O2501

James K. Polk

11th president of the United States

Collins Cover Announcement 

JAMES K. POLK

This is a fine example of an "entire" hand-painted First Day Cover. To the left is a large oval portrait of Polk flanked by two golden stars. Positioned at the upper center is the Polk ancestral home and to the upper right is the new stamp tied to the cover by the Columbia, Tennessee First Day of Issue postmark. It is important to note that the Polk stamp features a finely engraved portrait "replicating the 19th Century style typical of early postage stamps" per a press release by the Postal Service. I concur with their assessment and, although I enjoy the color of many of today's new stamps, it is nice to see that your 1996 COLLINS collection will have a "throw-back" representative to the design style of the 1800's.

James K. Polk was an expansionist committed to the nation's "Manifest Destiny." He won a war with Mexico and annexed Texas, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. He also risked war with Great Britain by claiming the territory from Northern California to Alaska. Iowa, Wisconsin, and Texas became states during his administration. I wanted to build on the expanding nation theme in my cachet and so to the lower center and right I depict a steam train traveling across the country past western mountains toward the new territory.

All in all this is an attractive cover and a nice piece for your collection. President James K. Polk. Item #O2501. $11.75.