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The “Offsets” are war issues. Before World War I, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing used lithography only for revenue stamps and non-postal work. When the war cut off access to high-quality German ink components, inferior substitutes damaged the Bureau’s intaglio plates. On three occasions, this forced the Bureau to adopt lithography—then an experimental printing method—to meet demand created by the war and the taxes imposed by the 1917 War Revenue Act.

This presentation examines the origins and development of the Offsets, the spectacular EFOs and varieties produced under wartime pressures (including the Bureau’s near-pathological economy measures), and the adoption of a new printing process. It concludes by explaining why the Bureau never again produced postage stamps entirely by lithography.

Andrew Kelley

Andrew began collecting stamps in fourth grade, when he bought a beginner album through his school book club. Through several youth scholarships to the APS Summer Seminar, he developed a strong interest in U.S. philately. With mentorship from Larry Weiss and others, he created a youth exhibit on the two-cent Washington–Franklin Head, exhibiting nationally and internationally and earning the Youth Grand at Pacific ’97.

After stepping away from the hobby to attend Harvard Law School, start a family, and establish his career, Andrew returned to philately about a decade ago. Since then, he has written extensively for The United States Specialist and other philatelic publications. He earned the Hopkinson Literature Award for the best article published in the Specialist in 2023 . His exhibit of the offset-lithographed Washington–Franklins has won numerous honors, including the George Brett Cup and several grand awards.

Beyond writing and exhibiting, Andrew is active in organized philately. He serves as editor of The United States Specialist , the monthly journal of the United States Stamp Society; Vice President of the American Philatelic Research Library’s Board of Trustees; and Vice President of the Auxiliary Markings Club, where he also edits the journal. He is an APS-accredited philatelic judge, a member of the APS Expert Committee, and a mentor for an APS Young Philatelic Leadership Fellow. He co-chairs the United States Stamp Society’s Washington-Franklin Committee. He also serves on the Rocky Mountain Stamp Show committee. Andrew has lectured on exhibiting and other philatelic topics for groups including the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, the Chicago Philatelic Society, and The Collectors Club of Chicago.

Andrew belongs to numerous philatelic organizations, among them the American Airmail Society, American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, APRL, APS, APS Writers Unit #30, Auxiliary Markings Club, Collectors Club of New York, Collectors Club of Chicago, Civil Censorship Study Group, Military Postal History Society, Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library, Royal Philatelic Society of London, and United States Stamp Society.

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