Westpex Retrospective
Federal Waterfowl Stamps, Continued
RW10 North Dakota Provisional. This is very unusual item that adds depth to the exhibit. Apparently the remote town of Lakota, in northern North Dakota had not yet received their supply of hunting licenses or federal waterfowl stamps (RW10) by the end of August, 1943. By order of the State Fish and Game Commissioner, they printed facsimile provisional licenses and stamps and put them into service. While the creation of provisional licenses is not overly unusual, this is the first time I have ever heard of a provisional federal waterfowl stamp (see Figure 25).
Figure 25. Provisional RW10 affixed to provisional North Dakota Hunters license. Note the hunter was required to sign the facsimile across the face as he would a real stamp.
RW22 on Form 3333. After RW1, usages on form 3333 get difficult to acquire and after RW3 they get very difficult. Usages on form 3333 after RW10 are exceptional, typically one example recorded items. The thing that is significant about this piece is the degree to which it is the latest known usage on form 3333—nine years later than the RW14 which is also included in this exhibit (see Figure 26).
Figure 26. RW22 used on Form 3333 from Hyder, Alaska. This is the latest known usage of a federal waterfowl stamp on Form 3333. Formerly in the Jeannette Rudy collection.
RW23 Large Die Proof. This is the latest recorded (RW) large die proof not in the National Postal Museum. Once again, the thing to understand here is the degree to which this statement is true. To my knowledge, no other private collection has one later than RW15 (see Figure 27).
Figure 27. RW23 Large Die proof. The latest recorded large die proof not in the Smithsonian.
RW52 Color Changeling. A visual feast. One sheet was printed with five stamps across the top row completely missing the blue color. The exhibitor docs a nice job of explaining how errors of this type occur. Somehow it escaped quality control and entered the collector market. Formerly in the Rudy Collection, The Duck Stamp Story states it was to be donated to the NPM. Ms. Rudy graciously allowed it to remain in collector hands (see Figure 28).
Figure 28. RW52 federal waterfowl stamp block with blue color missing from the top row and a portion of the second (above); color photocopy of the unbroken sheet (below). A spectacular showpiece!
RW65 Self-Adhesive Essays. Auctioned by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife service in 1998, they document one of the most fundamental format changes in federal waterfowl stamp history and mark the end of an era. Two sets recorded, one outside the NPM. An excellent choice to end the federal chapter of the story (see Figure 29).
Figure 29. Essays made in 1996 for the 1998-99 federal waterfowl adhesive stamp (RW65).