Dove Weathervane, Mount Vernon, Virginia - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

The Mount Vernon that we recognize today was the result of about thirty years of work, mostly directed by George Washington who appears to have been the main architect of the mansion’s current design. According to records, the final embellishment added to the mansion was this weathervane in 1787. It’s made of copper, iron and lead and was acquired by Washington in Philadelphia. (I believe that the weathervane that’s up there now is a replica as I saw the original in the museum that is located at Mount Vernon.)

The stamp does not mention Mount Vernon but simply uses the weathervane (which is sometimes called the “Dove of Peace”) as its central design element. It was one of three different Christmas stamp designs made available in 1974. It was issued as a “precanceled” first-class stamp with a self-stick adhesive, the first of that kind issued in the United States.

In the early 1970s, the U.S. Post Office was experimenting with precanceled Christmas stamps to help speed up the mail by skipping the cancelation process. At first, this was tried only in certain selected cities, but with this issue, the experiment was nationwide. There was considerable confusion both with postal workers and the public alike. Many of these stamps were canceled anyway, or worse, returned to the sender for postage. It was thought among some, that the stamps could only be used by bulk mailers etc. That the experiment was deemed a failure by the Post Office is evidenced by the fact that no precanceled Christmas stamps have been issued since. The experimental gum which eventually would bleed though the stamp paper, was also considered a failure and it would be decades before another self-adhesive stamp would be issued.

Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association who conduct various tours and oversee all preservation work. In order to photograph the weathervane oriented as it is on the stamp, you may have to deviate from the stated coordinates depending on which way the wind is blowing.

Stamp Issuing Country: United States Date of Issue: 15-Nov-1974 Denomination: 10c Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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