posted 07-20-2013 11:36 AM               

Space Cover 223: One Small Step

July 20, 2013 marks the 44th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing.

As many of you know my father, Paul Calle designed the iconic 1969 First Man on the Moon stamp, C76. The design of the stamp was carried out in secrecy by the US Post Office and the bureau of Engraving and Printing. It wasn't until July 9, 1969 that then Postmaster General Winton Blount announced that "Apollo 11 will mark America's first mail run to the Moon." He also revealed that the Apollo 11 crew would take with them to the Moon the engraved die that later would be used to make the stamp's printing plates, along with a special, "Moon Letter" bearing a die proof of the stamp which the astronauts would postmark on the Moon.

The letter was actually postmarked on the return journey as Michael Collins wrote in his book, Carrying the Fire. "Never mind that it is July 22, this is the first chance we have had to get to it. We try the cancellation out first, inking it and printing it in our flight plan three times until we get the hang of it, and then we apply it gingerly to the one and only envelope, which we understand the postmaster will put on tour."

The stamp design was no secret to me and my family, all we needed to do was go to my dad's studio to see the dozens of sketches and him working on the final design, an acrylic painting of Neil Armstrong making the first step by a human onto another planet.

The stamps cancel has not only the September 9 1969 Washington DC issue date but also a replica of the July 20 "MOON LANDING USA" date stamp that the Apollo 11 astronauts applied to the Moon letter in space. The stamp inspired great interest in the First Day Cover collecting community. Within weeks after the July 9th announcement about the not yet issued stamp the Post Office had received over 500,00 requests for First Day Covers.

In total the Post Office received an astronomical 8,743,070 requests for First Day Cover cancels. This is the issue that I enjoy collecting. Last week I even acquired a First Day cover I did not have and it even had the autograph of the stamp designer! Let's see your favorite C76 First Day Cover...

posted 07-21-2013 02:28 PM               

Keep looking for those unusual C-76 covers, signed of course!!

posted 07-24-2013 04:59 PM               

1969 designed by Paul Calle, 1989 designed by Chris Calle and both 1994 stamps jointly designed by Paul and Chris Calle.