| Ship | Type | Designation | Covers |
| Atlantic | |||
| USS Adroit | SRS - Minesweeper | MSO-509 | Y |
| USS Alacrity | SRS - Ocean Minesweeper | MSO-520 | Y |
| USS Assurance | SRS - Ocean Minesweeper | MSO-521 | Y |
| USS Fidelity | SRS - Ocean Minesweeper | MSO-443 | Y |
| USS Recovery | SRS - Salvage & Rescue Ship | ARS-43 | Yiv |
| USS Saginawiii | SRS - Landing Ship Tank | LST-1188 | ? |
| Pacific | |||
| USS Ticonderoga | PRS - Carrier | CVS-14 | Y |
| USS Camden | SRS - Replenishment Ship | AOE-2 | N |
| Tracking Ships | |||
| USS Vanguard | TS - Tracking Ship | T-AGM-19 | Y |
| Recovery Control Centers | |||
| Norfolk VA | Atlantic Recovery Control Center | N/A | Y |
| Kunia HI | Pacific Recovery Control Center | N/A | Y |
| Not Involved | |||
| USNS Redstone | TS - Tracking Ship | T-AGM-20 | Y |
| Ship | Description of Postmark | Scarcity |
|---|---|---|
| USS Ticonderoga | Hand Canceli | Commom |
| USS Ticonderoga | Machine Cancel for 20thi See also A Rare captain's Cover2 |
Rare |
| Norfolk Fleet Br. VA | Large Postmark | Common |
| Norfolk VA | Smaller Postmark | Common |
| Norfolk VA | Double Ring Postmark | Less Common |
| USNS Vanguard | Kennedy Space Center | U/K |
| USNS Vanguard3 | Cape Canaveral Hand Cancel | U/K |
| USS Assurance | US Postal Service SC 294 | U/K |
| Cachet | Description of Cachet | Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Atlantic |
Designed by Morris Beck it shows a square general Recovery Force cachet with a parachute or NASA emblem in each of the four corners |
Maroon, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Pacific |
Designed by Morris Beck it shows a square general Recovery Force cachet with a parachute or NASA emblem in each of the four corners |
Maroon, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Beck Cachet - Atlantic | Similar but larger version of the Navy Cachet | Atlantic:Black/Orange/Brown Pacific :Black/Red/Green |
Printed |
| Beck Cachet - Pacific | Similar but larger version of the Navy Cachet | Atlantic:Black/Orange/Brown Pacific :Black/Red/Green |
Printed |
| TF-130 | TF-130 Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force Pacific shows Apollo capsule and Recovery Forces | Red | Rubber Stamp |
| TF-140 | TF-140 Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force Atlantic shows Apollo capsule in sea with parachutes attached | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| Goldcraft Cachet | Shows Apollo Capsule in the Water & a Helicopter | Black | Printed |
| Artopages Cachet | Navy Recovery Ship cachet. See also this version. | Blue & Orange | Printed |
| NASA Cachet | Apollo 17 NASA shows various items | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Cachet4c | SPLASHDOWN A-OK | Aqua | Rubber Stamp |
|
Ship |
Known Cachet Colours & Type |
Beck Numbers |
| USS Ticonderoga | Maroon Navy | B884, B885 |
| USS Adroit | Blue TF-140 | None |
| USS Alacrity | Blue TF-140, Maroon TF-140 (scarce) |
None |
| USS Assurance | Blue TF-140 | None |
| USS Fidelity | Blue TF-140 | None |
| USS Saginaw | Black Navy | None |
| Norfolk VA | Black Navy | B886, B887 |
| Cachet | Description of Cachet | Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Ticonderoga | Hand drawn cachet of the Ticonderoga plus Navy cachet | B/W plus Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Ticonderoga | Unusual Cachet | B/W | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Ticonderoga | Lunar Map cover with Navy cachet | Greyscale plus Maroon | Printed and Rubber Stamp |
| USS Ticonderoga | Postcard | Multicolour | Printed |
| USS Ticonderoga | Interesting Drawing on Back | Multicolour | Drawn |
| USS Ticonderoga | Mission Emblem Cover. And a greyscale version. | Greyscale | Printed |
| USS Ticonderoga1 | Postmark missing the DEC | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Assurance | Multicolor Mission Emblem cachet | Multicolor | Printed |
| USS Assurance | Maroon Mission Emblem cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Redstone | Multicolor Mission Emblem cachet | Multicolor | Printed |
| USNS Redstone | Maroon Mission Emblem cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Redstone | Ships Cachet | Black or Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard | Goddard Tracking Team USNS Vanguard Cachet - USPS postmark with cover marked Dec 19 1972 | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard | Similar to above but with CC machine postmark and cover marked Dec 13 1972 | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard | Similar to above but with CC hand postmark and cover marked Dec 13 1972 | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard | Master USNS Vanguard corner card with CC Dec 7 postmark | Aqua | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard | Master USNS Vanguard corner card with CC Dec 13 postmark plus second postmark. Marked Dec 7 | Aqua | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard | Master USNS Vanguard corner card & signature plus Navy and ship's cachets | Black / Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard | Card with Master USNS Vanguard corner card & signature plus Mission emblem and ship's cachets | Blue / Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard | KSC postmark signed by KSC Postmaster & ship's Master with various cachets on both sides | Blue / Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Norfolk VA | TF 140 - Norfolk Fleet Br. Postmark | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Norfolk VA | Navy Atlantic Cachet - Norfolk Double Ring Postmark | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Norfolk VA | Mission Emblem Cover | Multicolour | Printed |
| Norfolk VA | TF-140 cachet plus Apollo 17 cachet - Norfolk 14 December postmark | Blue / Aqua | Rubber Stamp |
| Kunia HI | Inner & Outer Space Mission Emblem Cachet - Splashdown - Dec 19 | Multicolour | Printed |
| Kunia HI | Inner & Outer Space TF 130 Cachet - Dec 6 | Blue & Gold | Printed |
| Kunia HI | TF 130 Cachet - Dec 19 | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Cook Islands | Special Splashdown Postmark | Black | Postmark |
| Western Samoa | Special Splashdown Postmark | Black | Postmark |
| Postmark | Description of Cover | Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| USS Ticonderoga | Helicopter Recovery Cover signed by the pilot of main Recovery Helicopter | 22 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Cover signed by 3 members of the SWIM recovery helicopter | 20 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Cover signed by the Commanding Officer Captain Norman Green | 19 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Cover signed by the pilot & crew of the main recovery helicopter | 19 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Wonderful cover signed by 11 members of the Recovery Team. Also postmarked aboard on the 22 December | 22 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Cover signed by the Backup Helicopter Pilot & Co-pilot | 11 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga3 | Similar to above but with a clearer (late) postmark | 22 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga4 | A postcard and a PRS cover signed by various members of the recovery crew. | 28 November 1972 & 27 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga4a | Cover signed by 10 frogman | 22 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga9 | Cover signed by 8 frogman | 20 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga6 | Another cover signed by 8 frogman - A late postmark | 27 December 1972 |
| USS Ticonderoga4b | A set of two covers signed by 16 members of the Recovery Team | 22 & 27 December 1972 |
General Notes:
i) The Post Office on board was closed on the recovery date 19th. Thus the first postmark available to collectors actually postmarked on board was for the 20th. The USS Ticonderoga postmark from the 19th was postmarked on shore.
ii) Chart showing launch support forces
iii)There is some doubt about the status of this cover as it doesn't have a USS Saginaw postmark. The nearst USS Saginaw postmarked cover to 19 December is one postmarked on 27 October 1972.
iv) Only one cover is known
Other Notes
1) From the collection of Tom Steiner
2) From the collection of Steve Durst
3) From the collection of Luc Jallot
4) Sold on eBay during 2010 4a) 2011 4b) 2013 4c) 2018
5) From the collection of Wolf Magnus
6) From the collection of Timothy Preston
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
This page is maintained by the Webmaster
Last modified on 28 May 2024
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