| Ship |
Type |
Designation | Covers |
| Pacific (TF-130)iii | |||
| USS Kearsarge | PRS - Carrier | CVS-33 | Y |
| USS Epperson | SRS - Anti-Submarine Destroyer | DDE-719 | Y |
| USS O'Bannon | SRS - Destroyer | DDE-450 | Y |
| USS Philip | SRS - Destroyer | DD-498 | Y |
| USS Radford | SRS - Anti-Submarine Destroyer | DDE-446 | Y |
| USS Renshawiv | SRS - Destroyer | DD-499 | Y |
| USS Walker | SRS - Anti-Submarine Destroyer | DDE-517 | Y |
| Atlantic (TF-140) | |||
| USS Lake Champlain | SRS - Carrier | CVS-39 | Y |
| USS Charles F. Adams | SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer | DDG-2 | Y |
| USS Affray | SRS - Ocean Minesweeper | MSO-511 | N |
| USS Alacrity | SRS - Ocean Minesweeper | MSO-520 | N |
| USS Barry | SRS - Destroyer | DD-933 | Y |
| USS Bordelon | SRS - Radar Picket Destroyer | DDR-881 | Y |
| USS Decatur | SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer | DDG-31 | Y |
| USS Dyess | SRS - Radar Picket Destroyer | DDR-880 | Y |
| USS Fletcherv | SRS - Destroyer | DD-445 | N |
| USS Furse | SRS - Radar Picket Destroyer | DDR-882 | Y |
| USS Haynesworth | SRS - Destroyer | DD-700 | Y |
| USS Henley | SRS - Destroyer | DD-391 | Y |
| USS Hoistvii,3 | SRS -Salvage & Rescue Ship | ARS-40 | Y |
| USS Ingraham | SRS -Destroyer | DD-694 | Y |
| USS John Paul Jones | SRS - Destroyer | DD-32 | Y |
| USS Kaskaskia | SRS - Oiler | AO-27 | Y |
| USS Willard Keith | SRS - Destroyer | DD-775 | Y |
| USS Norris | SRS - Anti-Submarine Destroyer | DDE-859 | Y |
| USS Charles S. Sperry | SRS - Destroyer | DD-697 | Y |
| Others | |||
| USS Coontz | CRS - Guided Missile Destroyer - on Standby Pacific | DLG-9 | Y |
| Tracking & Communication Ships | |||
| USAF Coastal Sentry | TS - Stationed South of Japan | T-AGM 15 | N |
| USAF Rose Knot | TS - Stationed near Pitcairn Island | T-AGM 14 | N |
| USNS Range Tracker | TS - Stationed Near Hawaii - Remote site functions | T-AGM 1 | Y |
| USNS Huntsville | TS - Stationed near Midway | T-AGM 7 | Y |
| USNS Watertown3 | TS - Stationed near Midway | T-AGM 6 | Y |
| USNS American Mariner | TS - Stationed near Midway | T-AGM 12 | N |
| Not Involved | |||
| USS Aeolus3 | Cable Repair Ship | ARC-3 | Y |
| USS Algol3 | Attack Cargo Ship | AKA-54 | Y |
| USS Alstede | Stores Ship | AF-48 | Y |
| USS Antietam | Carrier | CVS-36 | Y |
| USS Barney3 | Guided Missile Destroyer | DDG-6 | Y |
| USS Barton | Destroyer | DD-722 | Y |
| USS Bearss | Destroyer | DD-654 | Y |
| USS Beatty | Destroyer | DD-756 | Y |
| USS Constellation | Carrier | CVA-64 | Y |
| USS Coral Sea | Carrier | CVA-43 | Y |
| USS Du Pont | Destroyer | DD-941 | Y |
| USS English | Destroyer | DD-696 | Y |
| USS Enterprise | Carrier | CVA-65 | Y |
| USS Essex | Carrier | CVS-9 | Y |
| USS Forrestal | Carrier | CVA-59 | Y |
| USS Galveston3 | Guided Missile Cruiser | CLG-3 | Y |
| USS Hancock | Carrier | CVA-19 | Y |
| USS Haven3 | Hospital Ship | AH-12 | Y |
| USS Hawkins | Destroyer | DDR-873 | Y |
| USS Hornet | Carrier | CVS-12 | Y |
| USS Hunley2 | Submarine Tender | AS-31 | Y |
| USS Independence | Carrier | CVA-62 | Y |
| USS Kitty Hawk A Second Example | Carrier | CVA-63 | Y |
| USS Lexington | Carrier | CVS-16 | Y |
| USS Long Beach | Guided Missile Cruiser | CG(N)-9 | Y |
| USS Midway | Carrier | CVA-41 | Y |
| USS Oriskany | Carrier | CVA-34 | Y |
| USS Princeton | Carrier | LPH-5 | Y |
| USS Ranger | Carrier | CVA-61 | Y |
| USS Randolph | Carrier | CVS-15 | Y |
| USS Bon Homme Richard | Carrier | CVA-31 | Y |
| USS Robison | Guided Missile Destroyer | DDG-12 | Y |
| USS Franklin D. Roosevelt | Carrier | CVA-42 | Y |
| USS Saratoga | Carrier | CVA-60 | Y |
| USS Shangrila | Carrier | CVA-38 | Y |
| USS Soley | Destroyer | DD-707 | Y |
| USS Ticonderoga | Carrier | CVA-14 | Y |
| USS Tidewater - Official Mail6 | Destroyer Tender | AD-31 | Y |
| USS Vesole | Radar Picket Destroyer | DDR-878 | Y |
| USS Warrington | Destroyer | DD-843 | Y |
| USS Wasp | Carrier | CVS-18 | Y |
| USS Yorktown | Carrier | CVS-10 | Y |
| USNS Longview | Tracking Ship | T-AGM 3 | Y |
| USNS Richfield | Tracking Ship | T-AGM 4 | Y |
| USNS Sunnyvale | Tracking Ship | T-AGM 5 | Y |
| Ship | Description of Postmark | Scarcity |
|---|---|---|
| USS Kearsarge | MC - Time below date in Postmark - Type 1 | Scarce |
| USS Kearsarge | MC - Time above date in Postmark - Type 2 | Scarce |
| USS Kearsarge | Hand Cancel | Even Scarcer |
| USS Kearsarge | Both Hand and Machine Cancel | Extremely Rare |
| USS Kearsarge | Hand Cancel for recovery day plus machine cancel for Nov 4 | Possibly Unique |
| USS Kearsarge4 | Includes a red double circle USS Kearsarge New York cancel | Extremely Rare |
| USS Enterprise & USS Kearsarge | Unusual dual cancels. One from USS Enterprise for MA-8 and the other USS Kearsarge for one year anniversary? | Possibly Unique |
| USS Charles F. Adams | AM Postmark | Common |
| USS Charles F. Adams | PM Postmark | Rare |
| USS Lake Champlain | Hand Cancel | Common |
| USS Lake Champlain6 | Hand Cancel with reversed 3 | U/K But Rare |
| USS Lake Champlain | Machine Cancel | Extremely Rare |
| USS Hancock | Hand Cancel | Common |
| USS Hancock | Machine Cancel | U/K |
| USS Wasp | Hand Cancel | Common |
| USS Wasp4 | Machine Cancel | U/K |
| USS Bon Homme Richard | Normal Pmk | Common |
| USS Bon Homme Richard | 3 in Pmk is Reversed | U/K But Rare |
| USNS Huntsville | Honolulu Hi on 28th October | Common |
| USNS Huntsville | Honolulu Hi Navy Terminal Sta. on 110th October | U/K |
| Cachet | Description of Cachet | Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beck Cachetvi | Shows a Mercury Capsule | Blue, Black, Red | Printed |
| Goldcraft Cachet | Shows Mercury Capsule & Recovery ship | Various | Printed |
| Goldcraft Text Cachet 1 | Sigma Sea Recovery etc | Red, Green | Rubber Stamp |
| Fuerst Cachet | Shows drawing Mercury capsule, ship & sunrise plus text | Bicolour - Various | Rubber Stamp |
| Schultz Cachet | Shows a Mercury Capsule inside a circle of rope plus text | Maroon, Green, Purple, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Text Cachet 1 | USN SHIP ON STATION etc. Often appears with other cachets | Red, Blue, Purple, Red & Purple, Blue & Green | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Text Cachet 2 | Around the Earth in MA-8 etc | Aqua, Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Text Cachet 3 (posible) | Pick up ship USS Kearsarge CVS 33 etc | Black, Maroon4a | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Text Cachet 4 | U.S. NAVY RECOVERY SHIP ON STATION etc | Maroon4b | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Picture Cachet | A small stamp-like picture of Schirra. At least three different types exist. One with an USA flag also exists | Brownscale | S/H |
| Schirra Shot | Shows the Earth and an orbital path | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Sokolsky Cachet | Shows Mercury capsule and earth | Purple | Printed |
| Type 1 | Shows a Mercury Capsule plus text | Maroon, Blue, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Type 3 | Text cachet mentions Task Force 130 and Mercury 6 orbit recovery force | B/W | Rubber Stamp |
| Type 4 | Shows Schirra and the Earth - See also USS Norris | Greyscale | Printed |
| Type 5 | Text Cachet 'Project Mercury Recovery Task Force MA-8' | Multicolour | Printed |
| Type 6 | Mission Emblem Type cachet | Multicolour | Printed |
| Type 75 | Mercury Capsule and Text | Red | Rubber Stamp |
| Type 8 | Large Text cachet includes chain border and extra copy of the postmark | Black | Printed |
| Type 9 & Type 9a | Atlantic & Pacific Fleet Recovery Force Ship text cachets. Possibly a W J Venezio cachet | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| Type 10 | Black on yellow capsule plus various text | Various | Printed |
|
Ship |
Beck Numbers |
| USS John Paul Jones | B77 |
| USS Norris | B78 |
| USS Charles E. Sperry | B79 |
| Cachet | Description of Cachet | Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Kearsarge/ USNS Huntsville |
Postmarked aboard USS Kearsarge plus ship's cachet but also with USNS Huntsville corner card and MSTS Cachet | Black & Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge/ USNS Longview |
Postmarked aboard USS Kearsarge plus ship's cachet but also with USNS Longview corner card and MSTS Cachet | Black & Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge | Ship's cachet - Type 2 Pmk | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge | Unusual card with USS Kearsarge/MA-8 cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge | An interesting cover with a hand cancel for the recovery and a machine cancel for 4th November. A second cover has now been found. | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge | A postcard - rarely seen | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge | USS Kearsarge postmark on large envelope | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge | Preused GB Postcard reused on USS Kearsarge | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kearsarge4a | Well done cover with hand drawing of capsule | Multicolour | Drawing |
| USS Decatur - Type 1 | Ship's cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Decatur - Type 2 | Ship's cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Dyess | Ship's cachet plus Fuerst cachets | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Kaskaskia | Late postmark with interesting note | None | N/A |
| USS Philip | Ship's cachet - Note the misspelling of the ship's name in postmark. Note also that the ship's cachet and the postmark are incorrectly marked DDE-498 | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Philip | Ship's cachet - Note the misspelling of the ship's name in postmark. Note that while the ship's cachet has been corrected to DD-498, the postmark has not been corrected. | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Philip | Late postmark - 8 Oct plus text cachet | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| 60 Years of Destroyers | 1902-1962 - Small cachet shows a couple of Destroyers | Maroon, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Tidewater | Rare Official Mail envelope - no stamp required | None | None |
| USS Enterprise | Cachet shows small capsule under parachutes plus text | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Renshaw | USS Renshaw with a corner card | Red & Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Lake Champlain | As per USS Enterprise but with extra Aircraft Carrier and Earth cachet | Black / Red | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Lake Champlain | Shows the ship's emblem | Multicolour | Printed |
| USS Lake Champlain | Shows photo of the ship | Greyscale | Printed |
| USS Lake Champlain4 | Interesting cachet shows capsule orbiting earth and Schirra | Greyscale | Printed |
| USS Renshaw4 | USS Renshaw signed corner card with a postmark from Honolulu on 6 October - Schultz Cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Philatelic Advice4a | Letter from Public Information Officer to the Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Four | N/A | N/A |
| Postmark | Description of Cover | Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| USS Kearsarge | Crew Cover signed by the Commanding Officer Captain E. P. Rankin - Type 1 Pmk - Captain's signature uses a blue pen | 3 October 1962 |
| USS Kearsarge | Crew Cover signed by the Commanding Officer Captain E. P. Rankin and Walter Schirra with both a hand & machine cancel - Also note the Captain's signature uses a black pen | 3 October 1962 |
| USS Kearsarge | Ship's cachet and signed by Postal Clerk (unusual) - Type 1 Pmk | 3 October 1962 |
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Message | Public Information Office message to philatelists regarding late arriving covers |
General Notes:
i) Note that just before this mission (31 August - 1 September) the name of Port Canaveral was changed to Cape Canaveral
ii) The mission was postponed on September 10 and October 1
iii) One NASA source adds an extra two unnamed ships to the Pacific Recovery Force
iv) The Renshaw was listed to be involved. A report by Donald O. Schultz in 'Project Mercury ...one step into space' states that the ship was scratched and took no part in the mission. Both NASA and DOD still list the USS Renshaw as having taken part
v) There is doubt as to whether the USS Fletcher was involved
vi) This is the first mission for which Beck covers were available to the general public
vii) A late postmarked cover 23/10/1962 Norfolk exists
Other Notes:
1)
2) From the collection of Dennis Paul
3) From the collection of Tom Steiner
4) Sold on eBay during 2011 a) 2020 b) 2022
5) From the collection of Florin Patapie
6) From the collection of Anthony O'Brien
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
This page is maintained by the Webmaster
Last modified on 12 April 2024
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