Scotts #733 US stamps

Basic Info

3¢ Bright blue, blue

Printing Method: Flat Plate
Subject: Globe with Byrd's routes
Perforations:11
Number issued: 5,735,944
Scott #: 733
Issued: October 9th, 1933

Value

Used
25¢
No postmark with gum (MH)
50¢
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$1 - $1.35

First Day Covers

A first day cover dated October 9th, 1933

Plate #'s

#733 was issued with the following plate #'s

Number only
21167-70

A Full pane

A pane of 50, there were four panes to a sheet of 200. Shown above is the top right pane

Little America

The tent which served as the post office at the base camp, the little tent housed the mail bags

Inside the tent, note the bundles of mail awaiting a cancellation lying on the desk in the foreground.
The cancelling device is in front of Andersons (L) hands

A cover from 'Little America' Byrd's base camp in Antartica

The Post Office Department arranged for 'philatelic mail' bearing this stamp to be carried by the expedition and postmarked at the Little America post office at the expedition's base camp for a fee of fifty-three cents.

The design inspiration

FDR's sketch for the design, signed by himself

FDR being a philatelist wanted stamp collectors to have a souvenir from the icy continent. Hence, this purely philatelic issue came about. It was originally supposed to be a 25¢ issue, hence the color blue, it was later changed to 3¢. The color of the stamp should have been the standard violet used for 3¢ values.

#733 or #753?

#753 was a special printing that is identical to #733, the only differences are that #753 is without gum and has lines between some of the stamps. The lines occur where two panes of 100 sheets join and were only obtainable in on sheets of #753.