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United States/Covers & Postmarks : How 'bout Some Early Ship Covers?

 

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BenFranklin1902
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Tom in Exton, PA

27 Feb 2021
07:28:39pm

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When I started collecting my Ben Franklin 1902s at age 14, I had no idea what a pivotal time in postal history I had selected! All kinds of changes in the system, many firsts including the first Christmas seals and even the first US ship cancels!

From information on the Universal Ship Cancellation Society, I learned that postmarks for navy vessels first appeared in 1908. I'm not sure of the rollout, especially since all my covers are 1909 and 1910. This was the tail end of my Franklin era, and the Series of 1902 stamps were replaced. The replacement issue of 1909 Ben Franklin 1 cent stamp first day is just listed as December 1908, but we know that there were probably good stocks of the earlier issue at post offices across the country, so it's plentiful on 1909 covers. Thus, I wanted to have a few examples of my beloved Scott 300 on ship covers.

I started out just wanting an example or two but you know how that goes! Now I will buy any cover or card, so far only finding cards, with Scott 300 and a navy cancel I do not have. I will not pay exorbitant prices, so I've passed on quite a few. But to date I've collected the following eight examples.

Image Not Found

USS Charleston (C-22) was commissioned in 1905 and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. It's main beat was protecting the Western shores of South America. During WWI she was pressed into service as a fleet escort and stationed off the coast of St Thomas, USVI to protect from commerce raids.

As part of the London Naval Treaty, many warships were scrapped in 1930. The Charleston was stripped down to the water line and sold to the Powell River Company, Ltd. On 25 October 1930, the ship was towed to Powell River, British Columbia, Canada, to serve as a floating breakwater for a large logging mill. The hulk was ballasted, anchored and periodically pumped out to keep her afloat. The following year, she was joined by the hull of the cruiser Huron (formerly South Dakota). In 1961, heavy weather caused Charleston to partially flood, and her hull was towed to Kelsey Bay, on the north coast of Vancouver Island. The hulk was run ashore to serve as a breakwater, where she can be seen to this day.

Image Not Found

USS Maine (BB-10), launched in 1901 replacing the USS Maine whose sinking in 1898 precipitated the Spanish–American War, was the lead ship of her class of battleships. She participated in the voyage of the Great White Fleet, and was decommissioned in 1920 to be sold for scrap in 1923.

Image Not Found

USS Marietta (PG-15) Launched in 1897 it participated in the Spanish-American War, The Philippine-American War. During the 1909 period of this postmark the ship was stationed in the Canal Zone and South America to protect American interests there. The reverse side is a postcard from the Canal Zone. During WWI the ship escorted convoys and was retired and sold in 1920.

Image Not Found

USS Maryland (ACR-8) - A Pennsylvania class cruiser launched in 1903, that saw action in WWI, later named the USS Frederick, and made 5 round trips to return troops from France at the end of the war. She was scrapped in 1930.

Image Not Found

USS Minnesota (BB-22) Commissioned in 1907, she joined the Great White Fleet for that 1908-9 mission. During the war, she trained naval personnel; while cruising off the eastern coast of the United States in September 1918, she struck a naval mine laid by a German U-boat. The extensive damage kept her out of service for the rest of the war. She helped to return American soldiers from Europe in 1919 before resuming her training ship duties in 1920–1921, before being decommissioned in December 1921 and broken up for scrap at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1924.

Image Not Found

USS Pensacola - The most interesting of these ships, The Pensacola was commissioned in 1859 and served during the US Civil War. It's the only masted ship of my collection. Subsequently the ship served in both the Pacific and Atlantic fleets until 1911. She was set afire and sunk by the Navy in 1912.

Image Not Found

USS South Dakota (ACR-9) Commissioned in 1908. In the autumn of 1909, she deployed westward with the Armored Cruiser Squadron. The force called at ports in the Admiralty Islands, the Philippines, Japan, and China, before returning to Honolulu on 31 January 1910. The 1909 postcard is from the Philippines.

During WWI the ship escorted troop convoys in the Atlantic. Eventually she was taken out of service in 1929, and scrapped in 1931. She was stripped down to the waterline and was sold to a logging operation as a floating breakwater, joining the USS Charleston (see details in that section) there. Eventually sunk and remains there today.

Image Not Found

USS Tennessee (ACR-10) Each of these ships have a unique story. The Tennessee was commissioned in 1906, and participated in the Jamestown Exposition in 1907. The ship was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, patrolling off the California coast in 1908 and had a major boiler explosion that killed 7 men. After repairs she was returned to the fleet and our postcard is from Peru. She later served in Turkey, and was renamed the USS Memphis in 1916. Calamity again struck in the harbor of Santo Domingo on the afternoon of 29 August 1916 when a tsunami size wave engulfed and destroyed the ship and losing 43 sailors.

As you can see, my brief foray into naval postmarks has gotten me to research more history than I anticipated. Isn't that the way these things go? And now I have a lot more respect for the places my postcards have been, and the majestic ships the sailers served on.




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BenFranklin1902
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Tom in Exton, PA

05 May 2021
04:12:27pm

Approvals
re: How 'bout Some Early Ship Covers?

I thought I'd add to this thread as I find new cards for the collection. These two cards found their way here via eBay this week. Again, my line in the sand is that I'm not paying more than $10 a cover and I just wanted a representative group of good ole Ben onboard ships of the era.


Image Not Found

USS Independence, The reverse card is just a view of Park Avenue on Mare Island California. USS Independence was launched in 1814 and was not decommissioned until 1913. In it's later years it was a training ship stationed at Mare Island Navy Yard.


Image Not Found


Here's an old postcard of the ship, not mine, I found it on the Internet.

Image Not Found

USS Constellation. This is where the collection goes off track! Notice that the stamp is the Ben Franklin stamp of 1909, when my dear Ben was put out of service. I swore I wouldn't veer off into naval covers, but here we are. I resisted buying a lot of others, but this one was super cheap.

The USS Constellation is a large warship that was commissioned in 1855. The 22-gun sloop was active for 100 years and served in several military conflicts. The vessel also played a central role in ending the foreign slave trade. Slavery was widely practiced well before the United States was founded in 1776. By 1807, the founding fathers outlawed the importation of slaves to the United States. Slaves could no longer be brought into the U.S. from Africa, but slavery was still legal. Some U.S. merchants ignored the law and continued to kidnap free Africans and sell them into slavery. The USS Constellation attempted to stop this by capturing slave ships off the coast of Africa. Total, the crew captured three slave ships and freed 705 Africans, including 199 women and children.

The USS Constellation ended its tour off the coast of Africa to assist the Union in the Civil War (1861-1865). By the outbreak of the war, both the Confederate and Union armies relied on steam-powered ships to attack opposing forces. While not steam-powered, the USS Constellation still proved essential to the Union war effort. In addition to protecting American interests abroad, the ship assisted in the capture of the Confederate steam cruiser the CSS Sumter.

Image Not Found

The USS Constellation was eventually decommissioned in 1955 after 100 years of service. Located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, this vessel is the only surviving ship from the Civil War Era. It is now a National Historic Landmark. This may very well be the last surviving ship of our 1908-10 era. Pretty darn interesting and I'm pleased I got the card.

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Author/Postings
Members Picture
BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
27 Feb 2021
07:28:39pm

Approvals

When I started collecting my Ben Franklin 1902s at age 14, I had no idea what a pivotal time in postal history I had selected! All kinds of changes in the system, many firsts including the first Christmas seals and even the first US ship cancels!

From information on the Universal Ship Cancellation Society, I learned that postmarks for navy vessels first appeared in 1908. I'm not sure of the rollout, especially since all my covers are 1909 and 1910. This was the tail end of my Franklin era, and the Series of 1902 stamps were replaced. The replacement issue of 1909 Ben Franklin 1 cent stamp first day is just listed as December 1908, but we know that there were probably good stocks of the earlier issue at post offices across the country, so it's plentiful on 1909 covers. Thus, I wanted to have a few examples of my beloved Scott 300 on ship covers.

I started out just wanting an example or two but you know how that goes! Now I will buy any cover or card, so far only finding cards, with Scott 300 and a navy cancel I do not have. I will not pay exorbitant prices, so I've passed on quite a few. But to date I've collected the following eight examples.

Image Not Found

USS Charleston (C-22) was commissioned in 1905 and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. It's main beat was protecting the Western shores of South America. During WWI she was pressed into service as a fleet escort and stationed off the coast of St Thomas, USVI to protect from commerce raids.

As part of the London Naval Treaty, many warships were scrapped in 1930. The Charleston was stripped down to the water line and sold to the Powell River Company, Ltd. On 25 October 1930, the ship was towed to Powell River, British Columbia, Canada, to serve as a floating breakwater for a large logging mill. The hulk was ballasted, anchored and periodically pumped out to keep her afloat. The following year, she was joined by the hull of the cruiser Huron (formerly South Dakota). In 1961, heavy weather caused Charleston to partially flood, and her hull was towed to Kelsey Bay, on the north coast of Vancouver Island. The hulk was run ashore to serve as a breakwater, where she can be seen to this day.

Image Not Found

USS Maine (BB-10), launched in 1901 replacing the USS Maine whose sinking in 1898 precipitated the Spanish–American War, was the lead ship of her class of battleships. She participated in the voyage of the Great White Fleet, and was decommissioned in 1920 to be sold for scrap in 1923.

Image Not Found

USS Marietta (PG-15) Launched in 1897 it participated in the Spanish-American War, The Philippine-American War. During the 1909 period of this postmark the ship was stationed in the Canal Zone and South America to protect American interests there. The reverse side is a postcard from the Canal Zone. During WWI the ship escorted convoys and was retired and sold in 1920.

Image Not Found

USS Maryland (ACR-8) - A Pennsylvania class cruiser launched in 1903, that saw action in WWI, later named the USS Frederick, and made 5 round trips to return troops from France at the end of the war. She was scrapped in 1930.

Image Not Found

USS Minnesota (BB-22) Commissioned in 1907, she joined the Great White Fleet for that 1908-9 mission. During the war, she trained naval personnel; while cruising off the eastern coast of the United States in September 1918, she struck a naval mine laid by a German U-boat. The extensive damage kept her out of service for the rest of the war. She helped to return American soldiers from Europe in 1919 before resuming her training ship duties in 1920–1921, before being decommissioned in December 1921 and broken up for scrap at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1924.

Image Not Found

USS Pensacola - The most interesting of these ships, The Pensacola was commissioned in 1859 and served during the US Civil War. It's the only masted ship of my collection. Subsequently the ship served in both the Pacific and Atlantic fleets until 1911. She was set afire and sunk by the Navy in 1912.

Image Not Found

USS South Dakota (ACR-9) Commissioned in 1908. In the autumn of 1909, she deployed westward with the Armored Cruiser Squadron. The force called at ports in the Admiralty Islands, the Philippines, Japan, and China, before returning to Honolulu on 31 January 1910. The 1909 postcard is from the Philippines.

During WWI the ship escorted troop convoys in the Atlantic. Eventually she was taken out of service in 1929, and scrapped in 1931. She was stripped down to the waterline and was sold to a logging operation as a floating breakwater, joining the USS Charleston (see details in that section) there. Eventually sunk and remains there today.

Image Not Found

USS Tennessee (ACR-10) Each of these ships have a unique story. The Tennessee was commissioned in 1906, and participated in the Jamestown Exposition in 1907. The ship was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, patrolling off the California coast in 1908 and had a major boiler explosion that killed 7 men. After repairs she was returned to the fleet and our postcard is from Peru. She later served in Turkey, and was renamed the USS Memphis in 1916. Calamity again struck in the harbor of Santo Domingo on the afternoon of 29 August 1916 when a tsunami size wave engulfed and destroyed the ship and losing 43 sailors.

As you can see, my brief foray into naval postmarks has gotten me to research more history than I anticipated. Isn't that the way these things go? And now I have a lot more respect for the places my postcards have been, and the majestic ships the sailers served on.




Like 
9 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
Members Picture
BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
05 May 2021
04:12:27pm

Approvals

re: How 'bout Some Early Ship Covers?

I thought I'd add to this thread as I find new cards for the collection. These two cards found their way here via eBay this week. Again, my line in the sand is that I'm not paying more than $10 a cover and I just wanted a representative group of good ole Ben onboard ships of the era.


Image Not Found

USS Independence, The reverse card is just a view of Park Avenue on Mare Island California. USS Independence was launched in 1814 and was not decommissioned until 1913. In it's later years it was a training ship stationed at Mare Island Navy Yard.


Image Not Found


Here's an old postcard of the ship, not mine, I found it on the Internet.

Image Not Found

USS Constellation. This is where the collection goes off track! Notice that the stamp is the Ben Franklin stamp of 1909, when my dear Ben was put out of service. I swore I wouldn't veer off into naval covers, but here we are. I resisted buying a lot of others, but this one was super cheap.

The USS Constellation is a large warship that was commissioned in 1855. The 22-gun sloop was active for 100 years and served in several military conflicts. The vessel also played a central role in ending the foreign slave trade. Slavery was widely practiced well before the United States was founded in 1776. By 1807, the founding fathers outlawed the importation of slaves to the United States. Slaves could no longer be brought into the U.S. from Africa, but slavery was still legal. Some U.S. merchants ignored the law and continued to kidnap free Africans and sell them into slavery. The USS Constellation attempted to stop this by capturing slave ships off the coast of Africa. Total, the crew captured three slave ships and freed 705 Africans, including 199 women and children.

The USS Constellation ended its tour off the coast of Africa to assist the Union in the Civil War (1861-1865). By the outbreak of the war, both the Confederate and Union armies relied on steam-powered ships to attack opposing forces. While not steam-powered, the USS Constellation still proved essential to the Union war effort. In addition to protecting American interests abroad, the ship assisted in the capture of the Confederate steam cruiser the CSS Sumter.

Image Not Found

The USS Constellation was eventually decommissioned in 1955 after 100 years of service. Located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, this vessel is the only surviving ship from the Civil War Era. It is now a National Historic Landmark. This may very well be the last surviving ship of our 1908-10 era. Pretty darn interesting and I'm pleased I got the card.

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
        

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