N402

American Bicentennial

Battle of Yorktown

Collins Cover Announcement 

YORKTOWN/VIRGINIA CAPES 

Please read, with care, the descriptions of the four Yorktown-Capes FDCs. As a collector first and a producer second, I am very pleased with these covers which are the result of finely detailed hand painted cachets and the lovely unofficial postmarks that were available on the First Day of Issue. As Bicentennial items, they are destined to become "hot" soon due to their limited numbers and because they are, in my opinion, outstanding First Day Covers and a credit to the hobby. Professor Planty recommends laying out a cover on a table - studying it, contemplating it, reflecting upon it - and then writing a short

appreciation of it. This is his method for cover enjoyment. I can honestly say that these covers will lend themselves extremely well to that exercise in terms of both attractive cachets and meaningful cancels.

Yorktown - N402

After obtaining "First Day of Issue" cancels at Yorktown, these covers were taken to White Plains, N.Y., site of previous Revolutionary conflict. There, WESPNEX was in progress, and this Show offered a pictorial cancel. The cancel is supposed to show a mounted officer above whom is a waving flag and the dates 1781-1981. To the left is "Battle of Yorktown-Cornwallis Surrenders". Unfortunately, this pictorial cancel seems to have been poorly designed as compared to the others used on my Yorktown covers. The picture itself is not clear, and several letters are faint to blank space. For the most part, the actual cancel showing the date and White Plains, N.Y. is pretty good. The hand painted cachet is the same as for Item #N401. If you're willing to accept a less than good unofficial, the plus considerations are that it is a limited edition COLLINS" and as such will probably increase in value, and it is a part of a four cover group of Yorktown covers - the other three of which are tremendous FDCs. Item N402 - $5.50