1 1/2c Mount Vernon Stamp (1956): How to Identify It
1 1/2c Mount Vernon, Liberty Series (1954-1968), issued 1956-02-22: design, perforation, printing and varieties to check, with the issue notes quoted from stamp references and USPS.
At a glance
- Denomination: 1 1/2c
- Series: Liberty Series (1954-1968)
- Issued: 1956-02-22
- First-day city: Mount Vernon, VA
- Scott catalog number: 1032
- Printing: Rotary press
- Perforation: 10 1/2 x 11
- Color: Brown carmine
How to recognize the 1 1/2c Mount Vernon stamp
- Design subject: features a reproduction of a photograph of Mount Vernon facing the Potomac River.
- Color and perforation: perforation 10 1/2 x 11, printed in brown carmine.
Checks that apply to any U.S. definitive
- Measure the perforations with a gauge; the same design often exists in two or three gauges, and that is usually what separates the common one from the scarce one.
- Sheet, coil or booklet: coils have two straight edges on opposite sides; booklet panes have one or two straight edges from the pane edge.
- Tagging: hold it under a longwave UV lamp; tagged and untagged printings of the same design are listed separately.
- Condition (centering, gum, cancel) is a separate question from identification.
How to photograph it for identification
Lay the stamp flat on a dark background in daylight, fill the frame, and keep the phone parallel so the perforations are not distorted. Photograph the back too if there is a watermark or gum question. The app reads the design and denomination; the perforation and tagging checks above settle which listing it is.
FAQ
When was the 1 1/2c Mount Vernon stamp issued?
1956-02-22, first day in Mount Vernon, VA, as part of the Liberty Series (1954-1968).
How do I know it is the 1956 Mount Vernon and not another one?
Design subject: features a reproduction of a photograph of Mount Vernon facing the Potomac River.
Is my copy worth anything?
This page identifies the stamp; it does not price it. Most definitives were printed in the hundreds of millions, so what matters is which variety you have and its condition. Identify it here first, then use the varieties list to see if you have one of the scarcer printings.
Related
Sources
Updated 2026-09-11.