posted 03-27-2022 10:38 AM               

Space Cover 644: Gemini 3 Launch/Splashdown Double Cancel

This past week marked the 57th anniversary of the launch of Gemini 3. Gemini 3 was the first crewed flight of Project Gemini. Commander Gus Grissom and pilot John Young launched on a modified Titan-II booster on a three-orbit flight to test many of the elements of the new two-man spacecraft. Launched on March 23, 1965, Gemini 3 was an extremely successful flight to lead off the Gemini program. Many of the methods that would be needed for Apollo to fly to the moon were perfected during the 10 crewed Gemini missions.

The cover pictured has the common Orbit Covers cachet and commemorates both the launch and splashdown of Gemini 3. Note that the top cancel has "AM" in the cancel for the launch while the bottom cancel has "PM" for the splashdown. What's most unusual is that the postmarks were obviously applied by different hand cancel devises! Note that the top cancel has the zip code for Cape Canaveral while the bottom one does not. Has anyone seen other covers like this? Show us your examples.

posted 03-27-2022 12:45 PM               

Seeing this cover made me remember a TV commercial around that time to urge people to use Zip Codes, with some drippy folk group singing "...you gotta have Zip Code morning, noon, and night, and everything will be all right".

And after a little searching, natch, it's out on the net. Fast forward to the 13:00 mark.