Package For Special Postal Issues And Method Of Making Same

Abstract

A package and a process for making the package wherein a first-day, first-issue postage stamp is enclosed within an envelope having outer panels with one or two apertures aligned with a recess in a stamp holder which secures the stamp. Transparent stamp shields preferably cover the stamp's obverse and reverse faces and close the envelope apertures. A like stamp is affixed to the envelope exterior and is processed through the mail such that date and place indicia are stamped on the envelope and cancel the exterior stamp. Preferably the inner stamp holder is an extension of the obverse and reverse walls of the envelope.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a package and method of packaging first-day, first-issue postage stamps or "First Day Covers" wherein the philatelist is afforded both canceled and uncanceled versions of the desired stamps.

One of the areas of specialized philatelic collection is the collection of stamps obtained and canceled on the first day that they are issued by the Post Office. Conventionally the place of cancelation bears some relationship to either the subject matter of the stamp or the particular date. For instance, stamps related to the American Revolution may be issued near appropriate commemorative days from the city of Philadelphia.

Previous packaging of such stamps have included an appropriate stamp conventionally placed upon an envelope exterior and canceled by hand in the manner provided by the Post Office for philatelic covers. Normally the envelope encloses a leaflet or card giving information about the stamp. Previous attempts have been made to enclose the first-day, first-issue stamp within the postmarked envelope. Such attempts have been hampered and made expensive by involved procedures and arrangements for displaying the stamp. I have invented a package and a method for assembling the package which protects the enclosed stamp, affords visual inspection of both its obverse and reverse faces and insures proper dating of the enclosed stamp or its unobvious removal from the envelope.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention contemplates a process for packaging special issue postage stamps, preferably from a stamp block having selvage edges, and including the steps of forming a tri-panel outer enclosure, forming an aperture in each panel of the enclosure, removing a marginal stamp from a stamp block with selvage attached to the stamp, and attaching the selvage to a panel of the enclosure at an edge of the aperture therein so that the stamp coincides with the aperture. A transparent shield is placed on each side of the stamp and the enclosure is folded together about the shields, stamp and stamp panel. If the enclosure is an envelope the envelope seams are then sealed. Indicia including the postal date and posting location is applied on the enclosure exteriorly. Preferably the stamp affixed to the exterior of the enclosure is identical except for selvage to the interior one.

The package of the invention may comprise a stamp holder, a first day of issue stamp secured by the holder with a transparent shield on each side of the holder. The stamp holder is apertured so that both obverse and reverse faces of the stamp may be inspected. An enclosure encloses the holder, the stamp and the shields and may be sealed. The obverse and reverse faces of the enclosure preferably have apertures which align with the aperture in the enclosed stamp holder. The holder may be of such a size or be so affixed to the enclosure that the three apertures remain aligned. Preferably a stamp similar to the enclosed stamp is affixed to the enclosure exterior along with exterior indicia indicating the posting date and location in the cancelation of the exterior stamp.

The process and package of the invention provide philatelists with a protected and visible uncanceled first day of issue stamp specimen and a canceled specimen on the exterior of the envelope. The Post Office indicia authenticates the date of mailing of usually including the legend "First Day of Issue," insuring that the stamps were in truth posted on the first day of issue.

Various arrangements of stamp holder and transparent shields may be utilized, making the inventive package inexpensive in materials and fabrication. The philatelic cover resulting is authentic, protective of the stamp and complete. These and other advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description and drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a package in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flat pattern of an enclosing envelope of the package embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flat pattern of a transparent shield utilized in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary reverse view of a conventional block of stamps having gummed selvage edges;

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of an alternate embodiment of a package of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional elevation taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a lay-out view of the unfolded enclosure, partly broken away, of the embodiment of FIG. 6 combined with interior and exterior stamps.

In the various views like parts are identified by like reference characters. In the sectional views horizontal dimensions are increased for clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate an embodiment of the invention wherein the outer envelope comprises three panels. The envelope is a part of a first-day cover or stamp package 11 which has an external stamp 12 and an internal stamp 13. The stamps are preferably identical except that exterior stamp 12 is canceled by postal indicia, such as the Post Office stamped circle 14. As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 5, an envelope 16 has a front panel 17, an interior stamp holder panel 18 and a closure panel 19. Panel 19 may have a gummed area such as the area 21 to seal the envelope. The envelope further has gummed side flaps 22, 23 which seal the ends in conventional fashion when the envelope is folded along lines A and B.

Each of the panels 17, 18 and 19 has cut lines 24, 25, 26 27 which define apertures 29, 30, 31 in the panels 17, 18, 19, respectively. The apertures are located in each panel such that they coincide when the envelope is folded along fold lines A and B.

FIG. 4 illustrates fragmentarily a conventional block of stamps 35 wherein each stamp is defined by rows 32 of perforations. The stamps 33 which form the courses of the block adjacent the periphery thereof are adjacent gummed selvage edges like the edges 36, 37 shown in the fragmentary block of FIG. 4.

The ratio of stamps 33 within a block which are adjacent selvage edges compared to inner stamps 34 varies with the size and dimensions of the stamp. In a conventional block of fifty stamps, such as commemoratives, twenty-six of the fifty stamps in the block have selvage edges.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, a stamp, such as the stamp 33A of FIG. 4, is separable from the block such that the selvage portion 37A is still attached thereto. In the process of the invention the selvage edge 37A is attached to the stamp holder panel 18 with the base of the stamp adjacent fold A. When the envelope is folded about lines A and B, the stamp is framed obversely and reversely by the apertures 29 and 31 of the other two panels. Since the gummed side of the stamp and the condition of the perforate edges are important to philatelists, the aperture sizes with respect to the stamp are such that the entire gummed surface and the perforate edges are visible through both obverse and reverse apertures in the outer envelope panels.

The stamp is exposed both front and rear because of the apertures 29 and 31 of the enclosing envelope. It is desirable to shield the stamp from harmful penetration through the apertures. The inventive package therefore provides shields 43, 44 on either side of the stamp. The shields may be separate but preferably are comprised of a single sheet, such as the sheet 46 of FIG. 3, which is folded along line C and placed about holder panel 18, as shown in FIG. 5.

The dimension L.sub.2 of the shield sheet is only slightly smaller than the dimension L.sub.1 of the front panel 17 such that the shield does not shift within the envelope to expose a part of the stamp through the aperture. Preferably the half dimension W.sub.2 from the fold line to the edge of the shield is greater than the dimension W.sub.1 from the edge of the holder panel to the base edge of aperture 30 for the same reason.

The assembled envelope, stamp and shield of the embodiment of FIG. 1 thus affords a stamp package wherein canceled and uncanceled stamps of the same issue are presented with the uncanceled interior stamp being protected against damage. Preferably the shield material is a clear plastic, such as "Lexan," which has high resistive qualities as well as clarity.

The process of the invention includes the steps of forming an outer envelope, such as the envelope 16 of FIG. 2, forming a stamp holder, which in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is the third panel of the envelope and cutting apertures in the obverse and reverse faces of the envelope and in the holder and then attaching a stamp having a gummed selvage edge to the holder by means of the selvage edge adjacent the aperture therein. The envelope is then partially folded and the shield placed about the stamp holder on either side thereof and the envelope closed about the holder and shields and sealed. A like stamp is then placed on the exterior of the envelope and the postal indicia including date, legend and location of posting is applied to the envelope exterior and the exterior stamp.

By using both those stamps of a stamp block which have selvage edges and those which are not adjacent the stamp block edges there is no appreciable accumulation of unused stamps. The process of the invention is therefore financially feasible as well as efficient in fabrication of a sealed and secured package.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 a folded card package 51 contains an uncanceled stamp 52 and has affixed to its exterior a canceled stamp 53. Stamp 52 has a selvage edge 54. A postmark 55 cancels the exterior stamp and may contain postal date, legend and location indicia.

As can be seen from FIG. 7, stamp 52 is adhered adjacent an aperture 57 of a holder 58 by its selvage edge 54. The interior stamp is further contained by a small folded Mylar sheet 59 held by a notch 61 which is incised in edge 62 of holder 58.

The interior stamp is thus firmly held within the holder 58, which is one panel of a three-panel enclosure. Holder 58 becomes the interior panel when reverse panel 62 and front panel 63 are folded about it.

The front panel 63 of the enclosure has an aperture 64. The aperture may or may not be keyed in configuration to the subject matter of the stamp. The aperture is closed with respect to the holder by second sheet 65 of transparent shield 59, which is folded about edge 66 of the stamp holder 58 in a rear portion 67. The rear portion extends across the opening, and serves to overlap the opening 68 of panel 62 entirely.

The enclosure has a sealing flap 72 (FIG. 6), or may have an adhesive stripe 73 (FIG. 7) to seal the enclosure after the stamp and shields are closed within the tri-fold card packs. Alternative fastenings such as staples may be used.

The process illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is one in which the stamp is affixed adjacent an aperture of a stamp holder, sheathed in a folded transparent shield which may be secured in an edge aperture. The aperture in this instance could be aptly defined as a lock. The shield is thus held across the front and rear of the stamp holder and the stamp. The holder and the shield are enclosed by folding the enclosure, which is then sealed, has outer stamp 53 affixed thereto and then the postal indicia 55 is applied to cancel the stamp and validate the mailing date as of the first date of issue of the stamps to form a First Day Cover. The embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 thus provides a package containing both canceled and uncanceled stamps in which the inner stamp is protected from outer damage and the enclosure is sealed to further preclude such damage.

In each of the illustrative embodiments the inventive package affords a collector a canceled and an uncanceled stamp with the date of issue verified by the postal cancelation. Both faces of the stamps may be inspected within the inventive package and the enclosed stamp is protected against damage from the exterior of the envelope, enclosed by the transparent Mylar shield or shields. The holders may be of cardboard or an acetate plastic to which the transparent plastic shields may be attached.

In each embodiment the process of the invention comprises the steps of joining the stamp and the holder by its selvage edge, perforating one or more faces of the enclosing envelope, placing a shield between the openings in the openings in the envelope and the enclosed stamp, fastening the envelope closed about the holder and the shields and stamp, affixing a like stamp to the exterior of the envelope and applying postal indicia including date of posting and location to insure and testify to the date of issue of the desired stamp. While the illustrative embodiments described above have disclosed packages enclosing a single stamp, the invention does not preclude packages with groups of stamps enclosed and groups affixed exteriorly. Generally two or more related stamps may be joined, but stamp groupings of many types are not precluded.

The embodiments disclosed herein are to be regarded as illustrative only since many variations within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in this particular art. It is therefore desired that the invention be measured by the appended claims rather than the illustrative disclosure made herein.

Claims

I claim:

1. A philatelic package for first day, first issue stamps from a conventional stamp block having gummed selvage edges and comprising an enclosure having a plurality of joined panels including an obverse panel, a reverse panel, each of said obverse and reverse panels having interior and exterior faces, a third panel, cut lines in each of the panels defining apertures therein that are aligned when the panels are folded to define the enclosure, said third panel defining an apertured stamp holder; a stamp having a gummed selvage edge attached to the holder such that the stamp aligns with the aperture therein, a similar stamp affixed to the exterior face of the obverse panel, postal indicia indicating point of posting and date of posting affixed to the obverse panel of the enclosure, a transparent shield intervening between the apertures in the enclosure obverse and reverse panels and the stamp, each panel of the plurality being joined to the adjacent panel along fold lines parallel to each other, and menas for fastening the enclosure closed to secure the stamp and holder therein.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a plurality of edgrs defining a notch in the margin of the third panel, and a folded transparent shield held between the notch edges to preclude movement within the envelope to dislodge the shield from covering the apertures in the obverse and reverse panels.