Gerald Ford vice presidential free frank hard to find

U.S. Stamp Notes by John M. Hotchner

Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States, might be called the “accidental president,” the only person to reach that office without the benefit of standing for national election before becoming president.

He was a member of Congress representing Michigan’s 5th congressional district from 1949-73. For the last nine years of that period, he served in House of Representatives leadership as minority leader.

When Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace due to financial irregularities as Richard Nixon’s vice president, Nixon appointed Ford as the 40th vice president of the United States to replace Agnew. Ford served only nine months in that office before Nixon also resigned at the end of the Watergate scandal.

Ford then succeeded to the presidency on Aug. 9, 1974. That makes the vice presidential franked envelope shown here an unusual item. Undoubtedly, there are thousands of these covers floating around, but many owners may not realize their significance.

They are much more difficult to find than Ford’s presidential covers as he served as president for almost two and a half years.

Ford did run for reelection as the Republican presidential nominee in 1976 but was defeated by Jimmy Carter.

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