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[b]Space Cover 554: Koch cachet covers[/b] Usually space cachet makers are associated to only one country space activities, even if covers bear different space launches centers, all they belong to same nation (for instance, Goldcraft covers bear postmarks at Wallops, CC, VAFB, etc but not for space events outside USA). [i]Aug 11, 1971 Trivandrum (India). First date known for Koch covers. Note that this first use is only in black ink without background in another color.[/i] German dealer Koch (you can see the signature at the right bottom of the above cover) produced covers for rocket launches in Thumba from 1971 to 1972. Exactly seven covers for Thumba launches were issued with the following dates: [list]Koch illustration (Type A) [*]Aug 11, 1971 [*]Oct 7, 1971 [*]Dec 9, 1971 [*]Dec 23, 1971 [*]Dec 30, 1971 [*]Jan 8, 1972[/list] All covers postmarked in 1971 refers to Russian M100 rocket launches meanwhile cover postmarked in 1972 is for a British sounding rocket Petrel.[list]Koch illustration (Type B) [*]Sep 21, 1971[/list] This cover commemorates an Indian Rohini 300 sounding rocket launch. [i]Dec 30, 1971 Trivandrum (India). The use of two inks for this illustration sometimes leaves variations in printed process. As shown here, blue was misplaced.[/i] Koch’s illustrations, curiously without signature, were used to issue covers postmarked at Woomera from 1973 to 1976. The author has found just eight covers for this period with following dates: [list]Koch illustration (Type A) [*]Apr 19, 1973 [*]Jun 24, 1975 [*]Feb 26, 1976 [*]Nov 5, 1976 [*]Nov 10, 1976 Koch illustration (Type B) [*]Apr 18, 1973 (2 covers) [*]Sep 6, 1974[/list] All covers postmarked at Woomera refer to European sounding rockets. [i]Sep 6, 1974 Woomera (Australia). Jabiru, or Jaguar, is three-stage British sounding rocket.[/i] [i]Nov 10, 1976 Woomera (Australia). Last date known for Koch covers. A Canadian sounding Black Brant rocket (misspelled Brandt on cover).[/i] At this point all Koch covers are printed illustrations. However, a third kind of Koch cover exists with illustration type A. It is a rubber stamp cachet, with signature near the image, postmarked in Mazagón, Huelva province, Spain. This cover commemorates the launch of a British Skua sounding rocket in Huelva 5 campaign from launch base “El Arenosillo”. As this Spanish launch place has not post office, the cover was postmarked in the near town of Mazagón. [i]Jan 24, 1976 Mazagón, Huelva (Spain). Only Koch rubber stamp cachet known on cover.[/i] No rubber stamp cachet with Koch illustration type B has been found. As long I have ever seen, it is the first time a same cachet maker provided covers from three different space programs located in three different space places. If maybe I was wrong in some of the information here published, please do not hesitate to add, suggest or correct what you think could improve the information about Koch covers. Thanks.
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