AIA Centennial plate block with Aristocrats architectural cachet

The Aristocrats cachet features a black-and-white pen-and-ink illustration depicting an architectural scene with modernist skyscrapers, trees, a smaller residential building, and drafting tools (T-square and triangle) overlaid in the foreground. A decorative scroll banner at top bears the text 'Honoring the Architects of America, The Centennial of Founding of American Institute of Architects,' with ribbon banners at bottom showing '1857' and '1957.' The stamps form a plate block of four 3-cent purple/violet stamps depicting a stylized Ionic column capital, issued for the AIA Centennial. The postmark is a circular hand cancel from New York, NY dated February 23, 1957 at 9:00 AM, with a 'First Day of Issue' machine slogan cancel visible on the right side. Plate number 25628 is visible on the right selvage.

This First Day Cover features a detailed cachet artwork honoring the centennial of the American Institute of Architects (1857–1957). The cachet, designed by Dav. Lowry, showcases modernist skyscrapers, residential buildings, and drafting tools in pen-and-ink style, with the dates '1857' and '1957' on scrolls. The stamp is a plate block of four 3-cent purple stamps depicting a stylized Ionic column capital, with 'First Day of Issue' overprint. The postmark includes a circular hand-cancel with 'New York, N.Y., Feb 23, 1957' and a machine slogan cancel. The cover is in excellent condition, with clear and intact artwork, stamp, and postmark.