W301

Transportation Coils

Surrey 1890s

Collins Cover Announcement 

SURREY

This is the first stamp in the new Transportation Series. The cachet, hand-painted in watercolors, is of a nice design showing a horse-drawn surrey complete with fringe on top. The top-hatted driver, with whip and reins in hand, is intent on his task while a finely attired couple in the back seat enjoy the ride. In the days of carriages and surreys, a spring excursion through newly greened forests and past flowering meadows and fields was a welcomed activity after a long and dreary winter. Accordingly, I chose Springfield as the unofficial cancel for this cover. Item No. W301 - Surrey  $ 5.50 each

Summer 2023 Mail Sale Commentary  

Lot 12 W301 — Surrey 1890s — First Transportation Stamp — 5-18-81

This was the very first transportation stamp in the long-term series that ended in 1995 with the Cog Railway issue. A single surrey stamp is canceled in Notch, Missouri, and a second single is postmarked with a magenta cancel at Springfield, Missouri. The hand painted cachet depicts a ,surrey with "the fringe on top." It's the Collins cover that started the Transportation Stamp Series.