S204

Letter Writing

Letters Preserve Memories, P.S. Write Soon

Collins Cover Announcement 

LETTER WRITING

Six multi-colored stamps. Two different sizes. One theme with three different slogans. Three pairs, each color coordinated. Three different designs on the larger stamps and one design on the three smaller stamps.

This issue provided me with several excellent possibilities to create really excellent duo canceled FDCs. The challenge was to take advantage of the opportunity while at the same time keep the cost reasonable for my customers. I decided on two plans.

The first called for the three large stamps to be canceled "First Day of Issue" in Washington, D.C., the official city. I then flew with the covers to Scranton, Pa. At Scranton I took a cab to the perfect second cancel for this issue - La Plume. In French, this translates to "the pen" or "the quill". The La Plume Post Office was by far the smallest I have visited to date. The Postmistress amd sole employee was most friendly. The cancel is large and clear. To achieve the proper arrangement, each stamp had to be individually separated and affixed. The cachet is moderately simple in design to offset the "busy" designs of the larger stamps. The end result is a cover that, considering the stamps and cachet, is the most colorful COLLINS produced to date. The color, the number of stamps (.90 face on each), and the two fine cancels combine to make this cover a real conversation piece.

While I was busy making the La Plume connection, a friend was proceeding with Plan Two. A set of three covers, each with a pair of stamps, was produced with unofficial cancels related to the slogan on the stamp.

The "Letters Shape Opinions" stamp is hand canceled "First Day of Issue" in Washington, D.C. The corresponding "P.S. Write soon" stamp is hand canceled at the Senate Office Building Station. Each cover also has the official "U.S. Capitol" rubber stamp cachet which features the Capitol dome as shown on the stamp.

The "Letters Lift Spirits" stamp is hand canceled "First Day of Issue" in Washington, D.C. The corresponding "P.S. Write Soon" stamp is hand canceled in Loveville, Maryland. This unofficial relates to the human emotion of love as symbolized by the bouquet of flowers shown on the stamp.

The "Letters Preserve Memories" stamp is hand canceled in Washington, D.C. The corresponding "P.S. Write Soon" stamp is hand canceled in Friendship, Maryland. This unofficial is a clear, bold cancel with killer bars.

The cachet is the same design for all four covers, but each is painted in colors that are coordinated with the stamps on the cover. Less than 200 sets of S202 were produced and therefore will be sold out within a very short time. As always, the covers will be sold on a first come, first served basis, and I strongly recommend that if you want this set, you order quickly. Covers will be sent as soon as possible as hand painting is completed.

Item #S201 - "First Day of Issue" Washington, D.C. hand cancel on the three large stamps. La Plume, Pennsylvania hand cancel on the three "P.S." stamps. $5.55

Item #S202 - Set of three. Does not include S201.

Letters Shape Opinions

"First Day of Issue" Washington, D.C. hand cancel on large stamp. U.S. Senate Office Building

(Station No. 22) hand cancel on P.S. stamp. Also, U.S. Capitol dome rubber stamp cachet.

Letters Lift Spirits

"First Day of Issue" Washington, D.C. hand cancel on large stamp. Loveville, Md. hand cancel on P.S. stamp.

Letters Preserve Memories

"First Day of Issue" Washington, D.C. hand cancel on large stamp. Friendship, Md. hand cancel on P.S. stamp.

Set: $13.50

Winter 2022 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 6 S202-S204 — Letter Writing set of 3 — (2-25-80)

This is a unique and very desirable set of three Collins First Day Covers. There were three vertical stamps (Letters Lift Spirits — two-tone green; Letters Preserve Memories — two-tone lavender; and Letters Shape Opinions — red, white, and blue). And each of these three vertical stamps had a colorcoordinated small "P.S." stamp attached to it. A most unusual and attractive six-stamp issue. Each of the three larger stamps has the first day postmark from Washington, DC. Then — a Collins exclusive — each of the "P.S." stamps has the following first day cancels on the corresponding first day covers: "Lift Spirits" from Loveville, MD; "Preserve Memories" from Friendship, MD; and "Shape Opinions" from the U.S. Senate Postal Branch in Washington, D.C. On this cover, the Capitol Dome rubber stamp cachet from the Senate P.O. has also been applied. All three of these hand painted cachets are coordinated with the same colors as the stamps. Pause and contemplate these covers for a few minutes and how busy we were on February 25, 1980 to create them.