I vaguely recall as a kid that Americans could not buy, sell (or own?) Cuba stamps. I also have an image of a Scott's catalog from bygone years with redacted pages or pictures with no values.

Haven't followed it, but I think at some point American political attitudes towards Cuba became more mature and I recently got a Scott's catalog with pictures and prices which would confirm this (I think). So two questions:

1) Can you (Americans) freely buy and sell Cuba stamps and or covers right now?

2) If so, is there a realistic chance that there may be a short window of freedom to do so with your new President?

Thanks (and please, no political rants about us "Dang Commie-lovin' Canucks").

Dave.

P.S. In the interest of transparency, I recently came across a bunch of Cuba including many nice full sheets and may offer them on SoR shortly depending on the answers. I also "Liked" my own post...

re: Americans & Stamps of Cuba

Phil: Should I read into your comment that there is a pre-1961 and post-1961 "rule" for Americans owning Cuba stamps?

Thanks to Randy's post I have discovered there is such a rule...

re: Americans & Stamps of Cuba

Having started a Cuba collection a year ago, I can attest that Cuban stamps on ebay are far more scarce than any of the other countries I collect. I do occasionally find a few here and there from dealers at shows, but they are usually pre 1960's.

re: Americans & Stamps of Cuba

hello lemaven, i meant to say that cover dealers have vintage Cuban postcards and covers in their dollar boxes...many from the 1950s's . I can see no fault in them selling them..it gives no revenue to Cuba.

re: Americans & Stamps of Cuba

Which reminds me...

What other countries stamps does the US protect its citizens from - or has so in past (and when did it change)?

This is probably more sarcastic than disingenuous, as I actually don't know but am afraid of the answers. But my guesses would be: Russia, North Korea, China, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, France.

re: Americans & Stamps of Cuba

Looking up countries that have had their stamps banned (by eBay or the U.S. Government) to protect innocent and vulnerable Americans from owning and being corrupted by them, I just came across this graphic. It helped me understand their policy better.



{Moderator: I think this is social more than political, and can be laughed at by both right-wing and left-wing members - though perhaps not Moderates, New York Intellectuals, or the Elite. Please take it down if it is offensive to anyone}.


Meanwhile, I think I just soiled my pants...

re: Americans & Stamps of Cuba

Either that or he's off his meds. Don't worry, if he doesn't get that bedroom clear of all those little pieces of paper, I suspect we won't be hearing from him for a long while!

www.hipstamp.com/store/the-online-stamp-shop

re: Americans & Stamps of Cuba

Stamps from banned countries get here on correspondence. I don't believe we have a postal ban on these countries. I have a few Iranian covers, non philatelic, that came in one of the collections I acquired.

re: Americans & Stamps of Cuba

The referenced Linn's article doesn't seem to un-muddy the waters. This quote…

seems to be refuted by this quote...



So I'm not really sure what the situation is! I'm sure I'm missing something. My wife often tells me that I'm missing something! Anyway...

I knew there was a good reason to accept a job in Canada in 1969, following graduation from the University of Missouri! Because I live in Canada, I can buy both Cuban stamps. And Cuban cigars in a store just a block from my apartment. Yay! Oh, right, I don't smoke!

I have never doubted my good fortune in being able to live in Canada, and eventually become a Canadian citizen. In recent months I've been especially appreciative of my Canadian identity. In 1962, however, I wasn't sure that I was going to survive past age 19….

In my first week as a U.S. Navy recruit in San Diego, we recruits were told that our enlistments had been extended indefinitely because of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the embargo against Cuba-bound shipping, our four-year enlistments were being extended indefinitely. Then a day or two later, I was, well, sitting on a toilet when air raid sirens started blaring. Instant panic! I imagined that within moments I might be turned into stardust in the middle of a nuclear fireball — San Diego and its huge naval base was a prime target for Soviet missiles. Then I enjoyed great relief, which had nothing to do with sitting on the toilet: the "air raid siren" was just the noon-hour siren. It seemed that I might survive my four years' duty, but I failed to consider the coming war in Vietnam. I knew that there was a "conflict" in Vietnam, but what did that have to do with me? Well...

My tour of duty in the Navy wasn't indefinitely extended, although, as it turned out, I did spend more than four years in the Navy because I was still in hospital recovering from being wounded in Vietnam, a war which was part and parcel of the Cold War, and in terms of propaganda involved Cuba, which supported North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in their effort to unite reunify North and South Vietnam.

After I got back into stamp collecting in the 1980s, I learned that many stamps relating to the Vietnam War had been issued, and that there was a rich treasure trove of Vietnam War-related postal history waiting to become part of my collection. Not long ago I purchased these stamps from sellers on Delcampe:

• Issued July 20, 1964 — According to the Scott catalogue, the 2-centavo stamp shows an American soldier in silhouette in the background, but he looks more like a communist soldier to me. His helmet looks like a communist helmet, and his rifle doesn't look vaguely like any rifle I've ever seen.



If that soldier is supposed to be an American, he'd have to be an advisor, because American Marines weren't committed to Vietnam until March 8, 1965, but they'd been ordered not to engage in offensive operations against the communists. One month and six days later, General Westmorland ordered the Marines to aggressively engage and destroy the Viet Cong. On July 28, eight days after these stamps were issued, President Johnson announced in a televised press conference that the U.S. military strength in South Vietnam would "almost immediately" increase from 75,000 troops to 125,000. My Marine Corps battalion, which landed in South Vietnam on January 28, 1966, was part of that early troop build-up.

• Issued in 1966 — The wholesale bombing and chemical warfare illustrated on the next stamps were already well in place by 1966, nine years before the end of the war:



A Guardian article published in 2003, titled Spectre Orange, explains in depth the long-term affects of Agent Orange and an especially toxic chemical it was spiked with. The corpsman who came to my aid after I was wounded died a few years ago from a type of lung cancer that the Veterans Administration says is caused by Agent Orange.

Bob








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