This Art Craft official first day cover features the 13¢ New Jersey State Flag stamp issued February 23, 1976, in Washington, DC, as part of the State Flags of the United States series honoring the American Bicentennial.
The stamp depicts New Jersey’s coat of arms on a buff field, one of fifty state-flag issues released throughout 1976 to commemorate the nation’s 200th anniversary. The striking black-and-white cachet illustrates the creation of the first Stars and Stripes, with figures gathered around the thirteen-star flag that became the model for all future U.S. flags.
A notable detail is the cachet’s focus on the “First Stars and Stripes,” tying the New Jersey issue to the Revolutionary-era origins of the national flag. The cover bears the distinctive Art Craft logo and the series inscription “State Flags of the United States, Series of 1976.”
In excellent condition with a crisp Washington, DC first-day cancel, this cover makes an attractive addition to any Bicentennial, state-flag, or Art Craft topical collection.
