Why Is This FDC Not Listed In Scott Specialized?

Two 25c Official Mail Envelope varieties. Should be UO78 (top) and UO77 [correction: s/b UO78a] (bottom), however, my 2011 Scott Specialized Catalog of US Stamps does not recognize the November 28, 1988 FDOI cancellation for the UO77 [correction: s/b U078a] envelope. Why? Was it just an oversight by Scott or is there something I am missing?



[edit] Adjusted image labels to reflect correct Scott Nos.

I believe your bottom cover is UO78a (denomination and lettering as on UO77) -- there is no detailing on the eagle of UO77.

As to your question regarding dates, I'm at a loss to explain the November 28 date. Maybe it is associated with the release of UO78a.

You may be right as to the catalog number. I was originally looking at the bolder "25" on the top example as compared to the bottom, but after re-reading the Scott Catalog listing, the UO78a refers to "the same denomination and lettering as UO77" .. but with the more detailed eagle, so I can accept that.

Curious that Scott Catalog doesn't list a FDOI cancellation date or even a first day cancellation value on the U078a, though. Interestingly, I went to my copy of the Postal Service Guide to US Stamps (which is basically a simplified Scott listing) and while they don't even list the UO78a variety, what they do list is the UO77 with a FDOI date of 04/11/1988 and the UO78 with a date of "1988" only with no month or day listed.

Maybe it's a cancellation device error and the date is different from what the CDS reads. Seen it happen before. Worth a check anyway? All the best -Jeff

From UPSS 20th Century Stationery Catalog:

UO78 consists of two envelope first days:

OM-19 (plain flap) first day of April 11, 1988
OM-20 (message 1 on flap) first day of November 28, 1988

Thanks! I knew there was a November 28, 1988 FDOI for that envelope, it's just that for whatever reason Scott doesn't document it. In fact, I remember ordering it back in that day, as that is how I got the FDOI envelope in the first place. I do seem to recall that it related to the flap imprint, too, not to mention the difference in the thickness of the "25" in the denomination.

As I understand it, these FDOI envelopes have only a very nominal value; the ones actually put to use in mailing out savings bonds are worth considerably more, however, most Savings Bond customers (myself included) had received them with metered mail imprints rather than on Official Mail postal stationery envelopes.