This Artmaster first day cover features the 13¢ Maine state flag stamp issued February 23, 1976, in Washington, DC. The stamp depicts Maine’s official flag with its central coat of arms on a blue field, part of the Bicentennial Era series honoring each of the fifty states.
The 1976 series marked America’s 200th anniversary by celebrating the states that formed the Union. Maine, admitted in 1820, is represented here during the nationwide bicentennial observances that highlighted American history and heritage.
The cachet shows Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, a bald eagle, and crossed flags, tying the state stamp to the founding of the nation. “Artmaster” appears in the lower left of the illustration.
The cover is addressed to E. A. Fickenscher in Erie, Pennsylvania, a Lake Erie port city with a long history of Great Lakes commerce and manufacturing.
A clean, well-centered example ideal for collectors of state flags, bicentennial issues, or Artmaster cachets.
