Original antique romantic sweetheart postcard, mailed from Gap, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1912.
The colorful illustration depicts a young boy and girl affectionately embracing while seated together, giving the card a charming early-20th-century courtship or sweetheart theme.
The humorous romantic verse reads:
“Things to be thankful for.”
and
“I bet you know how to count up your Thanksgiving blessings!”
Although the reverse identifies the design as “Thanksgiving Series No. 2,” the central subject is clearly romantic—the “blessing” being the sweetheart sitting beside you. Small turkeys and harvest motifs incorporated into the decorative border provide the Thanksgiving connection.
The card was addressed to Miss Resta Kreider of Gap, Pennsylvania and retains its original 1¢ green Benjamin Franklin stamp.
The standout postal-history feature is the excellent GAP / PA. circular date stamp:
NOV 20
8 A.M.
1912
The strike is unusually bold and almost completely readable.
Gap is in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and the postal-history information shown with the card records the Gap post office as operating from 1804 to the present. Therefore, this is not a discontinued post office (DPO) cancellation.
For collectors of Lancaster County postal history, the strong 1912 Gap strike is a particularly attractive feature of the card.
Type: Printed Postcard
Era: Divided Back Era
Date: 1912
Postmarked: Yes
Postmark: Gap, Pennsylvania
County: Lancaster County
Theme: Romance / Courtship / Sweetheart
Secondary Theme: Thanksgiving
Subject: Boy & Girl / Young Couple
Series: Thanksgiving Series No. 2
Stamp: 1¢ Green Benjamin Franklin
Post Office Status: Active
Original/Licensed Reprint: Original
Number of Items: 1
Good antique used condition with visible age-related wear. Corner and edge wear, surface rubbing, toning, spotting/soiling and other signs of handling are present. Writing appears on the reverse.
The Gap, PA 1912 postmark is exceptionally bold and legible.
Please review both photographs carefully for exact condition.
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