U901

Transportation

Oil Wagon 1890s & Pushcar 1880s

Collins Cover Announcement 

PUSHCART 1380's (12,5) 

OIL WAGON 1890's (10.1) 

Both of these stamps were issued on the same day at the same place -- Oil Center, New Mexico. Since both issues were for the Transportation Series and since their combined total value is 22.6 cents, I decided to do a duo First Day cover. The stamps were purchased on day of issue at the small post office in Oil Center -- located in the sparsely populated area of

southeast New Mexico.

After obtaining the stamps, it was across the state line to the Lone Star State and then a northerly drive to the Unofficial City. Since oil wagons were pulled by horses or mules, I chanced upon a truly unusually named town and just had to use it. It is fitting for these stamps issued in the Old West. It is fitting for transportation of the 1800's. It is Muleshoe, Texas. I'm not sure if anyone else secured unofficials for these two stamps (even if others do exist, you can bet that unofficials for this pair will be extremely rare due to remoteness of Oil Center) so the Muleshoe First Day postmark makes this a winner.

The hand-painted cachets present yet another COLLINS first and Possibly a first for the entire hobby as well. Since this is a duo FDC for two distinct stamps, I decided to do two separate and distinct cachets as well. To the left is an old-fashioned pushcart and to the right is a turn-of-the-century oil wagon. They are coordinated in terms of size and design but each is its own entity. The painting is crisp and colorful, and I really like the final set-up of this one -- two cachets, two stamps and the appropriate frontier unofficial of good old Muleshoe, Texas. Item #U901 - $7.50.