L1401s

Ratification of the Constitution

New York

Fred Collins Signature

Summer 2025 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 17 L1401 — Bicentennial of New York Statehood — 7/26/88

This cover was the eleventh of thirteen Bicentennial of Statehood stamps that were issued from 1987 through 1990. The New York State cover is a wonderful representation of the Empire State. Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees with bat on his shoulder looks determined to step up to the plate for just one more swing. The Statue of Liberty, proud lady of New York Harbor, lifts her torch skyward. A West Point cadet stands at attention straight as an arrow. Also pictured are Niagara Falls, Fort Ticonderoga, a bobcat (silent stalker of the Adirondack Mountains), and finally Rip Van Winkle from the Catskill Mountains' legend stretching out under a tree alongside the bowling pins of his extraordinary fantasy scattered in the mountain meadow beyond. As occurs on the other Bicentennial of Statehood covers, the official State capital stamp (Albany on this one) is canceled on the first day along with the Philadelphia B. Free Franklin philatelic postmark which was chosen by me for all thirteen of the states because it was in that very city that each of the thirteen states formed their union, one by one.