Yesterday I went to a small show and found this rummaging through cover boxes. It's funny how you can see all kinds of classic material and a cover like this becomes the favorite thing you bought!
The stamp itself reads:
ANOTHER ENEMY TO CONQUER
FOREST FIRES
NINE OUT OF TEN
CAN BE PREVENTED
Federal and State Forest Services
Of further interest is that the had adopted Smokey The Bear as their symbol in 1944, two years earlier than this cover.
The stamp on the cover was 9 years old at the time, so it's not a first day cover.
What's interesting is that the cover has pencil marks on the front, I don't know if they are significant, plus it is numbered 2594 on the back. It is sealed with no contents.
I did a Google Image Search and found a photo of a block of four of this stamp on a site of Forestry Service memorabilia.
I couldn't find anything significant that happened on that date.
The cover is obviously going right into my collection. And what did this cost me? It was in a quarter cover box.
Hi Tom,
I guess you did OK at the show yesterday. I have a collection of fire prevention cinderellas and some are prevent forest fire during the war years. Some are not politically correct but when I get a chance later tonight I post them.