The feature stamp on this hand drawn, hand painted . . . and strictly one-of-a-kind . . . add on FDC, which was crafted on a piece of official USPS air-mail stationery, by Ben Kraft is the PO's 1937 150 Year Anniversary of the Drafting of the United States Constitution 3¢ stamp, Scott # 798.
About the inspiration
for the feature stamp: it was on September 17, 1787 . . . and, hence, this cover's
status as a 150 Year Anniversary FDC . . . when our Founding
Fathers met in Philadelphia to approve the United States Constitution, which is
the heart and the soul of our entire American way of life. Nine months
later, on June 21, 1788, this --- our nation's most defining
document --- was officially
ratified.
About the feature stamp, itself : this majestic looking stamp is a reproduction of an oil painting by the Vermont-born, 19th century artist, Junius Brutus Stearns, an art piece which Mr. Stearns entitled Washington as a Statesman. It depicts George Washington addressing the members of the Constitutional Congress to promote the merits of approving the recently drafted Constitution, which is sprawled out on a table, awaiting each delegate's signature.
About the hand drawn and hand painted cachet : on this one, Mr. Kraft spotlights a colonial spokesman, ringing the Bell of Liberty, as he publicly read the newly devised U.S. Constitution from a piece of parchment paper . . . and all this as the official flag of the Thirteen Original Colonies furls in the background. (And finally, this envelope's red, white, and blue diagonal stripes provide an impressive frame for Mr. Kraft's cachet artistry.)
About the second scanned image : since this cover was designed on an 87-year envelope, I thought it would be a good idea to examine its overall condition together. And without a second's hesitation, I am rating this cover's overall condition a rock-solid 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. First off, the 4 corners, though not needle-point sharp, are in excellent condition for an envelope that has been changing hands for 87 years. Secondly, there are no rips, tears, smears, or anything of that nature to be concerned with. Third . . . and amazingly enough . . . this 87-year-old envelope is 100% flap-mark-free. And fourth, the envelope's actual flap is tucked inside of the envelope, where it is sealed. sealed.
About the cancellation site : and, aptly enough, this cover was tagged a Wavy-Flag cancel from our nation's capital.
About the Scarcity Factor : please note
that this is strictly a one-of-a-kind piece.
All in all, a very cleverly
designed piece of work . . . and dedicated to the
selective collector who appreciates owning a cover that no one else can
possibly own
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