USA
1978 One "USOPS Fables" First Day of Issue envelope featuring the "A" Stamp. Postmarked Memphis, TN, May 27, 1978. Signed by Doris Gold. $5.95 from DK Stampman through eBay, July, '18.
Catching up on cataloguing stamps led me to realize that this is a whole series of sustained UPOPS FDC's, and so I went back to see if I could find the missing letters A, B, and D. I had luck so far only on this "A" envelope. "Doris Gold Cachets" here will become simply "Doris Gold" in later FDC's. Was this "A" stamp worth $.15? I believe that no particular "Fairy Tale" is depicted by showing these two children playing with a building/spelling block.
1981 One "USOPS Fables" First Day of Issue envelope featuring The "B" Stamp. Postmarked San Francisco, CA, March 15, 1981. Doris Gold Cachets. $1.43 from AAO, LLC, Indianapolis, IN, through eBay, Sept., '22.
This envelope fills a gap in this series. This image and presentation has fun with this stamp as the "B Sting." I still wonder how many envelopes and stamps there might be in all. For this one, the price was right!
1981 One "USOPS Fables" First Day of Issue envelope featuring The "C" Stamp. Postmarked Memphis, TN, Oct. 11, 1981. Doris Gold Cachets. $5 from RKA Covers, Lafayette, IN, through eBay, August, '04.
"Doris Gold Cachets" here will become simply "Doris Gold" in the next FDC I have, namely from 1988 for the "E" stamp. Apparently, the "C" stamp was originally worth $.20. The picture here suggests that the "A" stamp was worth $.15 and the "B" worth $.18. Consumers may not be happy to read that "Raising postal rates is as easy as...ABC"! How many envelopes and stamps might there be in all?
1985 One "D Stamp" First Day of Issue envelope. Postmarked Los Angeles, Feb. 1, '1985. Signed by James B. Paslay. $12 from gumball99 through Ebay, Oct., '22.
I have come to believe that this envelope does not belong in this collection. I had long sought the "USOPS Fables" envelope announcing the "D" stamp, since we have all in the series, from "A" through "H" except for "D." When I saw a "D" envelope offered, I thought it was that missing member of the series. I see now no indication that it belongs to the series. It seems to be rather an envelope announcing the "D" stamp with Number 72 of 80 hand-painted illustrations by James B. Paslay. There is surely some irony in picturing a US rocket and commenting "Rates Going Up!" "Rates going up" is of course the dynamic behind having ever new alphabetical stamps with successive higher values. So far I have failed in my efforts to find out whether there may not be an official "USOPS Fables" "D Stamp" envelope from the Post Office.
1988 One "USOPS Fables" First Day of Issue envelope featuring The "E" Stamp. Postmarked Washington D.C. Jan. 22, 1988. Handpainted (?) and signed by Doris Gold. $6.02 from Oceanic Stamps, Coins & Artifacts Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia, through Ebay, Feb., '01.
The seller's description of this item on Ebay identifies it as handpainted, but I am less sure of that. Likelier is that the Doris Gold's signature is original. Apparently, the "E" stamp was originally worth $.25. The picture here shows an eagle holding a cube aloft against the background of a blue sky. I have not been able to find Scott particulars for this stamp.
1990 One Olympians FDC Envelope with original Tortoise and Hare art by GreenLee. Postmarked Minneapolis, MN, July 6, 1990. $8.50 from Linda Roberts, Jordanville, NY, through eBay, May, '03.
The five different $.25 stamps present American Olympics winners: Hazel Wightman, Eddie Eagan, Helene Madison, Jesse Owens, and Ray Ewry. The envelope itself has a hare in gray and reddish-brown and a tortoise in two shades of green. The logo is "I accept the challenge." On the back is marked "8/35 Paw Prints #5." May there be other Olympic themes from GreenLee that use fables?
1991 One "USOPS Fables" First Day of Issue envelope featuring The "F" Stamp. Postmarked Washington D.C. Jan. 22, 1991. Handpainted and signed by Doris Gold as #92 of 200. $12.52 from Dave Fletcher, Dallas, TX, through Ebay, Sept., '99.
The seller's description of this item on Ebay identifies it as "Doris Gold's Hand-painted First Day Cover for Scott #2517 'F' Nondenominated Sheet Single show by Doris as part of the ongoing 'USOPS Fables', 200 made." Is USOPS the United States Office of Postal Service? The picture is of a golden and red flower enclosing a number of fairies. A butterfly looks on. The stamp itself presents a rose and seems to offer "Flower" as its word for the "F" designation.
1994 "USOPS Fables" First Day of Issue envelope featuring The "G" Stamp. "7th in a series of postal raises." Postmarked Washington, DC, Dec. 13, 1994. Signed and numbered #34 of 145 by Doris Gold. Copyright 1995 by Doris Gold.
This envelope has been particularly revealing for me because of two things I have examined more closely. One is that each envelope is uniquely (?) numbered by the artist. Was there really only one #34 of 145? The other is that the series celebrates the raising again of postal rates! Is this something to be celebrated? This time goldilocks is delivering porridge to three bears. Mama and papa are postal workers. Behind them is a postoffice building marked U.S.O.P.S. Is it true that the G stamp here is not enough to take care of this envelope, but needs an added stamp?
1998 Four "USOPS Fables" First Day of Issue envelopes featuring The "H" Stamp. Postmarked Troy, NY, Nov. 9, 1998. Signed by Doris Gold. $8 fFIP Covers, Melissa, TX through Ebay, April, '08. $5 from rka through Ebay, August, '04. $7 from Eric Wile, Greensboro, NC, Jan., '06. One further extra.
The picture is of Uncle Sam reaching down to check on whether Hansel has grown fatter, while Gretel sits nearby. Both copies include an insert "Hansel and Gretel Meet Usops." The insert answers my question in its second sentence by identifying USOPS as United State Office Postal Service. In this version, Gretel took along her stamp album, and that saved the two children. The children come upon a post office made of magnificent stamps. The story goes on from there. Notice that each of the four envelopes carries a different number out of 162: 40, 68, 95, and 138. I need to stop buying these envelopes!
