Sir
Winston S. Churchill died on January 24,
1965 at the age of 90. Postal administrations around the world issued
memorial stamps in the weeks and months that followed, including the
United States, which released its very attractive and respectful stamp
on May 13, 1965 (a mere 109 days after Churchill's death). The U.S.
stamp, like so many others, is based on Yousuf Karsh's
legendary "Angry Lion" portrait of 1941. The stamp was designed by
Richard Hurd, lettered by Sam Marsh, engraved by Charles A. Brooks (portrait) and Harold Sharpless (lettering), and
printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in a quantity of
125,180,000 (two printings). The stamp had its first day of issue at Westminster
College in Fulton, Missouri, where Churchill delivered the "Iron
Curtain" speech in 1946. The May 13 issue date was the 25th anniversary
of Churchill's "blood, toil, tears and sweat" speech. 773,580 first day
covers were serviced.
The U.S. Churchill issue was popular among first day cover
(FDC)
producers. The standard cachet reference work for FDC
collectors, Michael Mellone's Specialized Cachet Catalog of
First Day Covers (1985), lists over 50 different cachets
for
the Churchill issue. However, Mellone's catalog is merely a
starting point. There are many more cacheted FDCs
for the Churchill stamp not listed in the catalog, and additional
cachets come to light on a regular basis.
This portion of my site will showcase the many Churchill FDCs
that are
known, beginning with the cachets listed in Mellone, and then moving on
to uncataloged items. I'm always looking for "new" cachets of this
issue, as well as additional information about the items I already
have. If you have information about any of the covers depicted here, or
have a cover you don't see here, please contact me at tronnei@gmail.com.
A note about "add-ons": An "add-on" is a cachet design added
to a cover
which was originally uncacheted. An add-on cachet should be identified
by maker and date so that it is clear that it is not contemporary with
the cover. Unfortunately, those who create add-ons don't always mark
them as such. A comprehensive collection of add-ons is impossible and I
usually pass on purchasing them; however, a select few are included
here.
Part I:
Mellone-listed Items
Click
on cover link for larger image and information