INTRODUCTION TO U.S. SPACE THEME POSTMARKS

R. Howard Courtney 

Chicago, Illinois 

September 1, 2015

• July 16, 1994 - Official cover of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Stamp Club, Pasadena, California for the 50th anniversary of the laboratory.

Close to forty years ago I had collected Space Covers and written several price and reference lists that had sold world wide. Over time I lost interest in the collection as people began to create more and more insignificant covers for each of the launches and the value of the covers began to fall as the Apollo program was coming to an end and people stopped collecting. Sadly, it is possible to buy most of the same Space Covers today at prices below, or similar to, what they were forty some years ago. Today the common launch covers are literally a glut on the market. After trading my collection for one of a totally different subject matter I swore I would never buy another Space Cover for as long as I lived. 

Recently my interest was sparked as I was surfing the internet auctions and killing time. I was attracted by the U.S. pictorial postmarks I was seeing and looked to see what was available with a space theme as I knew they existed and always thought they were interesting. I have many small "side" collections that I turn to when I get bored with my major collections and the pictorial postmarks drew my attention as I was looking for something new to collect.

As with all of my previous catalogs (The Arab World Philatelist (journal), Dubai, Bangladesh, Space Cover Price Guides and Reference Lists, and Bangladesh Revenues), this catalog grew out of my curiosity after seeing these postmarks on the internet, and my incessant list making. Within four weeks of seeing the postmarks the catalog was started and had close to 500 illustrations and descriptions listed, and a folder full of others that needed work on them before listing. I hope to show all postmarks without any stamp images.  Some of the images have taken over an hour to create and there will certainly come a time when I am stumped and cannot "clean up" the image and will have to list it with the postage stamp and possibly part of the cachet, if such exists.

Several things I have learned in this process are that the lines of many of the postmarks are not straight, squares are often not square, and I am stumped as to why some individuals wasted their effort and stamps making some of the covers they did.

For some reason I had been under the impression that a catalog had been written years ago listing the postmarks, but I have yet to see it, nor been able to buy a copy. The title Space Related Special Postmarks from 1958 - 91, by James G. Rachman came up on the internet one time and I wrote it down,  but no one seems to know anything about it. I was later told that the author's last name is spelled Reichman and he has only written about Russian postmarks. Contact with him verified such and that is the title of his work. I have never been able to pull up the original listing, nor the name Rachman after finding it the first time. Evidently there was no catalog for these postmarks and this is the first such effort.

It is important to realize that there is a very small market for these postmarks and generally the prices are very reasonable. This could be because they are considered marginable in the field of collecting or because people do not know about them. I was astounded at the number of them I was able to find on the internet. Like virtually all subjects, once a catalog is available people become interested in the subject as they then know what exists.

Make certain you shop around for the postmarks as many stamp dealers have no idea that many of these are common and that there is little interest in them by most collectors. It is not uncommon to see the same postmark priced for less then 50 cents to $8, with most around $1 - $2.

I would like to thank Efin Sandler for his help in adding new listings and images to this catalog.

WHAT IS NOT A U.S. POST OFFICE POSTMARK

• The image above is not a postmark. There is no city, nor state, mentioned in the image. It is an image created to look like a postmark and is a souvenir of the moon landing. They even used a space theme stamp on the card. To the right is the message printed on the reverse of the card.

• This cover is not genuine and was sent to the late Les Winick who was a past President of the ATA Space Unit and a part-time writer for Linns. The cancellation appears to be a copy of the November 7-8, 1981 cancellation that has been slightly modified, but there is no city, state, nor ZIP code in the postmark. Additionally, it is on  a sticker, not a postage stamp. This was obviously created for the fun of it and could have possibly made it through the mails. Note that the date is typed.

• Another fantasy item created for the fun of it. Another similar item exists with a triangular rubber stamp in the bottom left corner portraying the Space Shuttle.

• The above cover is  somewhat strange. It bears a Houston, Texas postmark at the top, dated July 20, 1970, cancelling the stamp, but an added impression is below it that is not a postmark as it has no city, nor state in it, and is dated 1969.

• Even though the above item was sent through the mail (I am assuming it was), it does not have a genuine postmark. The postmark, obviously drawn by children at the McIntosh Grade School, does not have a city, nor a zip code in the  drawing. This was most likely a school project and possibly people could send stamped envelopes and have them "cancelled" with the postmark. I cannot explain if, or how, they might have made it into the postal system for delivery. They could have been returned to the sender under separate cover.

• This is a private postmark from Park Forest, Illinois used to cancel the labels created for their covers. This cover has no U.S. postage on it and could not be sent through the mails.

• The above images are privately produced cancellations for local posts. They cannot be used for cancelling U.S. postage stamps, only privately produced labels, and they are not valid for use in the U.S. postal system for sending mail, or the delivery of mail. These, and the associated "stamps" (labels) were created solely for the purpose of creating covers for collectors. This does not mean they are not interesting to collect, just that they are not listed in this catalog. Most of these local post labels were put on covers with valid U.S. postage stamps that received the genuine Post Office postmark and the local post label and cancellation.

• Another local post postmark and label. This is on a cover with the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum postmark on a U.S. postage stamp.

BE CAREFUL

• Covers like this are easy to mistake for what we collect. The writing on the left reads "Wawatosa Philatelic Society Presents 26th Annual TOSAPEX '91, Honoring Space Exploration," and there is a capsule and the NASA logo and a space theme stamp on the cover. The postmark has no mention of space, nor is it an image of anything related to space.

• The cover is certainly dealing with space and even has a space theme stamp, but the postmark has no mention of space, nor any images of anything related to it.

• This is not a slogan honoring Gordon Cooper. Cooper Station is the name of a post office in New York and the person creating this cover used it because of it's name.

• While this is an interesting cover, the postmark does not mention space, nor have any image of anything related to space. It simply reads, "AIRPEX STATION, Jan. 20, 1974, Scottsdale, Arizona."

FORMAT

Since I am a cover collector (envelopes), I was surprised to find huge numbers of pictorial postmarks (of all topics) on postal cards, as well as envelopes. Please note that "post cards" are what you buy while on vacation and you have to add a stamp to mail them and they do not have stamp images printed on them. Postal cards are sold by the Post Office with a stamp image printed on them. While I generally am not interested in those on postal cards, obviously many people are, which means they are accepted/collected in the two formats. If one takes into consideration cachets, one has more options.

The postmarks can be collected with the following options:

1.) Collected on blank postal cards and envelopes.

• The above postal card and envelope both have flag theme stamps on them, are unaddressed, and show the cancellations nicely. The postmark on the right is illustrated below with a cachet and a different date.

2.) Collected with cachets created "officially" for the event - usually not available on postal cards as the organizations creating them generally used envelopes or card stock. 

• This cover for the  Pasadena Coin & Stamp Expo, dated July 23, 1976, was also used to celebrate the Bicentennial of American Independence 1776-1976. It can be found with Bicentennial stamps on it as well. This cover has an Olympic theme stamp on it that has no relationship to anything on the cover. The postmark, which is supposed to be a satellite, looks like a lighted ceiling fan. An awkward #10 envelope was used.

3.) Collected with other cachets. While one would hope they would have a "space theme", at times they do not.

• An attractive cover on the left, but very cluttered. When you first look at it you do not realize which area of focus is the postmark. The creator wanted to use the 1962 Mercury stamp, which necessitated adding more postage to make it the correct postage rate.  The cover on the right has a somewhat generic cachet for a postmark that was used numerous times, for which there was no official cachet made.

• The three cachets above have no mention of "space" in them. The top cover is celebrating the centennial of the Statue of Liberty and mentions Halley's comet. The cover above on the left has the official cachet for the Coffeyville Stamp Club Exhibit, May 18, 1986, which was honoring the Statue of Liberty. Both of these have a stamp portraying the Statue of Liberty and it's creator. The attractive cachet on the right is related to it's theme, the Bicentennial, and it has a Bicentennial commemorative on it. Due to the Liberty Bell in the postmark those who collect Bicentennial items are interested in it. We, of course, are interested in the space theme of the postmark. This illustrates the importance of looking at other subjects for space them postmarks.

• This is an unusual cover designed by Robert Rank, the creator of Space Voyage covers. It is for the 31st International Whistler's Convention in Louisburg, North Carolina in April of 2004. For some reason they honored the 35th Anniversary of the moon landing. The cover has a space theme stamp and a music theme stamp.

STAMPS

• The purpose of the use of these stamps and why the cover was created remains a mystery, even after reading the note inside the envelope of the person who created it. The note reads ". . .There is only one other "Xactly" like it! It features all Discovery dates as well as all the 5 (cent) trans-coils issued so far. I just hope I can locate more of the same type of envelopes for future projects. . ." There are also 4 cent, 14 cent, and 15 cent stamps on it as well, not just 5 cent stamps. There is no relationship between the Discovery launches and any of the Transportation Coils placed on the envelope, especially the five cent values. Perhaps the creator was considering everything as "Transportation."

It soon becomes evident that the right choice of stamps for the covers is important. This applies to both envelopes and postal cards.

• It is difficult reading the slogan in this postmark as the postal card stamp image is too dark and cluttered.

Some people are obsessed with using space theme stamps, either singularly, or in combination with other stamps which may, or may not, be associated with the subject. Even some space theme stamps are not good for some covers as the images may be too dark, the colors gaudy, or they are of the wrong denomination, which necessitates adding more stamps to the cover. This often leads to cluttered covers.

• The person creating the cover on the left obviously felt obliged to use space theme stamps, but because they did not equal the required postage, had to add an additional 4 cent stamp which does not compliment the theme of the cover. The cover on the right with it's three space theme stamps actually overpaid the cost needed. Due to the stamps, one is drawn to them, rather than looking at the postmark. Often, when there are numerous stamps on a cover like this, all of the stamps do not receive full postmarks, or are not cancelled at all. Note the bottom stamp on the cover on the right.

While I have never sent for such postmarks, it seems obvious to me that if one uses a U.S. flag image stamp, one would always be safe. Keep in mind that the Post Office always has a U.S. flag stamp available. Obviously everyone doesn't think as I do, as evidenced by the multitude of different stamps used. 

Do not use stamps with plate numbers, selvage of the stamp sheet, etc. on your covers. They add no extra value to the cover and are a distraction.

If one is at the show where the postmark is available, try to use a single stamp and get a good impression on the cover where most of the postmark will show. Since they are "philatelic covers", it is no crime to see that the postmark is applied in the correct position on the cover, not on an angle, upside down, or on the cachet or stamps so it is not visible. 

• The official cover on the left has two large space theme stamps with numerous colors and a complicated design that obscures much of the postmark. The "unofficial" cover on the right has a much clearer image of the same postmark even though it has two non-space theme stamps. Note that the stamps were placed too high and did not receive the cancellation of the postmark. They were cancelled with a partial cancellation. 
   

• This could have been a good cover if there had only been one stamp on it and the postmark applied in the white area of the cover. As it is, it is not possible to readily see the postmark, and that was the reason for creating the cover. To the right is the postmark on an "unofficial" cover, but dated August 21st.

ENVELOPES

• A very nice cover but made on a #10 envelope, the size that is a real problem in collections. Why this size was used is unknown as it would have been better on the standard #6 size envelope, like most covers. The odd sized envelopes generally have to be kept separate from the other covers as they do not fit in the same album or box.

Use a good quality standard size envelope and if you use a sticker with your address on it, make certain it is the type that can be removed without leaving a mark on the cover. It is important to remove the sticker as soon as possible, before it becomes permanently stuck to the cover, or will leave a stain when removed. Make certain the stickers are down near the bottom of the envelope as you do not want the postmark partially on the sticker so it cannot be removed. Even if they were meant to be permanent, you do not want the name sticker to bear part of the postmark.

• This cover was most likely made by my late friend Les Winick, who's return address is in the upper left corner. The only thing it has going for it is that there is a clear postmark on the left side of the envelope. Note that it is a #10 envelope (The awkward size most people do not want in their collections), has three stamps, of which one has the selvage and plate number, and the cancellation on the stamps is barely visible.  Additionally, it is addressed. This was obviously meant to be sent through the mails to the individual to whom it is addressed.

These are philatelic covers and are not really intended for sending mail, but for collecting the postmarks. While they are valid for cancelling U.S. stamps and the envelope can be sent through the mails, they often are not. As with American First Day Covers after the 1950s, they are more desirable if unaddressed. 

Years ago I remember attending stamp shows and people getting the "souvenir" covers being sold, which, of course included a fancy postmark. I distinctly remember people going to dealers and asking for "any stamp" to put on the envelope they were going to buy and have cancelled. At the show you applied your stamp after buying the envelope, and had it cancelled. It was handed back to you and you then had your cover. Unfortunately, such covers were not valued much as they did not fit into the person's collecting field. They often ended up that box that all collectors have where they put the items they don't know what to do with, but don't want to toss out, or give away.  I think this partially explains why there are so many unattractive covers today. They were not really valued by many of those obtaining them and were purchased just because they were being sold.

OTHER

• The two items above are mentioned below and are cut from a cracker box and a cigarette carton. I have blurred the name on the bottom card. Note that the name sticker has the postmark stamped on it. There is a generic cachet that has nothing to do with the postmark, the stamp has no relationship to it and the name sticker has a flag image. The whole this is very distracting to look at and the person sent for the postmark, which is not the first thing one is drawn to when looking at it.

An interesting thing that I had never thought of previously, recently happened while purchasing a group of covers on the internet. When they arrived about half of them were not on envelopes, nor postal cards, but were pieces of thin card stock cut from cracker boxes and cigarette cartons. The one side was perfectly clean and in the illustration on the internet one would assume they were envelopes, but no mention was made of this in the description. They were cut near the size of postal cards. They even had generic, non space,  cachets added to them.

MULTIPLE CANCELLATIONS

• The above cover is dated July 20, 1979 (Both cancellations), the tenth anniversary of the moon landing. Both of the postmarks are from Downey, California and both are space themes. The upper one is a machine slogan and the bottom a hand cancellation. There was an insert with this cover that is illustrated below. It was printed by Rockwell International, Space Systems Group.

Multiple cancellations on a cover are the choice of the collector. While we are supposed to be collecting these items for enjoyment and the learning experience, as well as a sense of accomplishment when we track down that illusive item, one must consider that there will be a time when we no longer are interested in our collections, or are unable to continue. What becomes of our efforts at that point? Do the covers end up in a dealers cheap/junk cover box, as many of these covers are today, or will they be considered good philatelic items? Bearing that in mind, try to collect neat covers that are not cluttered with stamps and cancellations. A cover with multiple cancellations, either related, or not, may not be for most people and one should remember that if creating such. This catalog was created for the postmarks for what they are, not to show relationships between events.

• Even the professionals can make a mess of things. It was necessary to read the cachet to understand why there are all these postmarks on the envelope. It was originally a FDC from 1981, nine years later the pictorial postmark was added (1990). Ten years later (2000) the Greenbelt postmark was added to the cover. While it is true that we collectors eventually may understand the relationship between everything on the cover, others don't.

• What does one do with a cover like this? It is an odd size and has so many stamps and postmarks (eight) one cannot determine what most of them are. As you can see, the person was interested in using space theme stamps and in two instances used flag theme stamps. At least two of these postmarks are not yet listed in this catalog as I have never seen a clear copy of them to get the correct information.

CACHETS

• For a period of time someone was creating cachets that portrayed the postmarks. It is not known how many different events were covered. On the back of the cover on the left is an address sticker with the name Edward R. Binder. In the bottom left corner is written "ERB 1/5. Evidently these were made in very small quantities by Mr. Binder.

• The above covers have a generic cachet prepared with the initials of HF. It was created for Mercury related events and on the left side, vertically, reads "Historical Space Cover." Several different postmarks are found with this cachet.

• This cover is the official cover for the postmark from the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum. It is NAASM #4 (bottom center).

• The Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum issued two covers that fit together to form an image of the moon for the 12th Anniversary of the Moon landing on July 20, 1981. The bottom cover is numbered NAASM (Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum) 8 and the top cover NAASM 7.

While looking for covers, if your choice is to collect them with cachets, bear in mind that often the organization that is responsible for the postmark often printed envelopes with a cachet (See top of this page for numerous illustrations). It is generally the "shows" that offer the printed envelopes, not the major sites for the launches, nor the NASA facilities. These cachets often tell more about the event, such as duration, location, the theme, etc.. than the postmarks do.  At times the postmark may be the same for the duration of the show, as illustrated below.

• Three very nice cachets for the AIRIPEX show in Phoenix, Arizona from February 28 - March 1, 1985. A different cachet was prepared for each day, but the postmark was the same with only a date change.

                    ​    

• Two different cachets were created fro the Wolverine Stamp Club show in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. It is not known if the show was for one day only, or two days, with a different cachet for each day. Often one find the same dates on covers, even though it was intended that they were created for two different dates.

Many of the larger shows had a different postmark created for each day of the show. Often when that was the case, the themes were different. This catalog only lists the postmark that is space related and ignores the others. 

• Above is an example of a show that had a different postmark and envelope for each day of the show. Only the first day had a space theme and that is the only postmark listed in the catalog for the show.

Some collectors have used older First Day Cover envelopes that were not used at the time, and had them cancelled with the postmark. In most instances the envelopes/cachets had space themes.

• Both covers above are FDC envelopes used for the issuance of a stamp, but later used to obtain the special postmarks. The postmark on the right is listed at the end of the catalog as all collectors may not feel it belongs in their collection. The frying pan and spatulas were meant to look like the Starship Enterprise. The postmark was for an Egg Festival in Pittsfield, Maine in 1993

With today's technology, many cachets are computer-generated and are generally done by people with artistic talent. Often they may be somewhat generic in their message and usually have colored photos. With the technology available today they can be done by just about anyone with a computer and a printer. Individuals may get a handfull of envelopes cancelled and then later design and print the cachet. Because of this, often more than one cachet is created by different people for the same postmark. These computer generated cachets seldom include the information on the "official" envelopes, if such were created for the event.

• The above cachets are computer generated.

In the instance where the same postmark is used over a period of time for similar events such as launchings, or landings of spacecraft, there are seldom official cachets/envelopes prepared and one sees many different cachets created by various people. Without their efforts, there would not be any cachets on the envelopes.

UNUSUAL ITEMS

• The above card was for the 1966 COMPEX show in Chicago, Illinois in 1966. While it does not have a space theme postmark, it has a perfin (Punched holes in the stamp forming the word COMPEX) on the 1962 Mercury stamp. This is only the first, or second time this has been done on a commemorative.

• Special card (8 6/8 x 5 6/8 ins.) for the Italian Aerospace Show in New York, NY from April 1-30, 1990. The back of the card is blank.

• This proposed postmark was rejected by either the USPS, or NASA, or both, as they no longer portray images of astronauts in the postmarks. This was illustrated on a Rank Space Voyage cover for 1-28-96 with the above information. It is not know if the row of stars was part of the postmark, or just part of Rank's design. It would seem that it was probably part of the original postmark as it gives it more balance.

Space Postmarks 1958 - 1979

Space Postmarks 1980 - 1989

Space Postmarks 1990 - 1999

Space Postmarks 2000 - 2009

Space Postmarks 2010 - Present

Slogan and Hand Cancellations

Meters