The Sower on this stamp is based on the bronze figure standing atop the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln - one of the most recognized pieces of public sculpture in the American Midwest.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #1060

• Denomination: 3 cents (3¢)

• Date of Issue: May 7, 1954

• Printing Method: Rotary Press, Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 11 × 10½

• Color: Deep Violet

• Subject: The Sower, allegorical figure representing Nebraska's agricultural heritage

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Very Fine

• Postmark: Bold, black ink with a clear impression but not obscure The Sower figure.

• Obverse: Design is clear and well defined throughout. No visible tears or creases observed.

• Reverse: Clean with no visible thins or repairs. No gum present, consistent with postal use.

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

• Perforations: Intact throughout. No visible tears or missing perforations.

HISTORY

The Nebraska Territory was established by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in the years leading to the Civil War. The act allowed settlers in the new territories to determine for themselves whether to permit slavery - a principle called popular sovereignty that effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and reignited the national conflict over slavery's expansion. Nebraska itself entered the Union as a free state in 1867, but the territorial period that began in 1854 marked a pivotal moment in American political history.

A century later, the Post Office Department issued this commemorative on May 7, 1954, marking the centennial of the territory's establishment. The design centers on an allegorical figure known as The Sower, representing the agricultural settlement that defined Nebraska's development across the second half of the 19th century. The image draws from the bronze sculpture atop the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, completed in 1930 as part of the capitol's distinctive tower design and among the most recognized works of public art in the region.

The 3¢ denomination was the domestic first-class letter rate of 1954, giving this commemorative wide circulation during the centennial year.

STEVEN SAYS

The Sower is on top of the Nebraska State Capitol. It's one of those state symbols most people outside Nebraska have never seen, but it's a remarkable piece of public sculpture. The Kansas-Nebraska Act that created the territory helped start the path to the Civil War. That's a lot of history for a 3-cent stamp.