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Third Assistant PostMaster General
Washington, April 2, 1936
Postmasters and
employees of the Postal Service are hereby notified of
the issuance of a special postage stamp in commemoration of the tercen-
tenary anniversary of Rhode Island
The stamp is the same size as the special-delivery
stamp 34/100 by 1 44/100
inches in dimensions, arranged vertically. It is enclosed in a
double-line
border and will be printed in purple. The stamp will be in the 3-cent de-
nomination. The words "U.S. Postage" appear in dark gothic
lettering in
a horizontal line at the top of the stamp, underneath which are the dates
"1636" at the left and "1936" at the right in dark
gothic, between orna-
mental lines.
The central design is a likeness of Roger Williams
modeled from a photo-
graph of the statue in Roger Williams Park at Providence, R.I. The title
"Roger Williams" appears on the base of the statue in dark
gothic. Between
the base of the statue and the right side of the stamp in a circular panel
with white ground enclosing the denomination designation "3C" in
dark
lettering. In a corresponding position at the left is a reproduction of
the
central design of the State seal of Rhode Island. In a horizontal panel
with
white edges and dark ground at the base of the stamp arranged in two
lines, are the words "Rhode Island" above and
"Tercentenary" below in
white roman lettering. The stamp is being printed by the rotary process
without straight edges and will be issued in sheets containing 50 stamps.
The new stamp will be first offered for sale at the
post office in Providence,
R.I., on May 4, 1936. It will be available for sale at other post offices
beginning May 5 or as soon thereafter as production will permit.
Stamp collectors desiring first-day cancellations on
May 4 may send a
limited number of addressed covers, not to exceed a total of 10,
with cash
or postal money order remittance payable to the postmaster, Providence,
R.I., covering the value of the stamps required for affixing. Personal
checks or other postage stamps will positively not be accepted in
payment.
To receive the May 4 postmark, covers must reach the postmaster, Provi-
dence, before the close of business on that date. Covers will be accepted
from individual subscribers only and shall be legibly addressed by type-
writer or pen. Compliance cannot be made with unusual requests, such
as for the affixing of stamps bearing plate numbers or the irregular
placing
of the stamps on the covers, etc. To facilitate handling and to prevent
damage in transit, covers should be of the ordinary letter size.
Requests for a supply of uncanceled Rhode Island
tercentenary com-
memorative stamps must not be included with orders for first-day covers
to the postmaster, Providence. Stamps desired for postage purposes should
be purchased at the local post offices as soon as available.
For the benefit of collectors desiring selected stamps
for philatelic use,
the Rhode Island Tercentenary stamp will be placed on sale at the
Philatelic
Agency, Post Office Department, May 5, but the Agency will not prepare
covers for mailing on that date. To insure prompt shipment, separate
mail
orders must be submitted for the Rhode Island Tercentenary stamp,
excluding
all other varieties of stamp stock.
Postmasters at the direct- and central-accounting post
offices may obtain a
limited supply only of the new stamp on separate requisition to the De-
partment on form 3201-A, endorsed "Rhode Island Tercentenary."
Post-
masters at district-accounting post offices may obtain small quantities
of
these stamps by requisition on the central-accounting postmaster.
In order that the Rhode Island Tercentenary stamp may
be placed on
sale at post offices as widely as possible on May 5, shipments may be
made in advance. Postmasters who receive a supply of this stamp before
the close of business on May 4 are hereby directed to positively not allow
any of the stamps to be placed on sale before May 5.
C. B. Eilenberger,
Third Assistant Postmaster General
U.S.
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1936
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