1937 Virginia Dare Commemorative Stamp

The Story Behind This Stamp

The stamp commemorates America's most famous unsolved mystery - In 1587, 117 English colonists settled on Roanoke Island. When supply ships returned three years later, the entire colony (including newborn Virginia) had vanished, leaving only the word "CROATOAN" carved on a tree.

As historians note: "This tiny stamp carries a nation's remembrance - and deliberate forgetting."

Political Motivations for Issuance

Issued during the worst of the Great Depression, the Roosevelt administration used this stamp to:

• Strengthen national identity through "American origins"
• Divert attention from economic woes
• Boost tourism to revitalize North Carolina's economy