V201

Emily Bissell

Social Worker, Introduced Christmas Seals

Collins Cover Announcement 

EMILY BISSELL

Emily Bissell was primarily known for introducing Christmas seals to the United States, and I decided early on to pursue this theme in designing of cachet. As I suspected, many cachet-makers did the obvious and incorporated the design of the first Christmas seal into their cachet. Emily died in 1948, and I decided to concentrate on the last seal issued during her lifetime - 1947.

The 1947 seal shows a winter scene featuring a team of oxen pulling a sleigh loaded with Christmas trees. It is a very attractive seal, and each and every COLLINS cover has this 1947 issue tied to cover, along with stamp, by Wilmington "First Day of Issue" hand cancel. Money raised by the sale of Christmas seals was used to treat TB patients and to aid research into the treatment of this dreaded disease. The care and research provided by these funds brought new hope to patients and their families and as my second, unofficial cancelation, I chose New Hope, PA. This cancel, with killer bars, ties both Bissell stamps to cover.

Even without a cachet this would be a nice FDC - picture it with one that is coordinated with the Christmas seal. The cachet depicts a snow covered scene with buildings snugly tucked against the wintry hillsides. In the foreground is a man, a child and their team of hearty oxen hauling a Christmas cargo of evergreen trees. It is truly a "scene Americana" and when handpainted in watercolors, it truly becomes a beautiful collectable.

Item #V201 - Official First Day of Issue hand cancel from Wilmington, Delaware tying stamp and 1947 Christmas seal to cover. Unofficial hand cancel from New Hope, PA on additional stamp tying both Bissell stamps to cover. $4.95