This 1965 Traffic Safety 5¢ First Day Cover features an Artmaster cachet and was postmarked in Baltimore, Maryland on September 3, 1965, the official first day of issue. The stamp’s bold traffic-light design promotes the national campaign to reduce accidents through the three E’s: enforcement, education, and engineering.
In the mid-1960s, rising automobile ownership and highway fatalities made traffic safety a major public-policy focus. The stamp’s message reflected growing federal and state efforts to improve driver behavior and road design during the Interstate Highway era.
The Artmaster cachet depicts a smiling police officer directing traffic against a skyline backdrop, with the slogan “Be Cautious – Be Courteous” and the words “First Day of Issue.” The cover is addressed to Murray Ludwig in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, a small Bergen County borough.
A clean, well-centered example ideal for collectors of Artmaster cachets, transportation topicals, or 1960s U.S. postal history.
