This is a 1968 U.S. First Day Cover featuring the 6¢ Early American Flags issue, postmarked Pittsburgh, PA on July 4, 1968. The cover bears a block of four stamps depicting the Bunker Hill Flag (1775) and Grand Union Flag (1776), with a handsome black-and-white cachet by C. Stephen Anderson illustrating early Revolutionary War flags and explanatory text.
The stamps commemorate the varied flags used by colonial regiments before the Stars and Stripes was formalized. On February 20, 1776 the Continental Congress authorized regiments to fly “such flags as they could procure,” resulting in many designs; the Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777 later established the familiar thirteen-stripe pattern with stars in a blue field.
A notable detail is the se-tenant arrangement of the four 6¢ stamps, which together show both the Bunker Hill and Grand Union flags in their historical colors. The cachet artwork and lengthy historical caption on the left panel provide excellent educational value for collectors.
A fine addition to any U.S. flag topical or 1960s commemorative collection, this cover displays fresh color, a clear first-day cancel, and an attractive Anderson cachet.
