N1701s

Ratification of the Constitution

Rhode Island

Fred Collins Signature

Collins Cover Announcement 

RHODE ISLAND

Bicentennial of Statehood

The offering of this COLLINS Cover completes a long-range project that is one of my most self-satisfying endeavors. It is the 13th and final issue of the Bicentennial of the original states.

When this series was announced I wanted to produce something special. Something for collectors and the hobby with special meaning. Something with style and uniqueness of design but also something that would be special from a First Day Cover standpoint. Ultimately, I decided on a tempting but risky goal. I would attempt, as each stamp was issued, to travel from the state of release to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the ultimate unofficial (real) First Day postmark. Philadelphia offered two solid reasons for this plan -- first it was the colonial capitol and site of Independence Hall. Second, it offered the B. Free Franklin Colonial postmark and I couldn't think of anything better suited for my intended set.

With this plan in mind, I designed the covers so that the Franklin cancel would fit just right. I also left space for a second stamp and the official cancel from the individual state. Still looking for that "special look" that would link the covers as a group much as the colonies wanted to be linked, I opted for a print style that would permit the letters of "Bicentennial of Statehood" to be individually hand painted. This turned out to be a nightmare in terms of painting time expended but the end result is nothing short of fantastic. Each of the 13 covers has a distinctive and different color for its letters and border. A real nice look.

As for the cachets I tried to present things pertinent to each state. Wildlife. History. Industry. Famous people. Whatever would give a cross-section of what a state is known for. In this case, for Rhode Island, there is Roger Williams who promoted religious tolerance and in a letter to the town of Providence compared his colony to "a ship with a mixed passenger list of Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and Moslems". The cachet shows the whaling and shipping industries. A silversmith and Rhode Island Red. Sport fishing. The historical Touro Synagogue and Slater's Mill. All a part of the smallest state. The on-going concern that I had was that somewhere along the line I would fail to reach Philadelphia for the Franklin unofficial cancel. Weather could stop me as could a mechanical problem on an aircraft. The more of them I completed, the more I thought what if the next

one....

But, with the completion of Rhode Island the thirteen COLLINS Statehood Covers were complete. Each, I am proud to say, has the Colonial unofficial First Day postmark from Philadelphia. A vast, risky undertaking that was far from a sure thing. Now, however, they will add further to the COLLINS reputation. In addition to the postmarks, each cover has the distinctive and colorful hand-painted letters and border. When laid out together they are indeed a beautiful sight that will warm the heart of any cover-lover. And, finally, there are the individual hand painted cachets that provide a peek at the places, people, and things of each state.

In a way, I'm sad to see this project end as I've enjoyed shaping and producing this unique set of FDCs. On the other hand, I'm glad that it has been completed as first envisioned many trips ago. They now exist and will always be "out there" to discover and collect. Item #N1701. $8.50.

Please Note: The following are the other twelve covers in this Bicentennial set. Delaware, New Jersey and New York are sold out but the others are available in limited numbers at $7.75 each.

01201 - Delaware (Sold Out) 

U1201 - Pennsylvania 

W1201 - New Jersey (Sold Out) 

G1301 - Georgia H1301 - Connecticut 

M1301 - Massachusetts 

N1301 - Maryland 

X1301 - South Carolina 

D1401 - New Hampshire 

F1401 - Virginia 

L1401 - New York (Sold Out) 

G1601 - North Carolina