National Parks Philately Appraisal

1934 United States National Parks Commemorative Stamp Set

This is a philatelic display comprising ten individual postage stamps from the 1934 United States National Parks Issue, mounted on a vintage informational album page. The collection features values ranging from 1 cent to 10 cents, each depicting a different American national park: Yosemite (1c green), Grand Canyon (2c red), Mt. Rainier (3c purple), Mesa Verde (4c brown), Yellowstone (5c blue), Crater Lake (6c blue), Acadia (7c black), Zion (8c olive), Glacier (9c orange), and Great Smoky Mountains (10c grey-black). The stamps exhibit varied conditions; several appear to be used with heavy black wavy line machine cancellations or circular date stamps, particularly visible on the 5c, 6c, and 9c issues. The 2c and 8c stamps appear to be mint or lightly cancelled. The physical paper of the album page shows some slight yellowing consistent with mid-20th-century paper stock, with printed typography describing each location. The stamps are perforated, though the alignment ranges from centered to slightly off-center, a common trait for 1930s Bureau of Engraving and Printing production. These stamps were issued during 'National Parks Year' under the Roosevelt administration to promote domestic tourism during the Great Depression. The engraving quality is high, showcasing intricate topographical details and shading, reflecting the classic craftsmanship of the era's gravure printing processes.