1939 Centennial of Baseball Stamps Set and Checklist

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Centennial Stamps
Year	1939
Size	1 5/8″ x 2 1/8″
Images	Color
Type	Stamps
Number in Set	25

Centennial Stamps Overview

In 1939 celebrating the 100th anniversary of the game of baseball, the Hall of Fame produced a commemorative Centennial of Baseball Stamps set. The collection consisted of 25 various stamps of players and events. They were originally printed in sheets of 25 with five rows of five and each stamp is numbered.

The stamps are very colorful and accompanying them was a special album that collectors could use to store them in. Ironically, for such an important event, the Hall of Fame misspelled ‘Centennial’ on the stamps.

Still, the entity did a tremendous job in highlighting some key events and all of the best players up to that point in time.

The stamps are mostly known for their bright colors but another key thing about the issue is its three different ‘types’. The word ‘types’ is not here to indicate any sort of variation. Rather, it’s used to indicate the different looks the stamps had.

Some stamps featured formal portraits of men in suits – in particular, Abner Doubleday (seen as the game’s inventor by many), Ban Johnson (founder and president of the American League), and Morgan Bulkeley (president of the National League). Some stamps featured portraits of players inside of a plaque-like frame (shown here with the Collins). Others featured cartoon depictions of facts/key moments in baseball history.

Finally, two albums were created for the stamps. Both are similar looking but one has a stamp at the bottom, citing it is an Honorary Contributional Copy. It is unknown which of these two issues is rarer or more valuable, if either is.

Al Demaree Involvement

Al Demaree was a former player that was known for his artistry. After baseball, he designed a number of baseball card sets and he has a presence in this set.

Demaree was responsible for the artwork for the ten stamps that featured facts and key moments in the sport’s history. We know these were drawn by him because his trademark signature is found on each stamp he designed. Among the moments he depicted were the first night game, first uniformed team, and the first collegiate game.