N2701

Pacific 97

Benjamin Franklin

Collins Cover Announcement 

Pacific 97

Benjamin Franklin

High Value 50-Cents

Special reproduction of the historic five cent 1847 Franklin Stamp

Pacific 97 was "the" stamp event of the year, and the Benjamin Franklin and George Washington stamps issued during the exposition were on sale only for ten days. They were never available at local post offices across the country. With such a small window of opportunity to obtain them, the number of different cachets will be much smaller than normal. And, Collins First Day Covers will become very sought after items in the years ahead, so please don't miss this opportunity before I'm sold out. Once my stock is gone, their value on the open market will skyrocket.

This hand-painted cachet is, in a word, gorgeous. The historic detail is fantastic, and the watercolors bring it to life. Ben, a familiar figure to all of us, sits in a combination chair/table that he designed. Nearby is an open stove called a "Pennsylvania Fireplace" that he invented in 1742. The implement on top of it is a breyer which was used for inking type. Over his shoulder is a street lamp that he improved, and behind his head is a political cartoon that he had published in the "Pennsylvania Gazette" in 1754. Franklin formed the Union Fire Company and organized a "city watch" to combat street crime. The contraption near the postmark is a crude generator that he invented but was unable to find practical applications for.

Although stampless covers were used during Franldin's era as postmaster, the stamped envelopes at lower right honor him for helping to develop a new postal system. finally, his ornate signature appears just below the stamp. As you can imagine, the time spent on painting each of these cachets is enormous, but the result is one of the finest FDCs I've ever produced. The Pacific 97 fifty-cent Benjamin Franklin design of 1847. Item #N2701. $12.50.