Help With Postage On 1942 Cover...

Been slow in this section, so here's a question: is there any reason for 6 cents on the following cover, other than the collector thought a block of six would look good? The envelop has the Yellow-Green border that was designed for special delivery, but I don't think 6 cents would have paid for special delivery.

Here's the cover:

That is the first time I have heard that the yellow / green border was designed for special delivery! Thank you for that tidbit!. As far as the 6 cents go, I sort of like the effect the block has; very eye catching.

Peter

I shouldn't be so skeptical: https://news.google.com/newspapers?...995947&hl=en

It doesn't look like this border was restricted to special delivery, however.

I wasn't being skeptical about the border, but about whether the postage would have paid for special delivery. While there is no requirement that philatelic covers have any postage other than what is required for the cancellation requested (and this one has no postal markings other than simple first class cancellation), I have seen event (or DC) covers with this border with postage and markings for special delivery.

But what made you conclude that this border wasn't restricted to special delivery? Nothing in the article you linked led to that conclusion, did it? As I recall, this was an attempt to create something similar to the red and blue borders for airmail, but never got the same degree of POD backing, and thus never really took off. I don't doubt envelopes with the border could have been used for ordinary mail without incurring a penalty. And maybe that's part of the reason why the use failed its purpose.

Another tidbit about the cover is that the cancellation says "First Day Cover," not "First Day of Issue." I only know of the two WWII post office dedications for MacArthur, West Virginia, and Nimitz, West Virginia, that used this cancellation in post office dedication ceremonies.

Does anyone know if there were others?

It's not a "First Day of Issue" cover - I believe the stamp was issued in 1940 (and the cover says "First Day Post Office Dedication", so the "First Day Cover" cancellation is correct). There's something very specific about these MacArthur VA April 15, 1942 covers, but for the life of me, I can't remember what. Hopefully someone will know what I'm referring to.

I found this with reference to Douglas MacArthur & the 15th of April 1942...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_Torpedo_Boat_PT-41

Interesting...

Regards,
Stampalotapus

It was I who was skeptical. I had never heard of yellow and green borders signifying anything (except in Brasil.)

I might point out, too, that I didn't conclude anything.

EDIT: From now on, we shall use the 'royal we.' We shall confuse everyone! Hahaha!

The significance of the date is the renaming of a post office with MacArthur's name. That's why it's a First Day Cover rather than a First Day of Issue. Later, there was a similar cover for the renaming of a post office for Admiral Nimitz.

so I'm not the only one not making myself clear. Of course I knew that "First Day Cover" was correct, and not "First Day of Issue" since no stamps were issued, just covers postmarked as part of a PO dedication.

But what I don't know, and will ask again, is whether anybody knows of post offices besides the ones named after MacArthur and Nimitz ever had dedication ceremonies with covers cancelled "First Day Cover."

Not to confuse matters more, but aren't we actually talking about an "event cover"?

To my knowledge, only MacArthur and Nimitz used the "First Day Cover" slogan on the first day of the office opening.

I'm not sure the term "event cover" is a very technically precise term, just a term of art. While we usually use it to distinguish philatelic covers that are not "First Day of Issue" covers, even those are "events" so the term would encompass them. While "FDC" -- First Day Cover -- has come to be the usual way of referring to first day of issue covers, here the Post Office chose to use the "First Day Cover" cancellation for covers that were not first day of issue. Was the Post Office wrong to do so? I don't think so. They called it what they wanted to call it, and we just have to live with it.

So, these are First Day Covers but not FDC's. Got it?

Hahahah! Clear as mud!

I believe this issue commemorates the Opening Day & beginning of services at a new Post Office, named for Douglas MacArthur on that day. It was a keep-sake given to attendees of the opening. mho (similar type cancellations were provided for first & last day sales, opening & closing days of POs & other events. Some were provided free, some were at cost of postage if uniquely designed by/for collectors (as I think this was). Most opening day (& FDC ) ceremonies had an attendee program which included a Postmark on a current stamp (or the stamp being issued on first day)).

Here is the announcement card: