The No Fee Fish and Game Stamps of California
1959 Inland Fishing Stamps
Towards the end of the 1950s, California’s population continued its rapid growth. In response, the trout limit was lowered in 1959. According to an excerpt from the 46th Biennial Report, issued for for the years 1958-60, “Spurred by the desire to spread available trout among California’s ever growing army of anglers, the Fish and Game Commision in 1959 cut the statewide trout limit to ten, reducing it from fifteen.”
A new inland fishing stamp was designed for 1959 by Paul Johnson. Featuring a large-mouth bass, the stamps were printed in black and shades of green colored inks on white paper by the Eastman Tag and Label Company of Oakland, California (Vanderford, 1973). The stamps were issued with a special adhesive which required a protective backing similar to wax paper.
They were issued in booklet panes of five (1 x 5) with a tab at the top. Peelable tabs were also located to the right of each stamp to aid in removal from the backing paper. Ten panes were stapled together to form a book. Both the stamps and the backing paper are rouletted 4 between stamps and the the tab. The stamps measure approximately 57 x 26 mm when on the backing paper (with side tabs) and 51 x 26 mm when removed.
Three types of 1959 inland fishing stamps were printed: Type I has a large serial number measuring 4.5 mm in height printed along the right side. Type II resulted from a second printing in which smaller serial numbers, measuring 3 mm, were used. Type III stamps are similar to Type 1 with the exception that the “$1.00” fee printed in the upper left corner of the stamp has been replaced with “NO FEE” and the initials “NF” preceded the serial number (see Figures 19a and b).
Figure 19a. New stamps were designed for 1959 by Paul Johnson. Smaller serial numbers were applied to stamps from a second printing (right).
Figure 19b. Specific stamps were printed for issue to the No Fee classifications.
No Fee licenses and stamps were issued to the same classifications of people as in 1958. A small portion of the No Fee stamps was overprinted as in 1958, using the same rubber stamps (Vanderford, 1973 and Oliver, 1990). With the exception of one example, all overprinted No Fee stamps from 1959 bear two strikes, one along each side of the stamp in purple or blue ink.
At least one example for each of these four classifications has been recorded (see Figures 20, 21 and 21a), with the total number of 1959 No Fee overprints recorded being less than ten. The author has recorded many times the number of unoverprinted pairs of 1959 No Fee stamps.
Figure 20. A small portion of the 1959 No Fee inland fishing stamps were overprinted as in 1958. Only two colors of ink have been recorded, purple and blue.
Figure 21a. 1959 BLIND and INDIAN overprints.
Figure 21b. Only two pairs of 1959 stamps with INDIAN overprints have been recorded. This one is off license.
It is not known why the overprints were so seldom applied. It has been suggested in the Handbook of Fish and Game Stamps that the overprinted stamps were issued early in the year. However, the “INDIAN” example shown in Figure 21 was issued on July 2. Only the Type I disabled veteran overprint has been recorded for 1959.
As in 1958, the DFG overprinted one pane of stamps “VETERANS WIFE” and issued a pair to Alis Means. The remaining unused strip of three was once again obtained by Bill Oliver (see Figure 22). For comparison, two hunting licenses were issued to veteran’s wives during the 1959-60 season (DFG Intraoffice Correspondence, Monthly Report for February of 1960 – License Revenue).
Figure 22. The reconstructed pane of 1959 inland fishing stamps overprinted “VETERANS WIFE.”
The 1959 stamps with the veteran’s wife overprint reinforce the belief that these should not be classified with the No Fee stamps. The overprints were applied to a pane of Type II inland fishing stamps, rather than the Type III stamps which had been specifically printed for No Fee usages. They can best be defined as a reduced fee stamp.
The two partial panes of 1958 and 1959 stamps overprinted “VETERANS WIFE” are the only unused examples of overprinted inland fishing stamps on record. The DFG would not sell the NO FEE stamps to collectors (Vanderford, 1973).
A total of 16,248 No Fee licenses, each with one or two No Fee stamps affixed, were issued in 1959 (DFG Interoffice Correspondence, Monthly Report for February of 1960 – License Revenue). Of this total, 90% were issued to the aged (see Table II). It is not known what percentage of the No Fee stamps were overprinted, but it evidently was small.
For example, out of the 11,842 licenses that were issued to the old age classification in 1958, sixty-plus examples bearing the “OLD AGE NO FEE” overprint have been recorded. Although the number of license issued to the old age classification increased to 14,266 in 1959, only one example bearing the overprint has been recorded (see figures 18 and 23).
Figure 23. The only example of the OLD AGE overprint recorded on the 1959 issue, formerly in the Bill Oliver Collection.
The total number of regular inland fishing stamps (Types I and II) sold in 1959 was 1,848,698 (DFG Monthly Progress Report for January of 1960). The success of the stamps program enabled the Fish and Game Commission to establish a new trout policy in 1960 (46th Biennial Report for the years 1958-60). this policy directly tied trout production to stamp revenue as follows:
“1. Trout production (excluding fingerlings) will be geared to stamp revenue from trout anglers for the previous calendar year. The number of trout fishermen will be estimated at one-half of all angling licenses. (This is an approximation which has help for the last twenty years).”
“2. Any increase in production of catchable sized trout, made possible from [an] increase in revenue from trout stamps, shall go to the most suitable waters where the need is greatest.”
“3. If cutbacks become necessary because of declining [stamp] revenue, they shall be made in the least suitable waters under the lightest fishing pressure.”
California continued its inland fishing stamp program through 1983, after which time the stamps were discontinued. Starting in 1984 the inland fishing fee was no longer optional. It was included in the cost of sport fishing license stamps and required of all fishermen.