#337 1908 8¢

Basic Information

Color: Olive Green
Subject: George Washington
Watermark: Watermarked double-lined USPS
Printing method: Flat plate
Perforations: 12
Scott #: 337
Quantity issued: 94,000,000
Issued: December 12th, 1908

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: $50-$75
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $7-$12
A used stamp: $1-$2

Usage

#337 earliest recorded use, January 8th, 1909

In 1908, the 8¢ stamp (part of both the 1902 and the 1908 Washington-Franklin series) was not tied to a single, specific standard letter rate. Instead, it was primarily used to fulfill the domestic postal registry fee.

The 8¢ denomination was incredibly versatile and was most commonly used in these ways:
Registry Fee: From 1898 until October 30, 1909, the fee to register a piece of domestic mail was exactly 8 cents. When paired with the 2¢ domestic first-class letter rate, an 8¢ stamp and a 2¢ stamp would successfully cover a registered letter.
Combined Rates: Since it was a flexible denomination, 8¢ stamps were used on multi-rate packages, overweight parcels, or combined with other stamps to pay the 10¢ special delivery fee.
Foreign Mail: It was often combined with other denominations (like a 2¢ stamp) to pay the 10-cent foreign mail rate for overseas letters.

The Plates

#337 was issued with the following plate #'s

Imprint and number
4919-24

Proofs

337-P1

Click image to enlarge

Ultramar overprints

The one-line Ultramar overprint

The US was a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and under the terms of the agreement each member was required to send a copy of a new design to all the Universal Postal Union countries. Today, most countries still have these samples. Portugal does not, it distributed its samples long ago. Portugal overprinted all their samples with the word 'Ultramar' which translates to 'Specimen'. For the whole of the period of the production of the Washington Franklin series only one example of each value was sent to Portugal, therefore finding one is not easy.

Identifying the Watermark on #337

The DOUBLE lined USPS watermark found on #337

The SINGLE lined USPS watermark

Between 1895 and 1916 the U.S. government used two different watermarks, double line and single line with the letters "USPS".

By placing the watermark face down on a dark surface or holding it up to bright light you might be able to see the watermark. If you cannot see the watermark it might be a good idea to invest in watermark fluid and a watermark tray. Ronsons lighter fluid works just as well as watermark fluid. Both fluids evaporate quickly.

Pour a little fluid in the tray, lay the stamp face down. In a few seconds the stamp will absorb the fluid and reveal the watermark to you.

As you will see from the illustrations the letters can span several stamps, so on the watermark, for instance, you can see only part of the letter S in one corner and only part the letter P in the other corner.

The Inspiration for the Design

George Washington bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon

The vignette was based on a bust of George Washington by french sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.

Created in 1785 the bust is considered the most accurate likeness of the first U.S. president. Based on a life mask and clay model made at Mount Vernon, it captures Washington at age 53 with precise facial details, blending a Roman, toga-style aesthetic with realistic aging. It is considered one of the most accurate representations of Washington.

Proofs

337-P1

Click image to enlarge