Liberty Island Station postmark remains in use

By Jay Bigalke

During a recent trip to New York City, I took time out to visit the Statue of Liberty. The postcard pictured here, with its philatelically inspired design, was purchased at the main gift shop on Liberty Island.

The stamps on the picture side are part of the design — not real adhesives. They illustrate the 1954 8¢ Statue of Liberty stamp (Scott 1041) and the 1961 15¢ Statue of Liberty airmail stamp (C63). The address side includes a picture of the 1922 15¢ Statue of Liberty stamp (566).

Look close and you’ll see that the edges of the postcard are die cut to resemble stamp perforations.

The gift shop clerk asked if I needed any stamps. When I replied “yes,” I was told the cost would be $10 for a full booklet of 20 forever stamps — and they don’t sell singles. I decided to purchase the full booklet because I needed a stamp to mail the postcard.

And I did want to mail it at the gift shop. This wasn’t my first trip to the island, and I knew that by depositing my mail in the small red unmarked mailbox near the checkout counter, it would receive the Liberty Island Station postmark that remains in use today.

I mailed the postcard on Saturday, Jan. 26, and it received the handcancel on Jan. 28. A sprayed-on New York City cancel was added Feb. 4, and a duplicate New York City cancel covers the 8¢ Liberty stamp image on the picture side. The postcard arrived a couple of days later. I don’t know what happened to it during the week before it left the city.

So if you’re planning to visit the Statue of Liberty in the near future, you now know where the mailbox is for the handcancel. And bring your own stamps.

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