U.S. #1623a
1977 13¢ Flag Over Capitol
1975-81 Regular Issue Booklet Pane
Issued: March 11, 1977
City: New York, NY
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Engraved
Perforation: 11 x 10 ½
Color: Blue and red<... more
U.S. #1623a
1977 13¢ Flag Over Capitol
1975-81 Regular Issue Booklet Pane
Issued: March 11, 1977
City: New York, NY
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Engraved
Perforation: 11 x 10 ½
Color: Blue and red
Booklet pane includes 7 13¢ Flag Over Capitol stamps plus the 9¢ Capitol Dome stamp from the Americana series.
Situated in the heart of the city on Capitol Hill, the Capitol is the most important and impressive building in Washington, D.C. For nearly two centuries, it has served as the meeting place of Congress and was home to the Supreme Court until 1935, when its own building was completed. During the War of 1812, invading British troops burned the original structure, which consisted of the North wing. Following the war, reconstruction began. In 1850, the dome was added and the Capitol was considered complete. The only major architectural alteration since then was the extension of the east front. Considered one of nation’s most familiar landmarks, the Capitol consists of 540 rooms and is located on 3 1/2 acres.
First Se-Tenant Booklet Stamps
On March 11, 1977, the USPS issued its first se-tenant stamps in booklet form.
The booklet was issued at the INTERPEX stamp show in New York City. It was the 19th annual exhibition and it marked the first time in several years that the US and UN issued stamps at the show.
The se-tenant booklet was one of the most significant issues. The booklet was produced especially for vending machines that couldn’t accept more than $1. The $1 booklet contained seven 13¢ stamps and one 9¢ stamp. At the time, 9¢ was the postcard rate and 13¢ was the first-class letter rate. The 9¢ stamp design was the same as US #1591, except while the earlier issue was printed on grayish paper, the new one was on white paper. The 13¢ stamp was a new design and was also the first multicolor stamp issued in booklet form.
People attending the show could purchase the booklets or loose panes, so they could get First Day Covers. Interestingly, the loose panes were perforated 10 x 10. Previous booklet stamps were perforated 11 x 10½, as were the full booklets available at the exhibition.
At some point after the exhibition ended, booklets were discovered that were perforated 10 x 9¾. When Scott Catalogue assigned these booklets a major number, speculators drove the price up to $300.00, though the price has dropped significantly since then.
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