Z1401

Christmas

One-horse Open Sleigh

Collins Cover Announcement 

1988 CHRISTMAS - CONTEMPORARY

To those who like to document interesting occurrences relating to their collections , this COLLINS FDC is unique and all odds say I ' ll never have another like it. This October 20 , 1988 was serviced during an earthquake ! And  the epicenter was actually in the First Day City of Berlin, New Hampshire with tremors being felt two hundred miles away.

Since the First Day was relatively close to home but still necessitating an "over-nighter" , I decided to take my youngest son Ryan, age 9 , to "assist" me . It was his first cover trip, and it was fun for just the two of us to get away together .

Our motel was in Gorham and after breakfast on the morning of the 20th , it was a short drive up to Berlin. We purchased the new Christmas stamps and drove to a local coffee shop where I began putting them on the covers . After a short time I heard a loud rumble and the table began to rock. My first thought was a large piece of machinery must be in the basement. Then I looked over to where Ryan was sitting and he and his chair were shaking. Right then I knew EARTHQUAKE which was the farthest thing from my mind on a crisp fall New England morning in New Hampshire. Immeditely my thought was of a potential building collapse and I was about to grab Ryan and head for the door when the quiet returned. It was over in about twenty seconds , but those seconds will forever live in our memories . I finished putting on the stamps and we headed out to our "unofficial" First Day cancel .

Wanting to take advantage of a stamp being issued in beautiful and largely unspoiled New Hampshire , I searched for a cancel that would fit both the state and the Christmas theme . The result was a wonderful cancel from Northwood, NH, and it proves that these COLLINS covers were actually serviced on Day of Issue. 

Finally comes the hand-painted cachet, and it is different from all of my previous Christmas FDCs . I picked up on the "Grandma Moses" type style of the stamp design and carried this style to the cachet. A New England homestead is in the grip of winter , but activity abounds . A one-horse sleigh glides over the snow as the couple anticipates a warm fire in the large, twinchimneyed farmhouse. The family dog happily trails behind the green sleigh. Noting the arrival, two youngsters take a break from their ice-skating on the farm pond. At the far edge of the pond, a team of oxen drags a timber loaded skid over a stone bridge. On the opposite side of the farmyard, a barn and surrounding area is alive with activity. Children playing with a sled, a girl gathering eggs, and an assortment of pigs, chickens, and a milk cow enjoying the bright sunny day. I've entitled the scene "White Christmas" and the artistic style expands on the design of the stamp.

Upon our return home, Ryan confided that he enjoyed sharing the stamp trip but he couldn't wait to Get back to school to tell his friends about the earthquake. I suppose that I could say that this Christmas FDC will be an "earthshattering" addition to your collection or that I would "move" heaven and earth to obtain fine unofficial (real) cancels on Day of Issue. Instead I'll just mention that this is a colorful and different COLLINS cover. Of course, servicing this cover with my young son in beautiful and inspiring New Hampshire was a "moving" experience. Item #Z1401. $7.50

Collins Hand Painted First Day Covers The First 20 Years 1978 - 1997

NANAMKIP ODA

There was a muted rumble. I remember thinking that a large piece of machinery had just been turned on in the basement. Then the walls began to vibrate very slightly along with shelves and picture frames. The table moved slightly, and two stamps near the edge fluttered to the floor. All of this took place in seconds, and, as it was happening, the thought registered with certainty - EARTHQUAKE!

I must tell you that as I sat in a New England coffee shop with my young son on a crisp autumn morning, the absolute farthest thing from my mind was an earthquake. As the stamps fell to the floor, I glanced at Ryan and was dumbfounded to see that he and the chair in which he was sitting were visibly shaking. I was in a state of disbelief.

It was October 20, 1988 and I was in Berlin, New Hampshire for the new contemporary Christmas stamps. Since the First Day location was relatively close to home, I decided to take my younger son Ryan with me to assist. It would be an overnighter, and he was very excited about his first stamp trip. He would miss a day of school but didn't seem to mind We drove up to Gorham, New Hampshire after school on the 19th and checked into our motel. It was late and Ryan had slept part of the way. We went right to bed.

On the morning of the 20th, we got up early and after breakfast made the short drive to the post office in Berlin. As we bought the new stamps in Berlin, I had no idea that a short time later we would be at the very epicenter of the second strongest earthquake in New Hampshire since 1940. It would measure 4.0 on the magnitude scale, and the tremors could be felt 200 miles away. The only stronger quake in New Hampshire in our half century was a 4.5 on January 19, 1982.

The average person does not associate earthquakes with the eastern portion of the United States. In fact, the first recorded quake in America damaged the Plymouth colony shortly after the Pilgrims landed in 1638. Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, documented in a letter to John Winthrop that the local Narraganset Indians had a word for earthquake. It was NANAMKIPODA, and when translated means "when the earth shakes" Since there was a word for it in their language, it proves that New England earthquakes were experienced even then from time to time.

The strongest earthquake to hit New Hampshire in the twentieth century was on December 20, 1940. It had a magnitude scale of 5.5 and was felt over an area of 400,000 square miles. It's a given fact that the "big one" will one day hit New Hampshire. Over 200 of various sizes have been measured there by seismologists in this century.

When I saw Ryan shaking, my first thought was about a potential building collapse. I was about to grab him and head for the door when quiet returned. All motion had stopped. The quake was over Only about 20 seconds had elapsed from start to finish, but those seconds will forever live in our memories. We waited outside for a few moments anticipating possible aftershocks, but none came that were noticeable. I finished putting on the stamps, and off we went to get them canceled.

Upon our return home, Ryan couldn't wait to get back to school to tell all of his friends about the earthquake. The next day, it made the local newspapers because the tremors reached all the way down to our area. At the time I originally offered

these covers to my collectors, I remined them that I would "move" heaven and earth to produce the best possible First Day Covers. I also prepared a rubber stamp message for the reverse of each cover so that every collector who eventually owned one would know that this was, indeed, a most unusual item. It had personally been serviced by Ryan and me during an earthquake.

What I found most amazing about the whole thing was that not only had these FDCs been prepared during an earthquake but that they were at the exact epicenter in Berlin, New Hampshire. Honestly, I still find it hard to believe. Ryan and I do know firsthand how the Narraganset Indians felt on those rare occasions when the earth shook because we, too, experienced a NANAMKIPODA. Of course doing the trip with my young son in beautiful New Hampshire did give us some quality time together. It was a "moving" experience.

Rubber Stamp Message

Serviced By Fred and Ryan Collins During Oct. 20. 1 988 Berlin. New Hampshire EARTHQUAKE