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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Rio Parana Ship Launching Commemorative Cover
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Rio Parana Ship Launching Commemorative Cover

Object numberMO 1953.88
Name Cover, Commemorative
Issuing Body (American shipping company, 1913 - 1982)
Date1940
Mediumpaper, ink
Dimensionsoverall H 3 5/8 in x W 6 1/2 in (9.2 cm x 16.5 cm )
DescriptionA stamp cover commemorating the 1940 launching of the U.S. C3 merchant freighter, RIO PARANA. On the left side of the envelope is a red, white, and blue cachet consisting of an illustration of the bow of the ship in dry dock. Text above and below the image reads: “LAUNCHING / RIO PARANA / CHESTER PA. / DECEMBER 18 1940 / This cover was mailed from Chester Pa. to you at the moment the Rio Parana was launched. / Moore-McCormack Lines 5 Broadway, New York, N.Y.”

The envelope is addressed to (typed): "The President of the United States / The White House / Washington, D. C." There is no return address. Adhered in the upper right corner of the envelope is a U.S. 1940 bright violet 3¢ Torch of Enlightenment National Defense postage stamp (Scott 901). The envelope is postmarked Chester, Pennsylvania, December 18, 1940.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDonated as a bequest of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in 1947.
Credit LineEstate of Franklin D. Roosevelt
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesStamp Collecting Materials (National Archives Identifier 749938)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedCopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
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Non exposé