What Is The Difference Between: First Day" And "First Day Of Issue" Covers?

I have seen covers with "First Day" printed on them, generally with a nice cachet, and not canceled with First Day of Issue and of course the familiar "First Day of Issue" covers.

So just what is a good definition for "First Day" covers? I can take a guess or two, but I'd rather hear from you.

Thanks,

John

A first day cover may be a plain envelope or an envelope bearing a cachet, as long as it has a cancellation showing the date of the stamp's first issue. Cachets came into vogue in the 1920's, but these envelopes still went through regular cancellation by hand or machine which did not say "First Day."

The familiar "First Day of Issue" machine cancellation was developed by the Post Office in 1937 and according to Juell (p. 625) and first appeared July 13 on the Northwest Territory issue. These were to be applied by the Post Office in the town or city designated as the "issuance city" but eventually in the 1970's the volume was such that the USPS began cancelling them centrally for the big FDC vendors.

Once you had the "First Day of Issue" cancellation at the official location, you then had collectors get the stamp in question, put it on an envelope with or without cachet and go to a different Post Office and have it cancelled in the mail on that same day. These are "unofficial first day covers."

Hope this helps.

Since we all like pictures, here's an official FDC from the 1939 New York World's fair, with a cachet and the official cancel. Also an "unofficial FDC" on some ordinary business stationery cancelled on April 1 at a different New York City PO where it got a regular machine cancel.


edited to correct poor spelling!

I will run off onto a short tangent. There are other "First Day of" covers you may encounter other than the first day of issue for a stamp. Consider:

A "First Day Cover" of a new post office name.


Although not noted on the covers, this is a pair of Last Day and First Day of rate as the rate changed from 2 cents to 3 cents in 1932


There lots of C11 "First Day of Rate" covers marking the first day of the 5 cent airmail rate in 1928, but which are not the first day of issue of the stamp issued about a week earlier.

First Day and Last Day of a slogan cancel:


The list can go on with:
First and Last Day in Commission for Naval vessels.
First and Last Trip for rail, highway, and air routes.
First Day of operation in a new post office building.
etc.
Philatelists commemorated lots of firsts and lasts with covers.

So perhaps the question is better rephrased as "What is a First Day of Issue cover?", which jleb answers nicely.

You guys are Johnny on the spot! I now have a clear picture of the differences between "First Day" and "First Day of Issue"! What prompted my question in the first place was that I saw several covers with just "First Day" on them.

I know that others will learn from your time and effort!

Thanks again for all of your input.

John

In my US collection.
First day of 6c coil
First day of Booklet Pane.