14¢ American Indian rides again on Canal Zone FDC

When I acquired a 14¢ American Indian first day cover postmarked in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 2019, I figured I was finished with gathering FDCs for my favorite stamp. I already had a copy of the flat plate-printed American Indian on a cover postmarked in Washington, D.C., as well as a FDC bearing a copy of the rotary press-printed stamp.

Last month, however, I spotted this beauty listed on eBay at a very reasonable price, and I was quick to snap it up.

This cover was postmarked in Balboa Heights on January 14, 1933, the day the overprinted rotary press-printed stamp was released for use in the Canal Zone. This isn’t valued especially highly by Scott, so there must be plenty of them around to meet demand, but I’d never seen one before.

With this added to my collection, I think the flat plate-printed American Indian stamp with Canal Zone overprint is the only one for which I don’t have a first day cover. Based on the catalogue value for that item, I’m probalby not likely to get one any time soon. On the other hand, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to afford that Muskogee cover, either, but it happened, so you never know…

Published 2023-12-11