This Art Craft First Day Cover bears the complete set of four 10¢ stamps issued September 3, 1975, in Philadelphia to mark 200 Years of Postal Service. The stamps illustrate the progression of mail transport from stagecoach and horse-drawn vehicles to trains, trucks, propeller aircraft, and modern jet and satellite delivery.
The 1975 bicentennial issue commemorates the founding of the American postal system in 1775 under Benjamin Franklin, the nation’s first Postmaster General. The colorful cachet reproduces Franklin’s portrait alongside historic mail-carrying ships, early aircraft, locomotives, and stagecoaches, tying the stamps directly to two centuries of U.S. postal history.
A notable detail is the official “FIRST DAY OF ISSUE” hand-cancel tying all four stamps, together with the cachet’s subtle “U.S. MAIL 253” biplane and the address panel for collector John Mihalsky of Clifton, New Jersey.
In excellent condition with crisp strikes and vibrant cachet artwork, this cover is an attractive addition for collectors of U.S. postal history, transportation topicals, or bicentennial issues.
