GEORGE WASHINGTON CVN 73

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Nimitz Class Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier Keel Laid 25 August 1986 - Christened & Launched 21 July 1990 USS GEORGE WASHINGTON CVN-73 Commissioned 4 July 1992

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. USS George Washington CVN-73 Covers Page 1    (1986-2021)
2. USS George Washington CVN-73 Covers Page 2    (2022-)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

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NOTE - "Post office opened for business Apr 15, 1992. The box of postmarks was misrouted to a ship in the Indian Ocean and did not arrive until May 25. FDPS covers are backdated."
USCS Postmark Catalog 1997.

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Locy Type FDPS 2-2t (USS,FPO AE 09550-2873)

1992-04-15

First Day Postal Service

 

Locy Type FDC F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. G-24

1992-07-04

Commissioning. Cachet by the Aircraft Carrier Study Group

 

Locy Type FDC 9-2 (USS, FPO AE 09550-2873)

1992-07-04

Commissioning, cachet by USS North Carolina Chapter No. 99, USCS

 

Locy Type 2-2t (USS,FPO AE 09550-2873)

1992-06-02

Official Ship's Cachet, Acceptance Trials

 

Locy Type 9-2 (USS,FPO AE 09550-2873)

1997-12-11

Ships cachet, collectors request by Elgin E. Sink

 

Locy Type 11-2 (USS, FPO AE 09550-2873)

1997-12-11

Ships cachet, collectors request by Elgin E. Sink

 

Locy Type 11-2n (USS,FPO AP / 09550-2873)

2005-03-17

St. Patrick's Day. Cachet by Taze Nicholson Chapter No. 104, USCS

 

Locy Type 11-2n (USS,FPO 96650-2801)

2011-10-31

Ships Cachet. Halloween. From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.

 

Locy Type 11-2n (USS,FPO AP 96650-2801)

2012-02-22

Washington's Birthday. Cachet by Mike Brock

 

Locy Type 11-2ny (USS,FPO AP 96650) (UNIT 100148)

2015-07-11

Official Ships Cachet. "Combined Exercise Talisman Sabre 15".
"This postmark reflects the change in the Naval Postal System by adding Unit Number." Greg C.

 

Locy Type 11-2(n+)y (USS,FPO AP 96650) (UNIT 100148)

2023-01-01

Cachet by Neal J. Mills

 

Locy Type 11-2 (USS,FPO AE 09550)

2016-04-08

Official ships cachet, requested by Robert Jank

 

Locy Type 12-2c(n+u) (USS, FPO AE 09550-2873)

2002-10-06

Ships cachet, from the Thad Kaczkowski collection.

 

Locy Type 12-2cny (USS, FPO AE 09550-2873) (USPS)

2003-04-25

Cachet by Roger A. Wentworth

 

Locy Type 12-2n (USS, FPO AP 96650-2801) Damaged (?)

2011-03-21

Cachet by Bill Payden

 

Locy Type 12-2c(n+)y (USS, FPO AE 09550) (Unit 100148)

2022-06-13

Collect request from Foster E. Miller, III.

 

Locy Type 12-2cny (USS, FPO AE 09550) (Unit 100148)

2024-02-22

George Washington's birthday, cachet by Michael Brock.

 

Locy Type 13-2(n+u) (USS, FPO AE 09550-2873)

2002-09-03

Operation Enduring Freedom 2002, cachet by Alexander Magda

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. CD-10

2008-06-04

100th Anniversary of the Great White Fleet. Ship's cachet, serviced by Thad Kaczkowski

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. CD-11

2011-05-08

Centennial of Naval Aviation. Contributed by Elgin E. Sink

 

Locy Type F (USS,FPO AP 96650-2801)

2012-07-04

20th Anniversary of Commissioning. Cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type F (USS,FPO AP 96650-2801)

2014-04-30

225th Anniversary of the Inauguration of George Washington as the 1st President of the United States. Cachet by Mike Brock

 

Locy Type F

2015-12-19

Official Ships Cachet. Confusing postmark; US Navy is a "-1" variation, "FPO" and a ZIP Code is a "-2" variation. However, there is no ship name in the postmark either. So for now, it is classified as a Type F. Greg C.

 

Locy Type Meter OFR2 (#520194) ZIP 09550

1993-07-21

Notes:

 

Locy Type Meter E1 (#071V00507126) ZIP 09550

2006-06-26

"E" = ENDICIA. From the Richard F. Hoffner collection.

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USPS Pictorial Postmarks

 

USPS Slogan Machine Cancel "Christening of The USS George Washington" Newport News, VA

1990-07-21

Christening

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "VAPEX Station" Virginia Beach, VA

1992-11-13

70th Anniversary of Aircraft Carriers. VAPEX '92 Show Cachet.

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "VAPEX Station" Virginia Beach, VA

1992-11-14

70th Anniversary of Aircraft Carriers. VAPEX '92 Show Cachet.

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "15th Anniversary Station" Norfolk, VA

2007-07-04

15th Anniversary of Commissioning. Cachet by the Taze Nicholson Chapter No. 104, USCS

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "20th Anniversary Station" Norfolk, VA

2012-07-04

20th Anniversary of Commissioning. Cachet by Greytcovers

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "25th Anniversary Station" Norfolk, VA

2017-07-04

25th Anniversary of Commissioning. Cachet by Robert Jank

 

Other Information

NAMESAKE - George Washington, (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799), 1st President of the United States of America (1789-1797).

Four ships of the United States Navy have been named in honor of George Washington - USS George Washington (1798), USS George Washington ID-3018,
USS George Washington SSBN-598 and USS George Washington CVN-73.

The ships sponsor is First Lady Barbara Bush, wife of George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States.

 

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