E4209

Southern Florida Wetland

American Alligator

Collins Cover Announcement 

Florida Wetlands

Set of ten - offered at one per month

As my long-term collectors are aware, wildlife and nature are among my favorite cachet topics. This beautiful set, anxiously awaited by many of you, offered me a wonderful opportunity to depict the varied species of the Florida Wetlands and Everglades in lovely watercolors. With lush tropical vegetation and delightful water vistas, each species is placed in its natural habitat. The colors are extremely realistic and are the result of the individual hand painting of each and every cachet. Newer Collins collectors are reminded that 100% of the color on all cachets is achieved brush stroke after careful brush stroke. It s that individual artistic quality that has earned them the high reputation within the hobby.

The cachets in this habitat set are stunning. Two roseate spoonbills, with their wings spread displaying lovely pink plumage, land in shallow wading water. In front of them, submerged in deeper water, a large manatee swims by. A large American alligator, presented amidst fragile lily pads, dominates his cachet as he lies in a silent, motionless and deadly wait for unsuspecting prey. In another cachet, a sea turtle has crawled perilously close to a pair of American crocodiles — one of which has waded menacingly ashore with open jaws. In yet another cachet, sensing danger. a hull snake coils in a defensive position as a magnificent bald eagle perches nearby The eagle, shown in its entirety, is in the foreground of the cachet, and as such has wonderful feather detail and other sharp features such as hooked beak, sharp talons, and piercing eye. In the distance, a second eagle skims over the water in full flight as it fishes for a meal. The artwork on another cover shows a trio of minks converging on a shoreline in search of food. The furry animals are aggressive hunters, and their swimming agility makes them formidable predators below the surface while their cunning instincts provide the Everglades mink with multiple survival skills on land.

To start off your set, the first one I'll be sending is the Florida panther. This elusive big cat is called the mountain lion or cougar out west, but a subspecies has survived in the thickly vegetated wetlands of Florida. Although endangered, the panthers continue to prowl the Sunshine State in small numbers, and wildlife scientists and concerned conservationists are committed to saving them from extinction. My hand painted cachet shows a protective mother with two spotted cubs while nearby the large, proud father stalks off to the hunt glancing back over his shoulder at his family. It is also worth mentioning that on many of the cachets I've added one or more other forms of wildlife to complement the main subject, and in my Florida panther cachet you'll enjoy two different species of butterflies in the foreground.

As always, these sets will he reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Once I'm sold out, they will only he available on the open market. For the "Mickey Mantle" sluggers variety (holding bats), quite a few collectors missed out because they ordered late. Being voted the "Cachetmaker of the Quarter Century 1976-2000" by the membership of the American First Day Cover Society has further enhanced Collins cachets, so please respond in a timely manner to reserve your set. Don't miss out! I will ship and invoice the ten covers at one per month. This provides the time needed for the hand painting of each cachet plus makes the set affordable for every hobby budget.

I'm pleased to offer the Florida Wetlands Habitat set of ten.