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The
37 Cent Louisiana Purchase Stamp
Issued on April 30, 2003 in New Orleans, Louisiana
Designed by Richard Sheaff - Artist Garin Baker
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
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Pane of 20 Stamps
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I
began collecting stamps in 1959 when I was 14 years old. Over the
years my interests have included World-Wide Issues, Postal
History, Airmails, and U.S. Classics. I began collecting First Day of
Issue covers about four years ago.
During all of this time, I have never had the
opportunity to attend a "First Day of
Issue Ceremony."
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USPS Media Rep
Liz Carter-Right
and Me-Middle
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I
had the honor of attending a ceremony program for the first time on
April 30, 2003. The stamp commemorates "The
Louisiana Purchase"
of 1803 and since I live in New Orleans it was an opportunity not
to be missed. The Ceremony was held at the Cabildo
in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
It
was an exciting and interesting experience that I would like to share
with you along with some of the background and history behind the
actual event.
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USPS Stamp Booth
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THE
CEREMONY
I arrived an hour early so that I would have
a chance to look around and meet some of the people. There was a fair sized
crowd already on hand. Several members of
the
Crescent City Stamp Club, a local club of which I am a member,
were also at
the
USPS booth. They had a box of 200 covers that the club had designed
ready for canceling. I designed 15 covers of my own for this issue and I also
had several of the official invitations first day canceled.
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Autographed
First Day Program
Official Invitation
With First Day
Official Stamp Pin
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I was attending
the
show as the representative of "Reflections,"
the quarterly magazine of ESPER, our Black Heritage Philatelic
Organization. The USPS media representative, Liz Carter provided me
with a press kit and badge. The kit included background material on
the
ceremony and information about stamp collecting and
the
postal service in general. It also contained a program, a lapel
pin, show cover, and a Maxi Card. Liz turned out to be a wonderfully
warm person and I really enjoyed meeting and chatting with her. (We
had another postal employee take our picture together.)
I bought several of
the
USPS first day covers with a pictorial cancel and three panes of
the
new issue to place on my covers and other related items for the
First Day Cancellation. The postal service was also selling
the
official invitations and Louisiana Purchase lapel pins. The First Day
Programs were handed out to each guest as we took our seats. (Each
of the programs contained a First Day cancel.)
All of
the
postal workers at the
show were very friendly and helpful, however the postal worker doing
the cancellations appeared unfamiliar with self-inking stamps. There
were 6 different cancellation devices available for use;
the
First Day Cancel strike, and 5 others of various sizes with the
standard date strike. One
of these was a large self-inking device.
(The postal worker proceeded to cancel one of
my covers with the self-inking device after placing it on the ink
pad. Needless to say that cancel was a bit messy.)
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Seating Area
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By the
time the
opening ceremony had begun,
the
crowd had grown quite large. A good portion of
the
crowd attending
the
ceremony were French Quarter tourists who had wandered into
the
area out of curiosity and stayed. Several of these individuals asked
me if they could buy some of my covers, however as all of my covers
were already promised, I had to politely decline the offers.
National and local dignitaries at the ceremony
included: Lt. Governor
Kathleen Blanco; State Senator
Willie
Mount; Louisiana State Museums
Director, Jim Sefcik;
New Orleans Postmaster, Alan Cousin;
USPS Chief
Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Richard Strasser;
and our local NBC News Anchor, Norman Robinson.
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Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Sources:
Encyclopedia
Britannica
American
Patriots by Gail Buckley
Encyclopedia
Africana
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