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Author
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Topic: Space Cover 664: Andromeda FDC
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yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 789
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 08-22-2022 04:24 PM
   
Space Cover of the Week, Week 664, August 21, 2022  Space Cover 664: Andromeda FDCCharles Riser is most known for being a space cover dealer who was convicted of producing fraudulent rare covers. What many space cover collectors may not be aware of is that Charles Riser produced two series of numbered space covers under the names of Andromeda and Cygnus. There is a total of 31 numbered Andromeda event covers for events in 1970 and early 1971. The Andromeda series was followed by 51 numbered Cygnus covers starting with Apollo 15 in mid-1971 through mid-1973. The covers were for manned space flights and unmanned satellite launch events with multi-colored cachets and were all printed on airmail envelopes. Riser also produced a newsletter called "Andromeda Space News." It is interesting to note that Riser also produced several unnumbered Andromeda covers – produced on non-airmail envelopes. The non-numbered Andromeda cover above was created for the First Day of Issue of the Small 6-cent flag stamp on August 7, 1970. This cover is also different from the other Andromeda covers in that the "OLD GLORY" First flag on the Moon cachet was printed in a single blue color on a non-airmail envelope (though the two flag stamps on the cover totaled more than the current airmail postal rate to the time. The cover does include the "ANDROMEDA" name and the "RISER" scripted name on the cover.
So, if you are trying to collect a complete set of Andromeda covers, be on the look out for the unnumbered covers... |
cronky
New Member Posts: 5
From: Yea, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Jan 2020
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posted 08-24-2022 06:36 AM
Thanks Tom, interesting topic! I reckon Andromeda and Cygnus cachets are really nice.It would be great to know what Andromeda covers #24, #25, #26 and #30 are. As you know i've only been collecting space covers for a few years but have never seen those four before. Can anyone help? |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3513
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 08-24-2022 06:05 PM
That is strange. In checking over some of mine, I have all of the earlier 20 numbers, but not Nos. 27 - 30 (NOTE: See Update below). There is another issue by A-C for Apollo 15's splashdown-recovery that I have not seen before which is Cygnus Cover 4 (why #4?). Riser's name is at bottom left and the name of the Endeavour command module being recovered was spelled in error on this airmail cachet cover. There is no stamp nor cancellation on the cover either, therefore, maybe Riser spotted the spelling error and had the covers printed again.UPDATE: Just located #24 of the Riser's "A-C" airmail cachet cover series. It was for Apollo 16's splashdown on Apr. 27, 1972. Does anyone want to see it posted here? I'll keep checking for others of those numbers not found. |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 789
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 08-25-2022 01:56 PM
Yes Ken, please post #24 - have never seen it. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3513
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 08-25-2022 02:48 PM
Here it is Tom. The bottom cover marked "Sample" has a number 4 on it, but why would it have such a lower number since there were Riser airmail covers done for earlier Apollo lunar missions that were higher in numbers? Was this possibly a misprint cover design along with the misspelled Apollo 15 command module spacecraft name? When working with Riser throughout the 1970/80's as his Cape area cover servicer, he would at times, mail over to me some of his airmail produced "A-C" cover series as a partial payment for cancel services rendered. |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 789
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 08-25-2022 03:49 PM
Ken, there are two numbered series, Andromeda and Cygnus. - The Andromeda numbered covers included Apollo 13 (Andromeda numbers 10 and 11) and Apollo 14 (Andomeda numbers 27 to 29).
- The Cygnus numbered covers began with Apollo 15 (Cygnus numbers 1 to 4).
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Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3513
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 08-25-2022 04:36 PM
Thanks Tom, but I was under the impression that the airmail cachet covers were a combined effort since both cachet series of covers had the logos of Andromeda with the "A" in an oval circle and Cygnus with number series together on the same covers. Therefore, in case I had forgotten the Andromeda space cover series of different cachet designs than Cygnus, can you or anyone else post one of the Apollo issues here by Andromeda or just email me. I guess the Andromeda starter cover pictured at the top of this forum is the style that Riser used, even though this particular cover is a U.S. flag first day cover, but with an Apollo cachet. Thanks so much!I've also got a bunch of Solar Covers that look similar in some ways to Riser's style. They have nice insert cards inside, but for some reason Tom, I just can't recall any details about them (I guess my mind in starting to slip a bit, huh, at 67 now). |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 789
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 08-25-2022 05:49 PM
Ken, here are Andromeda (top set) and Cygnus (bottom set) cover images. Andromeda numbering: "ANDROMEDA COVER NO. 5"
"A" in an oval circle was sporadic starting with Andromeda number 20 through end at Andromeda number 31 (e.g. on 20, 21, 22, 23; not on 27, 28, 31)  Cygnus numbering: "CYGNUS COVER NO. 5"
"A" in an oval is on all Cygnus covers.  |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3513
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 08-25-2022 06:24 PM
Okay, thanks so much Tom, as the Riser covers now come back to me. I do have both types here, however, their cachet designs are so similar that I had forgotten the differences after all these years, but really, you can't always tell them apart except for the fact that each cover does have a separate Andromeda or Cygnus numbering system. But how about Solar Covers (see my prior post)? |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 789
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 08-25-2022 06:34 PM
Solar Covers were produced by Roger Jarrell originally from Charleston then later Huntington, West Virginia.Looks like Solar Covers were produced from sometime in 1970 to late 1972. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3513
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 09-07-2022 04:53 PM
Long and behold Tom! I just came across this old letter from my high school days before the formation of SpaceCoast Cover Service. Sure enough, it was a note/letter from Rodger Jarrell himself in July 1973 asking if I could help him cancel/service his Solar Covers from Titusville and KSC other than for the Skylab 3 launch. For some reason, though, I am not able to locate his file folder of space cover dealers that I have worked with.Note his company logo and I guess, even though I can't recall specific details, I may have done some of his space covers in 1973, so apparently, Solar Covers went beyond 1972.  |
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