Royal Philatelic Society London Reveals 2026 Crawford Medal Shortlist
The Royal Philatelic Society London has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Crawford Medal, one of the most respected honours in philatelic publishing.
After receiving more than twenty nominations for books published during 2024 and 2025, the Society has narrowed the field to six titles, from which the Crawford Medal Committee will select this year's winner.
The winner will be revealed at the conclusion of the Crawford Festival, which takes place on 16 and 17 June 2026 at 15 Abchurch Lane, London EC4N 7BW.
This year's festival is sponsored by Stanley Gibbons and will take "Catalogues" as its central theme. Tickets for the festival are free and available through Eventbrite, with a full schedule due to appear as a special supplement in the May issue of The London Philatelist.
About the Crawford Medal
The Crawford Medal is a silver-gilt medal awarded by the Royal Philatelic Society London for what it describes as the most valuable and original contribution to the study and knowledge of philately published in book form during the relevant period. The award is open to worldwide competition, meaning entries can come from anywhere in the world rather than being limited to British authors or publications.
The medal has a long and distinguished history. It was first awarded in 1920 and has since been presented on more than ninety occasions, making it one of the longest-running and most prestigious recognitions in philatelic literature. The award is named in honour of the 26th Earl of Crawford, James Ludovic Lindsay, a noted bibliophile and philatelist whose personal library remains an important resource for the study of stamps and postal history.
Because the medal recognises original research and lasting contribution to the field, shortlisted titles tend to be substantial works, often the product of many years of study. Past recipients have included books covering specific countries, postal routes, individual issues, and broader thematic studies, reflecting the breadth of philatelic scholarship.
The 2026 Shortlist
The six books shortlisted for the 2026 Crawford Medal cover an impressively varied range of subjects, from European postal history to Caribbean philately and twentieth-century Chinese overprints.
The shortlisted titles are as follows.
Italia e Iberia: la posta fra gli stati delle due penisole 1814 to 1876 (Italy and Iberia: the mail between the states of the two peninsulas) by Lorenzo Carra. This work examines the postal links between the various states of the Italian and Iberian peninsulas during the nineteenth century, a period of significant political change in both regions.
The Mulready Caricature: the philatelic caricatures of the envelope and letter sheet design of William Mulready RA by Richard Hobbs and Robin Cassell. Published in two volumes covering publishers A to H and I to Z respectively, the book studies the satirical caricatures that followed the original 1840 Mulready envelope and letter sheet design.
New York City Foreign Mail 1845 to 1878 by Nicholas M. Kirke. A two-volume study of foreign mail handled through New York City during a formative period for both American and international postal services.
The Handbook of Stamp Production: histories, dummy stamps, collectables, articles, biographies by Glenn Morgan. A reference work covering the technical and commercial processes behind stamp production, along with associated collectables and the people involved in the industry.
Dominica: philately to 1967 by Simon Richards. A study of the stamps and postal history of Dominica up to 1967, the year the island became an associated state of the United Kingdom.
Northeast China Local Overprints by Communists 1945 to 1949 by Roman Scheibert. An examination of the local overprints applied to stamps in Northeast China during the final years of the Chinese Civil War, a complex area of philately involving multiple competing administrations.
For collectors, dealers and researchers, the Crawford Medal shortlist is always worth following, as it offers a useful guide to important new philatelic literature. The shortlisted books often become standard references in their respective fields, and the award itself helps to draw attention to specialist research that might otherwise have a limited audience.
Although nominations for the 2026 medal have now closed, the Society has indicated that authors, publishers and readers can already begin thinking about next year's award. Books published in 2025 or 2026 can be nominated for the 2027 Crawford Medal by emailing daviesn@rpsl.org.uk, with a non-returnable copy of the book to be sent to 15 Abchurch Lane, London EC4N 7BW by 31 January 2027.
The 2026 Crawford Medal winner will be announced on 17 June at the close of the Crawford Festival in London.
