First day of issue
A first day of issue cover or first day cover (FDC) is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope that has been franked on the first day the issue is authorized for use within the country or territory of the stamp-issuing authority. There will usually be a first day of issue postmark, frequently a pictorial cancellation, indicating the city and date where the item was first issued, and this postmark often features the words "first day of issue."
Modern FDCs typically also feature a "cachet," or an illustration on the envelope. This can be printed, drawn, or painted by any number of methods, and is typically related to the image or subject on the stamp. Many collectors seek out covers produced by particular cachetmakers for their artistic value.
Postal authorities may hold a first day ceremony to generate publicity for the new issue, with postal officials revealing the stamp, and with connected persons in attendance, such as descendants of the person being honored by the stamp. The ceremony may also be held in a location that has a special connection with the stamp's subject, such as the birthplace of a social movement, or at a stamp show.
Depending on the policy of the nation issuing the stamp, official first day postmarks may sometimes be applied to covers weeks or months after the date indicated. Sometimes the issue is made from a temporary or permanent foreign or overseas office. Covers that are postmarked at sea or their next port of call will carry what is known as a paquebot postmark.