#687 4ยข Taft Coil
See below for details
Basic Info
4¢ - Brown
Printing Method: Rotary Press
Subject: William H. Taft
Number issued: Not Known
Perforations: 10 vertical
Scott #: 687
Issued: December 1st, 1930
Value for Pairs
Used
$1.50 - $3
No postmark with gum (MH)
$1 - $2
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$2 - $2.50
multiply by four for line pairs
Joint Lines
An example of a joint line of #687. The word 'line' in 'joint line' refers to the line down the middle of the perforations in the middle of a pair stamps. This only occurs when two strips of 17 stamps join. They sell for four tomes value of pairs without this line.
First Day Cover
A first day cover of #687, dated June 4th (Taft's DOB), 1930
Gender Inequality
The portrait of Martha Washington on the 4¢ denomination was replaced with the recently deceased President William Taft. It was envisioned that Taft would have his own commemorative stamp, Instead they removed the only woman to have a portrait on a stamp to accommodate Taft. This meant that only men were depicted on stamps, with the small exception of a small image of a nurse on the Red Cross stamp (#702). It would be another six years before a woman was featured on a stamp.
The design inspiration
The source photograph of the vignette was the above photograph of William Taft taken by Harris & Ewing in Washington DC, when Taft was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
1930 Issues
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