Scotts #673 US stamps

#673 4¢ Nebraska Overpint 1929

4¢ - Dark Yellow Brown

Printing Method: Rotary Press
Subject: Martha Washington
Number issued: 1,600,000
Perforations: 11 x 10½
Overprinted: Nebr.
Scott #: 673
Issued: April 17th, 1929

Value

Used
$1 - $3
No postmark with gum (MH)
$5.50 - $7.50
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$7.50 - $16

Plate #'s

#673 was issued with the following plate #'s

Number only
18038, 82

First Day Cover

A first day cover of #673, dated May 1st, 1929. This was the first date it was issued at the Philatelic Bureau in Washington DC. The true first date of issue was April 17th, 1929, the day it was issued in Nebraska.

The design inspiration

The vignette was based on a drawing by Charles Jalabert who based his drawing off the Gilbert Stuart painting. Gilbert Stuart painted Martha Washington when she was about sixty years old. The top image is the Gilbert Stewart painting, the bottom image is an engraving based on the Jalabert drawing.

The Story Behind the Stamp

To prevent the thieves from transporting stamps out of Kansas and Nebraska and selling them elsewhere, the Post Office tried overprinting the letters Kans. on stamps slated for sale in Kansas and Nebr. on stamps that were to be sold in Nebraska. All post offices in Kansas and Nebraska received overprinted stamps except for Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita, Omaha, and Lincoln There larger post offices were not included as security at those post offices was considered sufficient. Higher values were not included as the overprints could only be performed by rotary press.

This was an experiment, which if successful would be extended to all states. These overprints would be valid throughout the United States. However it did not prove a success as many postal workers in the USA were not aware of these overprints and would not accept them as valid postage.

Fake overprints

The overprints were commonly faked. The amateur simply used a typewriter. The professional fake was a bit more advanced. Here are some clues to a stamp having a fake overprint.

On mint stamps you will NOT see the impression of the stamp in the gum
The perforation can ONLY be 11 x 10½
There can only be 14 gum ridges and one or two gum breakers (see below)
They can only be the shades of the 1926 #632 to #642
The overprint will be underneath, not on top of a cancellation
On plates, check the plate numbers listed for the overprints on this site
Dropped or raised letter or period (see below)

The typeface is incorrect (see image (above)

The faint ridges seen horizontally across the gum are called gum breakers. They were applied by the Bureau in order to prevent the stamps curling. Sometimes they are so faint they can only be detected by running your finger over the gum. The gum breakers on the Kansas and Nebraska overprinted stamps are 22mm apart. Which means only one gum breaker, or two if the breakers are at the very top and bottom of the gum, should be present. The example above is NOT an overprint as the gum breakers because the gum breakers should be further apart.