Claude
The cachet features a bold black ink illustration of a Pony Express rider on horseback, leaning forward at full gallop, rendered in a woodcut-style engraving by C. Stephen Anderson. Below the artwork, 'PONY EXPRESS CENTENNIAL' is printed in large bold type, followed by a detailed historical narrative paragraph describing the service's inauguration on April 3, 1860, its 1,980-mile route, relay system, and termination in October 1861. The stamp is a 4-cent brown commemorative (Scott #1154) depicting a Pony Express rider on horseback with a route map in the background, inscribed '1860-1960 PONY EXPRESS.' Two cancellations appear: a circular date stamp from Sacramento, CA dated July 19, 1960, 9 AM, and a second pictorial cancel noting the Founders Russell, Majors, and Waddell, linking Sacramento, Calif. and St. Joseph, Mo. The cover is unaddressed and in excellent condition.
Mistral
This First Day Cover commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Pony Express, featuring a detailed black-and-white cachet by C. Stephen Anderson depicting a Pony Express rider galloping on a horse. The stamp is a 4-cent brown issue (Scott #1154) with a design matching the cachet. The cover has two postmarks: a circular date stamp from Sacramento, CA, dated July 19, 1960, and a pictorial cancellation honoring the founders Russell, Majors, and Waddell. The text on the cachet describes the history and operations of the Pony Express. The cover is in good condition with clear, legible details.
(The automatic summaries sometimes misidentify the postmark as part of the cachet artwork.)
