Rhode Island Air Mail Covers
Commemorative cover for the 1930 Woonsocket
Progress Exposition - October 13-18, 1930
with 5 Cent Nebraska Overprint issue (May 1, 1929)

The above cover is Philatelic Mail, (sent to and for a stamp collector). This cover has two things going for it; it has a commemorative pictorial for the Woonsocket Progress Exposition and is franked with the 5 cent Nebraska overprint issued in 1929.

The illustration to the left is an enlargement of the 1929 Kansas overprint issue.

The Kansas and Nebraska overprints (Scott Numbers 658 to 679) were issued due to thefts of the presidential issue of 1922-25. the stamps were overprinted with Kans. and Nebr. to prevent resale of the stolen stamps. They were issued in Kansas and Nebraska, but were valid for use in all states. Many postal workers refused to accept mail franked with these stamps and they were also extensively forged.

The experiment was a failure and only one printing was ever made of this issue, after which they were withdrawn, however they have become one of the more popular stamps for collectors and the higher values in unused/mint condition are a bit pricey.