Y2401

Woman Suffrage

19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Collins Cover Announcement 

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE

The design of this stamp I found very confusing and more than a little disjointed. My own personal opinion is that whoever put this stamp together got too carried away with "creative license". Of course, the "different" look that this stamp gives to a collection makes a very excellent reason to make sure it's included. Some of today's stamps are so simple and dull, it's actually a pleasure to have a complex stamp that you can spend some time analyzing and contemplating.

The words freedom, equality, and progress are printed in tiny black letters on the stamp. I wonder if this was an afterthought to clarify because the same three words appear in different colors in montage form, but progress is split into "pro" and "gress" with equality and freedom placed in-between and somewhat superimposed over the two syllables. Strange. Adding further confusion, another montage of two photos is employed in the design. One picture is of a 1913 women's march on the Capitol in Washington, D.C. and the other is a 1976 photo from Springfield, Illinois of supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment. I like the combination concept in theory but I think the stamp is too small an area to pull it off and I think the colors chosen made matters worse. What was attempted in this stamp design was a noble effort and for that reason along with its uniqueness (there will never be another like it!), it's definitely a must for your collection.

My hand-painted cachet goes back in time to the solid beginnings of the Women's Movement. A massive march is underway in Washington, D.C. The Capitol Dome rises in the background. Red, white, and blue bunting and flags decorate the buildings along the route of the march. A large, somber portrait of Susan B. Anthony is the foreground focal point of this cover. The paints I've chosen coordinate very nicely with the colors in the stamp.

When all is said and done, this hand-paited COLLINS is a nice piece to own with a definite historical perspective. The "busy" stamp; the basic, solid cachet; the Washington, D.C. First Day cancel; the colors of the stamp and cachet working together; and, the blending of old and new in the movement all make this cover a desirable one to own. Women's Suffrage. Item #Y2401. $10.75.