First Day Covers
A first day cover consists of three parts: the cover, commemorative stamp, and postmark. The cover may feature a cachet design, but it is not necessary. The cover bears a new commemorative stamp with a cancellation mark dated on the first day of issue at a post office in a city that the US Post Office chooses as the official first day city. The selected city usually relates to the stamp’s subject, and the official “First Day of Issue” postmark is used only in that city. Often, a ceremony is held at the designated post office to mark the release of the new stamp. The postmark is the most significant component of a first day cover.
Collecting First Day Covers
In the early 1900s, collectors started to search for and acquire older covers with stamps that had been canceled on the first day the US Post Office issued them. A collector had to know the date a particular stamp was issued to identify early covers. Collecting became more popular when the US Post Office began announcing in advance the upcoming release of a new stamp. The earliest postmarks were standard postmarks. In 1937, the postmark bearing the words “First Day of Issue” officially appeared on first day covers.
