1961 50th Anniversary of Workmen’s Compensation Law First Day Cover | Wisconsin Milestone
This 1961 United States First Day Cover marks the 50th anniversary of the first Workmen’s Compensation Law in the United States, issued from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The cachet illustrates the human impact of workplace safety legislation with a touching family scene.
Key Points:
- Country: United States of America
- Date of Issue: September 4, 1961
- City of Cancellation: Milwaukee, Wis.
- Stamp Value: 4¢
- Theme: 50th Anniversary of the First Workmen’s Compensation Law 1911-1961
- Historical or Cultural Relevance: Commemorates Wisconsin’s pioneering role in passing the nation’s first workmen’s compensation law in 1911, a landmark in American labor and social welfare history
- Estimated Market Value: $5–$12 USD, depending on condition and demand
Product Overview:
The cover features a black-and-white photographic-style cachet showing an injured worker with his family, paired with the official blue 4¢ stamp.
Design Elements:
- Cachet depicting a man in a wheelchair with his wife and son, symbolizing workplace injury support
- Blue 4¢ stamp illustrating scales of justice, a factory, and a family
- Milwaukee postmark dated September 4, 1961, 9-AM
- “Forward” crest with industrial and labor symbols by Art Craft
Appeal to Collectors: This cover appeals to collectors of U.S. labor history, social welfare themes, and Wisconsin-related philately.
Historical Context:
In 1911, Wisconsin enacted the first comprehensive workmen’s compensation law in the U.S., shifting the burden of workplace injuries from workers to employers. The 1961 stamp and cover honored this progressive legislation on its golden anniversary.
Collectible Value:
Typical Market Value or Rarity: These labor-themed 1961 covers are moderately available; examples with clear Milwaukee cancellations generally sell for $5–$12.
Who Would Be Interested:
- Labor history and social reform collectors
- Wisconsin philatelists
- Enthusiasts of 20th-century American domestic policy commemoratives
Insights into the Recipient: Addressed to Walter Perkins at 940 Sea View Dr., El Cerrito, California. El Cerrito is a San Francisco Bay Area suburb; the name and address suggest a typical middle-class American household of the early 1960s, possibly a family that had relocated from the Midwest to the growing West Coast.
Add this rare 1961 Workmen’s Compensation 50th Anniversary First Day Cover to your collection today!