Vintage postcard featuring the S.S. Mount Vernon (not authenticated)

This item is a vintage colorized postcard preserved inside a clear protective plastic sleeve, resting on a wooden surface. The postcard depicts a large passenger vessel identified on the hull and lower border as the S.S. Mount Vernon, operated by the Wilson Line. The physical characteristics include a horizontal rectangular format with a colorized photographic or lithographic image showing the multi-deck ship cruising on blue water under a partly cloudy sky with soft pink and blue tones. The vessel is prominently detailed with multiple decks crowded with tiny figures representing passengers, a dark smokestack bearing the text 'WILSON LINE', lifeboats, rigging, and a small American flag flying at the stern. The lower margin of the postcard features printed text reading 'America's Finest Streamliner the "S. S. MOUNT VERNON", Capacity 2400 Passengers', along with a tiny number '81740' at the lower right corner. The upper right corner bears the code 'C 301'. Regarding condition, the postcard shows mild aging consistent with vintage paper ephemera, including slight toning along the margins, but no major tears, creases, or heavy staining are immediately visible through the protective sleeve. The identification in the name is based directly on the printed typography visible on the face of the postcard rather than physical inspection of the paper stock or publisher's marks on the reverse side. The style is consistent with mid-20th-century travel or promotional postcards, though the exact year of publication remains unverified from the image alone.

Based on what I can see in the photograph, this vintage colorized postcard features the S.S. Mount Vernon operated by the Wilson Line, complete with mid-20th-century aesthetic details such as multi-deck passenger capacity typography and publisher codes. I can't verify from a photo alone the exact age, publisher, or whether the paper stock corresponds to a specific vintage printing era, as these details would need physical inspection to confirm. The assumed identification relies entirely on the printed text visible on the face of the item. Assuming the attribution as a vintage piece of transit ephemera is correct, items of this type typically trade in the $15 to $30 range, heavily influenced by the mild toning and preservation inside a protective sleeve. Demand for maritime and regional transportation ephemera is generally steady among niche collectors, though values remain modest. To fully support the valuation and assess whether the item is a period-correct printing rather than a later reproduction, replica, or copy, an in-person examination by a paper ephemera specialist would be required. If physical inspection reveals the piece to be a modern reproduction or facsimile rather than vintage ephemera, the market value would drop significantly to under $5.