Harleys from Spain

In the former newsletter we already announced the Harley block from the series Vehículos de Época from Spain.

On the block, containing 3 stamps of € 0.92, the following 2 Harley-Davidson models are depicted. On the large stamp (#1 in catalogue order) the oldest of the 2: a HD from 1927 with a 350 cc single cilinder engine, also called Peashooter Single:

The other stamp with a complete motorcycle (#3) shows, according to the legend, the 1200 cc Model J from 1929, also called Twin Cam as this model had 2 cam shafts, each operating 1 pushrod. But according to my data the 1200 version of the 1000J got an extra letter D behind. But anyhow, the Harley letter combinations make a large puzzle that is impossible to solve.

The last stamp (#2) shows the tank of the 1200 cc (for the moment let's keep to the 1200J) Harley, and together with the background of the other 2 stamps it forms the front part of the 1200J.

The motorcycles used for these stamps can be found in the Museo de la Moto Clásica de Hervás (Cáceres), the same museum where you can also find and admire the motorcycles used on the Epelsa franking stamps. For information see: www.museomotoclasica.com.
Also on the FDC (Sobres de Primer Día) we find both motorcycles, but now mirrorred:


The postmark used for the FDC

For an extra American touch the bald eagle, the national image of the USA, is flying around.
Apart from that the graphic designer had to do a lot of work on these images, next to mirrorring them. In reality the used 1200 cc motorcycle has a sidecar coupled to it, and this has been completely removed on the stamp images:


The 1200 cc HD in the museum, with sidecar

The Spanish philatelic service had a nice surprise for their large ordering customers in the 3rd period of 2014.
Every three months the Spanish service uses an illustrated envelop for certified, let's say registered, mail, carrying an image of the main theme of the period. And in the 3rd period of 2014 this was the Vehículos de Época issue, and therefore there is an image of another Harley-Davidson from the same museum on the used envelops.
The envelop has an ample A4-format, with window, and shows a HD, to my opinion from the W-series, on a piece of "Old Route 66" and again accompanied by that eagle. In the upper left corner an imprinted version of the first stamp from the HD 350, but now with the letters S.F. (?) instead of the value indication:


The motorcycle as it is standing in the museum

Hans de Kloet

 

Top   -   Back to former page   -   Home