Lord-Wright Cover

The rotary press-printed version of the 14¢ American Indian stamp with Canal Zone overprint has a very low catalogue value, and perhaps at least partly as a result of that can be surprisingly difficult to find used on cover.¹ Examples do exist, however, such as this stamped envelope sent via air mail from Balboa, Canal Zone, to Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1942.

Postmarked in Balboa on February 24, 1942, the cover bears the return address of one L. G. Lord, and was sent to Mr. G. E. P. Wright. In addition to the 1¢ William Gorgas stamped impression, the envelope bears a single copy of the 14¢ American Indian stamp; together, the two paid the 15¢ air mail rate then in effect between the Canal Zone and the United States.²

Although supplies of this version of the 14¢ American Indian stamp were exhausted by 1940, nothing about this envelope particularly suggests that the stamp’s use was anything but ordinary.³ Indeed, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, this appears to be simply a late usage.

Next: Gemini 7 cover

References

1. Snee, Charles, ed. Scott 2015 Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps & Covers. Sidney, Ohio: Scott Publishing Co., 2014.
2. Beecher, Henry W., and Anthony S. Wawrukiewicz. U.S. Domestic Postal Rates, 1872–2011. 3rd ed. Bellefonte, Pennsylvania: American Philatelic Society, 2011.
3. Dade, Philip L., and Gustavo Schay. The Story of Canal Zone Stamps. Canal Zone Study Group. Accessed 10 Aug. 2020.

Published 2020-08-10 Last updated 2021-01-17