Is this possible?

[PowderedH2O]

Nice work. Well, I guess that answers my question. Either a fake, or it could be that someone sent the request via mail to Ghezzi in 1977 and his wife signed it. I know before the internet, I sent requests to dead athletes on occasion. But, if it is a wife signature, it matches up with a lot of the Ghezzi sigs I have seen.

As for the reason anyone would care about a one time major winner? Well, he won a major, which makes him part of a select group. I was actually looking at it to get near completion of one of my oddball collections. I am trying to complete all of the winners of the Greater Greensboro Open (now known as the Windham). He's one of the last I need. But, I'll get it much cheaper and hopefully one that was actually signed during his lifetime.

[djson1]

In my opinion, this could be quite possible. I know that Gateway would get signatures on their envelopes before they got the postmarks. They did that with a few (the one example I can think of is when they got Joe Wood to sign their Indians 1920 WS commemorative envelopes several months before he died in 1985). I also remember they did that with Ginger Rogers FDCs where she signed the envelopes before the postmarks and died in the interim.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by djson1

In my opinion, this could be quite possible. I know that Gateway would get signatures on their envelopes before they got the postmarks. They did that with a few (the one example I can think of is when they got Joe Wood to sign their Indians 1920 WS commemorative envelopes several months before he died in 1985). I also remember they did that with Ginger Rogers FDCs where she signed the envelopes before the postmarks and died in the interim.

Quite true. For the most part Gateway did not do first day covers. They did event covers. Quite a bit different when you have Pete Rose sign a bunch of envelopes that an employee carries to every every city the Reds were playing in in anticipation of his record breaking hit. You listen to the game, then go to the postal sort facility that is open late and get them cancelled. With the Ginger Rogers covers they had to sit on them for over six years after her death as the USPS does not put living people on stamps and they require a person to be deceased for six years to be considered for a stamp. That is to be considered, not guaranteed. The only exception has been presidents. I have heard of a person who has done that for years. He has people who he believes may make it onto a stamp sign blank envelopes. He then travels to the First Day ceremonies to get the covers signed and cancelled. Thus a dead person signed a first day cover.


With respect to no-hitters they would just need to pay someone in every city to bring a large number of blank, stamped envelopes to get cancelled. You can add the cachets after the fact.

None of these scenarios could occur with the golf item. This is a piece of postal stationery. That means the 'stamp' is printed on the postcard or envelope and there is no postage stamp that could be purchased in sheets or coils. Postal stationery is not made available before the first day of issue.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Michael B

None of these scenarios could occur with the golf item. This is a piece of postal stationery. That means the 'stamp' is printed on the postcard or envelope and there is no postage stamp that could be purchased in sheets or coils. Postal stationery is not made available before the first day of issue.

This is correct. Occasionally, and more occasionally these days an individual post office will let a few items slip out early. But typically by only a day or two. it's doubtful the postal stationery was even printed before Ghezzi died. I've never heard of a US postal item released anywhere near 11 months early. In some cases the design hasn't even gotten final approval that early.

There are a few items from the 1800's where there was no official first day, and those can have what are called earliest known uses that can be bumped up by a new discovery. Even then the difference is usually days, maybe a month for less common items that weren't recognized as different stamps until decades after they were originally sold.

Steve B