Washington is the subject of many stamps, and his home of one particularly valuable envelope

By Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

As the father of our country, George Washington has likely been commemorated on more U.S. stamps than any other person, with Benjamin Franklin running a close second. 

From the 10¢ stamp of the first general issue of 1847 (Scott 2) to the 2011 20¢ definitive stamp (Scott 4512), Washington has been first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen, and first on U.S. postage stamps. In addition to the beloved general and first U.S. president, Washington’s wife Martha (Dandridge) Custis Washington and his plantation home, Mount Vernon, in Fairfax County, Va., have also been commemorated.

RELATED: The nonpresidents who have been featured on multiple U.S. stamps

Washington inherited the property from his half-brother, Lawrence Washington, and Lawrence’s widow, Anne Fairfax. Washington built the home in stages from 1758 to 1778 with little or no advance planning. The plantation is named for Vice Admiral Edward Vernon, Royal Navy, under whom Lawrence Washington served in the War of Jenkin’s Ear.

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After serving his second term as president, Washington returned to Mount Vernon. He died there on Dec. 14, 1799, and is buried with his wife Martha in the family crypt on the property.

In 1932, the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birth, the United States issued a set of six postal stationery envelopes (Scott U523-U528). The 2016 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values the 4¢ black Mount Vernon used entire (Scott U527) at $35 with the value in italics.

The most common usage for this entire seems to be for Official mail because postmasters frequently used it to mail in forms and reports. Entires used for this purpose are fairly common and usually sell for about $18. If you find an in-period commercial regular postage use at Scott catalog value, it would be a very good buy.