A First Day Cover is an envelope with a stamp that is cancelled on the day that the stamp was issued. Beginning in the mid 1920s, a special illustration called a "cachet" was sometimes printed on the left side of the envelope. In the United States, there is usually only 1 First Day City (in parentheses below). In Canada, a stamp is issued at all post offices on the same day.

Cachets are very collectible. I collect the stamp issues below:

(If you click on the link, it will lead you to a Geocities site with illustrations of all the cachets that I have in my collection from that particular stamp)

Scott #716--2c Lake Placid Stamp (January 25, 1932) (Lake Placid, NY)

Scott #791- 2c Navy (January 15, 1937) (Washington, DC)

Scott #903--3c Vermont Statehood Sesquicentennial (March 4, 1941) (Montpelier, VT)

Scott #1071-3c Fort Ticonderoga (September 18, 1955) (Fort Ticonderoga, NY)

Scott #1146-3c Olympic Winter Games (February 18, 1960) (

#237--Coronation of George VI (May 10, 1937)

The 3c Coronation Stamp was issued at many post offices on the same day. There was aslo a special Flag cancellation being used at the time.

#245-7--Royal Visit of 1939 (May 15, 1939)

The Royal Visit stamp was issued at many post offices on the same day. There were also special cancelations from the Royal Train Post Office.

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This page was modified on April 26, 2002