Claude
The cachet artwork by Doris Gold features a colorful illustration of Captain James Cook in his blue and gold naval uniform using a telescope, accompanied by crew members aboard ship, with rigging visible. A separate vignette shows the HMS Resolution sailing ship. The stamp is a 13-cent US issue depicting a portrait of Captain James Cook in blue engraved style, inscribed 'Alaska 1778 Capt James Cook 13c USA.' The circular machine postmark reads 'Anchorage AK Jan 20 1978' with zip code 99502, and 'FIRST DAY OF ISSUE' appears in printed text to the right of the cancel.
Mistral
This First Day Cover commemorates the 200th anniversary of Captain James Cook's exploration of the Alaskan coast in 1778. The cachet artwork by Doris Gold depicts Cook in a detailed blue and gold naval uniform, using a telescope while standing on the deck of a ship, with crew members beside him. The stamp features a blue engraved portrait of Cook with the text 'Alaska 1778' and 'Captain James Cook.' The postmark is a pictorial cancellation from Anchorage, Alaska, dated January 20, 1978, with an illustration of the HMS Resolution and a map of Alaska. The envelope is in excellent condition.
(The automatic summaries sometimes misidentify the postmark as part of the cachet artwork.)
