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Author Topic:   Examples of Apollo 9 Captain's covers
NAAmodel#240
Member

Posts: 312
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 11-05-2011 04:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for NAAmodel#240   Click Here to Email NAAmodel#240     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
More than 20 years ago, Bethpage dealer Sean Marsar purchased a group of Captain's covers from a sailor at a Navy Tailhook Association gathering. When Ray Cartier wrote his landmark, "Prime Recovery Ship Handbook" in 1993 all he could find to illustrate it was a photocopy he obtained from Sean.

Last week an Atlanta collector sold the crew-signed envelope featured in Ray's book. The only other cover I know of to surface recently was one without autographs that sold at Regency Superior in 2008. Now that I have a crew-signed cover any thoughts as to the value of the Regency envelope?

Who else has this unusual memento?

yeknom-ecaps
Member

Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 11-05-2011 08:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for yeknom-ecaps   Click Here to Email yeknom-ecaps     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
David - This is a great cover but why is this a captain's cover? Captain's covers are printed but this one has the two RSC - Beck and ships.

NAAmodel#240
Member

Posts: 312
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 11-06-2011 08:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NAAmodel#240   Click Here to Email NAAmodel#240     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I think Ray identified it as such based on the printed LM and text on the right. Would you classify it as a crew cover instead?

yeknom-ecaps
Member

Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 11-06-2011 09:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for yeknom-ecaps   Click Here to Email yeknom-ecaps     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I would classify it only as a great cover with two RSC and a PrtC because:
  1. Captain's covers were printed aboard ship at the request of the captain and all other examples I can think of have specific references to the ship in them.
  2. Crew covers are really the ship stationary envelopes available in the ship's store to the crew - again these have reference to the ship - picture, return address, etc.
This cover has neither so without knowing that it was available in the ship's store (if so my guess is there would be more out there) I would classify it as neither a captain or crew cover.

I think a collector sent in printed envelopes and asked for both RSC to be applied. I have seen various collector supplied printed cachet envelopes out there for most other Apollo missions. Also think of the Orbit covers sent to various Mercury, Gemini and Apollo prime recovery ships. So having the printed part of the envelope doesn't mean it came from the ship.

Ross
Member

Posts: 472
From: Australia
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-08-2011 06:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ross   Click Here to Email Ross     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As I had my own doubts about this cover, especially due to the very few that are known, I decided to do a little research. And David provided the necessary clue, by mentioning Sean Marsar. I therefore started an email correspondence with Sean who is always very helpful. After seeing a scan of the cover, he remembered some details. He said:
I think the LEM cachet was used by an Apollo LEM Group out of NASA Houston, I cannot remember what they were called, and I dealt with a guy named Wilkonson (I think) and bought some covers from him.
Therefore it seems that this cover is neither a Captain's cover nor a Crew cover but just a very nice Primary Recovery Ship cover with the added bonus of having a cachet from the Apollo LEM Group.

This now leads to the question as to whether anyone has seen a similar cachet before.

yeknom-ecaps
Member

Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 11-08-2011 08:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for yeknom-ecaps   Click Here to Email yeknom-ecaps     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It has also been suggested that the original printed cachet may have been a contractor cover.

I would think that if the printed cachet was actually from a NASA Apollo LEM group it would have mentioned their name in the cachet like the NASA Recovery Team cachets.

As Ross stated it is clear the cachet wasn't from the ship so any information on who actually created it or anyone who has a similar one not from the ship would be appreciated.

All times are CT (US)

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