First-day cover displaying the three formats of the nondenominated A-rate eagle stamp: sheet, booklet, and coil, Scott #1735, #1736, and #1743. The stamps were issued May 22, 1978, for the fifteen-cent domestic letter rate that began one week later. A blue GAMM eagle cachet accompanies the Memphis, Tennessee, first-day cancellation.
Claude
The cachet features a detailed blue illustration of a bald eagle in flight with wings spread wide, set against a light blue cloudy sky background. Text identifies this as the 'Regular Postage for 15¢ Postal Rate Increase Stamp, A-issue 1978' with a note 'Sheet-Coil-Booklet' below the eagle artwork, created by GAMM cachets. Three orange US 'A-rate' non-denominated stamps are affixed in a horizontal strip, each depicting a stylized eagle in white against the orange background with 'US Postage' text. The cancellation is a standard circular machine postmark from Memphis, TN dated May 22, 1978, with zip 38101 and 'FIRST DAY OF ISSUE' slogan cancel.
Mistral
This First Day Cover features a stylized blue bald eagle in flight with outstretched wings against a light blue cloudy sky as the cachet artwork. Three non-denominated 'A' rate stamps in orange are affixed in a horizontal strip, each showing a simplified eagle design. The Memphis, TN First Day of Issue postmark is a circular machine cancellation dated May 22, 1978. Text on the cover reads 'Regular Postage for 15¢ Postal Rate Increase Stamp A- issue 1978 SHEET-COIL-BOOKLET' and 'GAMM' indicating the cachet maker.
(The automatic summaries sometimes misidentify the postmark as part of the cachet artwork.)
