Inside Linn’s: Using No. 10 envelopes to create first-day covers

By Charles Snee

The March 27 issue of Linn’s Stamp News just landed on the presses and goes in the mail to subscribers Monday, March 13. And if you subscribe to Linn’s digital edition, you’re at the head of the line with early access Saturday, March 11. While you wait for your issue to arrive in your mailbox, enjoy these three quick glimpses of exclusive content available only to subscribers. 

Using No. 10 envelopes to create first-day covers

“Most United States first-day-cover collectors prefer the No. 6¾ envelope size, which is actually only 6½ inches long, not 6¾ inches, and 3½ inches high. When this became the norm is unknown,” observes Lloyd de Vries in First-Day Covers. Nonetheless, there are many ways to create attractive FDCs using the larger No. 10 business envelope. De Vries illustrates a number of FDCs on No. 10 envelopes that are colorful and engaging. One of them, for the 1936-37 Army-Navy stamps, is illustrated here. One reason for such eye-catching FDCs is fairly obvious: a No. 10 envelope offers almost twice as much space for artwork, stamps and postmarks. This will be apparent when you take a look at the other FDCs de Vries highlights in the column.

Stamps bear witness to the empty thrones of Eastern Europe

In Stamps of Eastern Europe, Rick Miller takes readers on part 1 of a philatelic guided tour of various monarchies and royal dynasties that exist only in history books today. He begins with the Romanov dynasty of Imperial Russia, which had ruled Russia since 1613. The last czar, Nicholas II, and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918. One of the stamps Miller pictures is a Russia 1998 3-ruble stamp with a se-tenant label. The stamp features Nicholas, and the label shows him surrounded by his wife, son and four daughters. The stamp and label were issued for the 80th anniversary of their deaths. The rest of the column is not to be missed, and Miller will continue his tour of the empty thrones of Eastern Europe next month. Stay tuned.

Tip of the Week: U.S. 2019 $25.50 Bethesda Fountain stamp

In their tip of the week, Stamp Market Tips columnists Henry Gitner and Rick Miller put the spotlight on what they call the “hottest and most elusive of the recent Express Mail stamps”: the $25.50 Bethesda Fountain stamp (Scott 5348) issued Jan. 27, 2019. The stamp illustrates this fountain in Central Park in New York City and was sold in panes of four. “As with many other recent very high-denomination stamps, many collectors put off buying this stamp, and it was not stocked in depth by most readers,” Gitner and Miller explain. Just how hot is this stamp, you ask? Read the entire tip to find out.

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