This Art Craft Official First Day Cover features the 10¢ U.S. stamp reproducing Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait with the inscription “Letters mingle souls” from John Donne. It is postmarked Washington, DC on June 6, 1974, the first day of issue for the Universal Postal Union centennial commemorative.
The Universal Postal Union, established in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland, created the first worldwide treaty governing international mail exchange. By 1974 the organization coordinated postal services among more than 150 member nations, enabling reliable cross-border letter delivery in an era of growing global communication.
The striking cachet illustrates the evolution of mail from a Pony Express rider to a modern communications satellite, symbolizing the UPU’s century of progress. “OFFICIAL FIRST DAY OF ISSUE” appears at upper left and the Art Craft imprint is visible at lower left.
The cover is addressed to Dr. Charles R. Martin in Jacksonville, North Carolina. No return address is shown.
A clean, well-centered example ideal for collectors of UPU topicals, Art Craft cachets, or 1970s U.S. commemoratives.
