Product Description
The 1938 Presidential Series, affectionately known by collectors as the "Prexies," stands as one of the most significant and long-running definitive issues in United States postal history. Replacing the long-standing Washington-Franklin and Fourth Bureau designs, this ambitious series featured 32 stamps, depicting every deceased U.S. President from George Washington through Calvin Coolidge.
Design and Legacy
The series was a departure from the ornate, engraved borders of the past. Following a national design contest, the Post Office adopted a clean, minimalist aesthetic inspired by the prize-winning entry from Elaine Rawlinson. The stamps featured a simple profile bust of each president, modeled after famous sculptures, set against a solid color background.
Key Highlights for Collectors
-
The "Big Three" High Values: While the lower denominations are common, the high-value stamps—the $1 (Woodrow Wilson), $2 (Warren G. Harding), and $5 (Calvin Coolidge)—are highly prized, especially when found on original commercial covers.
-
Fractional Values: In a quirk of the era's postal rates, the series included unusual denominations like the $1/2¢ (Benjamin Franklin) and the $1 1/2¢ (Martha Washington), the latter being one of the few non-presidents included.
-
Longevity: Because they were the standard-issue stamps during World War II, the Prexies are a favorite for "postal history" specialists who collect them to document the complex international mail routes and censorship marks of the 1940s.
Though they were eventually replaced by the Liberty Series in 1954, the Prexies remain a cornerstone of American philately, celebrated for their historical breadth and mid-century modern design.
