LEHMANN 2000
CHRISTMAS
TEST SEAL COVERS
* * * * * *
October 2001 Letter
Dear Christmas Seal Cover Collectors:
Last year, 2000, registered my 21st consecutive year of making test seal covers and ALA's 22nd 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 am 9 months behind in writing this overview. So long ago, I can't remember if I had any problems or not. I did however, have a unique challenge. Apparently, just being retired for the second year is no guarantee on getting things done on time. For those that do not have a PC, I will print and send you copies of these pages upon request.
2000 COVERS: This year I have five cover types totaling 185 covers. In addition to Santa Claus, Indiana, cancels, I have the Ruldolph, WI (first day city) cancel. I used only the red rectangular pictorial cancel from Santa Claus, IN. For the sixth 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 10 ALA basic seal designs this year. There are 2 versions of the regular seal, 7 test seal designs, 2 religious designs, and 1 Spanish design that uses the regular seal design. Counting gum, size, separations, paper, and organization there are about 2 dozen total varieties. Self-stick seals predominate this year but with a couple of lick-ems as well. I received 3 more test seal design sheets in February, too late to use on covers. The watercolor winter scene design was a test design last year and came back as the single national design for this year but in two border colors. The Chanukah regular seal was continued. The 2000 Christian seal was discontinued last year and returned as a regular religious seal in both English. The stargazers 2000 test design became the 2001 regular seal from a less than sterling groups of test designs.
| REGULAR SEALS | ||
| DESIGN | COVERS | |
| 2000 seals | 1999 seals | |
| WATERCOLOR WINTER SCENES (4-DESIGNS) | | |
| Saw Tooth Diecut blue borders | A & C | A |
| Gummed/Simulated red borders | D | NA |
| Spanish Language -Red Gummed/Simulated Perforations | C | |
| CHANUKAH | D | |
| CHRISTIAN - Nativity (2-designs) | D | |
| TEST SEALS | ||
| ORNAMENTS + STOCKING & CANDLE (5-DESIGNS) | C | NA |
| INDOOR SCENES - red inner/blue outer borders (4-designs) | C | |
| OUTDOOR SCENES - thin red/green outline w/white backgrounds (4-designs) | C | |
| INDOOR DECORATIONS - blue borders (4-designs) | B | |
| LARGE OUTDOOR SCENES - red borders (4-designs) | B | |
| NUTCRACKER - 3-designs | B | |
| STARGAZERS - single design | B | |
| GIFT TAG SEALS | ||
| LARGE OUTDOOR/INDOOR DECORATIONS/STARGAZERS/NUTCRACKER (4-test) | E1 | NA |
| NATIVITY/SPANISH/REGULAR RED/REGULAR Blue/ovals (4-regular) | E2 | |
| INDOOR SCENES/ORNAMENTS/CHANUKAH/OUTDOOR THINS (3-test & 1-regular) | E3 | |
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 'A' to 'E' 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, Postal money orders, and PayPal—no credit cards.
00-A - PREDECESSOR WINTER WATERCOLORS: This cover was the challenge referred to in my opening. The USPS only issued a Christmas postal card for Christmas 2000. I had to keep the tradition going in making my favorite cover made continually for 20 years (1981-00). 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 12, 2000 (above). These were obtained first using un-cacheted postal cards. The House of Farnam steel-die engraved cachet was obtained next. If you look closely, you will see it printed over the lower left corner of the 1999 seal. The cancel bleeds through to the front of this cachet but the lead reindeer's nose in gold is clearly on top. I used all 4 seal designs and all 4 postal card designs that only differ in stamp colors, so I have 4 sub-types if wanted. The stamp and the postal card picture are the same design as the picture to the right-above shows. If you see what looks like a scratch on the deer's fron legs and chest, it is only the engraved impression from the cachet design (in this case the outside red harness). I made 60 covers (15 of each stamp/seal) at $3.95 each (order# 00-A).
00-B - CLASSIC SINGLES: This cover has one single seal from 4 of the 7 year 2000 national test seal sheets. The four panes each had 1 to 4 designs, so, there is a mixture of designs used in the 50 covers made. These use the red rectangular Santa Claus, IN pictorial cancel on Christmas Day. They have a Santa Artopage cachet. All covers use 1 of 4 of the Christmas deer postage stamp and are $2.95 each (order# 00-B).
00-C — SPANISH PLUS PLUS: This philatelic creation uses five different seals. First, it has the two regular winter watercolor seals, one English and the other the Spanish inscription (Feliz Navidad) seal. Then it has the remaining 3 test seals (not used in cover B). 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 25 using the tree Artopage cachet envelope ($3.95 each). (Order# 00-C)
00-D - RELIGIOUS: This cover has the regular Chanukah seal, fourth in an ALA series. It also has the Nativity Christian seal. The third and last seal used the red bordered regular lick-and-stick rouletted seal. I made 25 covers on Christmas day at Santa Claus, IN. It uses their red pictorial rectangular cancel and the small (from booklet pane) Deer Christmas postage stamp. The envelope is an Artopage candle cachet. These covers are $2.95 each. (Order# 00-D).
00-E - GIFT TAG MIX: These cover's have 4 gift tag seals. There are three varieties, each using a different set of gift tags for a total of 12 different if all three are collected. Cover E-1 has the 4 gift tags used on the classic singles cover 00-B—cost is $2.95 (10 made). Cover E-2 has all 3 gift tags of the winter watercolor designs plus the Nativity gift tag. The regular blue bordered seal uses the oval design-seal that is harder to find than the rectangular design—cost is $3.95 (10 made). Cover E-3 has the 3 gift tags used on the Spanish plus-plus singles cover 00-C, plus the Chanukah regular seal—cost is $4.95 (5 made). All three types use the self-stick Deer postage stamp with an Artopage cachet envelope (E-1 = tree, E-2 = wreath, E-3 = sleigh). These covers are postmarked on Christmas day at Santa Claus, IN. They use the red pictorial rectangular cancel.
Look at Additional 2000 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 2000 cover
has an April 23, 2000 black circular date stamp postmark. I use one of the diecut love stamps as postage and an Artopage Easter cachet. Covers have a single Easter seal ($1.95).
I wish everyone live long and prosper in 2001 (plus the tied cover you have always been looking for). Cordially:
Douglas K. Lehmann
P.O. Box 1312
Falls Church, VA 22041-1312
(dlehmann@erols.com)
