2007 41c Vintage Mahogany Speedboats: 1939 Hacker-Craft

U.S. #4162
2007 41¢ Hacker-Craft
Vintage Mahogany Speedboats

Issue Date: August 4, 2007
City: Clayton, NY
Quantity: 36,000,000

Printed By: Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd

Printing Method: Lithographed

Perforations: Serpentine die cut 10 ½

Color: Multicolored

The vintage mahogany speedboats pictured on the 2007 U.S. commemorative stamps are a combination of history and artistry. Introduced around the beginning of the 20th century, speedboats were the luxury toys of the wealthy prior to the Great Depression. A new design was introduced in the early 1900s that allowed the boats to plane (rise up) on top of the water, rather than "plow" through it, which greatly increased their speed and performance.

Admired for their sleek lines, polished mahogany, and gleaming chrome, the speedboats featured inboard motors and all-wood hulls. Mahogany was the wood of choice because of its relatively straight grain and attractive reddish-brown color which darkened over time. Also, mahogany had excellent workability, and was very durable and slow to rot. It displayed a beautiful sheen when polished.

Keeping the mahogany boats in peak condition today is a labor of love, requiring sanding and applying several coats of varnish on a repeated basis. Because of the dedication of their owners, mahogany speedboats can still be enjoyed today.