EnglishAfrikaansAlbanianAmharicArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCroatianCzechDanishDutchEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchFrisianGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHawaiianHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)KyrgyzLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianLuxembourgishMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)NepaliNorwegianPashtoPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSamoanScottish GaelicSerbianSesothoShonaSindhiSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSudaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTeluguThaiTurkishUkrainianUrduUzbekVietnameseWelshXhosaYiddishYorubaZulu
The Territorial Series was issued as a tribute to the outlying possessions, or territories, of the United States. Four 3-cent stamps issued in the latter part of 1937 honored Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Alaska and Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959. Repeated statehood votes in Puerto Rico have failed.
Gordon T. Trotter
On October 18, 1937 the Post Office issued a 3-cent violet stamp to honor the Territory of Hawaii. This issue was part of a program to recognize the various United States territories. The vertically oriented design shows the statue of King Kamehameha I that stands in front of Iolani Palace in Honolulu. It was Kamehameha I (1736-1819) who united the Hawaiian islands into one kingdom.
Gordon T. Trotter
The program to commemorate the territories of the U.S. continued with the issuance of a 3-cent violet stamp honoring Alaska on November 12, 1937. Snow-covered Mount McKinley dominates the design, which also features a farm and a village, symbols of modern development in the territory.
Gordon T. Trotter
The third stamp to commemorate U. S. territories, the 3-cent bright violet stamp issued on November 25, 1937, honored Puerto Rico. The design features the old Governor's Palace known as 'La Fortaleza'. The issue confused the public, some of whom thought the stamp was valid only in Puerto Rico. It was in fact valid throughout the U.S. and its territories.
Gordon T. Trotter
The stamp program to recognize the territories of the United States concluded with the issuance of a 3-cent violet stamp on December 15, 1937, in honor of the U. S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917. The stamp displays a view of Charlotte Amalie, capital city of the territory.
Gordon T. Trotter
