Nathanael Greene is often called Washington's most trusted general: the man Washington said he could rely on above all others. Greene never lost a campaign. He's on this stamp alongside Washington, with Mount Vernon between them.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #785

• Denomination: 1 cent (1¢)

• Date of Issue: December 15, 1936

• Printing Method: Rotary Press, Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 11 × 10½

• Color: Green

• Subject: Portraits of George Washington (left) and Nathanael Greene (right) with Mount Vernon — Army and Navy Commemorative Series

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Fine

• Postmark: Heavy black wavy-line machine cancellation across the bottom portion, obscuring the denomination text but leaving the portraits largely visible.

• Obverse: Portraits, Mount Vernon vignette, and principal inscriptions remain clearly identifiable.

• Reverse: No original gum present, as expected for a used stamp. Paper appears clean with no visible thins or tears.

• Centering / Margins: Fine. Design is shifted slightly to the left and upward. 

• Perforations: Perforations intact on all four sides with typical separation fibers consistent with rotary press sheet separation.

HISTORY

The Army and Navy Commemorative Series of 1936-1937 honored American military leadership of the Revolutionary War through ten stamps — five Army pairings and five Navy pairings issued across matched denominations. The 1¢ Army stamp, Scott #785, pairs George Washington and Nathanael Greene with a central vignette of Mount Vernon.

Nathanael Greene was a Rhode Island Quaker who had never served in a military capacity before the Revolution and taught himself tactics by reading every military text he could find. He rose to become Washington's most trusted subordinate — the general Washington said he would rely on above all others in a crisis. His Southern Campaign of 1780-1781, often called a masterpiece of strategic retreat, exhausted Cornwallis's forces and set the stage for Yorktown without Greene ever winning a decisive pitched battle. He is one of the most celebrated commanders in American military history and one of the least known to the general public.

The Mount Vernon vignette at center connects the two men through their commanding general's home, a familiar image that anchored the design visually.

STEVEN SAYS

Greene taught himself strategy from books and never lost a campaign. Washington trusted him more than anyone else in the army. He's right there next to Washington on this stamp and most people couldn't tell you who he was. Worth knowing.