posted 10-06-2018 09:41 AM               

Space Cover #486: Just a portion of cachet used twice.

Some dealers created a generic space cachet, rubber stamp cachet or printed, which was used several times to commemorate different space events.

I am sure all of us have in our albums this kind of covers, and in our minds, these designs clearly identified. The only difference can be found in the application of some text with the mission’s name or rocket’s name.

However, along the years of Astrophilately collecting, I have just found a space cachet which is just a portion of a previous space cachet created time before.

In the above cover, Centennial cachet maker, illustrates very accurately the spacewalk (nowadays defined as EVA –Extra Vehicular Activity-) scheduled for Gemini 9 mission and performed by astronaut Eugene Cernan.

Unfortunately, this spacewalk never happened as consequence as a nagging problem with the space helmet visor (difficulties canceled the use of… is the text chosen by the author). The cover is cancelled in Cape Canaveral on Jun 5, 1966 date of this scheduled spacewalk.

As the cachet is so nice and correct, for sure the dealer though that this cachet should be used in a next spacewalk. So, for the spacewalk scheduled for Apollo 9 mission, Centennial printed again this cachet but just as a close-up look hiding part of spacecraft.

The bottom cover sports a matched Ed White USA spacewalk stamp and is cancelled in Cape Canaveral on Mar 6, 1969 for the first spacewalk of Apollo program performed by astronaut Russell Schweickart.

Maybe this example can be found in other space events but I think this is probably unique.

All cS are invited to share your comments or images if somebody knows of the existence of a case like this.