This Art Craft first day cover features the 1976 13¢ Commercial Aviation stamp issued to mark the 50th anniversary of scheduled commercial air service in the United States. The Chicago, Illinois postmark dated March 19, 1976 confirms its first-day status.
The stamp and cachet commemorate the birth of commercial aviation in 1926, when the first U.S. Post Office contracts enabled regular passenger and mail flights. The artwork highlights pioneering airmail pilot Fred Kelly and early aircraft that carried the mail, underscoring the rapid growth of air transport during the 1920s and 1930s.
A notable detail is the cachet’s depiction of the transition from open-cockpit biplanes to more modern mail planes, together with the winged “U.S. Air Mail” logo that appeared on many early contract aircraft. The cover carries the distinctive Art Craft cachet maker’s imprint at lower left.
Collectors will appreciate this clean, well-centered example as an attractive addition to any aviation, transportation, or U.S. postal-history collection, offering both visual appeal and solid historical context.
