Help With Cover Cache

I picked up this cover for my son the other day off ebay. He is a presidential history buff (he's 11) with his favorite being FDR.

I am curios if one of the cover guru's here can tell me anything about the cache. I could not find anything to tell me who made it.

Thanks for your help!
BT

I've not seen that particular "colorized" cachet, however, it is likely a rendition of the Smartcraft series of cachets attributed to Ludwig W. Staehle. Here's an Ebay listing for a similar (uncolored) version of the same cachet, defined as Mellone #7A. They were produced in several colors to coordinate with the different color stamps issued for the FDR series of stamps, but as I said, I haven't seen a full color version of the cachet, which could mean that it is a relatively scarce item:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/931-2c-ROOS...130194365089

If you're interested in more information on the cachetmaker Luding W. Staehle, here's an interesting (but brief) You Tube biography on him and his craft:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4_1TcWDySg

Darn it Big Texx, WT1 beat me to it again...i pulled out my Mellone cachet catalog of the 1940's and its Smartcraft 7A..this book was published in 1984 but it gives a price of $15.00..did you get a good buy ??? phil

Big Tex I live about 20 minutes from the Roosevelt homestead in Hyde Park..FDR was never very popular in these parts..even though they hired a good portion of the town to work his land...if your son is ever in the neighborhood we can take a tour !!

Phil- I paid $8.39 which was more than I wanted to pay but like I said it is for my son and his presidential collection. Thanks for the offer of the tour. If we are ever in the area we will take you up on it.

WT1- Thanks again for the info. I am amazed at your wealth of knowledge on these subjects. You are my stamp knowledge hero!

Well worth it IMO. While the stamp or the envelope or cachet by them selves may not be particularly valuable the whole thing together makes for a wonderful & very eye appealing F.D.C. cachet cover for those issues! I could stare at that for quite some time and presents very well. Striking colors too! Beautiful FDR cover you scored! Congrats!

Hi Texx, this cover is most certainly a Smartcraft cachet. However, I believe it is not shown in the Parks catalog as being done by Ludwig W. Staehle.It is done by Nieslen, I believe.Hope that this helps and that is a nice cover for your son.

Tongman- Thanks for the info. I like the username.

BigTexx I was collating my better Guatemala covers last night so my innocent heirs receive something for them...i saw your cover and completly forgot I had this one !!

i may have a unique one...looks like a U.S. collector or dealer heard about the Guatemala set and sent the U.S. cachet for the first day cancel !!

Interesting. I have seen several variations of this cachet. Most are similar to the single color one shown, but cachets are known in several various colors. Also some have the "Smartcraft" and others have the "Smartcraft Special" cachet name (not sure if there's a difference).

I have not seen the full color version as shown in the original scan before (and curiously it does not contain the "Smartcraft" name at all). As I have been unable to find an example of it when surfing the web, I suspect the full color variety is much less common.

This cachet was also used for a set of stamps from Liberia issued in 1945 (Scott# 296-297,C51).

Philb, Nice cover! If your innocent heirs ever decide they don't want it I'll gladly get rid of it for them.

You know Tex, if it were not part of my Guatemala collection you would have first dibs !!