posted 08-30-2026 10:22 AM               

Many astrophilatelic launch covers feature rocket or space related stamps that were issued decades before, such as the Fort Bliss centennial or the Project Mercury release. We have all come to be a bit blasé about this.

However, after all, the stamps on the covers are one of the prime reasons (along with the postmark) that we collect philately.

Quite a lot of astrophilatelic launch covers are very boring from the actual philatelic stamp perspective. They often use contemporaneous normal definitives or commemoratives with no connection to the astrophilatelic subject matter.

But, going through a bunch of covers today I noticed what to me is a nice touch. On many (20 at least) 1970-1972 Minuteman launch covers from Vandenberg Air Force Base, I found vintage retro-stamped covers featuring US stamp issues from the 1950s.

I don't know if I subconsciously bidded on these items because of the stamps, but I love them anyway.

And I now notice they are all addressed to a certain J Kindernay in pencil, or are blank with the addressee rubbed out. I have no idea who J Kindernay is or was, whether he was a collector or agent or cachet maker... but I like what he did.