eBay

PROJECT MERURY - US NAVY RECOVERY FORCE

Major L. Gordon Cooper, Jr - Orbits the Earth

This is a B317 Beck printed cachet plus a rubber stamp ship cachet on the back for the recovery of MA-9 on 05/16/1963. Major Cooper was launched from Cape Canaveral, FL on 05/15/1963 in the space capsule "Faith 7" atop an Atlas launch vehicle. He made 22.9 orbits of the earth in 34 hours after which time his space capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean where he was recovered by the USS Kearsage (CVS-33). This cover was cancelled on board the USS Kearsage on the recovery date. C/V=$300 - - - - - This is a very scarce Beck cachet # B317. Prime Recovery Ship. Ship Cachet on reverse

There are two Beck covers for Gordon Cooper's flight in 1963

postmarked on the prime recovery ship, USS Kearsarge. According to

Mr. Beck's cachet printing log B317 cachet was intended for USS

Fletcher and not USS Kearsarge. B323 was the correct cachet for

USS Kearsarge. Mr. Beck sent a total of 378 printed B317 envelopes

to the US Navy for this flight. The box was marked so all the B317

covers would go to USS Fletcher.

That is not what happened. The US Navy distributed the B317

envelopes to at least 7 different ships including USS Kearsarge.

This means that the actual number of B317 covers cancelled by USS

Fletcher is far less than 378. No one knows the actual quantity. This means

that the quantity of B317 covers cancelled on the other ships

including USS Kearsarge is VERY LOW. Our guess is 25 or less USS

Kearsarge covers exist on B317. USS Kearsarge is the only known

cancel for B323, the correct cachet number for USS Kearsarge. Nearly

300 B323 were produced. Conclusion is that USS Kearsarge B317

cover is worth much more than the Kearsarge B323 for the same event.

The B323 covers sells on eBay for $100 or more.

In November, 2021 a USS Kearsarge, the PRS, on cachet B317 sold for $155 on eBay.

This item will be shipped in the USA via US Priority mail FREE

Worldwide shipping will be $22 Registered