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First Day Cover. Note cancellation indicating firstday of issue. The design at the left is called acachet. Such cavers are prepared well in advanceof the date on which the stamp will be issued asannounced by the Post Office Department. Theyare often handsomely engraved as shown in theillustration. Still another fascinating collection is one of "FirstDays." This consists of entire covers to which is attacheda new stamp mailed on the first day of its issue. In theUnited States the Post Office designates certain cities toinaugurate the first day sale of a new stamp and provides a special "First Day" cancellation to be applied to allcovers mailed from that post office, bearing the newstamp, on the specified day. Several firms provide en-velopes with very handsome "cachets" which may bepurchased and used with the new stamps. A "cachet" isan appropriate picture printed, usually, at the left sideof the envelope which, in its design and wording, hasspecial significance for the new stamp issue. Many ofthese commercially prepared First Day cachets are beau-tiful works of art printed from copper or steel engrav-ings. They are obtainable for a few cents each weeks inadvance of the appearance of the new stamps. TheUnited States Post Office assists by providing means foryou to send your First Day envelopes to the Postmasterwhere the stamps will be issued. You enclose the neces-sary postage to cover cost of the new stamps and thepostmaster will apply them to your envelopes, properlycancel them with the special First Day postmark, andsend them back to you. Warning, the number of suchFirst Day envelopes any individual may send to the des-ignated Postmaster is usually limited to twelve. |
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