5c George Washington Stamp (1966): How to Identify It

5c George Washington, Prominent Americans Series (1965-1978), issued 1966-02-22: design, perforation, printing and 1 variety to check, with the issue notes quoted from stamp references and USPS.

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At a glance

Denomination: 5c
Series: Prominent Americans Series (1965-1978)
Issued: 1966-02-22
First-day city: Washington, DC
Scott catalog number: 1283
Printing: Rotary press
Color: Blue

How to recognize the 5c George Washington stamp

Subject and series: pictures George Washington, part of the Prominent Americans Series honoring individuals who played significant roles in U.S. history.
Why a redrawn version exists: this printing has excessive shading around the lower part of Washington's face, which led the public to nickname it the 'dirty face' or 'unshaven' Washington.

Varieties to check

The same design was issued in more than one form. Which one you have changes the catalog listing:

Redrawn design (Scott 1283B, 1967): The original 1283 printing shows heavy facial shading nicknamed the 'dirty face' or 'unshaven' Washington; public complaints led the Post Office to issue a redrawn 1283B version.

5c George Washington vs 5c George Washington, regular issue (Scott 1213, 1962) and its coil (Scott 1229)

An earlier, separate 5c Washington regular-issue stamp (Scott 1213, 1962) predates this Prominent Americans 5c Washington (Scott 1283, 1966) by four years; check the issue date and any Scott number printed on dealer mounts to tell them apart. See the 5c George Washington page.

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 5c George Washington stamp issued?

1966-02-22, first day in Washington, DC, as part of the Prominent Americans Series (1965-1978).

How do I know it is the 1966 George Washington and not another one?

Subject and series: pictures George Washington, part of the Prominent Americans Series honoring individuals who played significant roles in U.S. history.

Are there different versions of the 5c George Washington stamp?

Yes. Redrawn design (Scott 1283B, 1967): The original 1283 printing shows heavy facial shading nicknamed the 'dirty face' or 'unshaven' Washington; public complaints led the Post Office to issue a redrawn 1283B version.

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.

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