K1703s

Lighthouses

Cape Hatteras

Fred Collins Signature

Collins Cover Announcement 

LIGHTHOUSES 

Set of Five

As with the highly acclaimed Dinosaur set, I am pleased to announce that once again COLLINS has produced a dynamic set of hand-painted First Day Covers with an EXCLUSIVE unofficial (real) First Day of Issue cancellation. There is only one post office in the United States with "Lighthouse" in its name and the community is located on the east coast of Florida. It is there that I traveled on the First Day of Issue after picking up the stamps in Washington, D.C. and obtained beautiful, clear and most importantly "real" First Day postmarks from Lighthouse Point, Florida. As mentioned, I was the only cachetmaker to obtain this cancel and I now offer the covers for your collection. The Dinosaur set (with exclusive Dinosaur, Colorado cancel) sold out immediately and I expect the same thing to happen here. As with dinosaurs, lighthouses are a prime topic for collectors.

These five covers present ten different lighthouses -- one each on the tall, vertical stamps and one each on the exciting hand-painted COLLINS cachets. Two of the cachets were inspired by personal discoveries over a span of twenty-five

years.

Recently married in October of 1964, my bride and I were vacationing along the rocky coast of Maine when we chanced upon the village of York Harbor. There, on a rocky point, stood the most picturesque lighthouse I had ever seen before or since. It sits on a rocky, grass-covered hill jutting up from the sea. A spacious, two-story house is adjacent to provide comfortable living quarters for the "keeper" and his family. Two of buildings, one a bright crimson red, add to the panoramic beauty of the scene. A small channel separated this Island compound from the point extended from the mainland on which we stood. The method of egress and access for the inhabitants was a large basket suspended from cables which was hand pulled across the narrow waterway. The whole sight was ingrained in my memory (and fortunately on some color slides) and I am very happy to share this lovely spot on one of my covers in this set.

The second personal encounter occurred exactly a quarter of a century later when Linda and I were celebrating our 25th Anniversary in Vermont. We were visiting the Shelbourne Village Museum which has fascinating exhibits of early America. As we were walking along a path, before us loomed a lovely and charming lighthouse silhouetted against the brilliant blue sky. It was in the midst of a grassy field atop a piling of rocks -- a most unlikely spot for a lighthouse. We spent about an hour inside reading the fabulous history of this building. It had been built in the often turbulent waters of massive Lake Champlain and most interesting were the tales and adventures of its various keepers and their families. It was, of course, accessible only by boat during its colorful life in Champlain. When taken out of service, it was "saved" by dismantling and reconstructing on its present site. Before leaving, I took about 20 photos for future reference. For my cachet, I have taken this quaint lighthouse and once again put it for all time in the choppy Champlain waters.

The other three lighthouses that I chose for my cachets have stories of their own. The massive and stately "Cape Henlopen Light" which has since succumbed to beach erosion and has been washed away by the eternal tides. The feared "Minot's Ledge Light" which was built on a rocky ledge and took such a pounding that lightkeepers were deathly afraid to man it. A hurricane swept away the original structure and it was rebuilt using stone. The fifth of the set is "St. George's Reef Light" whose powerful beacon is seen piercing the coastal fog and the wild spray of the huge, breaking waves on the reef. All of these lighthouse cachets are hand-painted entires and you can just imagine their collective beauty. I certainly recommend that you obtain a set as I feel that they will go fast now and that they will be hard to find and expensive to purchase in the future.

The five lighthouses pictured on the stamps are Admiralty Head, Cape Hatteras, West Quoddy Head, American Shoals, and Sandyhook. When added to the five cachet lights described above, this COLLINS set is certainly a wonderful tribute to the romantic and picturesque lighthouses that protected ships with their strong beams, loud bells, and penetrating foghorns.

As with all of my covers, I am happy to accept multiple orders, but you must accept my policy that extras are contingent to all collectors receiving covers. I will not "shut out" one collector while providing an extra to another. I produce covers in limited numbers, and it must always be considered that a quick sell out is possible.

Just when you think you've seen it all, something new is experienced. After picking up the stamps in Washington, D.C., I settled into my seat for the flight to Florida. A group of senior citizens took up most of the plane -- they were on their way to a cruise. Upon take off -- and throughout the flight -- one high-spirited woman kept playing "charge" on a kazoo! So as I licked and sticked I had a musical background -- sort of.

Upon reaching Fort Lauderdale Airport, it was a drive up the coast to Lighthouse Point. The people at the post office were very nice and took an active interest in the covers. I think the completed FDCs are very special. Seascapes and lighthouses tend to be wonderful subjects for paintings and the five varied cachets are a group of covers that you will love. I personally am pleased to include the York Harbor and Lake Champlain Lights which my wife and I discovered so many years apart. I'm sure that a freshwater lake lighthouse is somewhat of a rarity. And, the Lighthouse Point, Florida cancel will only be available on these covers and no others -- a real philatelic postmark obtained on actual Day of Issue. More than a possibility, a rapid "sell out" is a likelihood so I recommend that you not miss adding this set to your COLLINS collection. Set of five lighthouses. K1702. $42.50.

Spring 2021 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 20 K1701, K1702, K1703, K1704, K1705 and K1706 — Historic Lighthouses — 4/26/90

All six of these covers are now sold out, and this is the first time they have appeared in one of my sales, Please examine all of the illustrations carefully, and I think you will agree they are excellent renditions of lighthouse art. From crashing waves to picturesque locations to the desolate Ambrose Light ship, the individually hand painted cachets capture the power, the serenity, and the beauty of the sea. The wonderful additional feature of this set is the first day postmark. There is only one post office in the nation with "Lighthouse" in its name, and that is Lighthouse Point, Florida. The stamps were issued in Washington, DC, and after securing the stamps there, Maureen, Hank and I left from National Airport to Fort Lauderdale. For the whole flight, we worked intensely on our tray tables to get the stamps on the covers. A rental car took us up the coast to Lighthouse Point, and the postal people there were just great. The covers got fantastic magenta day of issue postmarks, and we were the only ones to obtain these cancels. I believe that due to the popularity of lighthouses and maritime art, these Lighthouse Point Collins covers will trend upward in the future.

Winter 2025 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 18 K1701 to K1706 — Historic Lighthouses (set of 6) — 4-26-90

From crashing waves to picturesque locations to the desolate Ambrose Light ship, the individually hand painted cachets capture the power, the serenity, and the beauty of the sea. Please examine all of the illustrations carefully, and I think you will agree that they are excellent renditions of lighthouse art. The wonderful additional feature of this set is the first day postmark. There is only one post office in the nation with "Lighthouse" in its name, and that is Lighthouse Point, Florida. 'The stamps were issued in Washington, DC, and after securing the stamps there, several friends and I left from National Airport and headed to Fort Lauderdale. During the whole flight, we worked intensely on our tray tables to get the stamps onto the covers. A rental car took us up the coast to Lighthouse Point, and the postal people there were just great. The covers got fantastic magenta day of issue postmarks, and we were the only ones to obtain these wonderful cancels.

Lighthouse covers are always well received, and I think you will like this set very much.