M1501s

Black Heritage

Asa Philip Randolph - Labor & Civil Rights Leader

Fred Collins Signature

Collins Cover Announcement 

 A. PHILIP RANDOLPH

This duo-canceled cover is a train topical and the stamp honors the man who founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters -- A. Philip Randolph.

The hand-painted cachet shows Mr. Randolph in his uniform as he poses outside of a passenger car. For the train I chose two colors from the stamp -- a yellow ochre and a venetian red. It ties the hand-painted cachet to the stamps nicely in terms of color coordination.

There are two stamps on the cover. The first has the official bullseye from New York City and the second postmark is a nice unofficial from Phillipsburg, N.J. I enjoyed the Phillipsburg experience as the postal clerk was extremely cheerful and the post office was from the by-gone era of large buildings and ornate decor. Every time I find a post office that doesn't conform to today's standard of sameness and efficiency (which I agree saves tax dollars), I relish the moments spent there. I like to step back in time on occasion.

A solid FDC which honors a man whose organization saw first-hand and contributed to the growth of our nation. A FDC that combines nice color coordination and nice cancels with both official and related unofficial used. A good FDC for the popular topic of trains and a good one for your collection. Item #M1501 - $7.50.