First Day Covers

Early First Day Covers, and earliest known usage covers, can be a challenge to find and collect, but are abundant with rewards for a successful search. Our stock of Early First Day Covers includes many of the popular pre-1945 cachet makers, plus the occasional early issues with no or nondescript cachets. The earlier the less artistic, generally, and also the more interesting to the classic collector's eye.

C. Stephen Anderson cachets are recognizable by the large amount of hand-lettered text. Almost all Anderson Cachets were monochromatic, with black being the prevailing color. Beginning with the Michigan Statehood issue of 1935, Anderson cachets became available in more than one color. They are almost always printed in a single color, but often, quite a few different colors would be used for each issue.

Colorano 'Silk' First Day Covers and Special Event Commemorative Covers feature full-color "silk" cachets. Known for brilliant full-color art, elegant gold borders, and a unique signature look, "silk" cachets have built a large following since their introduction more than 25 years.

The cachets found on House of Farnum First Day Covers are illustrated with engraved line drawings notable for their neat perfection. The lettering on House of Farnum First Day Cover Cachets are similar to what was once common on engraved social stationery and commercial letterheads of the mid twentieth century. The Cachets all contain a small HF initial indicating the House of Farnum.

Fleetwood Cachet First Day Covers have maintained strong popularity since inception with the 1941 Vermont Statehood issue. Popular for the signature full-color works of original cachet art, Fleetwood First Day Covers frequently include interesting information about the stamp subject. Fleetwood First Day Covers are produced for both commemorative and regular issue U.S. stamps of all denominations.

The distinctive Fluegal First Day Cover Cachets are notable for their use of color when most Cachet Makers were monochromatic. Fluegal First Day Covers carry a premium value because they are distinctive in design and sought after by collectors because they stand apart from other less colorful and artistic cachets

The Grimsland First Day Covers had their origin in the idea of Henry Grimsland, a topnotch steel and copper plate engraver, believing that a steel engraving, printed on a high quality envelope, would be of interest to philatelists. He produced his distinctive cachets beginning with the Peace Commemorative of 1933 through to the American Chemical Society stamp issued in New York City, Sept. 4, 1951.

Of all the First Day Cover Cachets producers, Historic Arts stands out for their distinctive engraved art. Not the first, nor the last, to produced artful engraving for First Day Covers, the Historic Arts covers express a greater degree of detail and composition than are found on other first day cover cachets of the period. There are somewhat rare items, but still in the moderate price range.

Ioor was an Indianapolis chiropractor who also owned a stamp shop with his sister. According to Stanley H. Fryczynski Jr., writing in the March-April 1961 issue of First Days, the shop contained a “printery,” and that is where his cachets were printed. This Harry C. Ioor cachet uses two colors — Ioor was partial to purple — plus three screened photographs and text.

If you like early First Day Cover Cachets then you must take a tour of our Linprint First Day Covers. The artful nature of the engraved cachets with modest use of color and adequate text to give the stamp additional meaning to collectors, Linprint Cachet First Day Covers are sought after for good reason.

Hand painted cachets on the MAXIE (Andrews) First Day Covers were produced in very limited quantity, as you would expect for hand painted art as compared with First Day Covers produced in mass by printing presses. Always changing, our inventory of MAXIE Cachets is between good and very good with fluctuation.