I wanted to share these covers with FSM Members whom build WWII aircraft. The first cover is very unique as it has been canceled in Dayton, Ohio. It not only has a actual USPS Corsair stamp, but it also has a 24 karat pure gold stamp.
The second cover is a computer generated envelope that has a brief history lesson regarding VMF-214.
Very cool, Tosh. Thanks for sharing.
It’s my pleasure!
Your friend’s, Toshi & Ezra
Really neat. Thanks for sharing.
No problem and thank you for your interest in this thread!
Your friend’s, Toshi & Ezra
INFORAMTION REGARDING THE FDC OF THE 24 KARAT GOLD PLATED CORSAIR COVER
First Day of Issue: July19, 1997
First Day City: Dayton, Ohio “Birth place of the Wright Brothers”
Stamp Designer: Phil Jordan Falls Church, Virginia
The carrier-based Corsair depicted on this U.S. Stamp took six years to develop. The result of the effort was a superior, long-lived fighter that saw exstensive action in WWII and was recalled to service in Korea.
Rex Beisel, chief designer at Chance Vought, headed the Corsair project that began in 1938. Although several of the planes began service with land-based Marine squadrons in 1942, they did not measure up to carrier requirements. Then fate intervened. A Japanese Zero Fighter, captured in the Aleutian Islands in 1942, gave the engineers the technical intelligence needed to finalize the Corsair design.
In fact, the F4U Corsair that went into carrier service in April of 1944 out-performed the Zero in every respect. Known as the “bent-wing bird,” it had an unusual inverted gull-wing that allowed for a short, retractable undercarriage. A 2000 horsepower engine powered the plane, giving it a range of 1,562 miles, a ceiling of 34,500 feet, and a maximum speed of 425 miles per hour.
Corsairs were the workhorse of the U.S. Pacific fleet. Nearly 12,700 were built during a decade of production. They saw extensive service as dive bombers, attack airplanes, and night fighters. Their WWII combat record was outstanding. Flying more than 64,000 missions, Corsairs had a kill ratio of better than 11 to 1. They shot down 2,140 enemy aircraft while suffering just 189 losses.
Corsairs were famously flown by the “Black Sheep” squadron VMF-214. Led by Marine Corps Major Greg “Pappy” Boyington in the area of the Solomon Islands known as “The Slot”. Boyington has been credited with a total of 22 kills in the F4U Corsair also known by the Japanese nick name “The Whistling Death”!
Another Corsair cover.
The stamp illustration could pass for a version of the old Monogram F4U-4 box art. Pretty neat!
Yes, I didn’t notice that until you just mentioned it. Thanks for read and reply!
Your friend’s, Toshi & Ezra
I just received these stamps depicting Corsairs. I have a few more on the way.
I wanted to take opportunity to share this mint sheet of 10 stamps. The stamps are from Kiribati.
More stamps of Corsair’s.
I think I have amassed every single Corsair on a stamp. Lol! So this is the final Corsair, after this I have on my watch list via eBay of heavy bombers, allied fighter aircraft, even stamps of Anne Frank.
I have these single Corsair stamps. They are printed from Mozambique, Marshall Islands, Sierra Leone, Republic De Djibouti, Nevis, Maldives, and Republique Centrafricaine.
As is the case, when building a Topical collection and or on a specific subject, you tend to stray to a completely different country. Which in my humble opinion, it’s a great way to learn different cultures.
What’s fun and exciting is to open up mail only to discover stamps that you ordered have arrived! In earnest, stamps of this sort that details around F4U Corsairs and WWII subjects tend to be very inexpensive.
But due to the fact that this year marks 75 years ago in that anything to reflect WWII arises, these Corsair stamps normally should cost $0.75. But due to the 75th Anniversary of WWII, the cost is three times higher.
And that especially cast a high priced shadow on stamps that feature US aircraft. Mustangs, Corsair, Thunderbolt, Warhawks, Hellcats, Wildcats, and TBF Avengers seems to allocate the higher prices.
I’ve also noticed heavy bombers like the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator are popular subjects. Of course Hurricanes, Spitfire, and Avro Landcasters make up the difference.
One stamp that has my attention is a sheet that contains one stamp and that would be a “Shinden”! As I collect more stamps of WWII aircraft, rest assured, I’ll be adding more way subjects.
Your friend’s, Toshi & Ezra
Although there’s only one Corsair depicted on this sheet of stamps, I thought that displaying the sheet as it would be a good idea. Check out all of the artist rendiontion of WWII aircraft.
