E1701s

Beach Umbrella

Fred Collins Signature

Autum 2019 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 17 E1701 — Beach Umbrella — 2/3/90

This is the first time I've offered this long sold out cover, and it has the two elements of an excellent first day cover. The hand painted cachet (which extends across the whole face of the envelope) is beautiful, showing a well-designed but fragile sandcastle being threatened by the waves of a gentle surf. A colorful beach umbrella peeks over a small, nearby dune. The pictorial first day of issue postmark was only available to those of us who were there in person that day. It shows two royal palm trees and an alligator which is most appropriate for the first day city of Sarasota, Florida on the Gulf Coast.