This 1976 First Day Cover features the 13¢ Benjamin Franklin Bicentennial stamp issued June 1 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The cachet shows a distinctive globe constructed from envelopes beneath the words “FIRST DAY COVER,” with “FIRST DAY OF ISSUE” printed below the stamp.
The stamp commemorates the American Bicentennial (1776-1976) and depicts Franklin alongside a map highlighting key colonial cities from Quebec to Philadelphia. As a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s first Postmaster General, Franklin’s likeness was a fitting choice for a stamp celebrating both the Revolution and the postal service.
A notable detail is the map’s inclusion of Canadian cities such as Quebec and Montreal, underscoring the broader North American context of the Revolutionary era. The cover bears a clear Philadelphia, PA circular date stamp of June 1, 1976.
Collectors will appreciate this clean, well-centered example as an attractive addition to Bicentennial, Franklin, or classic U.S. FDC collections.
