Ten-Cent Stamp Proof, Great Smoky Mountains
This is the die-proof of the 1934 commemorative ten-cent stamp of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The final stamp was issued October 8, 1934 and was one in series of ten designed to promote the national parks and boost visitor numbers. The die-proof is notable for the inscription in the righthand margin by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The President inscribed, "OK" and signed his initials. The engraving was made from a photograph by the Thompson Company, most likely the Thompson Brothers. It was designed by Esther Richards, the first woman to design a U.S. postage stamp.