Monday, July 31, 2017
Another Year of My Life Has PassedIt's close to midnight in Memphis. In a few minutes I'll be 65 years old. Funny, I don't feel that old. More like 35 or younger. Another year has passed. Tomorrow is B-Day for me !
Thank you to all who are in my life, and
to those who have come and gone. And thank you,
Mama. Love to all. -David-
11:48 pm cdt
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Creepy Crawlies - Insects & Spiders On StampsOn October 1, 1999 the United States Postal Service issued
the "Insects and Spiders" sheet, Scott Catalog #3351, as part of the "Classic Collection" of United States
stamps.
A section of the pane of 20 The gum-side descriptions
Another view of the entire gum-side descriptions
Find this beautiful sheet and present it as
a gift to any young, aspiring, ambitious entomologist. The $6.60 investment in 1999 is worth $15 to $18 dollars today.
11:28 am cdt
Saturday, July 29, 2017
The David Saks Show Tonight !
10:32 pm cdt
Friday, July 28, 2017
Goodbye Norma JeaneNorma Jeane Mortenson was a sweet child. She was born in Los Angeles. In August of 1946 a man from Hollywood by the name of Ben Lyon, an executive with 20th Century Fox,
called her Marilyn.
The United States Postal Service honored Marilyn
with a 32-cent commemorative stamp on June 1, 1995, at Universal Studios Hollywood, in Universal City, California. Scott #2967, designed by artist Michael Deas of New Orleans, Louisiana.
The full pane of 20
The lower right biography.
Norma never knew who her father was. She was raised in foster homes. She was a high school dropout. Her
mother died in a mental instituion. Norma died
from a drug overdose at the age of 36 on August 5, 1962. Why
?
1:45 pm cdt
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Rotary InternationalRotary International is an organization for business and
professional leaders. Rotary provides humanitarian services and
builds goodwill and peace throughout the world. An
8-cent stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of Rotary International was issued in Chicago, Illinois, on February 23,
1955, Scott#1066. The first Rotary club was organized in 1905
by attorney Paul P. Harris in Chicago.
I'm proud to have this first day cover in my colleftion. Please support Rotary International.
12:59 am cdt
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
The Trans-Mississippi Philatelic SocietyThe Trans-Mississippi Philatelic Society dates back to
1934 when a group of philatelists from Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa, seeing a need for a greater fellowship among
the regions stamp collectors, made plans for an exhibition in Omaha. Omaha had been host to the Trans-Mississippi
Exhibition in 1898 and was only natural tp the founders that "Trans-Mississippi Philatelic Society" would become
the name of the organization, it's purpose to provide a convention and exhibition annually in the mid-west. Kansas City, Missouri was the site of the annual Trans Mississippi
Philatelic Society convention on September 25, 1941, and it appears that this great first day cover, with a plate numbered
block of four Scott #C30's, was cancelled with a first day show cancellation consisting of the society's bar line cancellation
in addition to the postal service circular date stamp at the KC cancellation station on September 25, 1941 at 9AM in the morning.
The intaglio embossed cachet of Great Seal
of the United States.
And the now-scarce, beautiful micro-sized black
and white photograph of Pan American Airline's "Yankee Clipper, part of the cachet.
The Yankee Clipper, the Boeing 314, was produced
between 1938 and 1941.
9:17 am cdt
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Energy ConservationThe 13-cent Energy Conservation / Development special
issue stamps, Scott #1723 and #1724, were first available on October 20, 1977, in Washington, D.C. This fine first day if issue cover was issued on the same day in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.
There were two stamps, se-tenants, and identical
except for the titles: Energy Conservation
(Scott 1723) and Energy Development (Scott 1724). The
stamp depicts a house, a gasoline container, and a light bulb. Only one is shown here. Scott #1723, Energy Conservation.
The stamp was designed by Terrance McCaffrey.
Conserving energy saves our natural resource
and protects our planet.
8:37 pm cdt
Monday, July 24, 2017
SkylabSkylab was the United States' first space station, orbiting
our planet from 1973 to 1979 when it fell back to Earth. On
May 14, 1974 the United States Postal Service issued the Skylab stamp, Scott #1529.
The Skylab stamp, and the First Day of Issue
cancellation, commemorates the first anniversary of the launching of Skylab on May 14, 1973.
Skylab orbited our planet for 2,249 days at
an altitude of almost 270 miles, low earth orbit. Skylab
was launched by the same rocket that carried our astronauts to the Moon, the Saturn V.
On July 11, 1979 Skylab reentered Earth's atmosphere
and disintergrated 10 miles above Perth, Australia. Skylab
was a magnificent achievement for space exploration, for the history of our nation and for the world.
11:36 pm cdt
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Old Glory Gets A Rate IncreaseThe Post Office Department issued this 8-cent American
Flag stamp through the Washington, DC, post office on May 10, 1971. Scott #1338f was originally issued as the
6-cent Scott #1338 on January 24, 1968 This 8-cent was a regular stamp replacing
the 6-cent Franklin D. Roosevelt stamp of the Prominent Americans Series with the increased postal rate.
Notice the "HF", a House of Farnum
first day cachet. A fine mid-twentieth century patriotic
first day cover.
2:57 pm cdt
Saturday, July 22, 2017
The Year of Human RightsThe United Nations General Assembly designated the year
1968 as the International Year of Human Rights. On
December 3, 1968 this air letter sheet was issued in a first day of issue ceremony. U.S. Scott # UC 42 1968 13c Human Rights Year
- Folded Air Letter Sheet Designed by ArtMaster Cachet
Forty five doves flying east to west over three
globes of the Earth with the first day of issue bar line cancellation and circular date stamp to the left of December 3, 1968
in Washington, D.C.
The United Nations Educationa, Scientific and
Cultural Organization, UNESCO, published a special edition of the monthly UNESCO Courier in January of 1968. It is devoted to the Year of Human Rights and may be downloaded
free by clicking any image in this post. Please
read it. Human Rights should not be recognized
for a year. Human Rights should be recognized
for eternity.
1:58 pm cdt
Friday, July 21, 2017
EastersealsEasterseals (formerly known as Easter Seals, founded in
1919 as the National Society for Crippled Children) is an American 501(c)3 nonprofit providing disability services, with additional
support areas serving veterans and military families, seniors, and caregivers.
These stamps, also known as charity seals or stamps and not used for postage, represent the fundraising efforts
of Easterseals and are placed on mail, usually on the lower part or reverse side of a piece of mail or package, to demonstrate
ones support for this magnificent organization.
These stamps, issued in 1987, are part of my
collection and portray a physically challenged young woman at the piano in addition to her portrait. Please support Easterseals.They are entrusted
with the work of God.
2:35 pm cdt
Thursday, July 20, 2017
The Dag Hammarskjold InvertThis philatelic wonder can be both a great source of joy
to own as well as the the root of anger for any stamp collector.
The yellow color was inverted on the Dag Hammarskjold
memorial commemorative stamp, Scott #1204, issued Ocrober 23, 1962. The stamp reprint was a deliberate error produced by the Post Office Department to avoid creating
a rarity.
It was decided to reprint 40 million of the inverted stamps after the discovery of the error so there
would be no rarity factor in the inverted stamp and to prevent people from profiting from the Postal Service's mistake.
The stamp, showing the yellow background inverted relative to the image and text, is also known as "Day's
Folly".
Postmaster General J. Edward Day
ordered the intentional reprinting of the yellow invert after commenting, "The Post Office Department is not running
a jackpot operation."
The reprints were issued to the public on 16 November and described as a Special Printing.
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld (29 July 1905 – 18
September 1961) was a Swedish diplomat, economist, and author, who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations,
from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961.
The original stamp in the normal color configuration,
Scott #1203 The man who discovered the invert, Leonard
Sherman, was parodied in Mad Magazine the same year.
New Jersey jeweler Leonard Sherman became very
excited after he obtained a sheet of the stamps from the post office and discovered that the yellow color on his sheet had
been printed upside down. As a stamp collector,
Mr. Sherman realized and knew very well that this type of inverted printing error in other issues of stamps had made those
items extremely value and worth incredible amounts of money.
Unfortunately, Mr. Sherman shouldn't have said anything
about it and revealed his discovery too early. Postmaster
J. Edward Day, upon hearing about Sherman's find, stated, "The Post Office Department is not running a jackpot operation."
Day immediately ordered the printing of an
additional 40 million stamps, all with the yellow color upside down, in order to destroy the rarity of Mr. Sherman's stamps
as well as his good fortune. Mad Magazine found
out and issued the parody stamp above. Click the stamps for more.
12:43 pm cdt
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Listen With LoveMusic is the soul of America. It's the spice of our nation. On
October 25, 1979, in Shrevepoet, Louisiana, a coil stamp was issued proclaiming our nations love for music. The first day
cover was first placed on sale in Baltimore, Maryland the same day.
Five Scott #1613's 3.1 cent non-profits make
up the first class rate along with the first day of issue postmark and Shreveport circular date cancel.
The musician in the cachet looks very much
like my friend and brother, Robert "Boogie" Cockrell. Robert is battling very serious illness. He is improving, with thanks unto God, with your prayers and love.
2:04 pm cdt
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Daniel Crevensten's History Of Alaska In StampsDaniel Crevensten was a long-time employee and supporter
of the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. After retiring as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Army in 1963, Crevensten became the executive officer
at the Geophysical Institute, a post he held until September of 1975. Dan was a stamp collector and he created a 6"X3.75" booklet expressing his love for Alaska
in stamps. I'm proud to have Dan's little booklet
in my collection and share it with you. The
front cover illustrated by Dan:
The back cover:
The inside:
The inside left page:
The inside right page:
Dan's booklet also included a single insert
printed on both sides describing the mint stamps and their connection to the history of Alaska. Side one:
Side two:
Alaska is one of the most spectacular places
on Earth. Daniel Crevensten died peacefully
on Feb. 18, 2008 in Bellevue, WA at the age of 90. Thank
you Dan, from one stamp collector to another.
12:37 pm cdt
Monday, July 17, 2017
Love From The Palace of Justice ParisCharles Rachetes was a private from West Virginia fighting
in the first world war. On September 9, 1918,
two months before the end of World War One, Charles sent a postcard from Paris, France by way of A.P.O. (Army Post Office)
727 (also located in France) to his object of affection, Miss Butters, back home in West Virginia. The Palais de Justice located in the Île
de la Cité in central Paris, France, is built on the site of the former royal palace of Saint Louis, of which the Sainte
Chapelle remains (built c. 1240, during the reign of Louis IX). The justice of the state has been dispensed at this site since
medieval times. The inscripted, postmarked side
of this beautiful postcard is a treat to see !
Charles' note to his sweetheart with the A.P.O.
censor's postmark and signature. "Wish
you were along so we could take in the sights together. Chas." Looks like it was stamped and passed by censor Lt. H.D.Allen. The war ended November 11, 1918. Charles sent the card on Septemebr 9, 1918, in the postmark. Hope he made it home ok to see his sweetheart once again.
1:10 pm cdt
Sunday, July 16, 2017
The Memphis Telephone Directory 1960If your name was in this book you had class ! It's the 1960 Memphis Telephone Directory published by the Bell
System. About 888 pages of Memphis' finest
citizens and businesses. I love the color photo
of my city's skyline, the guitar (looks like a Gibson T-120), trumpet and sheet music resting against the party-streamed
cotton bale on the west side of the Mississippi River bank, the stage for the annual Cotton Carnival.
I've had this phone book a long time. It's
time to share it with you. The back cover.
Memphis was the most beautiful city in the
nation in June of 1960. It really was.
Elvis wanted it that way.
9:23 am cdt
Saturday, July 15, 2017
To The MoonHard to believe we put a man on the moon 48 years ago
this month, July 20th, 1969. The "Space
Achievement Decade" stamps were issued two years later on August 2, 1971. The First Day of Issue ceremony brochure consisted of a large booklet with enlarged illustrations
of the two stamps on the front and back covers. The
front with the lunar rover.
The back cover of the Earth, the Sun and the
landing craft on the moon.
Inside front cover message from Postmaster
General William M. Blount.
The ceremonial First Day of Issue stamps featuring
Scott #'s 1434 and 1435 se-tenant with history and details details on the inside back cover. Se-tenant stamps or labels are printed from
the same plate and sheet and adjoin one another, unsevered in a strip or block. They differ from each other by design, color,
denomination or overprint.They may have a continuous design. The word "se-tenant" translates from French as meaning
"joined together" or "holding together". This ceremonial first day cover is much sought-after
by the world's collectors of space on stamps.
1:05 am cdt
Friday, July 14, 2017
CyclingThe Postal Service commemorated cycling with two 50-cent
international postcard-rate stamps on November 1, 1996, in New York, New York. Scott #'s 3119a and 3119b adorn souvenir sheet #3119.
A closer look at Scott #'s 3119a and 3119b
Cancelled in Loveland, Colorado, the souvenir
sheet and stamps are worth about 3 dollars today. Collecting
bicycles on stamps is a great topical challenge for stamp collectors and can be very rewarding.
7:19 pm cdt
Thursday, July 13, 2017
The Seven Cent Jet AirlinerIssued July 31, 1958, this full sheet of 100 Scott #'s
C51, the blue seven cent silhouette of a jet airliner, was covered with wavy bar line cancels. Most likely for first day of
issue reasons.
If I were asked to identify the jet on this
fine airmail stamp I would say it's a DC8. The
Douglas DC-8 (also known as the McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is a four-engine long-range narrow-body
jet airliner built from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was fantastic and incredible ! A few are still flying this very day and age. A closer look.
The years have faded the cancels on this nice
sheet. On August 12, 1960 Scott #C60 was issued.
It's the red rotary press-variety of Scott design number AP33, type of 1958. Full sheets can be a good investment. This sheet doesn't have great value, worth about 20 bucks,
but still a nice return for any collector for the 7 dollar investment in 1958.
10:00 pm cdt
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Ferdinand Foch - Our Friend & Ally In The First World WarMarshal Ferdinand Jean Marie Foch (2 October 1851 –
20 March 1929) was a French general and Marshal of France, Great Britain and Poland, a military theorist and the Supreme Allied
Commander during the First World War. Foch was later acclaimed as "the most
original military thinker of his generation".
This
beautiful card from the First World War displays a portrait of Commander Foch surrounded by his allies.
And the back inscribed by a soldier: "Dear Marie, This handkerdhief is for Nina but find out if Wilbur will mind. I have a lighter for Wilbur made
from a friend and German shell. Expect to get in some larger town soon so I can get you something. Lovingly, Chas."
The card must have been enclosed with the gifts
for his friends. How did it escape the censor
?
2:42 am cdt
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
AARP & The Good LifeThe American Association of Retired Persons is a fine
organization. Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus founded
AARP in 1958. AARP evolved from the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA), which Andrus had established in 1947 to
promote her philosophy of productive aging, and in response to the need of health insurance for retired teachers. A person has to be at least 50 years old to join
the American Association of Retired Persons. This
pane of cinderellas was printed some years ago. I don;t know exactly when, but my best guess is sometime in the 1980's. The Duesenberg-like automobiles in art-deco fashion hail the good
life in ones twilight years, the years of retirement.
If you're fifty years of age or older the good
life is waiting. Join AARP. Click the pane above to link to the official AARP site at Http://AARP.Org.
Click the block of six above to learn about
cinderella stamps.
2:49 am cdt
Monday, July 10, 2017
Those Groovy Washington - Franklins & Their CancellationsMany a stamp collector has pulled his hair out attempting
to identify the Washington - Franklin issues of 1909 through 1923. And sadly, it meant the end of the hobby for some because of the enormous frustration and time-consuming detail
one must pour over to commit to the treacherous task. Fear
no more ! Here's a variety of collecting two
of the most popular and easily recognizable Washington -Franklins: Scott #331, the one cent green, and Scott # 332, the two cent red. Cancellations on cover are semi-scarce for some years but plentiful because of the millions of stamps
printed in these two varieties. Here are a few examples from my collection.
Two cents was the first class rate in 1909.
The rate had been in effect since July 1, 1885. These examples include the one cent green in pairs and the two cent red from
1909 to 1912.
Notice the two scarce Tow & Catons R.P.O.(railroad
post office) cancellations on the upper left two cent reds. The 1909 Dorchester Station flag cancels from Boston, Massachusettes still look great ! The October 4, 1912 Schenectady and October 5, 1912 Albany, New
York circular date cancels tied to the same piece were a nice find. The piece was sent to Albany and instead of stamping the Albany received circular date cancel on
the back the postal clerk struck the bar lines with it on the front. This is a good way to collect Washington -
Franklins. You'll find a gem studying cancellations
on two fronts: the stamp and the postmark. Click
the Schenectady oiece for a great study on postmarks and cancellations from the Hamilton Township Philatelic Society, Mercer
County, New Jersey.
11:14 am cdt
Sunday, July 9, 2017
What's Up Doc !Bugs Bunny can be a good investment, especially if he's
on the 1997 Scott #3138, die cut booklet pane extending the serpentine cut all the way through the booklet backing. It catalogs for around $160 bucks and usually sells for more. But for now, here's Scott #3137, Bugs in a popular pane of ten
stamps with the serpentine cut in the stamp only, cataloging around $7 bucks.
The Back
What's Up Doc !
Add this booklet to your collection, Doc !
10:48 am cdt
Saturday, July 8, 2017
All Aboard ! Great 20th Century American Passenger TrainsThe 33-cent "All Aboard!" 20th Century Trains
commemorative stamps were issued in Cleveland, Ohio on August 26, 1999.
The five celebrated passenger trains are the Daylight, the Congressional, the 20th Century Limited, the Hiawatha,
and the Super Chief.
The Super Chief
The Back of the Pane of 20
The Train Details
The Super Chief Details
The Inscription at the Top of the Back
Train enthusiasts and stamp collectors throughout
the world want this great issue. Scott #'s 3333-3337
catalog at $15 for the pane of 20 in the 2014 Scott Specialized Catalog of United States Stamps and Covers. It's a great buy at full catalog value, and more if contained in
U.S.P.S. Stamp Fullfillment Services original packaging !
12:37 pm cdt
Friday, July 7, 2017
Mauritius - My Crossword For Linn's Stamp NewsHere's my crossword "Mauritius" for Linn's Stamp
News. Subscribe to Linn's. Click the crossword
to link to Linn's. Have fun !
It's my honor to create Linn's crosswords. If you're a stamp collector, a subscription to Linn's is absolutely,
positively the best decision you'll ever make to support your hobby. Linn's is the greatest magazine in the world for stamp collectors. I promise you, it is !
12:38 pm cdt
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Memphis Stamp Collectors Society Meeting TonightThe Memphis Stamp Collectors Society meets tonight. For more details visit our website at Http://MemphisStampCollectorsSociety.Org
11:12 pm cdt
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Monett & Oklahoma Railroad - Mission of Redeeming LoveMonett, Missouri was created to be a railrod town in 1870
and named for Henry Monett who was a popular general station agent for various railroads including the New York, Chicago and
St.Louis railroads ("Nickel Plate Railroad") before becoming an agent for the New York Central Railroad shortly
before his early death at the age of 35 in 1888. This
nice, slightly scruffy old railroad post office cover was sent from the Monett & Oklahoma R.P.O. (railroad post office)
on October 27, 1920.
Two cent red Washington, Scott #528, is cancelled
with the R.P.O. circular date postmark and shoeprint obliterator cancel with the initials "RMS". The letters "RMS" appearing in the killer shoeprint section
of the duplex postmark usually indicate the canceller letters connected to a clerk responsible for its use or the postal
station where the postmark was in use. In this
particular case I believe the letters "RMS" serve as an abbreviation for "Railroad Mail Service".
The Mission of Redeeming Love
The Shepherd's Love
Monett is also known as "the strawberry
capital of Missouri".
6:00 pm cdt
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Happy Fourth of July !Happy 4th of July to Everyone ! -David-
11:01 pm cdt
Monday, July 3, 2017
Mister MewsicMy pal, Mister Mewsic, on a quiet day. He's pushing 18 years of age now and still a baby.
Have a great 4th of July holiday tomorrow.
10:04 pm cdt
Sunday, July 2, 2017
The David Saks Show !Don't to forget to listen to my radio show on Saturday
night from 9pm until midnight Memphis time (Central Time Zone) 0300 UTC to 0600 UTC Click my pic to listen live !
And you can read my official bio for the University
of Memphis when you click this pic:
Have a great week ahead !
9:27 pm cdt
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Hamburg '84 & The Universal Postal UnionHamburg, Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany, held
a philatelic expo from June 19th through the 26th in 1984, a rather anticipated year because of the vaticination of George
Orwell. This souvenir card, part of my collection,
was issued by the United States Postal Service in honor of the Universal Postal Union.
Issued May 3, 1963, Scott #C66, the United
States airmail stamp at the top, honors Montgomery Blair,(1818-1883), the United States Postmaster General from 1861-1864
during the Civil War. Blair called the first International Postal Conference in Paris, France in 1863.The Conference was the
forerunner of the Universal Postal Union. And
below, issued October 9, 1949, Scott #669, Heinrich Von Stephan, the General Post Office and Guild House, Bern, honors the
75th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union. Von Stephan was the founder of the first Universal Postal Union Congress.
This is a nice expo card to have, if you can
find one.
6:31 am cdt
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