UNUSUAL, CREW AND ERROR BECK RECOVERY SHIP COVERS


Beck Error Covers (Also see below for Rare Beck Covers)

Beck Number

Mission

Description of Cachet

Postmark
B515 GT-3 Missing Silver USS Intrepid (PRS)
B5161 GT-3 Missing Yellow USS Douglas H Fox
B5241 GT-3 Missing Yellow USS Mullinnix
B5271 GT-3 Missing Yellow USS John Paul Jones
B5791 GT-6

Plain rather than Textured Background (similar to B610-B613)

USS Ponchatoula
B5811 GTA-6

Plain rather than Textured Background (similar to B610-B613)

USS Cochrane
B5821 GTA-6

Plain rather than Textured Background (similar to B610-B613)

USS Rupertus
B5831 GTA-6

Plain rather than Textured Background (similar to B610-B613)

USS Renshaw
B5891 GTA-6

Missing Silver

USS Noa
B635 GTA-8 Missing Blue Textured Background USS Caloosahatchee
B636 GTA-8 Missing Blue Textured Background USS Myles C. Fox
B638 GTA-8 Missing Blue Textured Background USS Charles P. Cecil
B639 GTA-8 Missing Blue Textured Background USS Noa
B640 GTA-8 Missing Blue Textured Background USS Goodrich
B657 GTA-9 Misaligned Colours USS Wasp
B703 GTA-12 Missing Green USS Hollister
B7031 GTA-12 Missing Green USS Hollister
B7871 Apollo 10 Missing Green Textured Background USS Princeton
B78710 Apollo 10 Missing Green Textured Background & B787 on left side of cachet USS Princeton
B7881 Apollo 10 Missing Green Textured Background USS Chipola
B840 Apollo 13 Cachet not Fully on Cover USS New
B874 Apollo 15 Missing Black USS Kawishiwi
B874 Apollo 15 Missing Green - since the Beck number was printed in green, the number is missing from this cover USS Kawishiwi
B8741 Apollo 15 Missing Green - since the Beck number was printed in green, the number is missing from this cover USS Kawishiwi
B8961 Skylab 3

Missing Green

USS New Orleans
B8961 Skylab 3

Missing Red - Note that the B896 number would have been printed in the missing red colour

USS New Orleans
B998 ASTP Missing Red San Francisco
B999 ASTP Missing Yellow/Orange Norfolk
B998/999 ASTP Has a cachet as per B998 but is numbered B999! Also number & border are black rather than blue. San Francisco
B9997 ASTP Is missing lower right corner of cachet which includes the number. May be a printing error? Norfolk

 

 

 
Beck Crew Covers

Assumed Beck Number

Mission Postmark
B3179a MA-9 USS Fletcher
B3233 MA-9 USS Kearsarge (PRS)
B3239a MA-9 USS Kearsarge (PRS)
B319 MA-9 USS Mansfield
B3429a MA-9 USS Corry
B456-B463 GT-2 Cape Canaveral
B461 GT-2 USS Lake Champlain (PRS)
B515 GT-3 USS Intrepid (PRS)
B540 GT-4 USS Wasp
B540 GT-4 USS Wasp
B5409a GT-4 USS Wasp
B561 GT-5 USS Lake Champlain (PRS)
B579 GT-6A USS Ponchatoula
B583 GT-6A USS Renshaw
B5842 GT-6A USS Wasp (PRS) HC
B584 GT-6A USS Wasp (PRS) MC
B697 Apollo 202 USS Robert A. Owens
B697 (airmail) Apollo 202 USS Robert A. Owens
B6986 Apollo 202 USS James C Owens
B791 Apollo 10 USS Ozark
B807 Apollo 11 USS New
B824 Apollo 12 USS Hawkins
B82413 Apollo 12 USS Hawkins with the rare ship's name on bottom of postmark variety
B83814 Apollo 13 USS Iwo Jima (PRS)
B83?14 Apollo 13 USS Iwo Jima (PRS) - note that the cachet is for the wrong ocean
B83911 Apollo 13 USS Kawishiwi
B840 Apollo 13 USS New
B840 Apollo 13 USS New
B861 Apollo 14 USS New Orleans (PRS)
B863 Apollo 14 USS Spiegel Grove
B874 Apollo 15 USS Okinawa (PRS)
B875 Apollo 15 USS Austin (bottom)
B875 Apollo 15 USS Austin (top)
B8766 Apollo 15 None (Norfolk?)
B880 Apollo 16 USS Ticonderoga (PRS)
B880 Apollo 16 Norfolk
B882  Apollo 16 Norfolk
B8866 Apollo 17 Norfolk
B888 Skylab 2 USS Ticonderoga (PRS)
B890 Skylab 2 Norfolk
B892 Skylab 3 USS New Orleans (PRS)
B894 Skylab 3 Norfolk
B896 - Straight Lines Skylab 4 USS New Orleans (PRS)
B896 - Wavy Lines Skylab 4 USS New Orleans (PRS)
B898 Skylab 4 Norfolk (Hand Cancel)
B940 Launch USS Texas
 
Unusual Beck Covers

Beck Number

Mission

Description of Cachet

Postmark
B451/Project Gemini Gemini The Gemini 2 cachet plus a USS Tecumseh cachet  - Possibly a test cover (one of four known) None
B515 GT-3 Beck printed cachet on back of cover with both a Navy cachet and a Project Gemini cachet on the front USS Intrepid (PRS)
B5614 GT-5 Beck printed cachet on back of cover with a Project Gemini cachet on the front USS Lake Champlain (PRS)
B5623 GT-5 Beck printed cachet on back of cover with a Project Gemini cachet on the front USS Manley
B7205 Apollo 4 Beck printed cachet with additionalred KSC official AS 501 Apollo 4 cachet Kennedy Space Center
B8385 Apollo 13 Beck Crew cover on front with Norfolk postmark and TF-140 cachet on the back Norfolk
 
Rare Beck Covers

Beck Number

Mission

Description of Cachet

Postmark
B317 MA-9 Designated for the USS Fletcher it has a USS John A Bole postmark. USS John A Bole
B317 MA-9 Designated for the USS Fletcher it has a USS de Haven postmark. USS de Haven
B317 MA-9 Designated for the USS Fletcher it has a USS Duncan postmark. USS Duncan
B317 MA-9 Designated for the USS Fletcher it has a USS Epperson postmark. USS Epperson
B317 MA-9 Designated for the USS Fletcher it has a USS Frank Knox postmark USS Frank Knox
B317 MA-9 Designated for the USS Fletcher it has a USS Kearsarge postmark. USS Kearsarge
B317 MA-9 Designated for the USS Fletcher it has a USS Loftberg postmark. USS Loftberg
B317 MA-9 Designated for the USS Fletcher it has a USS Mansfield postmark. USS Mansfield
B317 MA-9 Designated for the USS Fletcher it has a USS John W. Thomason postmark. USS John W. Thomason
B332 MA-9 Designated for the USS Myles C. Fox it has a Jacksonville postmark. Extremely Rare. Jacksonville
B4566 GT-2 Designated for the USS Holder it has a USS Lake Champlain(PRS) postmark. Only three have been recorded. USS Lake Champlain
B456 GT-2 Another designated for the USS Holder it has a USS Lake Champlain(PRS) postmark. Only three have been recorded. USS Lake Champlain
B525 GT-3 The postmark on this cover uses brown/gold ink. One of only two know examples. USS Harold J. Ellison
B52910 GT-3 Designated for the Sarsfield, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Ellison USS Harold J. Ellison
B604 GT-7 Designated for the USS Waldron, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Wasp USS Wasp
B6067 GT-7 Designated for the USS Aucilla, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Wasp USS Wasp
B6082 GT-7 USS Wasp (PRS) Hand Cancel USS Wasp
B616 GT-6a Designated for the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Wasp USS Wasp
B625 Apollo 201 Designated for the USS Robert L. Wilson, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Boxer USS Boxer
B6277 Apollo 201 Designated for the USS Kaskaskai, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Boxer USS Boxer
B630 GT-8 Designated for the USS Leonard F. Mason, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Cochrane USS Cochrane
B630 GT-8 Designated for the USS Leonard F. Mason, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Hassayampa USS Hassayampa
B631 GT-8 Designated for the USS George K. MacKenzie, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Hassayampa USS Hassayampa
B639 GT-8 Designated for the USS Noa, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Boxer USS Boxer
B640 GT-8 Designated for the USS Goodrich, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Boxer USS Boxer
B640 GT-8 Another cover designated for the USS Goodrich, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Boxer USS Boxer
B640 GT-8 Another cover designated for the USS Goodrich, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Boxer. Note Skelley's address on the back USS Boxer
B652 GT-9 Designated for the USS Robert L. Wilson, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Wasp USS Wasp
B653 GT-9 Designated for the USS William C. Law, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Wasp USS Wasp
B687 GT-11 Designated for the USS Guam, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Wallace L. Lind USS Wallace L. Lind
B70910 GT-12 Designated for the USS Canisteo this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Joseph P Kennedy Jr USS Joseph P Kennedy Jr
B709 GT-12 Designated for the USS Canisteo this cover was postmarked at Cape Canaveral on both 11th and 15th Cape Canaveral
B710 GT-12 Designated for the USS Wasp this cover was postmarked at Cape Canaveral on both 11th and 15th Cape Canaveral
B711 GT-12 Designated for the USS Wasp this cover was postmarked at Cape Canaveral on both 11th and 15th Cape Canaveral
B746 AS-501 Designated for the USS York County, this cover was postmarked at Norfolk Norfolk
B751i AS-502 Designated for the USS York County, the cover was postmarked aboard the USS Chikaskia USS Chikaskia
B758 AP-7 Designated for the USS Essex, the cover was postmarked aboard the USNS Vanguard - Only 2 known Jacksonville
B7599a AP-7 Designated for the USS Cambria, this cover was postmarked aboard the USS Essex USS Essex
B76012 AP-7 Designated for the USS Essex, the cover was postmarked at Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Space Center
B76212   Designated for the USS Essex, the cover was postmarked at Kennedy Space Center for launch on 11 October Kennedy Space Center
B773i AP-8 Designated for the USS Sandoval, the cover was postmarked aboard the USS Guadalcanal. Note the 'A.M.' above year - the only copy known USS Guadalcanal
B784i AP-9 Designated for the USNS Vanguard (CC), the cover was postmarked aboard the USS Guadalcanal. USS Guadalcanal
B790 AP-10 Designated for the USS Arlington, the cover was postmarked aboard the USS Carpenter. USS Carpenter
B797 AP-10 Designated for the USS Chilton, the cover was postmark aboard the USS Rich USS Rich
B797 AP-10 Designated for the USS Chilton, the cover was postmark aboard the USS Rich on an airmail cover USS Rich
B8011 AP-11 Designated for the USS Hornet, the cover was postmark aboard the USS Goldsborough USS Goldsborough
B8049b AP-11 Designated for the USS Goldsborough, the cover was postmarked aboard the USS Hornet USS Hornet
B806 AP-11 Designated for the USS Ozark, the cover was postmarked aboard the USS New USS New
B880 AP-16 Designated for the USS Ticonderoga, the cover was postmarked at Kennedy Space Center. A second one2 is also known. KSC
B881 AP-16 Designated for the USS Ticonderoga, the cover was postmarked aboard the USS Constellation USS Constellation
B8812 AP-16 Designated for the USS Ticonderoga, the cover was postmarked at Kennedy Space Center KSC
B998 ASTP/FDC Designed for the Pacific Recovery Force, the cover was used as a FDC for the ASTP stamps KSC
B998 (2nd Example) ASTP/FDC Designed for the Pacific Recovery Force, the cover was used as a FDC for the ASTP stamps KSC
B998 ASTP Designated for the USS New Orleans (San Francisco), the cover was postmarked in Greenbelt Greenbelt
B998 ASTP Designated for the USS New Orleans (San Francisco), the cover was postmarked at Houston on Link-up date 17 July Houston
B998 ASTP Late non-ASTP San Francisco postmark San Francisco
B999 ASTP Designated for the USS New Orleans (San Francisco), the cover was postmarked at Kennedy Space Center on Link-up date 17 July Kennedy Space Center
 
Fake Beck Covers

Beck Number

Mission

Description of Cachet

Postmark
B515?ii ASTP on GT-3 Rather poor fake Beck GT-3 cachet with a Norfolk postmark for ASTP Norfolk

Notes General:
i ) These covers are 'from the collection of John H. Dalton the Secretary of the Navy, 1993-1998. These covers have the "VIP" label that we have seen on some very hard to find covers. We believe that the covers with with VIP labels were sent to a special list of people and not to collectors. Industry, Navy, Contractors, Space and Government officials. In 1968-69, Dalton was serving in the Navy and received Navy Nuclear Power training. He served on USS Blueback SS-581 and USS J C Calhoun SSBN-630'. Source: http://beck.ormurray.com
ii ) The colour is less 'vivid', especially the capsule and the cachet is larger than the genuine version

Notes Other:
1) From the collection of Tom Steiner
2) From the collection of Timothy Preston
3) Thanks to Owen Murray's website with a cover from the collection of Martin Schwebs Rasmussen
4) Thanks to Owen Murray's website
5) From the collection of Randy Constantin
6) From the collection of Martin Schwebs Rasmussen
7) From the collection of Woody Witt
9) Sold on eBay during 2012 a) 2013 b) 2016 c) 2019
10) From the collection of  W. Magnus
11) From the collection of Gerard Zonneveld. Note that the cachet is for the Atlantic Fleet whereas the USS Kawishiwi was part of the Pacific Fleet.
12) From the collection of Gerard Zonneveld
13) From the collection of Tony O'Brien
14) From the collection of Lee Kok How

This page © Dr Ross J Smith
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Last modified on 5 December 2024

 


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