George Washington First Day Mega-Combo

Since the inception of U.S. postage stamps in 1847, George Washington has been a mainstay--so much so that there has hardly been a time that a Washington stamp was not currently available from the post office. The current Washington stamp is a 23¢ variety that serves a dual purpose: it's the current postcard rate as well as the rate for each additional ounce beyond the first ounce on first-class mail. When that stamp was issued in coil and booklet form in 2002, I took the opportunity to create the mother of all first day combination "covers," with stamps from three different centuries.