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                                    place went to Elaine Rawlinson of New York City, whose simple design differed from all the earlier more ornate stamps the country had produced.In this series, the 1%u00a2 through 22%u00a2 denominations corresponded to the order of the country's presidents. Thus, Washington appeared on the 1%u00a2 stamp, John Adams on the 2%u00a2, and so on. Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms as the 22nd and 24th president, and is on the 22%u00a2 stamp. Because a 23%u00a2 stamp would not have had a specific postal use, that denomination was not used, and Benjamin Harrison was featured on the 24%u00a2 stamp, even though he was the 23rd president. William McKinley (the 25th president) was then honored on the 25%u00a2 stamp. After that, the denominations on the 30%u00a2, 50%u00a2, $1, $2, and $5 did not correspond to the presidential order. The series also included stamps with busts of Benjamin Franklin (%u00bd%u00a2) and Martha Washington (1%u00bd%u00a2), and one with an engraving of the White House (4%u00bd%u00a2). I didn%u2019t know the catalog value of my new set of Prexie First Day Covers, but I knew I%u2019d made a good deal because a set of simple used stamps were worth more than what I paid for the covers. When I got home later that afternoon, I showed my purchase to Dad. While he had no interest in collecting stamps, he seemed impressed with my bargaining skills. I mentioned that it was too bad I didn%u2019t have the complete set, but the $1, $2, and $5 values were well beyond my means.Several months later, not long before my January 9 birthday, Dad took me with him on a business trip to Indianapolis. I don%u2019t recall all the places on his agenda that day, but his last stop was at Circle Stamp and Coin. Dad%u2019s gift store in Lafayette had a section devoted to selling stamp and coin supplies, and he regularly bought inventory from Circle at wholesale. But today, he said we were going there to buy the three Presidential First Day Covers I needed to complete my set. He had called Circle earlier, and was told they had them in stock. When we arrived, a salesman went to the vault to retrieve them. As he laid them on the counter, I saw they were all addressed to Circle Stamp and Coin, and the cachets matched the covers I already had. I was surprised with this special early birthday gift, because they retailed for quite a bit%u2014$100. I don%u2019t recall if Dad received a discount, but he could have. What I do remember him saying is, \ is an investment.\While I didn%u2019t know it back then, the covers%u2019 matching cachets had all been created by Harry Ioor, an Indianapolis chiropractor. Harry was a serious philatelist who advertised stamps for sale in Popular Mechanics during the 1920s. On February 25, 1929, he created his first in a series of cachets, all of which became quite popular. So much so, that his work was immortalized in a 1976 book: Photo Cachet Catalog, Harry Ioor. Harry produced cachets until his death on February 19, 1940. After that, his sister Travilla, who also had artistic talents, continued the Ioor brand of cachets until 1951. Harry%u2019s chiropractic office was in downtown Indianapolis' State Life Building, just a few blocks from Circle Stamp and Coin. Surely they both Elaine Rawlinson%u2019s winning stamp design.First Day Covers
                                
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