This Art Craft First Day Cover bears the 5¢ Doctors Mayo commemorative stamp, postmarked on its first day of issue, September 11, 1964, in Rochester, Minnesota. The cachet features formal portraits of brothers Dr. Charles H. Mayo (1865–1939) and Dr. William J. Mayo (1861–1939), along with the Mayo Foundation centennial emblem.
The stamp honors the Mayo brothers, who transformed American medicine by establishing the Mayo Clinic’s pioneering model of integrated, multi-specialty group practice. Their emphasis on collaborative diagnosis, research, and education helped create one of the world’s foremost medical institutions and influenced modern healthcare delivery worldwide.
A notable detail is the cachet’s reproduction of the official Mayo Centennial medallion, marking the 100th anniversary of the brothers’ births and the enduring legacy of the Mayo Foundation’s “Practice, Education, Research” motto. The stamp’s dual portrait design is also unusual, one of the few U.S. issues to depict two non-presidential siblings.
Collectors will appreciate this clean, unaddressed cover’s sharp Rochester, Minn. postmark and attractive green color scheme, making it an excellent addition to medical history, Minnesota, or famous Americans topical collections.
