LEHMANN 1999
CHRISTMAS
TEST SEAL COVERS
* * * * * *
January 2000 Letter
Dear Christmas Seal Cover Collectors:
Last year, 1999, registered my 20th consecutive year of making test seal covers and ALA's 21st year of test seals. We still have no record of 1979 test seal covers and my 1980 covers sold out in 1981. Again, welcome to you who enjoy collecting this aspect of philately. This year, I had an easy time preparing these covers. As a registered First Day Cover dealer with the USPS, I now have 90 days to submit them. I also have 30 days to submit Santa Claus, Indiana covers for their pictorial cancel. Helping this initiative was that I have retired from the Corps of Engineers at the start of this millennium. So, I have move time than ever as I go electronic with this endeavor. For those that do not have a PC, I will print and send you copies of these pages.
1999 COVERS: This year I have five cover types totaling 200 covers. In addition to Santa Claus, Indiana, cancels include Ruldolph, WI (first day city) and Christiansted, Virgin Islands. I used only the red rectangular pictorial cancel (see above) from Santa Claus, IN. For the fifth year in a row, the ALA did not produce PCP sheets of the regular seal. No imperforate seals were available as well for either the regular or test issues. This letter includes an easy ordering price list with a complete price list and personal want list available upon request. The table summarizes both this year's ALA seals and my covers.
COMMENTARY: There are 7 ALA basic seal designs this year. There are 2 regular seals, 4 test seal designs, and 1 design that could be either. Counting gum, size, separations, paper, and language there are at least 2-dozen varieties. Self-stick seals predominate this year but with a couple of lick-ems as well. The watercolor winter scenes were a test last year and came back in two additional versions this year. Last year's test had a white border (color of paper) and this year we had two new versions with a red and blue border. The latter I added to my Spanish Plus cover. I also made a predecessor cover with them with last years small white border seal. I don't know if they are a test or another regular seal. Compounding the problem is a pane of the Special Edition Commemorative Test seals that contain 10 copies of this design using the larger size and a white border. I did not use these on a cover but did use the other seals as one of the four test seal designs used this year. The Chanukah regular seal was continued but the Christian seal dropped. The test designs are very good and I like the Season Greetings the best, I hope it is the 2000 seal.
| REGULAR SEALS | ||
| DESIGN | COVERS | |
| 1999 seals | 1998 seals | |
| WOOD TOYS (4-DESIGNS) | | |
| Saw Tooth Diecut | IA | IA |
| Wavy Line Diecut | IV | NA |
| Spanish Language - Saw Tooth Diecut | III | |
| Spanish Language - Gummed/Simulated Perforations | III | |
| CHANUKAH (4-DESIGNS) | IV | |
| TEST OR REGULAR SEAL (?) | ||
| WATERCOLOR WINTER SCENES (4-DESIGNS) | | |
| White Border - Gummed/simulated Perforations | NA | IB |
| Red Border -Simulated Perforations | IB & III | NA |
| Blue Border - Saw Tooth Diecut | III | |
| TEST AND OTHER SEALS | ||
| |
COVERS (1999 seals) | |
| SPECIAL EDITION COMMEMORATIVE (18-DESIGNS/2 PANES) | II | |
| SPECIAL NORMAN ROCKWELL EDITION (4-DESIGNS) | II | |
| 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (12-DESIGNS) | II | |
 (4-DESIGNS) |
II | |
| VIRGIN ISLAND SEAL (15-DESIGNS) (NON-ALA) | V | |
COVER TYPES: The following lists the five covers that I made this year. This listing uses my formal numbering system that is shown only as numbers 'I' to 'V' on the attached Easy Ordering Price List. NOTE: orders of $22.75 or more receive a 20% discount. Postage free within the United States. However, you may order using any list you choose. I only take checks and Postal money orders, no credit cards.
99-I - PREDECESSOR WOOD TOYS: This is my favorite cover made continually for 19 years (1981-99). The cover takes the winning test seal of the previous year and combines it with the regular seal of the current year. The result is the same seal design but with two different dates. Both seals are self-stick with die cut perforations. I use the Rudolph, WI First Day Cancel (FDC) of October 20, 1999. The self-stick deer postage adorns a House of Farnam steel-die engraved cachet envelope. I used all 4 seal designs and all 4 postage stamp colors, so I have 4 sub-types if wanted. I made 40 covers (10 of each stamp/seal) at $3.95 each (order# 99-IA). Also have 12 more with an Artopage wreath cachet using two of the Watercolor winter scene seals at $3.45 each (order# 99-IB).
99-II - CLASSIC SINGLES: This cover has one single seal from each of the four 1999 national test seal sheets. The four panes each had 4 to 18 designs, so, there is a mixture of designs used in the 50 covers made. These use the red rectangular Santa Claus, IN pictorial cancel. They have a sleigh Artopage cachet. I made 12 more using the four gift tags with the Santa Artopage cachet. Both covers use the Christmas deer postage stamp and are $2.95 each (order 99-IIA for the 4 singles and 99-IIB for the 4 gift tags).
99-III — SPANISH PLUS PLUS: This philatelic creation uses four different seals. First, it has the two versions of the Spanish inscription (Feliz Navidad) seal. One design is larger (gummed/simulated perforations) than the other (sawtooth diecut). Then it has two of the watercolor winter seal seal designs — the red and blue bordered ones. The cover is postmarked on Christmas day at Santa Claus, IN. It uses their red pictorial rectangular cancel and the deer postage stamp. I made 50 using the wreath Artopage cachet envelope ($2.95 each). I made a large number in case you feel the watercolors are a test seal (and these are not on the classic cover).
99-IV - RELIGION: This cover has the regular Chanukah seal, third in an ALA series. It has a second test seal that is the Wood Toys regular seal using wavy line diecut perforations. I made 21 covers on Christmas day at Santa Claus, IN. It uses their red pictorial rectangular cancel and the Deer Christmas postage stamp. The envelope is an Artopage candle cachet (pictured above). These covers are $2.95 each.
99-V - VIRGIN ISLAND: This cover has a single seal from the 12th Virgin Islands Children's Seal Fund, Incorporated sheet series. They claim this will be the last. Each seal has the word "CHRISTMAS 1999" inscribed on it. The seals show open island doorways in local architecture with the tropical sea and horizon in the background. The ALA does not distribute seal sheets in this possession. The Fund prints these 15-seal sheets in Denmark (one sheet used for covers). All covers are postmarked Christiansted, (St. Croix) on Christmas Day using a black 4-bar circular date stamp. They use the self-stick Madonna postage stamp with an Artopage candle cachet envelope ($3.95).
Look at Additional 1999 Cover Pictures (Reduced Sizes)
EASTER SEALS: I also sell tied Easter seal covers since no one else does. These I cancel in Nazareth, PA on Easter Sunday. The 1999 cover
diecut love stamps as postage and an Artopage Easter cachet. Covers have 2-3 Easter seals ($1.95).
I wish everyone live long and prosper in 2000 (plus the tied cover you have always been looking for). Cordially:
Douglas K. Lehmann
P.O. Box pending (use email)
Falls Church, VA 22041
(dlehmann@erols.com)
