2009 CHINESE NEW YEAR-Year of the Ox

This year is the YEAR OF THE OX, and our cachet design shows a structure set up for celebrating the occasion. Note the row of ‘gems’ added to each cover to represent colored lights (the scan does not show the color of the ‘gems’).

DGX #180 CHINESE NEW YEAR – OX

EDGAR ALLAN POE

The cachet design for the Edgar Allan Poe First Day Cover is a composite with a portrait of the author surrounded with depictions of “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Gold Bug,” and The Raven sitting on a branch of a tree. Dead tree branches and the background watercolor technique are meant give a macabre feeling to the design, following in the Poe tradition.

DGX #181 EDGAR ALLAN POE

INAUGURATION DAY

Portraits of President Barach Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, are highlighted with stars and the Capitol against a blue sky.The Capitol building with green shrubbery is shown to the right. The official Washington, DC Inauguration Day postmark in the form of the presidential seal, cancels the flag stamp, documenting the date and place as an historic keepsake of the event. Ushering in the new administration on this historic date, this design is a portrayal of hope and peace for our country. An informative text is included with each cover.

DGX #182 INAUGURATION DAY

KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS

This design is an original watercolor and pen-and-ink. The costumes are bright and colorful, showing the King and Queen dancing, their lips puckered for for a goodnight kiss. An original poem accompanies this cachet, and further information is included in the text enclosed with each cover. All covers bear the pair of setenant stamps.

DGX #183 KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS

BOB HOPE

An original watercolor portrait of the entertainer in his U.S.O. uniform while entertaining the troops is portrayed beneath a theater marquee. Movie ‘lights’ on the marquee are added to each cover by hand, to give pizazz to the design. Covers were hand canceled aboard the U.S.S. Midway aircraft carrier at the First Day of Issue Ceremony. A newsy newsletter and an insert text are included with each FDC.

DGX #184 BOB HOPE

2009 DUCK

This year’s DUCK is the Long Tailed Duck. The cachet design is an original water-color painting, which has been faithfully reproduced in full color. There is a ‘gleam’ in the duck’s eye.

DGX #185 2009 DUCK ~ Long-Tailed Duck

GARY COOPER

Hollywood legend, Gary Cooper appeared in over 100 films. The cachet design is an original hand-drawn, hand-painted watercolor composite consisting of five separate drawings.

DGX #186 GARY COOPER

HANUKKAH ~ Budapest,Hungary

Featuring synagogue architecture on our Hanukkah FDC, this cachet shows the exterior with an inset of the interior of Europe’s largest synagogue on Dahoney Street.

DGX #187 HANUKKAH

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD – INDIA

This year Christmas in India is featured. Though Hindi and Muslim population are majority in India, several parts of India have assumed secular overtones and Christmas Festival is celebrated. A flower market is shown on the cachet design.

DGX #188 CHRISTMAS~India