Identification guide for designs of United States stamped envelopes, wrappers, and letter sheets
three cents



There are 21 designs of indicia whose face value is three cents. One of these designs is distinctive enough that it can be identified by examining the image immediately below. The remaining 20 designs feature a bust of George Washington (16 designs), a pony express rider and a train (2), or a large numeral inside an oval (2).
   For a key to the Pony Express rider and train designs click here.
   For a key to the Washington designs click here.
   For a key to the large numeral designs click here.

Mount Vernon
stamp image
design U95
You have identified design #U99, diagnostic for
Scott #U526 (printed in violet on white paper).


Key to designs that show a pony express rider and train

Question 1: How many lines immediately below the word "Postage"?
(choose an answer below)

one
stamp image
design U57
You have identified design#U57, printed in red on white paper and diagnostic for
Scott #U218, or printed in green on white paper and diagnostic for
Scott #U219.
 
two
stamp image
design U58
You have identified design #U58, printed in red on white paper and diagnostic for Scott #U220 (not regularly issued), or printed in green on white paper and diagnostic for Scott #221.


Key to designs that show a bust of Washington

Question 1: Do the words "War Dept" appear near the top of the design?
(choose an answer below)

yes (go to Question 15)    no (go to Question 2)

Question 2: How does the face value of the envelope appear?
(choose an answer below or return to the question 1 that you answered.

only as the words "three cents"
(go to Question 3)
stamp image
design U1
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design U2
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design U3
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design U4
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design U5
stamp image
design U12
 
as the numeral "3" (either once or twice) and sometimes as the words "three cents" also
(go to Question 8)
stamp image
design U13
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design U21
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design U25
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design U44
  stamp image
design U45
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design U46
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design U93
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design U97

Question 3: Are the words "three cents" enclosed in a "label"?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#2) you answered)

no
stamp image
design U12
You have identified design #U12, printed in red and shared by
Scott #s U26 (white) and U27 (buff).
 
yes
(go to Question 4)
stamp image
design U1
stamp image
design U2
stamp image
design U3
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design U4
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design U5

Question 4: Does the label have smoothly curved ends?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#3) you answered)

yes
(go to Question 5)
stamp image
design U1
stamp image
design U5
 
no, they are straight or angled
(go to Question 6)
stamp image
design U2
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design U3
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design U4


Question 5: Do the ends of the labels enclose the words "three" and "cents" tightly?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#4) you answered)

yes
the words almost touch the ends of the labels
stamp image
design U1
You have identified design #U1, printed in red and shared by
Scott #s U1 (white) and U2 (buff).
 
no
there is as much space between the words and the ends of the labels as there is between the letters
stamp image
design U5
You have identified design #U5, printed in red and shared by
Scott #s U9 (white) and U10 (buff).


Question 6: What is the shape of the ends of the label?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#4) you answered)

straight
(go to Question 7)
stamp image
design U2
stamp image
design U4
 
angled
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design U3
You have identified design #U3, printed in red and shared by
Scott #s U5 (white) and U6 (buff).

Question 7: Do the ends of the labels enclose the words "three" and "cents" tightly?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#6) you answered)

yes
the words almost touch the ends of the labels
stamp image
design U2
You have identified design #U2, printed in red and shared by
Scott #s U3 (white) and U4 (buff).
 
no
there is at least as much space between the words and the ends of the labels as there is between the letters
stamp image
design U4
You have identified design #U4, printed in red and shared by
Scott #s U7 (white) and U8 (buff).

Question 8: How many times does the numeral "3" appear?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#2) you answered)

once
stamp image
design U97
Design U97 Scott Equivalents
Scott #
color
envelope
notes
U534
dark violet
white
die 4
U534a
dark violet
white
die 1
U534b
dark violet
white
die 2
U534c
dark violet
white
die 3
U534d
dark violet
white
die 5
 
twice
(go to Question 9)
stamp image
design U13
stamp image
design U21
stamp image
design U25
stamp image
design U44
 
stamp image
design U45
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design U46
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design U93

Question 9: Are the numerals "3" enclosed (by a circle or oval) or not?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#8) you answered)

yes, they are enclosed
(go to Question 10)
stamp image
design U13
stamp image
design U25
stamp image
design U44
 
  stamp image
design U45
stamp image
design U46
stamp image
design U93
 
no
they are not enclosed
stamp image
design U21
You have identified design #U21, printed in pink and shared by
Scott #s U58 (white) and U59 (buff), or printed in brown and shared by
Scott #s U60 (white) and U61 (buff).

Question 10: Are the numerals "3" enclosed in a circle or in an oval?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#9) you answered)

in a circle
(go to Question 11)
stamp image
design U13
stamp image
design U25
stamp image
design U93
 
in an oval
(go to Question 13)
stamp image
design U44
stamp image
design U45
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design U46

Question 11: Where are the circles located?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#10) you answered)

in the lower half of the design
stamp image
design U93
Design U93 Scott Equivalents
Scott #
color
envelope
notes
U436
purple
white
die 1
U436e
purple
white
die 7
U436f
purple
white
die 9
U436a
dark violet
white
die 1
U436b
dark violet
white
die 5
U436c
dark violet
white
die 6
U436d
dark violet
white
die 7
U436g
carmine
white
die 1 erroneous
U436h
carmine
white
die 5 erroneous
U437
purple
amber
die 1
U437e
purple
amber
die 7
U437f
purple
amber
die 9
U437a
dark violet
amber
die 1
U437b
dark violet
amber
die 5
U437c
dark violet
amber
die 6
U437d
dark violet
amber
die 7
Design U93 Scott Equivalents
Scott #
color
envelope
notes
U437g
carmine
amber
die 5 erroneous
U437h
black
amber
die 1
erroneous
U438
dark violet
oriental buff
die 1
U438a
dark violet
oriental buff
die 5
U438b
dark violet
oriental buff
die 6
U438c
dark violet
oriental buff
die 7
U439
purple
blue
die 1
U439e
purple
blue
die 7
U439f
purple
blue
die 9
U439a
dark violet
blue
die 1
U439b
dark violet
blue
die 5
U439c
dark violet
blue
die 6
U439d
dark violet
blue
die 7
U439g
carmine
blue
die 5 erroneous
 
halfway between the top and bottom of the design (go to Question 12) stamp image
design U13
stamp image
design U25

Question 12: Is the design printed in green or pink?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#11) you answered)

green
stamp image
design U25
You have identified design #U25, printed in green and shared by
Scott #s U82 (white), U83 (amber), and U84 (cream),
or printed in brown (erroneously) on white paper and diagnostic for
Scott #U82a.
 
pink
stamp image
design U13
You have identified design #U13, printed in pink and shared by
Scott #s U34 (white), U35 (buff), U36 (blue), and U37 (orange; not regularly issued).

Question 13: Are the two crescent-shaped (left side) portions of the numeral "3" relatively thin or thick?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#10) you answered)

thin
stamp image
stamp image
design U44
You have identified design #U44, printed in green and shared by
Scott #s U159 (white), U160 (amber), U161 (cream), and U162 (blue; not regularly issued).
 
thick
(go to Question 14)stamp image
stamp image
design U45
stamp image
design U46

Question 14: Does the knot on the queue at the back of the neck project as a triangle?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#13) you answered)

yes
stamp image
design U46
You have identified design # U46, printed in green and shared by
Scott #s U168 (white), U169 (amber), U170 (blue; rare), and U171 (fawn; rare).
 
no
stamp image
design U45
Design U45 Scott Equivalents
printed in green
Scott #
envelope
U163
white
U164
amber
U165
cream
U166
blue
U167
fawn

Question 15: Does the queue project below the bust?
(choose an answer below or return to the previous question (#1) you answered)

yes
stamp image
design UO10
Design UO10 Scott Equivalents
Scott #
color
envelope
UO20
dark red
white
UO21
dark red
amber
UO22
dark red
cream
UO34
vermilion
white
UO35
vermilion
amber
UO36
vermilion
cream
.
 
no
stamp image
design UO19
Design UO19 Scott Equivalents
printer in red
Scott #
envelope
UO51
white
UO52
amber
UO53
cream
UO54
blue
UO55
fawn

Key to designs that show a large numeral in an oval

Question 1: How high is the numeral 3?
(choose an answer below)


9 mm
stamp image
design UO2
You have identified design UO2, printed in black and shared by
Scott #s UO2 (lemon paper) and UO3 (white).
 
91/4 mm
stamp image
design UO5
Design UO5 Scott Equivalents
Scott #
color
envelope
UO7
black
lemon
UO8
black
white
UO9
black
amber
UO10
black
blue
UO11
blue
blue

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