The Post Office issued this stamp on May 11, 1958: exactly 100 years to the day after Minnesota was admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858. The date match was deliberate.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #1106

• Denomination: 3 cents (3¢)

• Date of Issue: May 11, 1958

• Printing Method: Rotary Press, Engraved (Intaglio)

• Perforation: 11 × 10½

• Color: Green

• Subject: 100th Anniversary of Minnesota Statehood — Norway pine branch, lake, and islands

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Fine

• Postmark: Circular Date Stamp fragment visible on the right side. CDS postmarks can indicate the specific post office of origin and are generally considered more desirable than machine wavy-line cancels among collectors of used commemoratives.

• Obverse: Engraved pine needle detail and lake horizon remain sharp and well-defined. Color is consistent with no visible fading. All inscriptions, including "MINNESOTA STATEHOOD" and "UNITED STATES POSTAGE," are clearly identifiable.

• Reverse: No original gum present, as expected for a used stamp. Paper is clean with natural mid-century fiber texture. No thinning, tears, or hinge remnants observed.

• Centering / Margins: Good. Design is slightly favored toward the right, though margins remain ample and perforations do not intersect the design frame.

• Perforations: Intact on all four sides. No evidence of trimming, reperforation, or artificial alteration.

HISTORY

Minnesota was admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd state, carved from the northern reaches of the old Northwest Territory and the lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase. The state's identity was shaped from the outset by its lakes (more than ten thousand of them) its vast northern forests, and its position at the headwaters of the Mississippi River. By 1958, the centennial of statehood was a significant civic occasion, and the U.S. Post Office Department issued this commemorative on the precise anniversary date.

The design centers on a Norway pine branch in the foreground with a lake and its islands stretching behind it — the Norway pine being Minnesota's official state tree, selected in 1953. The engraving captures the density of the needles and the open water with the fine line work characteristic of intaglio printing at its best. The deep green color reinforces the North Woods landscape the design depicts.

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

STEVEN SAYS

May 11, 1858 - Minnesota becomes a state. May 11, 1958 -  this stamp is issued. The Post Office matched the date exactly. The CDS postmark on this one is worth noting, it has more collector appeal than a standard wavy-line machine cancel.