| Ship | Type | Designation | Covers |
| Atlantic | |||
| USS Escape | SRS - Rescue & Salvage Ship | ARS-6 | Y |
| Pacific | |||
| USS Ticonderoga | PRS - Carrier | CVS-14 | Y |
| USS Grapple | SRS - Rescue & Salvage Ship | ARS-53 | Y |
| Tracking Ships | |||
| USNS Vanguard | TS - Tracking Ship | T-AGM-19 | Y |
| USNS Redstoneii | TS - Tracking Ship | T-AGM-20 | Y |
| Recovery Control Centers | |||
| Norfolk VA | Atlantic Recovery Control Center | N/A | Y |
| Kunia HI | Pacific Recovery Control center | N/A | Y |
| Ship | Description of Postmark | Scarcity |
|---|---|---|
| USS Ticonderoga | Hand Cancel - Ticonderoga at Bottom - Day of Recovery Used in Hawaii |
Common |
| USS Ticonderoga | Machine Cancel - Day after Recovery Used aboard PRS - these are normally extremely light |
Rare |
| USNS Vanguard | Cape Canaveral - 25 May - Launch | Common |
| USNS Vanguard | Mar Del Plata - 29 May - nearest port to tracking area - Also this printed cachet version | U/K |
| USNS Vanguard | Mar Del Plata - 29 May - different postmark - red | U/K |
| USNS Vanguard | Mar Del Plata - 6 June | U/K |
| USNS Vanguard | Jamaica - 13 Jul | U/K |
| USNS Vanguard | Cape Canaveral - 22 June - Recovery | U/K |
| USNS Vanguard | Unusual cancel Naval Ship Vanguard Skylab Mission without a date and without any other postmark. Comes in black, blue, aqua and maroon | Common |
| USNS Vanguard | Unusual cancel Naval Ship Vanguard Skylab Mission without a date over a Mar Del Plata postmark | U/K |
| USNS Redstoneii | Cape Canaveral Hand Cancel - 25 May with a cachet showing the ship. Also see version with a Machine cancel. | Common |
| USNS Redstoneii | Cape Canaveral Machine Cancel - 26 May | Common |
| Kunia HI | 25 May - Inner & Outer Space Printed Cachet | U/K |
| Kunia HI | 22 Jun - Inner & Outer Space General Skylab Cachet | U/K |
| Kunia HI | TF-130 cachet with postmarks for 14 May & 22 June | U/K |
| Norfolk VA | 22 Jun Machine Cancel | Common |
| Norfolk VA | 22 Jun Hand Cancel | Less Common |
| Norfolk VA2 | 22 Jun Dual Hand & Machine Cancels | Rare |
| Cachet | Description of Cachet | Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Atlantic |
Designed by Morris Beck it shows the Earth, capsule, parachute etc |
Black | Rubber Stamp |
| Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Pacific |
Designed by Morris Beck it shows the Earth, capsule, parachute etc |
Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Beck Cachet - Atlantic | Similar to but larger than Navy Cachet | Blue-Orange-Black | Printed |
| Beck Cachet - Pacific | Similar to but larger than Navy Cachet | Green-Red-Black | Printed |
| TF-130 | Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force - Pacific Shows a capsule & various Recovery Craft |
Maroon, Black | Rubber Stamp |
| TF-140 | Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force - Atlantic Shows a capsule in the ocean with parachutes |
Black, Blue | Rubber Stamp |
|
Ship |
Known Cachet Colours |
Beck Numbers |
| USS Ticonderoga | Navy - Maroon | B888, B889 |
| USS Escape | TF-140 - Black, Blue | None |
| Norfolk | Navy - Black TF-140 - Black |
B890, B891 |
| Cachet | Description of Cachet | Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Ticonderoga | JSC Stamp Club Cover | Multicolour | Printed |
| USS Ticonderoga | US Senate Press Gallery corner card & US Navy cachet | Maroon | Rubber stamp |
| USS Ticonderoga | Postcard | Multicolour | Printed |
| USS Grapple | Photo of Skylab plus ship's cachet | Black | Printed/Rubber Stamp |
| USS Grapple1 | Two different cachets on a USS Grapple cover with a corner card | Black, Red | Rubber stamp |
| USS Escape | Skylab I Mission Emblem - Jacksonville pmk 30th | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Escape | Photo of ship - Cape Canaveral pmk 26th | Greyscale | Printed |
| USS Escape | Slightly different cachet to the above - Cape Canaveral pmk 28th | Greyscale | Printed |
| USNS Redstone4 | A Bob Boudwin cover showing the mission emblem | Red | Rubber Stamp |
| Norfolk VA | Colourful Astro cachet shows capsule being recovered | Multicolour | Printed |
| Postmark | Description of Cover | Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| USS Ticonderoga | Helicopter Recovery Cover marked 22 June 1973 and signed by the pilot & crew of one of the recovery helicopters | 23 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Helicopter Recovery Cover marked 22 June 1973 and signed by the pilot & crew of the Swim-1 recovery helicopter | 23 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Helicopter Recovery Cover marked 22 June 1973 and signed by the pilot & crew of the Photo recovery helicopter | 23 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | PRS cover signed by the ship's Captain Norman Kenneth Green | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | PRS cover signed by 12 Recovery Frogmen (7 signatures are on the back). | 23 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | PRS cover with late postmark signed by 6 frogmen from the UDT #11 Team | 29 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | This cover was signed by the three Skylab 2 Astronauts. It was probably not aboard the PRS during recovery. See companion covers for Skylab 3 & 4. | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | PRS cover signed by main Recovery helicopter pilot | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | PRS cover signed by Commanding Officer Green | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Signed on by 6 members of the UDT crew - unusually good postmark | 23 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Signed on front & back by 13 members of the UDT crew | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Signed on front & back by 11 members of the UDT crew | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Signed on front & back by 13 members of the UDT crew | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga | Signed by pilot & crew of main recovery helicopter. Also see this version. | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga3a | PRS cover signed by Rear Admiral J.Butte Jr and the ship's Captain Norman Kenneth Green | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga3a | A postcard and PRS cover signed by the ship's Captain Norman Kenneth Green | 22 June 1973 23 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga2 | PRS Cover marked 22 June 1973 and signed by the pilot of one of the recovery helicopters | 23 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga2 | This unusual cover from the USS Ticonderoga is dated for the launch of Skylab 1 and is signed by the Skylab II medical team | 14 May 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga3a | PRS cover with late postmark signed by 15 members of the medical team | 28 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga3 | A different helicopter Recovery Cover marked 22 June 1973 and signed by the pilot and crew of one of the recovery helicopters | probably 23 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga3a | The cover was signed by Conrad, Kerwin, Weitz and the Swim-Team | ? June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga5 | Signed by recovery aircraft commander CW2 Robert A Price | 22 June 1973 |
| USS Ticonderoga2 | Signed by the Manned Spacecraft Recovery Officer Pacific | 22 June 1973 |
Notes General:
i ) The USS Escape was the launch site recovery ship for the launch on May 25. The USS Ticonderoga and the USS Grapple were recovery ships for the splashdown on June 22.
ii ) The USNS Redstone was stationed in port on standby
Notes Other:
1) From the collection of John Macco
2) From the collection of Tom Steiner
3) Sold on eBay 2009 a) 2011
4) From the collection of Luc Jallot
5) From the collection of Timothy Preston
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
This page is maintained by the Webmaster
Last modified on 31 December 2021
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