Panama Canal (856)

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=22 BGCOLOR="#BF0000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=145 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1939 Issues"><IMG SRC="0af1e140.png" border=0 width="30" height="20" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <div> <A HREF="baseball_centennial_855.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Baseball Centennial (855)"><IMG SRC="0b0280e0.png" border=0 width="40" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A><A HREF="printing_anniversary_857.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Printing Anniversary (857)"><IMG SRC="0b1280e0.png" border=0 width="40" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <div> <A HREF="panama_canal_856___page_1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Panama Canal (856) Page 1"><IMG SRC="0b21e140.png" border=0 width="30" height="20" ALT="down" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="panama_canal_856___page_1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Panama Canal (856) Page 1">Panama - </A><A HREF="panama_canal_856___page_1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Panama Canal (856) Page 1">Page 1</A></div> <div> <A HREF="panama_canal_856___page_2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Panama Canal (856) Page 2">Panama</A><A HREF="panama_canal_856___page_2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Panama Canal (856) Page 2"> - Page 2</A></div> <div> <A HREF="panama_canal_856___page_3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Panama Canal (856) Page 3">Panama</A><A HREF="panama_canal_856___page_3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Panama Canal (856) Page 3"> - Page 3</A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=458 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><I>W. G. Crosby FDC Catalog</I></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#663399" FACE="Times New Roman" > </FONT> |    <B> </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="https://wgcrosbyfdcs.com/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="https://wgcrosbyfdcs.com/index.htm"><B>home</B></A></FONT></div> <div> back to  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1939 Issues"><B>1939 Issues</B></A></FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0ae07040.png" border=0 width="263" height="4" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Panama Canal 25th Anniversary (U.S. Scott #856 and Canal Zone Issues)</B><B> </B></div> <bR> <div> As described by Max Johl in Volume II of <I>The United States Commemorative Stamps of the Twentieth Century</I>, President Roosevelt suggested that the Canal Zone (then a part of the United States) should issue a series of stamps commemorating the 25th anniversary of the construction and operation of the Panama Canal.  As a consequence, the Canal Zone issued 22 stamps to commemorate the occasion (16 regular issues and 6 airmail stamps.)  Additionally, Postmaster General James Farley announced on November 22, 1938 that the USPOD would also issue one stamp to commemorate the occasion.  The date of August 15, 1939 was selected for the release of all of the stamps with the exception of the Canal Zone airmail stamps which were released a month earlier, on July 15, 1939.  </div> <bR> <div> Missing from the initial announcement was the location of where the U.S. stamp would be placed on first day sale.  While Washington D. C. could have been chosen, it was thought that a better location, connected with the Canal Zone should be used instead.  The most logical place would have been at a post office in the Canal Zone.  However, the Canal Zone had its own stamps and U.S. Stamps were not valid for postage there.  On June 15, 1939, a solution to the problem was announced.  Many U.S. Naval vessels have their own post office on board and it was decided that the USS Charleston would be at the Canal Zone on August 15, 1939, and that it would provide first-day franking for the new stamp.</div> <bR> <div> Crosby created many varieties of cachets for these  issues.  While the Planty Catalog documents some 60 cachets (illustrating only covers with U.S. Scott #856), Charles J. O'Brien III documented another almost 80 cachets in his cover article for <I>First Days </I>for May 2013.  And the current number of varieties shown in this catalog has now reached nearly 250.  And with all Crosby cachet varieties, it is likely that other un-documented covers exist as well.  </div> <bR> <div> Although Crosby designated a number of the cachets for specific denominations for both the CZ stamps and the US issue (See for example WGC-3E1 and WGC- 7A2) , cachets of virtually every type can be found on covers with both types of stamps.  </div> <bR> <div> I have organized the cachets into major and minor groupings as are illustrated below.  While I have listed 17 basic categories of cachets, there are numerous major and minor variations as documented in this catalog.  Crosby used different fonts including both serif and sans-serif fonts.  Titles on the cachets often include:  'FIRST DAY PANAMA CANAL ISSUE', 'FIRST DAY PANAMA ISSUE', FIRST DAY CANAL ZONE ISSUE',  and just 'PANAMA CANAL'  or 'CANAL ZONE'.  The various cachets of the maps versions (WGC-7-10) not only show differences in titles and fonts, but below the map some have '1939' others 'August 15th 1939' and still others with no date at all.  And of course there are many different color and photo varieties.  Every time I see a Crosby Panama Canal cachet I start off by thinking that I have that one but then seeing something different on closer examination.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="850" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 31 ><NOBR><div> <B>  Many significant variations in cachet styles exist and are noted on the following pages.</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 426 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="22a75a900.jpg" border=0 width="346" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-1 - Teddy Roosevelt</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="22a95d900.jpg" border=0 width="349" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-2 - George Goethals</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 426 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="22ab72900.jpg" border=0 width="370" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-3 - 25th Anniv. plus paragraph text</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="22ad64900.jpg" border=0 width="356" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-4 - 25th Anniv. plus CZ seal</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 426 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="22af66900.jpg" border=0 width="358" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-5 - 25th Anniv. plus "Triumph" at bottom</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="22b16a900.jpg" border=0 width="362" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-6 - Panama Canal Official plus USS Charleston image</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 445 WIDTH="371"><div> <B><IMG SRC="22b356900.jpg" border=0 width="342" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-7 - "FIRST DAY CANAL ZONE ISSUE" plus Americas Map</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="460"><div> <B><IMG SRC="22b55f900.jpg" border=0 width="351" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-8 - "FIRST DAY PANAMA CANAL ISSUE" plus Americas Map</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 426 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="22b759900.jpg" border=0 width="345" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-9 - "Panama Canal" plus Americas Map</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="22b949900.jpg" border=0 width="329" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-10 - "Commemorating etc." plus Americas Map</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 445 WIDTH="371"><div> <B><IMG SRC="22bb51900.jpg" border=0 width="337" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-11 - Sketch of Col. Gorgas with aerial view of the locks.</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="22bd47900.jpg" border=0 width="327" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-12 - Sketch of Col. Goethals with photo of T. Roosevelt</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 445 WIDTH="371"><div> <B><IMG SRC="22bf5e900.jpg" border=0 width="350" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-13 - Palm Trees and Sea Plane Sketch with seaplane photo.</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="460"><div> <B><IMG SRC="22c396900.jpg" border=0 width="406" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-14 - "25th ANNIVERSARY, etc." with "CROSS ROADS OF THE WORLD" above photo.</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 445 WIDTH="371"><div> <B><IMG SRC="22c567900.jpg" border=0 width="359" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-15 - Palm Trees sketch surrounding photo of USS Charleston</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="460"><div> <B><IMG SRC="22c754900.jpg" border=0 width="340" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-16 - Text above photo of locks.  NOTE:  I strongly suspect that this is not a Crosby cachet.</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 392 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="2d0c205b0.jpg" border=0 width="800" height="347" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>WGC-17 - Dual Cachets on #10 envelopes.</B></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="baseball_centennial_855.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Baseball Centennial (855)"><B>Prior Page</B></A><B>   </B><A HREF="printing_anniversary_857.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Printing Anniversary (857)"><B>Next Page</B></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>