GEMINI RECOVERY SHIP COVER & POSTMARK VARIETIES

Gemini 2 - 19 January 1965 - Unmanned

Notes General:
i) One such cover contained a letter from an Ensign on Lake Champlain official stationery to a friend stating: 'The only ones like it were those that we mailed out from the ship today. This cancel was not used on collectors covers'.
ia ) Almost all machine cancels are found on #10 large envelopes. However, Tom Steiner has one on a regular size crew stationary.
ii ) The closest to a USS Paiute cover is a late postmark cover sold on eBay in May 2009.
iii) This is the most difficult of the known SRS covers to find
iv ) Only seen on back of a USS Greene cover with a Project Gemini cachet on front
v ) Several seen - possibly rare
vi ) Most red cachets have been found on covers with hand postmarks. This one is  unusual as it is on an ordinary envelope. Most red cachets are on larger envelopes such as this one.
vii ) The first launch attempt occurred on 9 December 1964. The Recovery Fleet which was waiting in the Altantic was not identical to the Recovery Fleet for the final launch (above). At least one ship was different. The USS Turner (DDR-834) was present for the aborted launch.
viii ) Extremely Rare

Notes Other:
1) From the collection of Antoni Rigo. Six such covers are now known.
2) Sold on eBay in 2013
3) From the collection of Steve Durst 
4) From the collection of Lee Kok How

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