Which Country Issued The First FDC ?

Geoff, pardon my ignorance, but how can you tell the Penny Black cover was mailed on the first day of issue? I couldn't see a date. It's beautiful, by the way.

Agree that the NWT stamp was the first US issue that had a specific first day of issue postmark. Just as a few other data points for the US, the birth of the "cacheted" first day cover is typically identified as the Linn cachets of the 1923 2 cent Black Harding issue (Scott #610), at Marion, Ohio on September 1, 1923. These used regular Marion postmarks.

The first US stamp that had a designated first day ceremony in a designated location relevant to the stamp was the 11-cent Rutherford Hayes stamp at Fremont, Ohio on October 4, 1922. [Again, regular postmarks].

rustyc

The picture I used didn't show the whole of the wrapper (which was used to cover some legal documents), but the date cancellation is to the north-west of the stamps. The picture in the attached article gives a better view.

http://www.culturevoyage.co.uk/geor...and-the-gpo/

Regards.

Geoff

Thanks, Geoff. Wow, what an item.

Partime, thank you for showing this one.





Now is there an earlier example from another country?