Today, June 20, 2020, Philosateleian Post began using a new format for the postmark used on outgoing mail.
The old format included the date in two-digit year/month/day format with the word words “PHILOSATELEIAN” and “POST” above and below the date, respectively. In contrast, the new format wraps “PHILOSATELEIAN POST” around the top of the postmark with the word “LOCAL” in the middle, and the full date in four-digit year/month/day format at the bottom.
Updated Philosateleian Post postmark
I have been wanting to go this route for several years, but was not able to find a date stamp manufacturer who could supply this particular format. The center portion of the round stamper in the do-it-yourself rubber stamp kit that I used to create my Philosateleian Post postmark is not quite wide enough for the full date as shown here, so I had been using a two-digit year, but that left some postmark dates ambiguous to recipients not familiar with my convention.
With the date moved from the center, I had some space available, and chose to insert “LOCAL” to clarify the nature of Philosateleian Post. Overall, I’m satisified with the result.
Purgatory Post issues Falcon 9/Crew Dragon local post stamp
Purgatory Post, a private local post based in New Hampshire, earlier this month issued a stamp commemorating the first manned flight of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 spacecraft and its associated Crew Dragon capsule. The 9-sola stamp was released on July 6.
Purgatory Post 9-sola Falcon 9/Crew Dragon stamp
NASA and SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon, which flew to the International Space Station, in May of this year. It was the first manned spaceflight originating from United States soil since the final mission of Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2011.
The design of the new stamp is based on an artist’s rendition of the spacecraft in flight. As is generally the case with Purgatory Post issues, the Falcon 9/Crew Dragon stamp was released in miniature sheets of four.
Philatelic solo usages of 14¢ American Indian stamp
As I continue to work my way through writing up a backlog of 14¢ American Indian covers that I had acquired over the past two or three years, I’ve added two new articles to my online exhibit 14 Cents: the American Indian Stamp. Both are examples of solo usages of the stamp, but both are also very much philatelic in nature.
14¢ American Indian cover with Oklahoma Silver Jubilee cachet14¢ American Indian cover with Lewis & Clark Expedition/Sacagawea cachet
In today’s world, the use of the 14¢ American Indian stamp with its picture of Hollow Horn Bear, a Brule Sioux, on covers having absolutely no connection to his tribe might be frowned upon. In the 1930s, however, the stamp seems to have been a popular choice for paying postage on any cover even remotely connected to Native Americans, probably because of the generic “American Indian” caption beneath Hollow Horn Bear’s portrait.
Writing up 14¢ American Indian stamps & covers once again
As I mentioned in a prior blog post, I recently discovered tucked away in my binder of 14¢ American Indian stamps no fewer than eight covers and parcel fragments that I had acquired over the past two or three years but never gotten around to researching. I filed those away, and at long last, I’ve finally begun writing up that material for my online exhibit, 14 Cents: the American Indian Stamp.
The first two items that I’ve added are parcel fragments addressed to the Navy Department’s Bureau of Navigation. One was mailed from on board the USS Marblehead; the other, from the USS Maryland.
14¢ American Indian parcel fragment mailed from USS Marblehead14¢ American Indian parcel fragment mailed from USS Maryland
In both cases, the 14¢ American Indian stamp appears to have paid the majority of the 15¢ registration fee, which was not part of the “free” mailing privileges indicated by the handstamped or typewritten penalty statements.
I presume both packages would have contained navigational records or research of some sort, but if you have specifics on what might have been enclosed, I would certainly like to know more!
SAPA cancels weekly meetings through end of August
There will continue to be no local stamp club meetings through at least the end of August for members of the San Antonio Philatelic Association.
According to an email distributed by SAPA Treasurer Fred Groth on Friday, the church at which the club holds its Friday evening meetings has elected not to reopen its facilities until there is a positive turn in COVID-19 numbers, which seems unlikely to occur in the immediate future as San Antonio city officials have been reporting hundreds of newly confirmed cases each day.
While I find this disappointing on a personal level since summer is really the only time of year that I’m able to attend, the club’s membership is comprised predominantly of individuals in age groups that seem to be hit hardest if they catch the disease, so the church’s decision may be for the best. Hopefully things like stamp club meetings will get back to normal sooner rather than later!
