On June 1, New Hampshire-based Purgatory Post issued a pair of 2-sola stamps commemorating the successful launch of SpaceX Crew-2. The Crew Dragon spacecraft used for the mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 23 of this year, successfully docking with the International Space Station the next day.
Purgatory Post Crew-2 stamps
One of the stamps pictures the spacecraft itself, while the other features a photo of astronauts K. Megan McArthur, Thomas Pesquet, Akihiko Hoshide, and Shane Kimbrough.
Crew-2 is not scheduled to return to earth for several months, with the next mission, Crew-3, currently planned for an October launch date.
As you’re probably aware if you’ve followed my posts about Purgatory Post, its operator, Scott A., is very interested in spaceflight. In addition to commemorating contemporary missions, he has issued numerous other spaceflight-related stamps, including an ongoing series marking the 50th anniversaries of each of the Apollo missions.
This update primarily includes spaces for new United States stamps issued since early March, but there is also a single updated page for the 2000–01 Flowers stamps that corrects a spelling error that has apparently been there since I launched The Philosateleian 15 years ago. Oops. I’m glad to be able to update that, too.
Thank you as always for your support and interest!
I mailed a batch of first day covers bearing copies of Philosateleian Post’s new whooping crane stamp last Tuesday, June 1. If you requested service, your cover will hopefully be arriving in your mailbox soon if it has not gotten there already.
When I checked my post office box yesterday, my cover was there, but the whooping crane stamp on it was a bit worse for wear, with the surface of the upper right corner of the stamp as well as much of the bottom of the stamp skinned off.
Philosateleian Post Whooping Crane first day cover
The self-adhesive United States stamp that paid postage was, however, unscathed as you can see.
All current U.S. stamps are self-adhesive, but when I see older stamps with water-activated gum used, or my own creations, more often than not they end up with part of the surface scraped off. I don’t know the physics involved, but it seems to be just one of those things we collectors have to deal with.
I admit it. When visiting my local post office to check my box there, I will glance into the blue recycling bins into which customers can discard their junk mail, and occasionally engage in a bit of “dumpster diving” if something catches my eye. Such was the case today when I spotted this Disabled American Veterans business reply envelope with three identical American flag “stamps” printed on it.
Disabled American Veterans business reply envelope
These pre-printed faux “stamps” have no wording or denominations, but each has a border of simulated “perforations” printed around it. If they were actual labels, that would be even better, but it’s still interesting and still the first one of these envelopes I’ve seen in a number of weeks.
I imagine most of these probably end up discarded with a few returned to DAV and other organizations that make use of such business reply envelopes, but how many are being saved for stamp collections? I would guess not many, and although I wouldn’t necessarily call this cover a “treasure,” I think it’s something more than trash.
New Hampshire-based Purgatory Post earlier this month celebrated its 20th anniversary of operation with the issuance of a single stamp picturing a small waterfall on Tucker Brook in Milford, New Hampshire. The 20-sola design was released on May 4.
Purgatory Post Tucker Brook stamp
This stamp will, of course, fit nicely into my landscapes collection. I just need to find the time to make a page for it so I can add it to my albums!
As indicated by the number inscribed at the bottom center of the stamp, this is Purgatory Post’s 233rd stamp issue. As a point of comparison, my own Philosateleian Post, which I started in 2004, has issued only 40 stamps during its history.
While there have been many private local posts operated in the United States since the middle of the twentieth century, few have been as long-lasting or prolific as Purgatory Post, and I extend hearty congratulations to operator Scott A. for keeping his operation going for two decades.
