National Postal Museum
USS Nautilus pictorial cachet handstamp
August 3, 1958
On August 3, 1958, crew members Frank Holland and John Krawczyk commemorated the first trip by a submarine under the North Pole with this specially-crafted handstamp in the shape of the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Krawczyk built this special cachet in two parts so no one could guess the ship’s still-secret mission. The other handstamp that makes up this cachet, object number 0.221563.2, shows a whale--the symbol for the USS Nautilus--holding an American flag. When the two stamps are overlaid, as in the cover object number 0.221563.6, the whale is planting the flag at the North Pole.
🔒
Order museum-quality prints
Sign in to order prints, canvas, and more of this work. Browsing and full-resolution downloads stay free.