First Day Covers are fairly unique in the world of stamp collecting. They come in various shapes and sizes, and some are very old while new ones appear every year. This makes many philatelists wonder if First Day Covers are worth collecting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First Day Covers are worth collecting if you have one in good condition with a cachet that was part of the mailing process, and ideally designed by hand. Whether or not a First Day Cover is worth collecting also depends on how it was stored, along with the type of stamp it is and its age.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As with many aspects of stamp collecting, there are gray areas that apply to First Day Covers. The good news is that First Day Covers are not as murky as other types of stamps. Read on to learn more about First Day Covers and find out if you should add some to your collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First Day Covers are about commemoration. Each First Day cover is a way for a government to commemorate<\/strong> the release of a stamp that celebrates, honors or memorializes some place, person or event in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In and of itself, a First Day Cover is just a stamp<\/strong>. When one considers the information above, though, the stamp and its presentation can take on new meaning. In some cases, it can also take on new and higher value than a standalone stamp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally, stamp collectors are on the up and up and straightforward. With most, you can trust what they say about a stamp, including its value. There are two exceptions<\/strong> when that is not necessarily true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A seller of a stamp<\/strong> or First Day Cover will be trying to either recoup what they paid for the article or trying to make money. There is always a temptation to use the ignorance of a buyer against them or to pitch a higher value than the article is worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The inverse is true of someone that is trying to buy<\/strong> a stamp or First Day Cover. They will want to pay the lowest amount of money they can. That means the temptation is there to low-ball the value of a stamp and take advantage of a collector that is selling but does not have a firm grasp of stamp valuation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reality of temptation to high or low ball a price is largely avoided by always doing business with a reputable dealer<\/strong>. That is not to say a dealer is not trying to get the best price they can. The likelihood of a dealer trying to take advantage of you, though, is low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, if you have a First Day Cover<\/strong> or are looking to buy one, whether through a dealer or in a private sale, getting a dealer\u2019s opinion is always a good idea. Most dealers will be happy to discuss the issue with you if you contact them at an appropriate time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An added benefit to collaborating with a dealer<\/strong> is that they will likely have some idea of the direction of the market as it applies to the First Day Cover or stamp you are interested in and whether that will increase or decrease in value over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A dealer will also know if the stamp you are trying to buy or sell, First Day Cover or not, possesses worth beyond the face value of the stamp<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A First Day Cover is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope deliberately canceled for collection reasons<\/strong> on the first day of the stamp\u2019s issue. The stamp can be applied within the country or in a territory of a \u201cstamp-issuing authority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often, a First Day Cover is issued from an overseas office or at sea<\/strong>. Postmarked First Day Covers issued while at sea or at a Port of Call will have a \u201cPaquebot postmark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, there is almost always a first day of issue postmark<\/strong> and frequently a pictorial cancellation that indicates the city and state or territory the stamp was first issued from. First Day of Issue often refers to the postmark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First day postmarks can be applied based on the origin country\u2019s policies<\/strong>. Often, first day postmarks are applied weeks or even months after the first day of issue. One driver of this is the anticipated popularity of the stamp in question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First Day Covers may be commemorated by an official ceremony <\/strong>on the day of the official issuance. This is often used to generate interest among the public and stamp collectors regarding the stamp, postmark or cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At this ceremony, postal officials publicly reveal the stamp<\/strong> and issue a press release and statement regarding the stamp, the history of the subject of the stamp and its significance. Often, when the subject of a stamp is a person, the descendants of that person attend the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First Day Cover ceremonies can also be held at locations of interest<\/strong>. If the First Day Cover stamp is honoring space flight in the USA, for instance, a ceremony may be held at NASA headquarters in Florida or Texas. A stamp commemorating a historic battle or battlefield might have a ceremony in that place of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, the location of the ceremony might be decided by connections that location has with the stamp subject<\/strong>. This is particularly the case with stamps that commemorate historic movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stamps commemorating the American Revolution<\/strong>, for instance, have had ceremonies at Independence Hall, Valley Forge and the point where General Washington crossed the Delaware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes a First Day Cover ceremony has no connection with the place or event the stamp commemorates. Two stamps celebrating<\/strong> the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, for example, had ceremonies held at Notre Dame University in Indiana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, some stamp ceremonies are held at stamp shows<\/strong>. This will generally be in coordination with organizations associated with the stamp issued. A stamp commemorating suffrage, for example, could be held in coordination with women\u2019s rights organizations at a high-profile stamp show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The point of the ceremony<\/strong> is to generate publicity for the stamp and hopefully drive interest and sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world\u2019s initial First Day Cover stamp<\/strong> was the Penny Black, issued on May 6, 1840, in England. The date of the issuance is commemorated by a date-stamp on the backflap of the cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Penny Black<\/strong> was important because it was a first step in making postage affordable for the \u201ccommon man.\u201d Postage prior to that issuance was extremely expensive, often as much as a laborer\u2019s full day\u2019s wages. Additionally, the postage was paid on delivery, meaning it could be refused and the deliverer would be uncompensated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The amount due was measured by how many sheets of paper<\/strong> were included in the letter or package and how far the package had to travel. This could become pricey very quickly if the letter sender wasn\u2019t careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Postage costs led people<\/strong> to come up with interesting ways of getting around the cost of the sheet of paper. One method was to write normally on one sheet and then flip the sheet upside down and write between the lines of the words already written. This essentially meant you got two sheets for the price of one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cost of postage led Sir Rowland Hill<\/strong> to propose that postage be paid by the sender and that postage be based on weight rather than number of sheets. Hill was a proponent of making postage affordable for everyone. This led to the issuance of the penny postage rate on January 10, 1840, and subsequently, the issuance of the Penny Black Stamp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Penny Black was prepaid<\/strong> and covered up to one half-ounce of postage. It was officially issued to post offices on May 6, but several post offices released the stamp earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Bath, England<\/strong>, for example, Penny Blacks were issued on May 2 and the postmark showed that. This means the Penny Black has one official First Day Cover and several unofficial covers from post offices across England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First Day covers come in many forms. A First Day Cover stamp can commemorate a historical event, place, movement or person<\/strong>. The most common First Day Covers are described below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This type of cover commemorates a historical event<\/strong>. Often, it is accompanied by a \u201ccachet,\u201d which is a design on the left side of the envelope. The cachet explains the events and\/or anniversary being celebrated. Postage cancellation marks for this type of First Day cover are often on location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An event First Day Cover can be of an actual event, like a famous battle, start of a movement (such as one commemorating suffrage) or an association with the event<\/strong>. Examples of the latter include stamps commemorating The Flying Tigers in World War II or several stamps commemorating the first flight by the Wright brothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A historical figure First Day Cover highlights the life and accomplishments of a specific individual<\/strong>. Most often, these just celebrate the life of a societal contributor, like Florence Nightingale, Norman Rockwell, Elvis, and several Presidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, however, historic figures have been used for propaganda<\/strong> by governments. Stamps have often celebrated dictators, frequently while they are alive, to promote their status as an absolute authority. Examples of this include, but are not limited to Saddam Hussein, Stalin, Hitler, and Fidel Castro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are covers that create a collectible item<\/strong>. A Philatelic cover is issued with a stamp and address and sent through the mail. It is postmarked and the postage is cancelled. Stamp collectors have used these to create articles for a collection from the late 19th<\/sup> century onward. The postmark will indicate the first day of issuance of the stamp.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAll About First Day Covers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Some Advice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Selling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Buying<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Always Go Through A Dealer If Possible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What Is A First Day Cover?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
First Day Ceremonies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Not Always Location Specific<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
First Day Cover History<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why It Was Significant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Price Of Postage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Types Of First Day Covers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Event<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Historical Figure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Philatelic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n