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What is a first day cover?

A first day cover is an envelope or card bearing a new stamp, cancelled on the stamp's first day of issue, usually in the official first-day city. Many carry a cachet: a printed or hand-drawn design related to the stamp.

First day cover collecting as we know it took off in the 1920s, and cachet-making became a full industry in the 1930s. Large cachet makers produced covers for nearly every new US stamp from then on, which is why so many survive.

How much are first day covers worth?

Most are worth a few dollars or less. First day covers were produced by the million for collectors, so supply far outstrips demand, except for early, unusual or specialist covers.

Which first day covers are valuable?

Early covers, especially from before the 1920s, covers with scarce or hand-painted cachets, covers bearing expensive stamps or errors, and covers with unusual postmarks.

• Early first days: covers made before FDC collecting was organized are scarce.
• Hand-painted cachets, and limited-edition cachets by sought-after artists.
• High-value or rare stamps on cover, where the stamp alone is valuable.
• Errors on cover, such as a missing color or an imperforate stamp. See error stamps.
• Unusual postmarks: unofficial first-day cities, or covers cancelled before the official date (“pre-dates”).

Should I remove stamps from first day covers?

No. A first day cover's value lies in the whole item: the stamp, cancellation and cachet together. Removing the stamp destroys the cover's value, and a loose stamp is usually worth very little.

Store covers upright in boxes or cover albums, away from damp and sunlight, and avoid rubber bands and paper clips, which dent and stain envelopes.

How do I check what a first day cover is worth?

Identify the stamp and date, note the cachet maker and whether the cachet is hand-painted or printed, check the envelope's condition, and compare recent sales of the same cover.

The American First Day Cover Society (AFDCS) is the specialist organization for FDC collectors, and a good place to learn about cachet makers and values. For large accumulations, see how to value a stamp collection.

What makes a first day cover cachet valuable?

Scarcity and artistry. Early cachets, hand-painted or hand-drawn designs, small production runs and work by sought-after artists are worth more than mass-printed cachets from the big commercial makers.

• Early cachets: George W. Linn's 1923 cachet for the Harding memorial stamp is generally considered the first printed cachet, and cachets from the 1920s–30s are the most collectable.
• Hand-painted cachets: each one is unique, and collectors of particular artists pay premiums.
• Limited runs: covers produced in the hundreds rather than the tens of thousands.
• Mass-market cachets: printed by the big commercial makers in huge quantities, and usually worth little on their own.

How do I identify a first day cover's cachet maker?

Look for a name or logo on the back flap or in a corner of the cachet. Many commercial makers signed their covers, and collector references, including those from the American First Day Cover Society, catalogue cachet makers in detail.

Even without a name, the design style, the envelope and the printing method can point to a maker. Knowing the maker helps you compare like with like when you look up sold prices.

Are British and other countries' first day covers worth anything?

The same rules apply: most modern covers are worth little, while early covers, scarce postmarks and special cachets are worth more. British first day covers from before the 1960s are scarcer than later ones, when official Post Office covers became widely available.

On British covers, special handstamps and the town where the cover was cancelled can matter as much as the cachet. Covers bearing high-value stamps, such as the 1929 £1 PUC, are sought after. See UK stamp values.