This First Day Cover features the 13¢ U.S. Olympics stamp issued in 1976, postmarked on July 16, 1976, in Lake Placid, New York. The cachet depicts a figure skater in action beneath the heading “XXI Olympiad Montreal 1976,” framed by colorful Olympic rings and the five-ring symbol at the bottom.
The stamp commemorates the 1976 Summer Olympic Games held in Montreal, Canada—the first Olympics hosted by that city. Issued during the height of the Cold War era, these Games drew global attention both for athletic achievement and for the political tensions of the time, including a boycott by several African nations.
A notable detail is the choice of Lake Placid for the first-day postmark; although the stamp honors the Montreal Summer Games, Lake Placid would later host the 1980 Winter Olympics, creating an interesting philatelic link between the two events.
In excellent condition with a crisp strike and colorful cachet, this cover makes an appealing addition for collectors of Olympic topicals, U.S. commemoratives, or postal history from the 1970s.
