V401

America the Beautiful

For The Purple Mountain Majesties

Summer 2025 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 7 V401 — Flag Over Supreme Court (sheet)/John Marshall (2-cover lot) — 12/17/81

W401 — Flag Over Supreme Court (coil)/Wendell Holmes, Jr. 

On both of these covers the motto "Equal Justice Under Law" appears. This is an historic set of two covers, representing two important Supreme Court Justices and, surprisingly, it has not appeared in my previous mail sales.

TheV401 sheet stamp cover is dedicated to the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court — John Marshall who served from 1801 to 1835. During his tenure, he raised the prestige and power of the Supreme Court and molded the Constitution by the wisdom of his precise interpretations. The water-colored cachet depicts Justice Marshall with the court in the background. A single stamp is hand canceled "First Day of Issue" in Washington, D.C., and an additional single has an unofficial hand cancel from Marshall, Virginia. 

The W401 coil stamp cover honor Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. He served from 1902 to 1932 and was known as the "great dissenter." He believed in respecting human rights more than property rights. A pair of stamps is hand canceled First Day of Issue at Washington, D.C., and an additional pair has an unofficial hand cancellation from Holmes, PA.