World War I military cover from Fort Monroe

Updated August 7, 2026

This is a World War I military cover from Fort Monroe, Virginia, dated just after the Armistice.IdentificationStamp: Scott 502 — 1917 3¢ Washington, violet (perf 11). Correctly pays the wartime domestic first-class letter rate (3¢ from Nov. 2, 1917 to June 30, 1919).Postmark: Fort Monroe, Va., Nov 16 1918, 8 PM, with wavy-line machine cancel.Date is five days after the Armistice (Nov. 11, 1918).Address: Mrs. Samuel E. Howell, 702 S. 38th St., Omaha, Neb.Return address (flap): “From A. B. Howell / Aerial Observer Co. / Fort Monroe / Va.”Fort Monroe was a major Coast Artillery post and training center that also hosted balloon/aerial observation activity during WWI (Army Balloon Detachment and related observer training tied to coastal defense and artillery spotting). “Aerial Observer Co.” indicates the sender was assigned to an observation unit (balloon or early airplane observation supporting Coast Artillery). These unit notations are desirable to military postal history collectors.The cover is clean, with a clear postmark and legible unit return address. No censor markings are visible (common on late domestic military mail). ValueWWI domestic military covers from identifiable units at secondary or specialized posts (especially observation/balloon-related) typically retail in the $25–60 range

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