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Catalog Data

Medium:
paper; ink (orange) / engraved
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 20 3/4 x 18 1/2 in. (52.71 x 46.99 cm)
Type:
Postage Stamps
Place:
United States of America
Date:
August 13, 1934
Description:
This is an uncut, imperforate, ungummed press sheet of two hundred Grand Canyon (National Parks issue) stamps, signed by James A. Farley and Franklin D. Roosevelt; plate number 21255.
Postmaster General James Farley frequently bought imperforate, ungummed, printed sheets of stamps right off the press. Both Farley and FDR signed in the margins. Farley presented the first sheet off the press to FDR and frequently saved the second for his own family. Farley often presented other sheets as souvenirs or political favors to friends. He did this twenty times during his tenure. The practice angered the philatelic community and political opponents when exposed. Feeling deprived of access to these unique and invaluable sheets, critics lobbied Congress, demanding justice. To quell the mounting tension, Farley ordered all twenty sheets reprinted in a special printing without gum or perforations and offered for sale to every American who desired the sheets. The reprintings began on March 15, 1935. Stamp collectors refer to the scandal and the reprinted sheets as “Farley’s Follies.”
To view the reprinted stamps, see USA Scott numbers 752-771.
Topic:
National Stamp Collection  Search this
U.S. Stamps  Search this
Object number:
0.209045.33.2
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
On View:
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm84b2cd8e0-09d9-48c9-9ee5-f1f0387e7e91
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.209045.33.2