I recently discovered a local post stamp that I think other landscape collectors might find interesting.
This non-denominated label produced by Local Post Collectors Society Secretary-Treasurer Bob F. for Taos Local Post features a mountain scene. Bob, who was kind enough to send me a few copies of the stamp for my collection, says the photo used for the stamp’s design was taken somewhere between Santa Fe and Taos, N.M.
Sangre de Cristo Mountains
The exact location depicted is unknown, but based on Bob’s description I suspect the peaks are probably in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which make up the southern end of the Rocky Mountains.
Can you identify the exact peak or peaks pictured?
The U.S. has issued only a few stamps since the beginning of the year, and this supplement contains spaces for all of them.
Among the additions is a space for the Vancouver 2010 stamp—rather timely considering the Winter Olympics are taking place right now!
I’ve already been given a few of the 2010 issues, and they’re now mounted safely on pages from this update. Have you seen any of the new stamps on mail you’ve received?
Considering the amount of mail the USPS moves each year—more than 200 billion pieces in 2008—it’s fair to say that the vast majority makes it to its destination safe and sound. Every once in a while, however, the mail system chews something up and spits it back out.
Such is the case with this battered and bruised envelope that contained payment for my electric bill.
Damaged Cover
The folks at the utility company didn’t even bother to open this one up, electing rather to simply return it to me with a note saying my check could not be processed. As the scan shows, the cover is enclosed in a USPS “body bag,” a plastic bag used to carry the remnants of destroyed envelopes to their intended recipients.
Amusingly, the postmarks on the stamps aren’t in much better shape than the cover itself. Someone at the post office apparently inverted the “25” of the date when inserting it into the postmark device, leaving the date upside down in relation to the month and year!
I wrote a replacement check to the utility company, and plan to keep this cover and “body bag” intact. If nothing else, it’s an interesting conversation piece, and one that I would not own had everything gone right.
Do you have any covers that like this one look as though they could tell a war story or two after doing battle in the mail stream?
Mother Teresa is still nearly seven months away from appearing on a U.S. postage stamp, but the stamp’s planned issue is already drawing fire from one group.
According to a story on FOXNews.com, the Freedom from Religion Foundation is protesting the plans to release the stamp, urging officials to cancel the commemorative—and urging people to boycott the stamp if the USPS doesn’t back down.
The group claims the USPS is violating its own policies by issuing a stamp honoring a religious figure, but a USPS spokesperson says Mother Teresa is being recognized for her humanitarian work—not for her religious beliefs.
Despite the Freedom from Religion Foundation’s protests, it seems likely to this author that the planned commemorative will go on sale as scheduled this August. Indeed, compared to other recent honorees—no offense, Bart Simpson—a woman who ostensibly dedicated her life to serving others seems worthy of recognition.
What do you think? Should the USPS scrap its plans for the Mother Teresa commemorative? Or is it okay to move forward with a “controversial” subject?
