D3404

Pan-American Exposition Invert

Electric Automobile

Cover Announcement 

On May 1, 1901, the Buffalo, New York Pan-American Exposition formally opened with Vice President Teddy Roosevelt in attendance. On that date, the beautifully engraved Pan-American stamps were first placed on sale, and they were the first United States 20th Century issue. A few of the one-cent (Great Lakes Passenger Steam Boat), two-cent (Early Locomotive and Train), and four-cent (Vintage Automobile) were printed inverted or upside down by mistake. These Pan-American Inverts are among the most coveted and highly valued of all US phiiatelic "errors".

The collecting community was overjoyed when the Postal Service announced that these three stamps in reissue format would be part of the 2001 stamp program. The old-time ertgraved stamps are always appreciated by collectors as the reissued Columbians of 1992 and Trans-Mississippi set of 1998 proved. The Collins First Day Covers for those sets are the most actively sought by any cachetmaker. Now I'm proud to announce my superb set of four for the Pan-American Inverts.

Each sheet of the new stamps contains the three inverts printed in their original colors and four reproductions of a "cinderella" - an item that resembles but is not an official postage stamp. In this case, it is a reissue of an original advertising diamond-shaped stamp featuring a running buffalo, and now this 1901 cinderella actually becomes an official US stamp. It is really a unique issue and each of my four covers will have one of these high-value, eighty-cent cinderellas affixed. When you add the three inverts to the mix, these four covers will be fantastic pieces in any FDC collection.

Opposite sex attraction is the common theme for the marvelous individually hand painted cachets. The four-cent vintage automobile invert cachet features an adventurous young couple out for a moonlight spin inspired by a turn-of-the-century hit tune - My Merry Oldsmobile. The two-cent early locomotive cachet features a scene from a dime novel where the hero frantically tries to warn an approaching train of track damage ahead. The one-cent Great Lakes steamboat cachet features a shoreline look at a young man being smitten by Cupid's invisible arrow as a lovely damsel strolls by fully aware of the effect that her passing is having. On each of the above three covers, in addition to the invert stamp, I've added the 80-cent high-value diamond cinderella.

The final cover of the set is devoted to the cinderella itself. The cachet pictures a large, appealing male buffalo watching over his mate and their calf as they graze nearby. It really complements the running buffalo on the new stamp and, of coursg represents its namesake city where the original stamps were issued in 1901 - Buffalo, New York. It's one you'll definitely enjoy having in your collection.

These four FDCs are stunning, and the unique stamp set issue of the three Pan-American Inverts and the four 80-cent diamond shaped cinderellas do indeed make this a special philatelic happening. It is easy to predict that open-market valuations will soar for this Collins quartet of exciting covers. The "invert trio" of My Merry Oldsmabile, the dime novel early locomotive adventure, and the Great Lakes Shoreline rendition of Cupid at work. Added to this threesome is the appealing buffalo cover for the 8O-cent diamond-shaped cinderella. Don't miss out on this exciting offer. Sold only as complete sets of four at $13.25 per cover. 80-cent Buffalo Diamond - Item #D3401. 1-cent Great Lakes Steamer Invert with 80-cent added - Item #D3402. 2-cent Early Locomotive Invert with 8O-cent added - Item #D3403. 4-cent Vintage Automobile Invert with 80-cent added - Item #D3404.