American Air Mail Society Founded 1923

Airport Dedication

Airport Dedications_0001

Airport Dedication Covers

There are few airmail collecting areas that illustrate the growth of the US Domestic airmail system better than Airport Dedication Covers.  Starting with Newark airport in 1918, these covers continued to be produced through the 21th Century.  The early dedications, those before 1927 are scarce, but as the CAM route system brought new cities and towns to airmail service, there were hundreds each year through the 1930s and 40s.  Towns trying to get airmail service wanted to advertise that they were indeed ready, so special cachets were designed and applied to letters on the official opening dates; some bear decorative cachets and some written or typed inscriptions.   Many Dedication covers were flown and bear many autographs. Those covers flown by famous flyers have enhanced value.  Some dedications connected with inaugural CAM or FAM flights, bear multiple cachets and markings.

Airport Dedications_0002

Dedication covers can be collected by State or Region, as well as by year. The AAMC changed its listing to State by State and added Puerto Rico and Mexico in the 6th Edition, volume 1. Some states have lively following of collectors who vie for covers as they come on the market.  The covers eligible for AAMC listing had to meet the criteria detailed by the catalogue editors; spelled out in detail in the AAMC sections listed below.  For the hobbyist, most Dedication covers are reasonably available today from various sources.

Lee Downer

American Air Mail Catalogue, 6th Edition, Volume 1. Pp 297-478
American Air Mail Catalogue, 5th Edition, Volume 3, pp 1300-1408
Aerodacious website