H1101

Great Americans

Belva Ann Lockwood Women's Sufferage

Collins Cover Announcement 

BELVA ANNE LOCKWOOD

Great Americans - 17 cents

Always trying to conceive something a little unique, a little different or a little new for COLLINS collectors, I tried a new twist on this unofficial cancel.

In the New York dairy country north of me, there is a small community that I pass through fairly often. There is a throwback to early America -- a general store (but no wooden Indian) with a Post Office. The name of the community is Bellvale, New York.

When this stamp was announced I saw it was in western New York -- very distant. Trying to decide on an unofficial, my subconscious brought me to Bellvale. Suppose that the cancel was applied to the stamp so that just the "Bellva" portion hit the white of the envelope and the rest was positioned on the stamp. A little unorthodox, but so what! I decided to give it a go, and the result was very neat -- an unusual first name of "Belva" commenmorated on the First Day Cover by an unofficial cancel. It worked out well.

The hand-painted cachet is done in unusual tones giving it an "old time" flavor. Lockwood was a women's suffrage pioneer, and citizens are casting their ballots. I believe you will really like this cover -- an "old fashioned" cachet and a pair of the stamps unofficially First Day canceled with "Belva's" first name. Unique. Item #H1101. $7.50