The USSS/Barbara Mueller Award goes to the author of the best article published in a single year of The American Philatelist, monthly journal of the American Philatelic Society. The award is named for the United States Stamp Society (USSS) and for one of its most prominent members, authors, and editors, APS Life Member Barbara R. Mueller. Among her numerous honors in six decades of devotion to philately, Mueller was a member of the Hall of Fame of both the USSS and APS Writers Unit #30, and the recipient of the APS John N. Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research in 1956.

In 2007, the United States Stamp Society founded the award to promote the USSS, its goals and its mission to the 26,000 members of the APS, an estimated 75 percent of whom collect U.S. material.

2025 – Rick Barrett

The 2025 Mueller award is awarded to Rick Barrett for his article “One of Philately’s Most Unabashed Forgers! The Astounding Story of Georges Carion,” published in the June 2024 issue of The American Philatelist.

Rick is a consummate researcher, spending many hours scouring the American Philatelic Research Library’s books and journals for small pieces to put together detailed biographies of the hobby’s early scam artists and heroes. The following is excerpted from his June article:

[Georges Carion] was obviously educated, quite well recognized in collecting circles and a fellow who held several service positions in philatelic organizations. He wrote informative stamp columns, was a high-profile advertiser across the country and in Europe, was seemingly successful financially, and was generally held in high regard. And, he was someone who eventually made the decision to cross over to the dark side of things and become a forger, a counterfeiter, a thief, a swindler … however you want to brand him. To many, it would seem astounding that someone like that would trade a good reputation for financial gain. Yet, that’s the mind of a huckster! ….

An investigation by the Society Francaise de Timbrologie, essentially the French version of the APS, found no supporting evidence for the overprints. They condemned the stamps and labeled Carion a charlatan and a fraud. This was in great contrast to Carion’s West Coast status, where the Philatelic Society of San Francisco had unanimously elected him to the position of “official counterfeit detector.” Talk about the fox guarding the hen house!