This 1972 Artmaster cachet features the 8¢ Tom Sawyer stamp from the American Folklore Series, postmarked on its official first day of issue, October 13, 1972, in Hannibal, Missouri—the real-life town that inspired Mark Twain’s classic novel.
The stamp and cachet celebrate Samuel L. Clemens’s beloved character Tom Sawyer, whose adventures have shaped American literature since the book’s publication in 1876. Hannibal’s selection as the first-day city underscores the deep connection between the fictional story and Twain’s own boyhood experiences along the Mississippi River.
The Artmaster design shows Tom with fishing pole and barefoot stride, while the stamp itself depicts the iconic whitewashing-the-fence scene, creating a pleasing visual pairing that collectors appreciate.
Addressed to Katherine Fairbanks in Fillmore, California, the cover carries an interesting small-town return address that adds a personal touch often seen on mid-century FDCs.
A clean, well-centered example that makes an excellent addition to any Mark Twain, American literature, or 1970s U.S. commemorative collection.
