This 1992 First Day Cover features the USA 29-cent Flag stamp canceled with a pictorial hand stamp from Ringsted, Iowa. The circular cancel—serving as the cover's primary artwork—depicts a line-drawn mermaid resting on a shoreline with a breaking wave, referencing Danish folklore. Ringsted, Iowa, a Danish-heritage community, created this special festival station cancel on June 20, 1992.
Claude
This cover features no printed cachet but instead uses the pictorial cancel itself as the primary artwork element. The circular hand cancel reads 'DANISH DAYS / JUNE 20 / 1992 / RINGSTED' and incorporates a line-drawn mermaid resting on a shoreline with a breaking wave, referencing the Little Mermaid of Danish folklore. Text below the cancel reads 'DANISH FESTIVAL STATION • RINGSTED IOWA 50578'. The stamp is the USA 29-cent Flag stamp (Scott #2609 or similar from the 1992 Flag series), depicting the American flag waving. The envelope is unaddressed and in excellent condition.
Mistral
This First Day Cover features a 29-cent USA Flag stamp canceled with a pictorial postmark. The postmark includes a circular design depicting a line-drawn mermaid resting on a shoreline with a breaking wave, referencing Danish folklore. The text on the postmark reads 'DANISH DAYS JUNE 20 1992 RINGSTED' and 'DANISH FESTIVAL STATION RINGSTED IOWA 50578.' The envelope is in good condition with no visible cachet artwork beyond the postmark. The flag stamp depicts the American flag in red, white, and blue.
(The automatic summaries sometimes misidentify the postmark as part of the cachet artwork.)
