of a large number of countries. In 1903 he became president of Scott, but left in 1905 to join Stanley Gibbons, Inc. He soon returned to Scott, remaining with the firm for the rest of his life.
From the 1890s until the 1930s, Luff was one of the country's leading philatelic writers. Most of his papers appeared in the The American Journal of Philately (2nd series) and Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News. In 1899 he wrote a popular book about stamp collecting, What Philately Teaches. It was revised and reprinted in 1911 and 1915. He also wrote A Reference List of the Stamps of Panama (1905). Luff compiled a special issue of Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News (Vol. 16, No. 4, 25 Jan. 1902) on the stamps of Hawaii. Some of those articles were reprinted as Mekeel's Handbook No. 10, Postage Stamps of the Hawaiian Islands (1916).
Luff's greatest work was his The Postage Stamps of the United States (1902), which still remains a major reference work for students of U.S. stamps. It was reprinted in 1937, with the section on U.S. Postmaster Provisionals revised and expanded by Hugh M. Clark. It was reprinted serially in Weekly Philatelic Gossip from November 8, 1941 and May 8, 1943. This version was reprinted in book form in 1981 by Quarterman Publications.
Luff built an important U.S. collection, which won a gold medal at the international philatelic exhibition in Paris in 1900. His other collections included Great Britain and colonies (especially in the Pacific area), Hawaii, Japan, China, Shanghai and the other Treaty Ports. In addition to building these collections, he formed an enormous and celebrated reference collection which he used to support his expertizing work while at Scott Stamp & Coin Co. When Luff left Scott in 1905, he sold it to them. In 1946, when Hugh Clark sold Scott Publications, he gave the reference collection to the Philatelic Foundation where most of it still resides.
Luff was president of the Philatelic Society, New York, a rival to the older National Philatelical Society. The two clubs decided to establish a facility at which both clubs could each have offices, libraries, and meeting rooms. Luff joined others in establishing the Collectors Club in 1896 to fulfill these purposes. By the early 20th Century, both the NPS and PSNY had dissolved, ceding their property and libraries to the CCNY.
Luff was its president in 1906-1907 and again in 1922-1925, and was a long-time governor. At his death, he was its Honorary Life Governor. Luff was a judge at the international philatelic exhibitions in London (1923) and New York (1926). He was among the organizers and directors of the 1913, 1926 and 1936 (TIPEX) international exhibitions in New York City.
A long-time member of the APS, Luff was its official expert for many years and its president from 1907-1909. In his honor, the APS named its most prestigious award the Luff Award. He was one of the original group of philatelists who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921.
John Nicholas Luff (November 16, 1860 - August 23, 1938) of New York City was one of the important philatelists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, notable as an early user of scientific methods in the study of postage stamps. The Luff Award of the American Philatelic Society is named after him. He developed a serious interest in philately in 1890, and joined the Pacific Philatelic Society in San Francisco, California. He moved to New York City in 1893 with the intention of becoming a full-time stamp dealer, and the following year joined the Scott Stamp & Coin Company, at the time one of the largest dealers in the world. At Scott he headed the approval department, edited the American Journal of Philately, and co-edited the Scott catalog. In 1896, he helped establish the Collectors Club of New York, and was later its president for a number of years. He became president of Scott in 1903, but moved to Stanley Gibbons in 1905, shortly after returning to Scott, where he remained for the rest of his life. Luff had become perhaps the most prolific philatelic writer of the age, with works ranging from the tutorial What Philately Teaches Us (1899) to the classic reference work The Postage Stamps of the United States (1902), and numerous articles in the AJP and Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News. In addition to building a US collection that won the gold medal at the Paris exhibition of 1900, Luff also collected Great Britain, Shanghai, Hawaii, Japan, and China. But his most important collection was a reference collection that he used as a basis for comparison when expertizing stamps at Scott. He sold the collection to Scott when he left in 1905; the collection was later donated to the Philatelic Foundation, where it mostly still resides and is in use as of 2003[update]. Luff was president of the American Philatelic Society from 1907 to 1909. He was named to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame in 1941. Mr. Luff's remarkable colleection of postage stamps of the world is described in detail in the Orange volume of The Stamp Specialist.
John Nicholas Luff
(November 16, 1860 – August 23, 1938) New York City
Luff was one of the greatest philatelists of all time. From the 1890s until his death, he was considered the most outstanding philatelic expert in the United States. He was among the first philatelists to use scientific methods in his research, building a large reference collection of genuine stamps and their forgeries to assist him.
Luff became seriously interested in philately in 1890, the year he joined the Pacific Philatelic Society in San Francisco, whose membership comprised some of the leading collectors in the United States. In 1893 he moved to New York City to become a stamp dealer, and in 1894 he joined Scott Stamp & Coin Co., one of the world's largest stamp businesses.
He headed the approval department, edited the American Journal of Philately (2nd series), co-edited the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, and wrote the Scott stamp auction catalogs. In the process he established himself as a leading expertiser of the stamps of a large number of countries. In 1903 he became president of Scott, but left in 1905 to join Stanley Gibbons, Inc. He soon returned to Scott, remaining with the firm for the rest of his life.
From the 1890s until the 1930s, Luff was one of the country's leading philatelic writers. Most of his papers appeared in the The American Journal of Philately (2nd series) and Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News. In 1899 he wrote a popular book about stamp collecting, What Philately Teaches. It was revised and reprinted in 1911 and 1915. He also wrote A Reference List of the Stamps of Panama (1905). Luff compiled a special issue of Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News (Vol. 16, No. 4, 25 Jan. 1902) on the stamps of Hawaii. Some of those articles were reprinted as Mekeel's Handbook No. 10, Postage Stamps of the Hawaiian Islands (1916).
Luff's greatest work was his The Postage Stamps of the United States (1902), which still remains a major reference work for students of U.S. stamps. It was reprinted in 1937, with the section on U.S. Postmaster Provisionals revised and expanded by Hugh M. Clark. It was reprinted serially in Weekly Philatelic Gossip from November 8, 1941 and May 8, 1943. This version was reprinted in book form in 1981 by Quarterman Publications.
Luff built an important U.S. collection, which won a gold medal at the international philatelic exhibition in Paris in 1900. His other collections included Great Britain and colonies (especially in the Pacific area), Hawaii, Japan, China, Shanghai and the other Treaty Ports. In addition to building these collections, he formed an enormous and celebrated reference collection which he used to support his expertizing work while at Scott Stamp & Coin Co. When Luff left Scott in 1905, he sold it to them. In 1946, when Hugh Clark sold Scott Publications, he gave the reference collection to the Philatelic Foundation where most of it still resides.
Luff was president of the Philatelic Society, New York, a rival to the older National Philatelical Society. The two clubs decided to establish a facility at which both clubs could each have offices, libraries, and meeting rooms. Luff joined others in establishing the Collectors Club in 1896 to fulfill these purposes. By the early 20th Century, both the NPS and PSNY had dissolved, ceding their property and libraries to the CCNY.
Luff was its president in 1906-1907 and again in 1922-1925, and was a long-time governor. At his death, he was its Honorary Life Governor. Luff was a judge at the international philatelic exhibitions in London (1923) and New York (1926). He was among the organizers and directors of the 1913, 1926 and 1936 (TIPEX) international exhibitions in New York City.
A long-time member of the APS, Luff was its official expert for many years and its president from 1907-1909. In his honor, the APS named its most prestigious award the Luff Award. He was one of the original group of philatelists who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921.
John Nicholas Luff
(November 16, 1860 – August 23, 1938) New York City
Luff was one of the greatest philatelists of all time. From the 1890s until his death, he was considered the most outstanding philatelic expert in the United States. He was among the first philatelists to use scientific methods in his research, building a large reference collection of genuine stamps and their forgeries to assist him.
Luff became seriously interested in philately in 1890, the year he joined the Pacific Philatelic Society in San Francisco, whose membership comprised some of the leading collectors in the United States. In 1893 he moved to New York City to become a stamp dealer, and in 1894 he joined Scott Stamp & Coin Co., one of the world's largest stamp businesses.
He headed the approval department, edited the American Journal of Philately (2nd series), co-edited the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, and wrote the Scott stamp auction catalogs. In the process he established himself as a leading expertiser of the stamps of a large number of countries. In 1903 he became president of Scott, but left in 1905 to join Stanley Gibbons, Inc. He soon returned to Scott, remaining with the firm for the rest of his life.
From the 1890s until the 1930s, Luff was one of the country's leading philatelic writers. Most of his papers appeared in the The American Journal of Philately (2nd series) and Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News. In 1899 he wrote a popular book about stamp collecting, What Philately Teaches. It was revised and reprinted in 1911 and 1915. He also wrote A Reference List of the Stamps of Panama (1905). Luff compiled a special issue of Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News (Vol. 16, No. 4, 25 Jan. 1902) on the stamps of Hawaii. Some of those articles were reprinted as Mekeel's Handbook No. 10, Postage Stamps of the Hawaiian Islands (1916).
Luff's greatest work was his The Postage Stamps of the United States (1902), which still remains a major reference work for students of U.S. stamps. It was reprinted in 1937, with the section on U.S. Postmaster Provisionals revised and expanded by Hugh M. Clark. It was reprinted serially in Weekly Philatelic Gossip from November 8, 1941 and May 8, 1943. This version was reprinted in book form in 1981 by Quarterman Publications.
Luff built an important U.S. collection, which won a gold medal at the international philatelic exhibition in Paris in 1900. His other collections included Great Britain and colonies (especially in the Pacific area), Hawaii, Japan, China, Shanghai and the other Treaty Ports. In addition to building these collections, he formed an enormous and celebrated reference collection which he used to support his expertizing work while at Scott Stamp & Coin Co. When Luff left Scott in 1905, he sold it to them. In 1946, when Hugh Clark sold Scott Publications, he gave the reference collection to the Philatelic Foundation where most of it still resides.
Luff was president of the Philatelic Society, New York, a rival to the older National Philatelical Society. The two clubs decided to establish a facility at which both clubs could each have offices, libraries, and meeting rooms. Luff joined others in establishing the Collectors Club in 1896 to fulfill these purposes. By the early 20th Century, both the NPS and PSNY had dissolved, ceding their property and libraries to the CCNY.
Luff was its president in 1906-1907 and again in 1922-1925, and was a long-time governor. At his death, he was its Honorary Life Governor. Luff was a judge at the international philatelic exhibitions in London (1923) and New York (1926). He was among the organizers and directors of the 1913, 1926 and 1936 (TIPEX) international exhibitions in New York City.
A long-time member of the APS, Luff was its official expert for many years and its president from 1907-1909. In his honor, the APS named its most prestigious award the Luff Award. He was one of the original group of philatelists who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921.
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