1935 Farley Issues Souvenir Sheets: The Congressional Favorite That Caused a Philatelic Scandal

The story behind the 1935 Farley Issues is one of the most entertaining episodes in US philatelic history: a Postmaster General who gave imperforate, ungummed souvenir sheets of major stamps to friends and officials, ignoring the standard distribution rules, and then was forced by public outcry to issue the same material to everyone. The result is one of the most distinctive and actively collected specialty areas in US philately.

James A. Farley and the Controversy

James A. Farley served as Postmaster General under Franklin Roosevelt from 1933 to 1940. Farley was known for his personable, politically connected style, and he developed the practice of presenting presentation sheets (large, imperforate souvenir sheets from major commemorative issues) to friends, politicians, and prominent figures.

These presentation sheets were made from regular commemorative stamps printed without perforations and without gum, typically in sheet format larger than the standard pane. They were not for sale to the public; they were gifts.

When the philatelic community learned that these imperforate sheets existed and were being distributed privately, there was an uproar. Collectors who had spent years pursuing the official perforated issues felt cheated that special imperforate versions had been given away privately. Political pressure mounted, and the Roosevelt administration responded in 1935 by directing the Post Office to produce imperforate souvenir sheets of recent commemorative issues for public sale.

This was the "Farley Special Printings" decision. The resulting issues are the "Farley Issues."

The Stamps in the Farley Set

The Farley Issues consist of several imperforate souvenir sheets reproducing recent commemoratives:

• Byrd Antarctic Expedition commemoratives (imperf sheets)

• National Parks commemoratives (imperf sheets)

• Mother's Day issue (imperf)

• Wisconsin Tercentenary (imperf)

• Trans-Mississippi Philatelic Exhibition (imperf)

Each was produced as a large imperforate sheet without gum, mimicking the original presentation sheets given to Farley's friends.

Key Scott Numbers

The Farley Issues are catalogued by Scott as follows (selected major items):

• Scott #756-765: National Parks imperf blocks

• Scott #750-751: Byrd Antarctic imperf pairs

• Scott #752-771: Various other Farley specials

The complete set of Farley Issues runs to a meaningful number of catalogue numbers.

Condition Considerations

Farley Issues present specific condition issues:

No gum: These were issued without gum by design. Condition is assessed based on margins, perforation-free edges (they're imperforate, so margins should be full), and freedom from creases or damage.

Perforations present on some: Some Farley Items were issued perforated as well as imperforate; the imperforate versions are more distinctive and typically more valuable.

Margin width: Wide margins are preferred. Stamps should be centered with even borders.

Gum added: Some examples have had gum added later to make them more saleable. This is detected by specialists and reduces authenticity/value.

Condition Grades and Value

Values for Farley Issues vary significantly by specific item:

These are accessible prices for a specialty with a fascinating backstory.

The Philatelic Scandal Legacy

The Farley Affair, as it's sometimes called, had lasting effects on US postal administration:

• Stricter protocols for handling presentation copies

• Greater transparency in what special materials were produced

• A precedent for making special printings available to all collectors when private distributions had been made

The Farley Issues themselves are a direct material result of these reforms: they exist because collectors successfully demanded equal treatment.

Building a Farley Collection

Pursuing the complete Farley set is a manageable collecting goal within the overall US commemorative collecting category. The combination of accessible prices, interesting backstory, and tangible historical significance makes the Farley Issues a satisfying specialty collection even for collectors primarily focused on other areas of US philately.

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