T4001

Scenic American Landscapes

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Collins Cover Announcement 

Great Smokey Mountains National Park

High -value 75¢ Stamp

Red Wolf

This rare United States animal makes its first appearance on a United States stamp. Smaller than the familiar gray wolf but larger than the coyote, the red wolf s coat consists predominantly of red hairs on the legs interspersed with gray and a few black hairs on the rest of the body. It is usually nocturnal and makes its den -along stream banks, under stumps, or in hollow logs. Its diet consists of birds, rodents, and rabbits, but it will also hunt the white-tail deer. In the 1970s, the U.S. Forest Service trapped some individuals for a captive breeding program to save the species from extinction. Currently that program continues, and small populations have been released in Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi. The biggest group of wild red wolves, however, continues to be in North Carolina where the habitat is perfect for their survival.

My hand painted cachet shows one of the handsome wolves in a woodland meadow with the slopes of the Great Smokey Mountains in the background. The watercolors in the cachet combined with the fine colorization of the stamp result in a very fine wildlife First Day Cover.

This is the third and final cover in this mini-series of high-value National Park stamps. Previously offered and still available are Bryce Canyon with a magnificent mountain lion cachet and Yosemite with a majestic golden eagle chosen as my wildlife artwork. Make sure you have all three as they are sure to be actively sought-after items in the years ahead. I'm pleased to offer the elusive, rare, and beautiful red wolf. Collins #U4001 — $13.75.

Winter 2023 Mail Sale 

Lot 22 T4001 — Great Smoky Mountains National Park — Red Wolf Cachet — 2/24/06

The red wolf is a wild canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is between a coyote and gray wolf Its color is usually a tawny gray with some red fur on the head, ears, legs, and random body areas. The red wolf is more sociable than the coyote but less than the gray wolf Since 1987 they have been released into the Great Smoky Mountains where they roam over 1.7 million acres. Its diet consists mostly of rabbits and rodents. This endangered species may become extinct in the wild or may be saved by the captive breeding program. This is the only appearance of a red wolf on Collins cachets, and it is the first time it has appeared in any of my mail sales.