# C23 - 6¢ Eagle PB - 1938 Mint Plate Block of 4

To celebrate 1938 National Air Mail Week and the 20th anniversary of U.S. Airmail service, President Roosevelt was presented with several possible design suggestions. Roosevelt, an avid stamp collector, had some ideas of his own and sketched a design of an eagle perched on a shield. He suggested printing the stamp in red and blue to distinguish airmail letters from ordinary mail. Collectors at the time noted the similarity between this stamp and the logo used by a famous beer company, but the Post Office pointed out that the eagle design was based on a bookplate the Library of Congress had been using for many years.

The stamp was printed on the flat plate press and required two plates, one for each color. The "TOP" inscriptions were added to prevent an invert mistake like the famous error from 20 years earlier. Add this classic mint airmail plate block issued over 80 years ago. US #C23 plate block of 4)