An interesting hand painted USS Noa MA-6 Prime Recovery Ship cover. Note that the cover was backdated by the ship's mail clerk. The US Navy admitted that there were no Mercury commemorative stamps aboard the Noa on 20 February 1962. The stamps did not reach the ship until the 23 February. The destroyer's mail clerk reported that 300 covers were dated 20 Feb., while 1500 covers were dated 23 Feb. Also, 24 had red ink cancels. (see Prime Recovery Ship Cover Handbook by Ray Cartier)

Kindly submitted by Ross Smith