The postmark on this stamp places it in Fergus Falls, Minnesota - a specific piece of postal history that possibly no other copy of this stamp can claim.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #808

• Denomination: 4 cents (4¢)

• Date of Issue: July 1, 1938

• Printing Method: Rotary Press, Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 11 × 10½

• Color: Red Violet

• Subject: Portrait of James Madison, 4th President of the United States (1809–1817)

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Very Fine

• Postmark: Black postmark identifying Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The postmark falls across the stamp without obscuring the portrait or principal design elements.

• Obverse: All major design elements remain clearly identifiable throughout. The portrait, inscription, and denomination are intact.

• Reverse: No original gum present, as expected for a used stamp. Normal wear with no tears or repairs.

• Centering / Margins: Well-centered within the margins. Design is slightly shifted to the right.

• Perforations: Complete on all four sides, consistent with sheet format.

HISTORY

James Madison appears on the 4¢ denomination of the Presidential Series of 1938, issued July 1, 1938. Madison served as the fourth president from 1809 to 1817, and his place in American history extends well beyond the presidency. He was the primary architect of the U.S. Constitution, the author of much of the Federalist Papers, and the driving force behind the Bill of Rights. His presidency included the War of 1812, the only conflict in American history in which Washington D.C. was captured and the White House burned.

The 4¢ denomination served registered mail and heavier domestic correspondence in the late 1930s, giving the Madison stamp a different circulation pattern than the lighter rate denominations in the Prexies series. The red violet color was distinctive within the set, setting Madison apart visually from the greens and blues of the lower denominations.

This particular example carries a postmark from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, a city in Otter Tail County in the western part of the state. Founded in 1872 along the Otter Tail River, Fergus Falls grew as a regional hub for farming and commerce through the early 20th century. The postmark transforms this stamp from a catalog entry into a small piece of the correspondence history of a specific American community.

STEVEN SAYS

Fergus Falls, Minnesota. That's the detail here. Madison wrote the Constitution and this stamp ended up postmarked in a small city on the Minnesota prairie. Postal history works like that sometimes.