First Day Covers with Cachets by
David Ahl (aka Creative Cachets)
Since 1985, I have made cachets for about 25 different stamp issues. I have used many different media: hand-drawn and hand-painted with watercolor and markers, photocopies, laser printer, color inkjet printer, offset printing, etc. I've generally made between 1 and 50 of each cover design.
I've generally sold my covers for between $1 and $5, however, I've noted that in auctions of James McCusker and John Jones, they usually sell for considerably more. I have very few left of each cover, but what I have I am selling at my original price.
All covers will be sent by first class or Priority Mail. You, the buyer, pay only the exact postage plus 50c per order for packaging and handling.
To make sure you get what you want, you can e-mail me at SwapMeetDave@aol.com and I'll set aside the items you want and ship them upon receipt of your check or money order. I also accept Pay Pal (pay to: SwapMeetDave@aol.com). Send your order with payment to David Ahl, 12 Indian Head Road, Morristown, NJ 07960. Thank you!
This site is not quite done. I expect to list more covers soon, so bookmark the site and come back again.
First day cover of one of the 22¢ Presidential stamps issued May 22, 1986 at Ameripex with 1947 souvenir sheet. On the same 6½ x 9½" envelope are first day cancels on 7 stamps of other countries issued the same day to honor Ameripex. Only 7 made of this amazing cover. Order no. 2216-FDC-1, price $10.00.
For the same cover without the 1947 souvenir sheet (a very dramatic piece), order no. 2216-FDC-2, price $8.00.
Ameripex Souvenir Program with FDOI of a presidential stamp on the front, order no. 2216-FDC-P, $8.00. (This is NOT the stamp issue program, which is quite common. This is the very scarce opening ceremony program.)
First day cover of 14¢ Stamp Collecting Postcard, Scott UX110 issued Mar. 23, 1986 with the earlier 8¢ stamp collecting stamp PLUS FDC of UN 22¢ Stamp Collecting stamp, Scott 473 issued March 22, 1986. Both stamps were issued at Ameripex '89 in Chicago and the cachet is the UN rubber stamp honoring Ameripex '86.
I made only 10 of these FDCs. Order no. UX110-FDC-1, price $2.50. With 1970 UN 6¢ stamp (instead of 8¢ stamp collecting), order no. UX110-FDC-2, $2.50.
First day cover of 22¢ New Jersey Statehood stamp, Scott 2338 issued Sept. 11, 1987. I made five different cachets for this stamp, three of which are pictured here. Three cachets around the theme of gardening are hand colored. One depicting signing the constitution (shown here) is a photocopy, a second design is hand-drawn.
In total, I made 45 FDCs, most of which I sold or traded at the first day ceremony. Here is what I have left (I have only 2 or 3 or each):
Hand colored cachet of man in garden, new stamp with 5¢ NJ stamp, "unofficial" Capitol cancel. Order no. 2338-FDC-1, price $6.00
Hand colored girl with veggies, two UO cancels. Order 2338-FDC-2, $6.00
Hand colored woman watering garden, two UO cancels. Order 2338-FDC-3, $6.00
Signers of Constitution photocopy cachet, two UO cancels. Order 2338-FDC-4, $4.00
Signers with FDC of Constitution stamp (12/18/87) added, UO Morristown cancels on both stamps. Order 2338-FDC-5, $4.00
Hand drawn signers with FDOI cancel and HUGE 7/4/87 pictorial cancel from Batsto Constitution Station. Unique. SOLD OUT
No cachet. Batsto July 4, 1987 cancel, NJ stamp with Trenton and Liberty Corner FDOI cancels, Constitution stamp with Paterson cancel. Very dramatic! SOLD OUT
14¢ Flag postcard, Scott UX117 with pictorial cancel from Interpex '88 ASDA Station. Cachet is the blue rubber stamp for Interpex '88. NOT a first day cover; just a souvenir from Interpex '88. Order 1988-PEX, price 25¢ (cheap).
First day cover of 44¢ New Sweden airmail stamp, Scott C117 issued March 29, 1988. Overall cachet design is of an old map showing the early settlements of the Swedes and Finns. Cachets are printed in both black and blue.
In total, I made about 100 FDCs, many of which I sold or traded at the first day ceremony and at Swedesboro, NJ, where I got an "unofficial" cancel on many of the covers. I made 10 varieties, three of which are pictured at the left.
I had a run on these covers (with many going to collectors in Sweden) and these covers are completely SOLD OUT
First day cover of 25¢ and 45¢ Love stamps, Scott 2378-79 issued in July and August 1988. First day cancels are on the top part of a wedding invitation (mine). The invitation itself is quite unique and has a color photo of a jigsaw puzzle on the outside with words cut out saying "Will you marry me?"
The other panels of the invitation and the envelope (included) are illustrated with pieces of the puzzle in the shape of our names, a bride and groom, and our cats.
This FDC is totally unique and I have very few left. For one, order no. 2378-FDC, price $4.00. For one with an added Love stamp canceled on the day of the wedding, order 2378-FDC-W, price $5.00.
First day cover of $8.75 Express Mail stamp, Scott 2394 issued Oct. 4, 1988. Cachet is made from a USPS promotional flyer. I made only 10 of this FDC. For one of these, order no. 2394-FDC, price $20.00
This is one of only 12 North Pole Expedition Covers that was actually carried on the 600-mile expedition to the North Pole and back by the Mako team in 1989. The cover bears rubber stamps from the High Arctic Expedition Services of Resolute Bay and the Mako North Pole Expedition.
Upon the expedition's return to Resolute, the cover was signed by the expedition leader and mailed to me on March 3, 1989.
Included is a fascinating newspaper article of April 15, 1987 about the outpost at Resolute, Northwest Territories. All in all, this is a fascinating piece of polar history. SOLD OUT
First day cover of 25¢ Dinosaur stamp, Scott 2422-25 issued Sept. 25, 1989. First day cancel is on the Universe of Energy page of the Epcot center Guide Book, which is where the stamp was issued. The first day ceremony was by invitation only, so very few items like this were made. When open, the guide book measures 8" wide x 9" high. Order no. 2422-Epcot, price $3.00. I made only 15 of these unique pieces.
First day cover of 5¢ Circus Wagon Coil stamp, Scott 2452 issued Aug. 31, 1990 with unofficial city cancel from Hannibal, NY (which ties in with the text of the cachet). Cachet is the FIRST one by AHL/Creative Cachets. Cachet is an original drawing and is hand colored.
I made three varieties of this FDC. The first is a postcard on blue stock with 3 stamps (Order no. 2452-FDC-1, Price $3.00).
The envelope FDC has two other stamps in the transportation coil series to make the first class envelope rate. Envelopes were produced in a limited edition of only 92. For one with a yellow blanket, order no. 2452-FDC-Y ($3.00) and for a pink blanket, order no. 2452-FDC-P ($3.00).
I made a very small number with plate numbers on the stamp; just a few are left on the pink blanket FDCs. For one of these, order no. 2452-FDC-PNC, Price $7.00. I also produced a few one-of-a-kind color variations. For one of these, order no. 2452-FDC-C for $4.00.
These are unique covers: first Creative Cachets, hand colored, and unique unofficial city cancel. One sold recently at a McCusker auction for $18.00!
First day cover of 25¢ Dwight David Eisenhower stamp, Scott 2513 issued Oct. 13, 1990. Cachet is AHL/Creative Cachets #2. Cachet is a reproduction of a WWII patriotic envelope by M.J. Huss. FDCs were made in a limited edition of only 42.
Combo cover includes the 6¢ Ike stamp (Scott 1383) of 1969. SOLD OUT
A 3-stamp combo on which I added the 8¢ stamp (Scott 1394) is also available, Order 2513-FDC-2 for $3.50.
For a 3-stamp FDC with marginal tabs or plate numbers on at least 2 of the 3 stamps, order 2513-FDC-3 for $4.00.
A very unusual variety, of which I made only 10, has an add-on FDC of the D-Day stamp (Scott 2838c) hand canceled at Normandy Beach, NJ on June 6, 1994. For this, order 2513-FDC-4, price $6.00.
I also have a few FDCs with an add-on FDC of the West Point (Scott 3560) or an add-on FDC of the WWII Memorial (Scott 3862) stamp (not pictured); your choice, price $5.00.
Ahl/Creative Cachets #3 was for the Normandy Beach D-Day stamp (Scott 2838c) and #4 was for the Airborne Landings (Scott 2838d), both issued June 6, 1994. They are both completely SOLD OUT.
First day cover of 29¢ Statue of Liberty self-adhesive stamp, Scott 2599 issued June 24, 1994. Cachet on hand-made envelope (AHL/Creative Cachets #5) was hand-canceled with "unofficial" AFDCS Convention cancel at Haines City, FL. Only 14 were made in total of all varieties. With a single stamp (order no. 2599-FDC-1, Price $2.50)
For FDCs with two previous Statue of Liberty stamps (Scott 1594, 1599, 2224, or 2531A), order no. 2599-FDC-2 with a price of $3.00. I have practically none of these left.
I have several other unique and interesting Statue of Liberty combos with other cachets; e-mail me if you have an interest.
First day cover of 15¢ 1959 Cadillac Tail Fin stamp, Scott 2908 issued Mar. 17, 1995 for the persort first class card rate with "unofficial" FDOI cancel from the ASDA Station in NYC. Cachet is #6 in the AHL/Creative Cachets series. FDCs were produced in a limited edition of only 27.
This is a postcard, not an envelope since, of course, it is a postcard stamp. Duh. I printed the cards in both white (Order no. 2908-FDC-W) and light blue (2908-FDC-B), Price $2 ea. I also have some on an envelope with the 17.5c racing car coil. The Cadillac photo printed better on the envelope (Order no. 2908-FDC-E, Price
$2.50).
Set of 12 politically incorrect first day covers of the VJ Day stamp (Scott 2981h) in the WWII sheetlet issued Sept. 2, 1995.
The cachet is a 4-panel cartoon adapted from Tribune Media Services depicting the way President Clinton would have viewed events in the Pacific War: the Bataan Nature Walk and Guadalcanal Clambake, for xample. Envelopes are hand-made and are AHL/Creative Cachets #7. The covers also bear a never-issued stamp honoring the Atomic Bomb and its role in ending WWII.
The 12 covers in the set are cancelled at various post offices around the U.S. that honored VJ Day with a pictorial cancel. The set also includes the official FDOI cancel from Honolulu. In addition, each set has an uncacheted FDC with the Atomic Bomb stamp canceled with a replica cancel from the USS Indianapolis.
Absolutely Unique! Only 5 sets made! SOLD OUT
First day cover of 34¢ U.S. Military Academy Bicentennial stamp, Scott 3560 issued March 16, 2002. Cachet is an original color laser printed design and is #7a in the AHL/Creative Cachets series. FDCs were produced in a limited edition of only 50, which includes all of the various combinations.
Most of these FDCs were sold at the FDOI Ceremony at West Point and I have only a few left, so get it while you can!
The top cover has a single stamp. Only 1 left. Order no. 3560-FDC-1, price $2.50.
The second is a combination with the WWI or Korean War Veterans stamp. Only 1
left. Order no. 3560-FDC-2, price $3.00.
The third (not pictured) is a combination with the 4c Army stamp of 1936. Only 1 left. Order no. 3560-FDC-3, price $4.00.
The fourth is a combination with stamps honoring Thayer and Arnold, graduates of West Point. Only 1 left. Order no. 3560-FDC-4, price $4.00.
First day cover of 34¢ U.S. Military Academy Bicentennial stamp, Scott 3560 issued March 16, 2002 on a 5½" x 8½" full-color postcard of an M1A1 Abrams tank issued for use by Army National Guard recruiting offices.
Card also has June 1, 2002 pictorial cancel honoring West Point graduation day. Ten made, 4 left. Order no. 3560-CARD, price $5.00.
First day cover of 34¢ UN Endangered Species stamps issued April 4, 2002 with FDOI hand cancel from the Mega Show in NYC. Cachet is a color laser printed design and is #8 in the AHL/Creative Cachets series. FDCs were produced in a very limited edition of only 20.
Sets are all SOLD OUT. I have only two FDC singles of the Bighorn Sheep stamp left (order UN-BIG). Price $3.00 ea.
First day cover of 34¢ Greetings from New Jersey stamp, Scott 357? issued April 4, 2002 with FDOI hand cancel from the Mega Show in NYC. Cachet is a color laser printed design and is #9 in the AHL/Creative Cachets series. FDCs were produced in a very limited edition of only 12.
I also made a few FDCs, same cachet but with the Greetings from New York stamp on it. NJ Stamp order 357?-NJ, Price $2.50. NY Stamp order 357?-NY, $2.50.
First day cover of 60¢ Coverlet Eagle 2-ounce Rate stamp, Scott 3646 issued July 12, 2002 with "unofficial" AFDCS Convention Station FDOI cancel. FDCs were produced in a limited edition of only 50. This is AHL/Creative Cachets design #10.
The cachet shows an engraving from 1787 of the type that served as the basis for designs woven into coverlets and bedspreads from which the stamp design was taken.
Order no. 3646-FDC-1, Price $3.00. A few FDCs are available with plate number singles (order no. 3646-FDC-2), Price $3.50.
E-mail your questions or order to SwapMeetDave@aol.com
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