Morris W. Beck Naval Covers
Reference Catalog and Checklist for Collectors
Compiled and Managed by Owen R. Murray, A member of the USCS #5676, and ATA Space Unit #4500

Home     Morris W. Beck Cover Basics      About this Web Site      Contact
Beck Space Cachet Designs     #6 USS Dace Overprint  #220 USS Lowry
Beck 929 Hawkins    Cover Varieties Oddities  Beck's Messages  Astronaut Autographs
1943-1970's Events     Nuclear Ships     Foreign    President Series     States Series    First Day Covers   

The Numbered Series    About the Series  1-50    51-99 MA-8   S,100-150   151-200   201-250   251-299   300-350 MA-9
  351-402   403-455    456-514 GT-2    515-569 GT-3, GT-4, GT-5    570-621 GTA-6 GT-7    622-687 AS-201, GTA-8, GTA-9, GTA-10, AP-3, GTA-11  
688-769 AS-202, GTA-12, AS-204, AS-501, AS-502, AP-7     770-841 AP-8, AP-9, AP-10, AP-11, AP-12, AP-13, AP-14  
  842-899 AP-14, AP-15, AP-16, AP-17, SL-II, SL-III, SL-IV     900-951   952-1000 ASTP

Articles and Resources: Apollo PRS Postmarked in Hawaii
ASTP USS New Orleans July 25, 1975 onboard Cover
How postage rates affected collecting  Beck Printing Log for Numbered Series
  Updated Checklist Nov 2009   GTA-8 USS Boxer  Quantities
        Download Checklists  Join the Space Unit  Join the USCS  Email Mailing List  Other Collector Links

Copyright ©2003-2010 Owen R Murray.  All Rights Reserved.      Revised: Saturday July 31, 2010.

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Click on Photos

Please note that the YELLOW color of all the covers shown on this page is the same when seen on the actual cover. 
The differences in various shades of the YELLOW color from cover to cover is due to scanning differences.  The YELLOW shown to the right on the printing error cover illustrates the correct color.

Printing Error. Missing silver color. Only the yellow and blue are printed. 
Scan courtesy of Dr. Ross J. Smith
 

Note the small maroon or blue rubber stamp that was applied to collector's envelopes after the flight was over.  Collectors wishing to have this rubber stamp applied to covers, sent their covers with SASE to Mr. Beck.  Mr. Beck applied the rubber stamp and returned the covers to the collectors using their SASE. Keep in mind that not very many covers have this stamp.

Beck's cover log shows that 482 covers were printed for cover #515. For each of the space issues, Mr. Beck sent about 25 printed envelopes to the Navy.  These did not have the "B" number on the cover as shown on the right.  The 25 covers were a gift from Mr. Beck to the ship's Captain and crew for handling the batch of collector's covers.  That is why it is called a CREW cover. Most of the CREW covers were given to senior crew members or VIPs on the ship.  These people were not cover collectors and to them, the cover was just a memento. 

These crew covers are very rare covers.  The autographed cover with Grissom's and Young's autograph is from the collection of Steve Durst. 

Another example-sold for only $32 in 2010

Most of these covers are forever lost and either destroyed or sitting in some box of old navy papers that will never be seen again by collectors. That is why these CREW covers are so RARE.

Est Value $100-125

It is believed that the Beck cover for USS Boston exists only as a CREW cover. No numbered covers have been observed for USS Boston. 
We have observed USS Boston covers for this event with the navy rubber stamp cachet.

At right: two examples of the USS Intrepid PRS cover.

Prime Recovery Ship

Hand Cancel

GT4 Prime Recovery Ship. 
On GT-3 cachet changed to GT-4

Scan courtesy of Luc Jallot.  This is interesting because it seems to indicate that the changes to the Beck printed cachet were made by the ship's personnel and not a collector.

Also see B522 Wasp Below

See the notes above for B521 Wasp regarding the cachet changes from GT-3 to GT-4

GT4 Prime Recovery Ship.   On GT-3 cachet changed to GT-4.

Scan courtesy of Spaceflori.  Another Example of the cachet

BLUE

The USS Harold J Ellison covers for Gemini 3 is a very interesting series of covers.

Dr. Ross J Smith has studied this series and has provided additional information.

All Beck covers observed for USS Harold J Ellison for Gemini 3 event also have the ship's rubber stamp cachet on the reverse of each cover in RED.  The ship's cachet has not been observed in any color on a Beck cover other than red. 

However, on covers with the Navy rubber stamp cachet (on the front), the ship's cachet can appear on the reverse in colors other than red.

Ship's cachet on reverse in RED

BLACK

BROWN/GOLD

The Brown/Gold cancel has only been observed on one Beck Cover.  This might be a unique cover.

Note the pencil writing in the address area. #140.
There is no other address.  One speculation is that this refers to US Navy Task Force #140.  If that is correct, then this cover might have been processed for a crew member.

Also review this scan below.  Click on it to enlarge it.  Note the color of the cachet used on the Navy cachet.  It is the same color as the cancel used on the Beck cover.  The cover below with the Navy Brown/Gold cachet has the ship's cachet in Blue on the reverse.  The Beck cover has the ship's cachet in Red.

RED

BLUE

BLACK

BROWN/GOLD

RED

Any color variations in the scans are from the  scans.  The cachets for GT-4 Pacific are same and colors are the same.
 

Any color variations in the scans are from the  scans.  The cachets for GT-4 Atlantic are same and colors are the same.

Beck's cover log shows that 473 covers were printed for B540. For each of the space issues, Mr. Beck sent about 25 printed envelopes to the Navy.  These did not have the "B" number on the cover as shown on the right.  The 25 covers were a gift from Mr. Beck to the ship's Captain and crew for handling the batch of collector's covers.  That is why it is called a CREW cover. Most of the CREW covers were given to senior crew members or VIPs on the ship.  These people were not cover collectors and to them, the cover was just a memento. 

Most of these covers are forever lost and either destroyed or sitting in some box of old navy papers that will never be seen again by collectors. That is why these CREW covers are so RARE.

Est Value $100-125

Scan courtesy of Eddie Bizub from the collection of David Ball.

.
 

Click on the very unique cover shown at right.  This cover collector sent Mr. Beck a brown colored envelope.  This is very unusual because most collectors preferred a high quality white or cotton bond envelope.  Seeing a brown one is very unusual and this may be one of a kind for the number 543.  This cover was sold on eBay by dealer Karl Hass.  Selling price was $22.05 in May 2006.

Prime Recovery Ship. GT-4 Cachet with GT-5 cancellation and date

Unusual Beck on brown envelope .

Shown are two examples of the same Beck 555 cover. Note that the (autopen) autograph was obtained by the collector and was not signed on the ship at time of recovery.

Any color variations in the scans are from scans.  The cachets are same and colors are the same.

Both covers shown at right are similar.  The bottom cover has the small round cachet that was applied by Morris Beck AFTER the covers were returned by the navy.  Collectors wishing the have the round cachet applied sent the serviced covers to Beck with a small service charge and a SASE to have the covers returned.  In total, few covers have these small and interesting cachets. 

 Note that Beck would apply the round cachets to any covers including those with the rubber stamp cachet applied by the Navy. See the example at right.

Correct cover for this number

The cover shown below is not a Beck cover.  For example only.

The Cover Above is NOT a BECK cover.  However, the small round cachet was applied by Beck.  This answers the question if Beck serviced only his own covers with the small round cachet.

Home     Morris W. Beck Cover Basics      About this Web Site      Contact
Beck Space Cachet Designs     #6 USS Dace Overprint  #220 USS Lowry
Beck 929 Hawkins    Cover Varieties Oddities  Beck's Messages  Astronaut Autographs
1943-1970's Events     Nuclear Ships     Foreign    President Series     States Series    First Day Covers   

The Numbered Series    About the Series  1-50    51-99 MA-8   S,100-150   151-200   201-250   251-299   300-350 MA-9
  351-402   403-455    456-514 GT-2    515-569 GT-3, GT-4, GT-5    570-621 GTA-6 GT-7    622-687 AS-201, GTA-8, GTA-9, GTA-10, AP-3, GTA-11  
688-769 AS-202, GTA-12, AS-204, AS-501, AS-502, AP-7     770-841 AP-8, AP-9, AP-10, AP-11, AP-12, AP-13, AP-14  
  842-899 AP-14, AP-15, AP-16, AP-17, SL-II, SL-III, SL-IV     900-951   952-1000 ASTP

Articles and Resources: Apollo PRS Postmarked in Hawaii
ASTP USS New Orleans July 25, 1975 onboard Cover
How postage rates affected collecting  Beck Printing Log for Numbered Series
  Updated Checklist June 2008   GTA-8 USS Boxer  Quantities
        Download Checklists   Join the Space Unit  Join the USCS  Email Mailing List    Other Collector Links
 

Please note that the naval covers illustrated on this Web site are for reference only and not for sale.
This is a private Web site for the enjoyment of collectors of navy covers. 

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Please send comments, additions, corrections or questions to Owen R. Murray

Also see Owen's Photography Website for a monthly computer desktop calendar. 
Owen's original photography is used on a new calendar each month since 2000.

Copyright ©2003-2010 Owen R Murray.  All Rights Reserved        Revised: Saturday July 31, 2010.