Morris W. Beck Naval Covers
Reference Catalog and Checklist for Collectors
Compiled and Managed by Owen R. Murray, A member of the USCS #5676, and ATA Space Unit #4500

Home     Morris W. Beck Cover Basics      About this Web Site      Contact
Beck Space Cachet Designs     #6 USS Dace Overprint  #220 USS Lowry
Beck 929 Hawkins    Cover Varieties Oddities  Beck's Messages  Astronaut Autographs
1943-1970's Events     Nuclear Ships     Foreign    President Series     States Series    First Day Covers   

The Numbered Series    About the Series  1-50    51-99 MA-8   S,100-150   151-200   201-250   251-299   300-350 MA-9
  351-402   403-455    456-514 GT-2    515-569 GT-3, GT-4, GT-5    570-621 GTA-6 GT-7    622-687 AS-201, GTA-8, GTA-9, GTA-10, AP-3, GTA-11  
688-769 AS-202, GTA-12, AS-204, AS-501, AS-502, AP-7     770-841 AP-8, AP-9, AP-10, AP-11, AP-12, AP-13, AP-14  
  842-899 AP-14, AP-15, AP-16, AP-17, SL-II, SL-III, SL-IV     900-951   952-1000 ASTP

Articles and Resources: Apollo PRS Postmarked in Hawaii
ASTP USS New Orleans July 25, 1975 onboard Cover
How postage rates affected collecting  Beck Printing Log for Numbered Series
  Updated Checklist Nov 2009   GTA-8 USS Boxer  Quantities
        Download Checklists  Join the Space Unit  Join the USCS  Email Mailing List  Other Collector Links

Copyright ©2003-2010 Owen R Murray.  All Rights Reserved.      Revised: Sunday January 03, 2010.

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Click on Photos

Cover is addressed to Morris W. Beck. Scan courtesy of Norm97 on eBay.
 

Covers never returned.

Winick's Beck Handbook lists #995 as USS Da Nang.  The ship was eventually commissioned as USS Peleliu LHA-5, May 3, 1980.

The cover was for the Keel Laying that took place nearly a year after the other covers in this series.  Nov. 12, 1976.  After a year waiting, the covers probably just got lost.  It is anyone's guess.

This is an amazing cover.  Someone with real connections got this cover.  This is the only one we have seen or heard about.  Read the details in the following lines to see why this cover is so interesting.

Added 12/09
Sold on eBay $37.00

Dr. Ross Smith, a frequent contributor to this Beck Cover web site has written an for the Nov/Dec Space Unit Astrophile

See article and scans of covers HERE

This is an amazing cover.  Someone with real connections got this cover.  This is the only one we have seen or heard about.  Read the details in the following lines to see why this cover is so interesting.

Starting with Apollo 16, the US Navy postmarked the covers sent by collectors and dealers (including Beck) to Hawaii for postmarking.  The covers actually did not go to the USS New Orleans. 

The significance of the Beck cover shown here is that it had to have been on board USS New Orleans during the recovery to receive this specific postmark. 

Remember that the post office aboard the prime recovery ship was closed to the public on the day of recovery starting with Apollo 16.

The post office aboard the PRS may have been available to the crew only for some flights starting with Apollo 16, but not this flight.

No covers with July 24, 1975 covers are known with USS New Orleans cancellations. 

Even the Captains covers were postmarked on July 25.

The cover shown at right is addressed to Dr. R. Ramkissoon.  He spent time on the USS New Orleans during the 1973 Skylab II flight and made friends with many crew members.  In 1975, Dr. Ramkissoon sent Beck printed ASTP covers that he obtained from Mr. Beck to his contacts on the ship for postmarking.  His special connection with crew members made for a very collectible cover. Today, Dr. Ramkissoon is an active space collector and is President Emeritus of the Space Unit.

We believe that Beck printed cachets postmarked July 24th on the New Orleans do not exist so the 25th date is very important.

We believe that only 6-8 total examples exist but this cover is VERY Scarce.

Above: This cover is hand addressed to Morris W. Beck. When compared to his letters, it appears to be his own handwriting.  This means he sent the cover directly to someone on the ship he had contact with because covers just sent to the usual Navy address were all postmarked July 24 with the SFO machine cancel.


Above: This second cover was auctioned on eBay in January 2003.  The final selling price was $76.00.


Above: This third cover was auctioned on eBay in August 2008.  The final selling price was a very low $24.10 in a lot with two other Beck B998 and B998 common ASTP covers. What a bargain this collector got. We suspect that not many collectors noticed this cover because it was in a lot of ASTP covers and offered in the prime summer vacation time.


Above: A fourth cover sold on eBay Sep. 14, 2008 for $83.00 in a lot with B998 and B999 common covers.

Above: A fifth cover was reported by Dr Ross Smith. He purchased the cover for $82.00

Above: This one, Perhaps a resell of the above, sold for about $150. April 2010.

The value of this BECK cover, postmarked on the day after splashdown is estimated to be $125-150.

July 13-25

Offered on eBay

Several have been sold on ebay.

This cover has the Pacific rubber stamp cachet the Morris Beck provided the Navy for this space recovery.

These covers were serviced by Sean Marsar, a very well-known and highly respected space cover dealer.

Estimated value is $40 each.  The July 25th cover (first date available for postmarking after splash down) $75+

July 22, 1975 USS New Orleans

Scan courtesy of RJIPhilatelics
July 25, 1975 USS New Orleans

These all have the rubber stamp cachet.

Sean reported that several covers were postmarked on board for each day of the mission, except the actual splashdown on July 24.  (That is why the July 25th postmark is so important).

Above: Cover carried aboard the Apollo Soyuz (ASTP) Prime Recovery Ship, USS New Orleans and cancelled on its return to San Francisco on July 24, 1975. Cover has rubber stamp BECK cachet. The cover is signed by Stuart A Bergman, Dr G Wycliffe Hoffler, Arnauld E Nicogossian, Joesph Baker and John Donaldson. These individuals were aboard the ship to conduct the Inflight Lower Limb Volume Measurement (ASTP007) experiment on the astronauts. Possibly a unique item.  Text and scan courtesy of Pete Thorsell of Petestamps on eBay.  Sold for $76 on eBay March 2009.

Sold for $100. PeteStamps. April 2010

The above cover was offered on eBay.  It has the Beck rubber stamp cachet.

Postcard.  The front of this postcard shows USS New Orleans with text regarding ASAP.   Note July 25 postmark date.  This was sold on eBay and the dealer stated that perhaps only 4 of such cards exist with this date.  Added March 2010.

Artcraft First Day Cover of new stamp Scott 1570 with B998 cachet on back.  This collector has only seen a few examples of this cover.

Shown here are both the B998 and B999 covers

Cover was sent ahead of the flight to Houston for postmarking by Lester Winick.

Sold on eBay 3/07

Sold on eBay in March 2009 $31

Also see B998 above

Artcraft First Day Cover of new stamp Scott 1570 with B999 cachet on back.  This collector has only seen a few examples of this cover.

Postmarked at Kennedy Space Center

Trivia:
On June 1, 1981, Congressman Carl Vinson died at the age of 97. He served 26 consecutive terms in the U.S. House. He served for 50 years and one month, a record for the U.S. House that stood until 1994.

Home     Morris W. Beck Cover Basics      About this Web Site      Contact
Beck Space Cachet Designs     #6 USS Dace Overprint  #220 USS Lowry
Beck 929 Hawkins    Cover Varieties Oddities  Beck's Messages  Astronaut Autographs
1943-1970's Events     Nuclear Ships     Foreign    President Series     States Series    First Day Covers   

The Numbered Series    About the Series  1-50    51-99 MA-8   S,100-150   151-200   201-250   251-299   300-350 MA-9
  351-402   403-455    456-514 GT-2    515-569 GT-3, GT-4, GT-5    570-621 GTA-6 GT-7    622-687 AS-201, GTA-8, GTA-9, GTA-10, AP-3, GTA-11  
688-769 AS-202, GTA-12, AS-204, AS-501, AS-502, AP-7     770-841 AP-8, AP-9, AP-10, AP-11, AP-12, AP-13, AP-14  
  842-899 AP-14, AP-15, AP-16, AP-17, SL-II, SL-III, SL-IV     900-951   952-1000 ASTP

Articles and Resources: Apollo PRS Postmarked in Hawaii
ASTP USS New Orleans July 25, 1975 onboard Cover
How postage rates affected collecting  Beck Printing Log for Numbered Series
  Updated Checklist June 2008   GTA-8 USS Boxer  Quantities
        Download Checklists   Join the Space Unit  Join the USCS  Email Mailing List    Other Collector Links
 

Please note that the naval covers illustrated on this Web site are for reference only and not for sale.
This is a private Web site for the enjoyment of collectors of navy covers. 

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Please send comments, additions, corrections or questions to Owen R. Murray

Also see Owen's Photography Website for a monthly computer desktop calendar. 
Owen's original photography is used on a new calendar each month since 2000.

Copyright ©2003-2010 Owen R Murray.  All Rights Reserved        Revised: Sunday January 03, 2010.