This Artmaster First Day Cover bears a block of four of the 5¢ West Virginia Centennial stamp, postmarked on the first day of issue, June 20, 1963, in Wheeling, West Virginia.
West Virginia entered the Union as the 35th state on June 20, 1863, during the Civil War after voters in the western counties of Virginia chose to remain loyal to the United States and form a new state.
The striking Artmaster cachet illustrates the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston and includes the Great Seal of the state along with the inscription “100th Anniversary – 35th State of the Union 1863–1963.”
The cover is addressed to Murray Ludmer in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, a Bergen County borough founded in the late 19th century and known for its convenient location along the historic New York & Erie Railroad line.
A clean, well-centered example that makes an attractive addition to any U.S. statehood or Civil War topical collection.
