Scott #65 (1861 3¢ rose Washington) on cover

Updated August 7, 2026

Scott #65 (1861 3¢ rose Washington) on cover — not the scarcer #64 pink.Stamp identificationIssue: 1861 Issue, National Bank Note Company.Design: Washington in profile facing left, “U.S. POSTAGE” at top, large “3” numerals in the upper corners, “THREE CENTS” at bottom. Perf 12, no watermark, no grill.Color: Rose (with some pinkish tones visible in the scans). This is the common shade of Scott #65.True Scott #64 (pink) is a distinctly brighter, more pure pink (the rare pigeon-blood pink is listed as #64a). Rose-pink is #64b.Color calls on these stamps are subjective and best confirmed against certified references. From the photos, this reads as ordinary rose rather than a true pink. The great majority of “pinkish-looking” examples are #65.Cover detailsSalmon/orange-buff envelope (common period paper).Manuscript address:“Miss Barbara Housholder / Township / Hopewell / Apple Grove Post Office / York County / Penn.”Partial black circular date stamp visible at lower left (appears to include a day such as “15”) and a black circular cancel on the stamp itself.Reverse is plain with normal flap and typical aging.Postal history note: Apple Grove was a small/dead post office in York County, Pennsylvania (operating roughly 1843–1871). Covers addressed to or from obsolete post offices have modest extra appeal to local postal-history collectors.This is a standard 3¢ domestic letter-rate usage from the Civil War era.ValueUsed single Scott #65: roughly $2–$5.Ordinary #65 on cover in this condition: typically $8–$20.The intact cover, readable address, and connection to the discontinued Apple Grove post office give it a small premium over the most common examples, but it remains an everyday Civil War-era cover rather than a high-value item. Condition is decent (some edge wear and aging normal for the period).If the shade appears more distinctly pink to you in hand (especially under natural light), expertization by the Philatelic Foundation or PSE is the only reliable way to confirm a #64 or #64b. From the images provided, it is the common Scott #65.

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