Scotts #798 US stamps

#798 1937 3¢ Constitution Sesquicentennial Issue

3¢ Red violet, bright red violet

Subject: Signing of the Constitution
Perforations: 11 x 10½
Number issued: 99,882,300
Scott #: 798
Issued: September17th, 1937

Value

Used
10¢
No postmark with gum (MH)
10¢ - 15¢
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
40¢ - $1
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark PLATE BLOCK OF FOUR (MNH)
50¢ - $2

A full pane

A pane of 50 stamps, there were four panes to a sheet of 200

First Day Cover

A first day cover, dated September 17th, 1937

The Inspiration for the Design

'Adoption of the Constitution'
Painting by Julius Brutus Stearns

The above painting was used as the source for the vignette.

The stamp was issued to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. At the time of the introduction of #798 it was announced that there would soon be a stamp which would commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Ratification of the Constitution. This would later become Scott #835, issued the following year and shown below.

'The States Ratify the Constitution'
Scott #835

Plate #'s

#798 was issued with the following plate #'s

Numbers
21705-08

Notable Sales

Planty #86, Dorothy Knapp hand-painted add-on cachet, rare, this is the actual cover listed in Planty and the only example Siegel's had seen in over 25 years

Sold March 2005 for $2,714

Explore Robert A. Siegel Auctions

Essays and Proofs

It was envisioned that there would be several denominations to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution. This was met with much criticism and as a result only the one 3¢ value was issued. Below are the designs for the other proposed values, each dedicated to one of the original thirteen states.