E101

French Alliance

Louis XVI and Franklin

Porcelain Sculpture by C. G. Sauvage

Spring 2020 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 1 E101 — French Alliance (5-4-78)

This is an extremely fine "Classic" Collins as it was just the fifth cachet I did. The stamp commemorated the treaty between France and America to join forces against the British in the American Revolution. It's printed in dark blue, red, and black with gold, light blue, and more red painted by hand. A plate number single has a hand "First Day of Issue" cancel from York, Pennsylvania, and an additional single has a magenta first day postmark from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where General Washington received word of the treaty. It is awesome to know that each of my French Alliance covers was actually on the site of the encampment two hundred years later. The Valley Forge cancel is a Collins exclusive, and I remember well the small brick post office where I obtained it. It's a beautiful key early cover for any Collins collection.