Collect First Day Covers

First Day Covers

What is a First Day Cover? First Day relates to the date that a stamp has been issued, for example, the 2022 Tutankhamun stamps were issued on the 24th November 2022. Cover refers to the envelope, which hundreds of years ago, people didn't use and would fold up their letters to send, creating a 'cover'. Today we pop our letters into envelopes (much safer!). When a stamp is affixed to the envelope and postmarked on its first day of issue, the envelope becomes a First Day Cover (FDC).

Collectors have been interested in stamps on envelopes for over 150 years. At some point in history it became popular to collect covers which had been postmarked on the first day of issue, and they sent them through the post on purpose to obtain this. Certainly in 1870, many of the new halfpenny postcards were sent to be kept. Collecting them became a philatelic hobby, and with this hobby gaining more and more interest (for example, over 400 different covers were produced for the 1937 Coronation stamp), First Day Covers became something worth collecting; not only did they pay homage to the stamp issue, but they also became beautifully illustrated and were like pieces of art depicting special times in history.

Buckingham Covers

Where do we fit into all of this? Here at Buckingham Covers we produce fabulous British First Day Covers which look at the stamps that have been issued and expand on that to produce works of art. These covers are highly collectable and not only do you get to collect stamps that have been postmarked on their first day of issue, but the envelopes themselves are personally designed by our hard-working design team. With a completed product you get to hold in your hands unique designs showing, for example, stunning landscapes, famous figures and for the Rail enthusiasts out there, fantastic engines. These are just the tip of the iceberg!

Start your own collection

Would you like to start owning little pieces of history? On the back of every cover, there is a short description detailing what the cover is about and its importance in relation to the stamps produced.

If there is a cover in particular you are looking for: a famous singer, a particular stamp, a football legend and can’t quite find it on our website, you are more than welcome to get in contact with us. You can email betty@buckinghamcovers.com or you can also call us on 01303 278137. We would love to hear from you.

We don’t just sell

We also buy thousands of covers a year, so if you have a collection that you are looking to sell, then please get in touch.

Visit the Home of British First Day Covers here

Buckingham Covers Autographs

Is there anything more exciting than holding something in your hand that was signed by your hero? Not a lot comes close. Short of tracking down your idol to obtain that 'selfie', with Buckingham Covers you get to own their signature - FOREVER.

At Buckingham Covers we pride ourselves on selling genuine signatures and because we keep our print-runs small, we can guarantee that our signed collectables are limited editions.

Collecting autographs is very rewarding but it can be very costly, which is why we do all of the hard work for you. We go directly to the signer and for our historic items, we source our signatures from reputable dealers where provenance can be traced. We only offer GENUINE signatures. And when forgeries do come through our doors, we sell them as such and a cachet is added to say that they are not the real deal and do not end up back in circulation as fakes. With at least 80% of signatures on the market being forgeries, we can offer you peace of mind that what you are buying from us is genuine and of the best quality.  For more information please visit our Collecting Autographs page.

One thing we really enjoy about getting celebrities to sign for us is that we are helping Charities along the way. They sign for us and at the same time donate money to amazing charities to support worthwhile causes. So far we have helped raise over £800,000 since we began in 2000!

Whatever your bag is, we are sure we've got someone you just need for your collection. Whether it's the Apollo 11 Mission team, famous authors like Terry Pratchett, infamous Bond actors such as Roger Moore, sporting legends like Andy Murray and so many more!

Get in touch to see if we have your idol's signature in stock! Contact us.