1938, 7¢ Andrew Jackson, Sepia, United States (Scott #812)

This stamp is part of the Presidential Issue of 1938, colloquially known by philatelists as the "Prexies." This definitive series was designed to replace the Fourth Bureau Issue and features portraits of the first 29 U.S. Presidents. The 7-cent denomination honors the 7th President, Andrew Jackson.

This is a genuine specimen of the 1938 Presidential Series. Scott #812 was a high-volume definitive issue, with billions of copies printed, making it a common staple of mid-20th-century American postal history. Due to the heavy cancellation and the rightward centering, this specific copy holds standard collector value rather than premium philatelic value.

Technical Specifications:

• Catalog Number: Scott #812.

• Denomination: 7 Cents (7¢).

• Release Date: August 4, 1938.

• Printing Method: Rotary Press.

• Perforation: 11×10½.

• Color: Sepia (Dark Brown).

• Subject: Portrait of Andrew Jackson, based on a bronze statue by Belle Kinney and Leopold Scholz located in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

Condition Analysis:

• Status: Used. The stamp bears a heavy black ink cancellation (likely a machine cancel or circular date stamp) that significantly obscures the upper-left portion of the portrait and the central field.

• Centering: Fine (F). The design is noticeably shifted to the right. The left margin is significantly wider than the right. While the perforations do not cut into the design frame, the margins are unbalanced.

• Reverse Side: The gum is absent as it is a used copy. There are minor signs of paper aging and light "toning," but no obvious thins or tears are visible under current lighting.

• Perforations: Generally intact; however, there is some minor wear and typical "shaggy" teeth on the vertical edges, which is characteristic of stamps separated from sheets produced by rotary press perforators.