{"product_id":"1976-thomas-hart-benton-13-washington-dc-first-day-cover","title":"1976 Thomas Hart Benton 13¢ Washington, DC First Day Cover","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Official First Day Cover features the 13¢ Missouri state flag stamp issued during the U.S. Bicentennial Era. The cover is postmarked February 23, 1976, in Washington, DC, and bears a handsome cachet illustrating the statue of Thomas Hart Benton alongside the Missouri flag and the date Missouri entered the Union as the twenty-fourth state in 1821.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThomas Hart Benton (1782–1858) served as Missouri’s first U.S. Senator and was a leading advocate for westward expansion and agrarian interests in the antebellum period. His long political career helped shape early Missouri statehood and national policy toward the American frontier.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cachet’s artwork highlights Benton’s statue in St. Louis and includes the “Bicentennial Era 1776-1976” inscription, tying the issue to the nation’s 200th anniversary celebrations. The stamp itself reproduces the Missouri flag with its distinctive red, white, and blue stripes and central coat of arms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA fine addition for collectors of state-flag topicals, Missouri postal history, or Bicentennial-era First Day Covers, this example remains in clean, collectible condition with a crisp postmark and attractive cachet design.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Maple Springs","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51394956132516,"sku":null,"price":4.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0580\/4713\/5908\/files\/20260702113355.jpg?v=1783044582","url":"https:\/\/fdc-vault.com\/products\/1976-thomas-hart-benton-13-washington-dc-first-day-cover","provider":"Maple Springs - FDC Vault","version":"1.0","type":"link"}