X201

Veterans Administration 

50th Anniversary

Veterans Administration Emblem

Collins Cover Announcement 

VETERANS ADMINISTRATION

For the cachet on this cover, I chose a rendition of perhaps the most famous war picture ever taken, the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima. Printed in black, red and blue and hand painted in realistic watercolors, it is a very fitting and patriotic cachet.

For my basic cover, I added the Marine stamp using the same theme (Scott #929) and obtained a hand cancel "First Day of Issue" in Washington, D.C. On an additional single, an unofficial hand cancel was obtained from Mt. Freedom, N.J., symbolizing Mt. Suribachi where the flag was raised.

A limited slogan cancel variety was created at East Orange, N.J., site of a large Veterans Administration (VA) hospital. The machine slogan reads:

VA 50th Anniversary

Serving Veterans 1930 - July 21 - 1930

This variety was done in low numbers and will be sold out soon.

Item #X201 - Washington, D.C. "First Day of Issue" hand cancel on single and Marine Stamp 

(Scott #929). 

Unofficial Mt. Freedom, N.J. hand cancel on additional single. This is a very eye-catching cover, and I recommend it. $4.95

Item #X202 - Washington, D.C. "First Day of Issue" hand cancel on single. East Orange, N.J. VA slogan unofficial machine cancel on additional cancel. No Marine stamp added. Machine cancels are somewhat faint. Limited. $5.95

 

Summer 2020 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 3 X201 — Veterans Administration — United States Marines 7-21-80

The official city was Washington, D.C., and I traveled there on the day of issue where I obtained the slogan postmark on the new stamp as well as an added Iwo Jima stamp that is so popular with collectors. The hand painted cachet also has the famous scene of the Marines raising the flag on the mountain top. I then drove north to the small town of Mount Freedom, New Jersey, where I obtained a beautiful magenta first day postmark tying an additional stamp to the envelope. Old Glory was raised on "Mount" Suribachi, and I think the "Mount" Freedom cancel is very symbolic.