The ultimate first day cover
Overdate
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This cover has the signatures of seven people associated with this stamp, including Postmaster General James Farley, the President’s widow Mary Lord Harrison, and the lettering and picture designers.
Best of all (to me), it includes the hard-to-find signature of Adolph A. Weinman, the sculptor who more famously designed two classic American coins, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar (1916-1947) and the Mercury Dime (1916-1945).
Best of all (to me), it includes the hard-to-find signature of Adolph A. Weinman, the sculptor who more famously designed two classic American coins, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar (1916-1947) and the Mercury Dime (1916-1945).
My Adolph A. Weinman signature
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Great cover! Did Weinman engrave the portrait or just sculpt the bust which was used as a model?
My understanding is that Weinman sculpted the bust and Charles Brooks rendered a portrait based on the bust for the stamp.
Weinman's sculpture.
My Adolph A. Weinman signature
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
Any idea of just how many of these covers exist?
According to the seller, there were several hundred first day covers of various stamps made for Doris Viola Wunder between 1938 and 1940. I believe this is the only one for this stamp. More than 40 others are available on eBay.
Link.
One with signatures of famous baseball players sold for $37,000 in 2008.
Link.
Doris (1931-2004) was only 7 years old when this cover was created. The signatures on this cover and others like it were assembled by her father, some of them at the First Day stamp ceremonies and others by mailing them to the artists and dignitaries for their signatures. I don't know what connections he had that enabled him to do this.
Doris was married in 1954 and she and her husband later moved to Georgia. She most likely kept this and her other first day covers during her entire lifetime, as they did not come to light until after she died. The signatures on each of the covers are related to the particular stamp being issued, but I do not know of any others that have numismatic as well as philatelic significance.
My Adolph A. Weinman signature
Thank you for the explanation.
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen