You've probably seen it in an old box of letters or buried in a dusty album inherited from a relative. That tiny, brownish-tan slip of paper featuring the profile of a woman with a colonial-style cap. Honestly, if you’ve googled the 1 1 2 cent stamp martha washington, you’re likely looking for one of two things: a hidden fortune or a piece of history.
Most people see the "1789-1797" dates printed on the side and think they've struck 18th-century gold. They haven't. Those dates just mark when George Washington was president. The stamp itself is actually from the late 1930s. It’s part of a famous set called the "Prexies"—short for the Presidential Series of 1938.
The 1 1 2 Cent Stamp Martha Washington and the "Prexie" Fever
The 1938 Presidential Series was a massive deal for the U.S. Post Office. Before this, stamps were kinda boring. They usually just cycled through the same few guys—Washington, Lincoln, Franklin. But then Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was a huge stamp nerd himself, decided the country needed a fresh look. He pushed for a contest to design a new series that would feature every deceased president up to Calvin Coolidge.
Martha Washington was the curveball.
She wasn't a president, obviously, but she was one of only three non-presidents included in the 32-stamp set. The others were Benjamin Franklin (the 1/2 cent) and a view of the White House (the 4 1/2 cent). This wasn't Martha's first time on a stamp, but it was her most famous appearance. She’d actually broken the "men-only" club back in 1902 on an 8-cent stamp, but this 1 1 2 cent stamp martha washington became way more common because of its weird denomination.
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Why 1.5 cents? It sounds like a math headache. Back then, it paid the rate for third-class "greeting card" mail. If you were sending a Christmas card or a "get well soon" note and didn't seal the envelope, this was your stamp. Basically, it was the "budget" option of the Great Depression era.
Distinguishing the Variations
Not every Martha is the same. There are three main ways you’ll find this stamp, and if you’re trying to figure out if yours is worth more than a stick of gum, you need to check the edges.
- The Standard Sheet Stamp (Scott #805): This is the one most people have. It has "perforations" (those little teeth) on all four sides. They printed over 21 billion of these. Yes, billion with a "B."
- The Vertical Coil (Scott #840): These came in rolls for vending machines. They have flat edges on the left and right but are perforated on the top and bottom.
- The Horizontal Coil (Scott #849): These are flat on the top and bottom but perforated on the sides.
The color is technically called "bister brown," though to most of us, it just looks like the color of a latte that’s been sitting out too long.
Is This Stamp Actually Rare?
Let's be real: usually, no.
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Because the government printed billions of the 1 1 2 cent stamp martha washington, they are everywhere. On sites like eBay, you’ll see people listing them for $500 or $1,000, calling them "extremely rare." Don't fall for it. Those sellers are usually hoping to catch someone who doesn't know better.
In the stamp world, a standard used Martha is worth about 25 cents—and that’s mostly just to cover the dealer's time to put it in an envelope. Even a "Mint Never Hinged" (MNH) copy—one that looks like it just came off the press with the original glue on the back—usually only sells for a dollar or two.
But—and there’s always a "but" in collecting—there are some weird versions that actually matter.
What to Look For (The Real Value)
If you want to find a Martha that's worth more than a cup of coffee, look for "errors." Philatelists (stamp collectors) go crazy for mistakes.
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- Imperforates: Sometimes a sheet missed the machine that punches the holes. If you have a pair of these stamps that are completely smooth on all sides but still attached to each other, you’ve got something.
- Mis-perfs: If the holes go right through Martha’s face because the paper shifted in the machine, it’s worth a bit more to "oddity" collectors.
- Electric Eye Marks: Look at the margins (the white edges of a full sheet). You might see small dashes or lines. These were used to help the cutting machines line up.
Also, the "First Day Covers" (FDCs) can be cool. These are envelopes postmarked on May 5, 1938, in Washington, D.C., the very first day the stamp was released. If the envelope has a beautiful hand-painted design (called a cachet) on the left side, it can be worth $10 to $50 depending on the artist.
Why collectors still love Martha
Even though it’s not a "get rich quick" item, the 1 1 2 cent stamp martha washington is a staple of American history. It represents an era when the U.S. was trying to find its footing between two World Wars.
Martha herself was a powerhouse. During the Revolutionary War, she spent winters at camp with George, mending socks for soldiers and keeping morale up. Putting her on a 1.5-cent stamp meant she was in the hands of almost every American household. It was a populist tribute.
If you’ve found a bunch of these, don’t toss them. While they won't pay off your mortgage, they are a perfect "gateway drug" into the world of philately. They’re cheap enough that you can buy a whole "plate block" (a square of four or six stamps with the serial number in the corner) for the price of a soda.
Your Next Steps with the Martha Washington Stamp
If you’re staring at a 1 1 2 cent stamp martha washington right now and wondering what to do, here is the expert playbook:
- Check the Perforations: Use a "perf gauge" or just a ruler. If it’s flat on two parallel sides, it’s a coil. If it’s smooth on all four sides and looks like it was cut with scissors, it might be an imperforate—but be careful, someone might have just trimmed a regular stamp to fake it.
- Look for a Watermark: Actually, don't bother. The 1938 Prexies were printed on unwatermarked paper. If you find a watermark, you’ve either discovered a new variety or (more likely) you’re looking at a different stamp series entirely.
- Check the Condition: Is the stamp torn? Are the "teeth" missing? If it’s damaged, it has almost zero financial value. Collectors want "Superb" centering, where the portrait is perfectly in the middle of the white frame.
- Don't Clean It: If the stamp is stuck to an old envelope, leave it there. Many times, the "postal history"—the postmark, the address, the date—is worth way more than the stamp itself. A Martha used to mail a letter to a famous person or from a tiny, defunct post office is a prize.
- Visit a Local Club: If you think you have a legitimate error (like a double impression or a missing color tint), find a local American Philatelic Society (APS) chapter. They’ll give you the truth for free, unlike some random person on an auction site.
The 1 1 2 cent stamp martha washington isn't going to make you a millionaire, but it's a window into 1938. It's a reminder of a time when a half-cent mattered and a First Lady's profile was enough to brighten up a simple greeting card.