Postal Commerative Society

Four nonstandard 7-1/2” x 4-1/4” unaddressed envelopes and inserts, each showing a single lacemaking stamp with “First Day of Issue” cancellations and postmarks. These are the famous (although not so rare as dealers would have you think) gold-plated stamp replicas, with each metal stamp attached to a red velvet ground in a cutout cachet window. The metal plates are unprotected, and affixed to the velvet with plastic tabs that probably are cutouts in a sheet backing the velvet. A classy embossed gold eagle is at the top of each window, and a very nice copperplate calligraphy label is under each. Each envelope contains an insert with historical information on lace - only the "Honiton" envelope actually discusses the technique used for that stamp.

These are Postal Commerative Society products. PCS Stamps and Coins is a division of MBI, Inc., which began business in 1969 as “The Danbury Mint”, a subsidiary of Glendinning Companies. The PCS Stamps & Coins division began marketing US First Day of Issue covers in 1970, and is now the largest organization in the philatelic field (according to their publicity). Given Danbury’s die-cast collectible product business, this stamp is not unexpected.  PCS produced many ‘gold’ stamp replicas – the Lacemaking set is not unique.  Search on “golden replicas” in Ebay and you will find numerous examples. PCS is the largest producer of these, but not the only one. MBI has a web site at http://www.mbi-inc.com/.

first posted 1/15/2009