About us
The British Empire Study Group is open to anyone who collects or is interested in philately, postal history or mail delivery in, from or through any country that is or once was part of the British Empire. Considering the vastness of the British Empire, this is virtually everyone. Here at our club in New York, we have some great postal historians and philatelists as well as novices and topical collectors. We are here to share our passion for the subject. We help members network with each other This is very helpful when trying to identify items, locate items and get opinions from other about our material.
We physically meet 6:30 pm on the 2nd Thursday of each month (though this may change when there is a conflict) at the Collectors Club of New York, 22 East 35the Street, New York, NY. We try to have light refreshments or an optional Dutch-treat dinner after the meeting. If you would like information about joining us, please call 212.532.3700.
Upcoming events
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“Canadian Railway Post Office” with Richard Colberg
·OnlineOnlineBESG Hosts Thursday,August 13th, 2026 6PM ET NY
“Canadian Railway Post Office” with Richard Colberg
Imagine a post office racing across the countryside at 60 miles an hour. For more than a century, clerks aboard Canada's Railway Post Offices sorted, cancelled, and dispatched mail while the train thundered toward its destination. Every RPO postmark is a tangible reminder of this remarkable era and a key to tracing Canada's vast railway and postal history.
Whether you're an experienced philatelist or simply curious about an overlooked piece of history, this presentation offers an engaging introduction to a surprisingly accessible area of collecting. Discover how these remarkable cancellations reveal historic train routes, uncover rare postal artifacts, and open the door to countless collecting opportunities. Join internationally recognized authority Richard Colberg for an entertaining journey into one of Canada's most rewarding and historically rich fields of philately.
Join us on Thursday, August 13th at 6 pm Eastern time when the world-renowned expert, Richard Colberg, takes on the fascinating journey of Canadian ROP stamps.
Richard (Dick) Colberg - A philatelic biography
Born in Chicago, Dick began collecting stamps 76 years ago. This boyish endeavor continued until 1968 when he joined his first stamp club, three years after earning a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. Shortly thereafter, his philatelic efforts were focused on the surface-printed issues of Great Britain. He first exhibited this small 3-frame effort in 1978. The exhibit grew to ten frames and finally, Gold Medals.
Between 1990 and 2000 Dick authored a weekly column on stamp collecting for the Lancaster New Era newspaper. In that same ten years, he ran the stamp auction division of Conestoga Auctions in Lancaster.
In 1992 Dick was awarded a Certificate in Appraisal Studies from NYU. That was followed by membership in the Appraisers Association of America and then Certification as a Philatelic Appraiser.
Dick is a member of several U.S. philatelic organizations and is a frequent volunteer at the A.P.S. An avid member of the Pa. Postal History Society, and its treasurer since 2003, Dick has the most complete collection of the postal history of Lititz, Pa. in private hands.
Since 2000 Dick has spent up to half of each year in the Normandy region of France. He belongs to two French philatelic societies: L’Union Marcophile and le Club Philatélique Française (CPF). He has also exhibited at the National level in France. He has authored eleven articles for L’Echo de la Timbrologie and has made several presentations at the CPF meetings in Paris.
Join the British Empire Study Group on August 13th 2026, at 6:00 PM EDST to meet Dan Matthews and learn how to begin plating.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9017700500200/WN_RZ17mHFJQJGhX6SDM6jNDw1 attendee
Past events
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