This Art Craft First Day Cover features the 4¢ Louisiana Statehood commemorative stamp issued April 30, 1962, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The stamp depicts a classic Mississippi River steamboat beneath Spanish moss, marking the 150th anniversary of Louisiana’s admission to the Union.
Louisiana entered the United States on April 30, 1812, as the 18th state. The 1962 sesquicentennial issue celebrated the state’s rich French, Spanish, and Creole heritage along with its pivotal role in American commerce and culture during the 19th century.
The cachet shows the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge flanked by two flamingos and the state’s “Union, Justice & Confidence” pelican emblem. The New Orleans postmark ties the cover directly to the city where the stamp was first placed on sale.
A clean, well-centered example with a sharp first-day cancel, this cover makes an attractive addition for collectors of Art Craft cachets, Louisiana history, or U.S. statehood commemoratives.
