This Artmaster cachet features a detailed pen-and-ink portrait of Malcolm X with the powerful quote 'I'm for truth, no matter who tells it...' from his autobiography, identifying him by both his birth name and adopted name, El-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz. The 1999 Black Heritage series 33-cent stamp displays a photographic portrait of Malcolm X, cancelled at New York, NY on January 20, 1999. The cover includes biographical text on the reverse by Artmaster, Inc., a Louisville-based FDC publisher known for historically significant cachet designs.
Claude
The cachet features a detailed pen-and-ink style portrait of Malcolm X wearing glasses, set against a tan/beige background, with a prominent quote from 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' (1965) reading 'I'm for truth, no matter who tells it...' The cachet identifies the subject as 'Malcolm X / El-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz' and includes the Artmaster artist signature. The 33-cent Black Heritage series stamp depicts a photographic portrait of Malcolm X in blue-gray tones, and the machine cancellation postmark reads 'New York, NY / Jan 20, 1999 / 10199.' The back of the cover includes detailed biographical text about Malcolm X produced by Artmaster, Inc. of Louisville, KY.
Mistral
The cachet features a detailed pen-and-ink portrait of Malcolm X in a suit and tie, with a quote from his autobiography emphasizing truth and justice. The text 'BLACK HERITAGE' is prominently displayed at the top, with 'MALCOLM X EL-HAJJ MALIK AL-SHABAZZ' at the bottom. The stamp shows a photographic portrait of Malcolm X with the text 'BLACK HERITAGE 33¢' and 'MALCOLM X 1925-1965'. The postmark is a circular cancellation with 'NEW YORK, NY JAN 20, 1999' and a four-bar kill cancel. The reverse includes a biographical summary of Malcolm X and details about the First Day Cover production.
(The automatic summaries sometimes misidentify the postmark as part of the cachet artwork.)
