Artmink

U.S. 1937 Hawaii Territorial ‘King Kamehameha I Statue’ 3¢ Commemorative Stamps — Block of 20 (Engraved Paper)

By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing (designer/engravers unspecified)

Style: United States commemorative postage, 1930s (engraved)

Origin: United States (Territory of Hawaii)

Materials: Gummed paper; blue intaglio (engraved) printing; perforations

Age: Issued 1937 (circa 1937)

Condition: Fine (used with heavy circular cancels; tone/hinge stains on selvage; mounted on album page; not officially graded)

Value: USD 10–30 (auction, for a used block of 20 mounted on page; plate numbers or first-day cancels could raise value modestly)

Maker's Marks / Writing: Each stamp reads (partially visible): “U.S. POSTAGE” and denomination “3¢”; subject: statue of Kamehameha I; territorial legend identifying Hawaii (wording partially obscured by cancels). Circular date cancellations present across the pane (city/date illegible in the photo).

Date: 2025-08-10 14:05:22.412860

Description:

A vertical block of twenty United States 3-cent commemorative stamps depicting the bronze statue of King Kamehameha I with radiating background lines. Printed in blue by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, perforated, with selvage on multiple sides. These are used/cancelled examples mounted as a pane in an album. This is the 1937 Hawaii Territorial issue.

Curator Questions

Curated by Jade

Assessment:

This is a genuine block of twenty of the U.S. 3¢ Hawaii Territorial commemorative featuring the statue of King Kamehameha I, a common and popular 1930s issue. The stamps are used with circular date cancels and show album mounting/toning along the selvage. Collectors value mint never-hinged and plate-number blocks the most; this used block lacks visible plate inscriptions, so value is modest but appealing as a display group. A word about fakes.. philately does see alterations such as re-gumming, reperforating, and fabricated cancels, but for this very common 3¢ commemorative outright counterfeits are uncommon; condition and whether the pane has first-day or special cancels are the main value drivers.

Individual Images:

• Only one image provided. The pane shows 4 columns by 5 rows (20 stamps). Multiple overlapping circular date cancels are visible across the group; city/date details are unclear in the photo. Selvage on edges shows yellowing/toning from album mounting
• especially left and right. Perforations look intact with minor roughness in places. No visible plate number or imprint in the shown margins.

Provenance:

No provenance documents shown.

Condition:

Fine (used with heavy circular cancels; tone/hinge stains on selvage; mounted on album page; not officially graded)

Identification Score: 95%

Design, color, denomination, and subject (Kamehameha I statue with sunburst) match the 1937 U.S. Hawaii Territorial 3¢ commemorative; the block format and BEP-style engraving further confirm the ID.

Authenticity Score: 90%

Printing quality, paper, perforations, and typical 1930s circular cancels all appear consistent with genuine U.S. BEP production. Risk of forgery for this common issue is low; the primary concerns would be regumming or reperfing, which do not apply to this used, pane-mounted block.

Image Memory Note

Object: A block/pane of 20 U.S. 3¢ blue commemorative stamps (4 across x 5 down) mounted to an album page. Design: Full-length statue of King Kamehameha I facing slightly right with an outstretched arm, feathered helmet and cloak, sunburst background lines, framed by an engraved border. Denomination “3” in the lower left corner within a small oval/tablet. Vertical text area at left includes “U.S. POSTAGE” and denomination details (full wording partly obscured). The word “HAWAII” or Hawaii identification is part of the design but is not fully legible in the photo due to cancels and angle. Color: blue/cyan. Printing: engraved (intaglio). Perforations: standard gauge for 1930s U.S. commemoratives; margins show perforation holes and selvage on left and right, with yellowed/toned edges from album adhesive or aging paper. Cancellations: multiple overlapping black circular date stamps across many stamps; inner lettering not legible at this resolution, likely standard postal CDS. Condition notes: used; heavy cancels; toning along selvage edges; slight roughness to some perforation teeth; lower-right pane corner shows a small notch/irregularity in the selvage; no tears observed in stamp designs; no visible plate number or imprint present in the shown selvage.

Keywords

U.S. stamp, Hawaii Territorial issue, King Kamehameha I, 3 cent 1937, blue engraved, commemorative, block of 20, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, United States

Report ID:  : aft2e2

Comparables (Similar Items)

eBay: Active Listings

No archived comparables matched this report yet.