V5101s

Golden Deer

35th Anniversary of Collins First Day Covers

Signature

Collins Cover Announcement 

The Golden Deer

Celebrating the 35th Anniversary

of Collins First Day Covers

Back on March 8, 1978 I traveled to West Virginia for the Quiltmaking stamps that were issued that day. The covers I serviced became the very first individually hand painted Collins cachets, and with them began the journey that continues to this day.

I was excited to learn that a new stamp would be issued on March 8, 2013 because that would provide a philatelic milepost of the Collins First Day Covers emerald anniversary — thirty-five years of cachetmaking. The postcard stamp was a golden deer, so the wildlife format was open for me. But, as I researched the subject, another potential cachet avenue opened for me, and after careful consideration, that's the road I chose.

When Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman to sail around the earth in 1579/1580, he did so on his ship The Golden Hind which translates to the Golden Deer. He sailed into Plymouth, England on September 26, 1580 completing the trip with a rich cargo of exotic spices and captured Spanish Treasure. On April 4, 1581 Queen Elizabeth awarded Drake a knighthood — not at the Royal Court but actually on board The Golden Hind.

Since Collins First Day Covers have been an incredible journey for me, I thought the ship that carried Sir Francis Drake on his amazing voyage would be the perfect cachet choice. The Golden Hind is shown under full sail, done in beautiful realistic watercolors. The masthead was actually a carving of a deer, and it can be seen at the front of the ship. To the lower right is a notation of the 35th Anniversary significance of this cover. The Golden Deer postcard — Collins #V5101 — is now ready at $13.00