The 5¢ rate this stamp served was the domestic airmail rate of its era, meaning this particular Monroe traveled faster through the postal system than almost any other stamp in the Prexies series.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #810

• Denomination: 5 cents (5¢)

• Date of Issue: July 21, 1938

• Printing Method: Rotary Press, Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 11 × 10½

• Color: Bright Blue

• Subject: Portrait of James Monroe, 5th President of the United States

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Extremely Fine

• Postmark: Minimal, with a black wavy-line impression and curved segment on the right side. The postmark does not obscure the portrait or denomination.

• Obverse: Design and denomination are fully legible throughout. Portrait is sharp and intact.

• Reverse: Original gum absent, as expected for a used stamp. Reverse is clean with no visible tears, thinning, or repairs.

• Centering / Margins: Excellent, with perforations clear of the design frame on all sides.

• Perforations: All perforations present. No evidence of trimming or artificial alteration observed.

HISTORY

James Monroe served as the fifth president from 1817 to 1825, presiding over what historians have called the Era of Good Feelings: a period of relative political unity following the War of 1812. His most lasting contribution to American foreign policy, the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, declared the Western Hemisphere closed to further European colonization, a principle that shaped American diplomacy for more than a century after his presidency ended.

In the Presidential Series of 1938, Monroe appears on the 5¢ denomination, issued July 21, 1938. The bright blue color made it visually distinctive within the Prexies series, and the 5¢ rate it served carried significant postal weight. It covered the domestic airmail rate in the late 1930s, meaning envelopes bearing this stamp were routed through the growing network of U.S. air mail service rather than surface transport. For collectors of the Prexies, the 5¢ Monroe in Extremely Fine condition with a minimal postmark represents one of the cleaner examples of the series at the airmail denomination.

The engraved portrait follows the restrained, dignified style consistent across the Presidential Series, rendered by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing with the same intaglio process used throughout the set.

STEVEN SAYS

Monroe is one of the underrated presidents on a stamp. The Monroe Doctrine alone shaped American foreign policy for over a hundred years. The bright blue on this one holds up well.

Technical Specifications

• Catalog Number: Scott #810

• Denomination: 5 cents (5¢)

• Date of Issue: July 21, 1938

• Printing Method: Rotary Press

• Printing Type: Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 11 × 10½

• Color: Bright Blue

• Mintage: 2,568,730,000 copies

• Subject: Portrait of James Monroe, 5th President of the United States

Condition Analysis

Status: Used and Uncertified.

Seller’s Grading:

Extremely Fine

Postmark:

Minimal

Obverse:

The stamp bears a black postmark composed of horizontal wavy lines and a curved segment on the right side. The postmark does not obscure the overall design or denomination.

Reverse:

Original gum is absent, consistent with normal postal use. The reverse appears clean, with no visible tears, thinning, or repairs.

Centering / Margins:

Excellent!

The perforations do not cut into the design frame.

Other Findings:

All perforations are present. The stamp's condition is consistent with standard postal handling. No evidence of trimming or artificial alteration is observed.