Unlike the sheet stamp of the same design, this coil version carries Washington's presidential term dates (1789 to 1797) printed beneath the portrait, a detail added specifically for the coil format.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #839

• Denomination: 1 cent (1¢)

• Date of Issue: January 20, 1939

• Printing Method: Rotary Press, Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 10 Vertically (Coil — straight edges top and bottom)

• Color: Green

• Subject: Portrait of George Washington, 1st President of the United States (1789–1797)

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Fine

• Postmark: Bold impression present. The postmark falls across the stamp without obscuring the portrait or principal design elements.

• Obverse: All major design elements, inscriptions, and denomination remain clearly identifiable. The engraved portrait is intact with normal wear consistent with postal use.

• Reverse: Original gum absent, as expected for a used stamp. No evidence of tears, thinning, repairs, or alterations.

• Centering / Margins: Vertical perforations intact on both sides, with straight imperforate top and bottom edges typical of a genuine coil issue.

• Perforations: No signs of trimming, reperforation, or artificial alteration observed.

HISTORY

The Presidential Series coil stamps were issued alongside their sheet counterparts beginning in 1939, produced for use in vending machines and stamp dispensers that were becoming standard fixtures in post offices and businesses across the country. The coil format, perforated on the vertical sides only, with straight-cut top and bottom edges, made them mechanically distinct from sheet stamps and created a separate set of catalog entries for collectors building complete Prexies sets.

Scott #839 is the 1¢ Washington coil, issued January 20, 1939, the same date as the other coil issues in the series. The design follows the standard Prexies layout but includes Washington's presidential term dates, 1789 to 1797, beneath the portrait — a detail that grounds the image in specific historical time rather than treating Washington as a timeless symbol. The green color carried over from the 1¢ Washington denominations of earlier definitive series, providing visual continuity for postal customers familiar with the color coding of common rates.

Washington's place as the first president gave him an almost inevitable position as the opener of the Prexies series, and the 1¢ denomination ensured this stamp passed through more hands than almost any other in the set.

STEVEN SAYS

The term dates under the portrait are easy to miss but worth noticing. 1789 to 1797. Eight years. Washington could have stayed longer, but he chose not to. That choice is as much a part of his legacy as anything else.

Technical Specifications

• Catalog Number: Scott #839

• Denomination: 1 cent (1¢)

• Date of Issue: January 20, 1939

• Printing Method: Rotary Press

• Printing Type: Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 10 (vertical sides only, coil issue)

• Color: Green

• Printer: Bureau of Engraving and Printing

• Subject: Portrait of George Washington, 1st President of the United States

Condition Analysis

Status: 

Used and Uncertified

Seller’s Grading:Fine

Postmark:

Bold

Obverse:

All major design elements, inscriptions, and denomination remain clearly identifiable. The engraved portrait of George Washington is intact, with normal wear consistent with postal use.

Reverse:

Original gum is absent, as expected for a used coil stamp. The reverse shows no evidence of tears, thinning, repairs, or alterations.

Centering / Margins:

Good. 

Vertical perforations are intact on both sides, with straight, imperforate top and bottom edges typical of a genuine coil issue.

Other Findings:

No signs of trimming, reperforation, or artificial alteration are observed. Physical characteristics are fully consistent with an authentic 1939 1¢ George Washington coil stamp, Scott #839.