V902

Great Americans

John J. Audubon Ornithologist

Collins Cover Announcement 

John J. Audubon Ornithologist

America's birds have always been a favorite topic of wildlife artists from the days of Audubon to the present. It was truly a tough decision as to which ones I would include in my cachet for this issue. Not wanting to miss this golden opportunity, I finally narrowed (with difficulty) my list to six. The noble wild turkey, the crimson-crested Pileated Woodpecker, the gaudily colored Painted Bunting songbird, the spirited Kingfisher, the rotund Bobwhite and the majestic Osprey.

Treating each bird as an individually framed cachet, the result was a splendid pair of FDCs that will be an added asset to any COLLINS or wildlife collection. The hand painting is in the delicate, subtle and natural tones of traditional watercoloring. Cover number one (V901) features a large, vertical cachet of the elusive Wild Turkey and two horizontal cachets of the Pileated Woodpecker and the Kingfisher. Cover number two (V902) has a large, vertical cachet of a soaring osprey and two horizontal cachets of the multi-colored Painted Bunting and a Bobwhite family.

I picked the stamps up in the official city -- New York -- on First Day and then headed for the perfect unofficial cancel -- Audubon, New Jersey. The stamp placement is to the upper left, the text to the lower left and the cachets consuming the extensive remaining area. With absolutely beautiful cachets and the "true" First Day cancel at Audubon, these covers are destined to become a sought after pair. You can bank on it. Although you may purchase either separately, I strongly urge that you acquire them as a set as they "go together" and future collectors will be more inclined to seek out the pair as a unit. They are worthy of any PDC collection. I sincerely recommend that you obtain the set. ITem *V901 - $7.50. Item *V902 - $7.50

Autumn 2019 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 19 V901 and V902 — John James Audubon — 4/23/85

This stamp was issued to honor one of the greatest American artists. His paintings of birds are considered to be his greatest works. It was difficult for me to decide which species to portray, and the outcome was this two-cachet set depicting six of my favorimbirth On V901 are the wild turkey, the large pileated woodpecker, and the wary kingfisher. On V902 are the osprey, the beautiful painted bunting, and the bobwhite. After securing the new stamps in New York City where they were issued, it was off to my perfect first day unofficial site of Audubon, New Jersey. There, each one received their large bullseye with killer bars first day postmark. The hand painted cachets and stellar cancels make this pair of covers very special.