X202

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

Winter 2026 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 5 X202 — Veterans Administration — 7/21/80

The Veterans Administration provides comprehensive support for military veterans, and their families, offering health care, disability benefits, education, employment assistance and other services. 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. There were two varieties with X201 having been offered in several mail sales in recent years. This variety (X202) has not appeared in a mail sale since 2002. It has a Washington, D.C. First Day of Issue hand cancel on a single Veterans Administration stamp. A second VA stamp was canceled with a limited slogan cancel variety. It is from East Orange, New Jersey, site of a large Veterans Administration hospital. The three-line machine slogan reads: VA 50th Anniversary — Serving Veterans — 1930-July 21-1980. It's a wonderful cancel but rather faint. Only 123 covers were produced of this variety.