Rattlesnake Island
Post is resuming the local air mail service between Rattlesnake
Island and Sandusky, Ohio beginning on
SEPTEMBER 23,
2005
with the first
day of issue of the 2005 regular series.
A MUST FOR EVERY HISTORY MINDED COLLECTOR!
Rattlesnake Island Local Post started issuing the popular stamps again in 2005. The original stamps were first issued in 1966 as rectangular but were soon declared illegal by the U.S. Post Office Department. They were subsequently reissued in 1967 as triangular stamps and continued through 1989 after which the new owners of the island discontinued the service when the airplane service between Rattlesnake Island and Port Clinton, Ohio became less reliable.
On November 17, 2006, Rattlesnake Island will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the issue of its first local post stamps. The 2006 stamps feature An Island Home – 25¢ (postcard rate), Griffing Air Service delivers the mail to the Rattlesnake Island Postmaster General – 50¢ (letter rate), and a 1928 Model A Ford with the island postmaster - $1.00 (parcel post rate).In addition, a 40th Anniversary stamp will feature The 1928 Ford Trimotor delivering the mail - $2.00. The 2006 stamps feature photographs taken on the island while the 40th Anniversary stamp features a still from a Huntley-Brinkley TV report on the island and its battle with the Post Office over its local post stamps. The trimotor is delivering the first mail using the local post triangular stamps to Charles Busch, the island caretaker.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the issuance of the first stamps, a special pictorial cancel designed by Dave Bennett will be utilized to cancel the USPS stamp on all FDCs. The regular diamond cancel will cancel the local post stamps.
The new covers will be sent from the Post Office at Sandusky to the rest of the world with the required postage in the upper right corner of the post card, envelope or parcel post package.
All triangular stamps issued in previous years are now valid for the restarted local service between Rattlesnake Island and Sandusky, Ohio. The original rectangular stamps are not valid for service. A limited number of previous issues (1966-1989) are still available.