posted 06-25-2001 08:19 AM
Over the last five decades the U.S. Postal Service has teamed up with NASA and the military space community to create a variety of souvenir philatelic items which have flown in space; the most recent being for the 25th anniversary of the first moon landing. On 30 September 1994, Endeavour returned to Earth bearing a cargo of 500,000 of then-new $9.95 Priority Mail stamps. These stamps were then offered to collectors in a two formats, at $25 and $75; it is the $75 version I am discussing here.
The $75 version consisted of a #10 envelope with a 29 cent moon landing 25th anniversary stamp cancelled at Kennedy Space Center on 30 September 1994, an overall full color design by Keith Birdsong and a cutout window to display the $9.95 stamp which flew on the Endeavour. The actual stamp is in a mount on the stuffer card/certificate of authenticity. These envelope/stamp combinations were issued in a signed, numbered edition of 10,000, each in a deluxe presentation folder.
As designed, the envelope had printed spaces on the back for the signatures of Birdsong, designed of the cachet, and Paul and Chris Calle, designers of the two stamps — 29c and $9.95 for the Apollo 11 25th Anniversary. Somewhere along the way it was decided to just have Mr. Birdsong sign and number the covers on the face in gold pen.
Well, to me the signatures of the stamp designers of the stamp that flew into space are far more desirable and important than those of a mere cachet designer (spoken as the designer of some 3,000 postage stamps) so I just sent my cover of to Paul Calle asking if he would autograph it, on the face also. Not only did Mr. Calle autograph my cover, but he also asked his fellow designer son, Chris, to sign it also.
He even wrote me kind note (on behalf of Chris also) "Chris and I are delighted to sign the cover and stamps! Thank you for asking." When's the last time you got a thank you note from someone you asked for an autograph? Now the cover looks finished and I'm proud to add it to my collection of flown souvenirs.
posted 06-25-2001 08:19 AM
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