StampSnap

Stamp glossary

First day cover

A first day cover (FDC) is an envelope or card carrying a new stamp that was postmarked on the stamp's first day of issue. Most have a printed design called a cachet, and most made since the 1950s are worth little; the exceptions are covered in our first day cover value guide.
Last updated:

The parts of a first day cover

  • The stamp, an ordinary copy of the new issue.
  • The first day postmark. Most US first day cancellations since the 1937 issue listed as Scott 795 carry the slogan "First Day of Issue," according to the American First Day Cover Society.
  • The cachet: any printed or drawn design on the cover, usually on the left side of the envelope. A cover without one is uncacheted.
  • The address, or none. Unaddressed covers are generally preferred for modern issues.

Official and unofficial covers

The Postal Service usually designates one official first day city for a new stamp. A cover postmarked there, or today by USPS cancellation services, with the First Day of Issue slogan is an official FDC; one cancelled on the same day elsewhere is called unofficial. Covers cancelled before the official date are known as predates.

George W. Linn is credited with the first commercially printed cachet, for the Harding memorial stamp of September 1, 1923. Mass-produced cachets followed, which is why most modern covers are plentiful. For values, history and how to get a first day postmark today, read the full first day cover value guide.

First day cover: common questions

What is a cachet on a first day cover?

Any printed, drawn or hand-painted design on the cover, usually on the left side of the envelope. Hand-painted cachets by known artists are among the few modern-era FDCs with real value.

Are first day covers valuable?

Most from the 1950s on are not. Early covers, hand-painted cachets and covers with high-value stamps can be. See the first day cover value guide.

Sources & References

Identify your stamp

Put a name to the stamp in front of you

Photograph a stamp with StampSnap to see its country, year, series and denomination, plus an estimated value range. Your first three scans are free.

Download for iPhoneBrowse the glossary

Free to download on iPhone

Download on the App Store