1986 Presidents Maxicard,Gerald Ford Cache with miscellaneous President Stamp

22¢ Franklin Pierce
Fleetwood Maximum Card

Issue Date: May 22, 1986
City: Chicago, IL

This Fleetwood Maximum Card features a 22¢ Franklin Pierce stamp and a portrait of Gerald Ford. Pierce was the 14th President and served from 1853 to 1857. Ford became President in 1974 when Richard Nixon resigned. He is the only person to hold the offices of Vice President and President without being elected for either position. Pierce and Ford both served in the military and were not elected for a second term.

The stamp is part of the Presidential Sheets. Not since 1938 had a series of U.S. stamps been devoted entirely to past U.S. Presidents.  And with this series, another postal “first” occurred when four “mini sheets” were issued by the U.S. Postal Service.  Each sheet incorporated nine 22-cent commemorative stamps.  Each of 35 stamps honors a deceased U.S. President, and the 36th stamp depicts the White House.

These were the very first “mini-sheets” ever issued by the United States.  And in addition to a President’s portrait, each stamp bears a facsimile of the President’s signature, plus the years he served in office.

A Maximum Card features a stamp and cancel on the picture side of a postcard. The stamp, cancel, and picture are designed to be in maximum concordance, which means to match as closely as possible without reproducing the stamp image.