We’ve said before that some people just have a collecting gene. Frequently, numismatists collect interesting stamps and/or First Day Covers in addition to their primary coin and currency collectibles.
But, since the collector’s primary interest is numismatics, they store their philatelical specimens with their coins. When those coins are sold, frequently the stamps remain hidden in with the coins.
Let’s look at an example:
At the top, the print states, “Great Americans Series” which Harry S. Truman along with his wife, Bess, was. This First Day Cover recognizes the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Harry S. Truman. The picture shows President Truman, his wife Bess and his birthplace in Lamar, Missouri.
President Truman was our thirty-third president serving from 1945 to 1953. That time frame, of course, included the difficult, yet growth, years just after World War II.
Many people find President Truman and his years in office to be a fascinating time. Yet, President Truman has not been recognized by the US Mint with either a legal tender commemorative coin or a circulating coin. Though there are “commemorative” Harry S. Truman coins. In reality, they are metals since they are not legal tender.
As part of the presidential dollar series, President Truman will have his own coin in the form of a golden dollar in the year 2015.
But, did you know that the Truman Library in Independence Missouri has a Truman Collection of coins? Currently, they are on loan to the Kansas City Reserve Bank’s Money Museum.
This collection recognizes the coinage minted in each US Presidency with examples of the coins underneath a likeness of each president.
Perhaps the original collector folded their First Day Cover and inserted it into a 1984 proof set box or maybe into a mint set envelope.
Will they miss their First Day Cover? Or, did they bequeath their numismatic collection, which included some philately, to a family member who chose to sell?
With a simple search on the internet, these First Day Covers are not expensive and are selling between $1.50 and $2.00. Sure, it would be nice if the find was a rare and valuable speciman, but the fun is in finding the hidden treasure.