TEASER

Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, founded the University of Virginia, and designed his own home at Monticello — and this stamp served the first-class letter rate for millions of Americans during one of the most consequential decades in the nation's history.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #842

• Denomination: 3 cents (3¢)

• Date of Issue: January 20, 1939

• Printing Method: Rotary Press, Engraved (Intaglio)

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

• Color: Bright Violet

• Subject: Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States (1801–1809)

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

Status: Used

Grading: Fine

Postmark: Bold black wavy-line postmark present. The postmark falls across the stamp without obscuring the portrait or principal design elements. The engraved details remain identifiable throughout.

Obverse: Design is intact and fully legible. Normal wear consistent with postal use.

Reverse: No original gum present, as expected for a used stamp. Light overall toning noted. No visible tears, thinning, or repairs.

Centering / Margins: Perforations clear of the design frame on all sides.

Perforations: Vertical perforations intact on left and right sides only, with straight imperforate top and bottom edges consistent with genuine coil format. No evidence of trimming or reperforation.

HISTORY

Thomas Jefferson appears on the 3¢ denomination of the Presidential Series of 1938, issued as a coil stamp on January 20, 1939. The 3¢ rate was the domestic first-class letter rate throughout the late 1930s and into the 1940s, making the Jefferson coil one of the most frequently used stamps in the Prexies series. Envelopes bearing this stamp carried personal correspondence, business letters, and official communications across the country during the years leading into and through World War II.

Jefferson served as the third president from 1801 to 1809, but his significance in American history extends well beyond two terms. He drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 at age 33, negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 (doubling the size of the United States) and founded the University of Virginia in 1819. He was also a serious architect, designing his home at Monticello and contributing to the plan for the University's original grounds. The portrait on the Prexies follows the standard series format, rendered by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing with the engraved intaglio process used throughout the set.

The coil format, with its characteristic straight-cut top and bottom edges, places this stamp in a distinct catalog position from the sheet version of the same design, Scott #807.

STEVEN SAYS

Jefferson wrote the Declaration at 33. That's easy to read past. This stamp was carrying first-class mail while the country was heading into the war. The coil format is worth noting if you're building a complete Prexies set, it's a separate catalog entry from the sheet stamp.