1962 4c Girl Scouts Badge, Blue & Dark Green, Canal Zone

Canal Zone Scott #CZ156 is a 4-cent commemorative stamp issued on March 12, 1962, honoring the 50th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America. Printed in blue and dark green, the stamp depicts a Girl Scout badge set against a tropical backdrop featuring palm trees, a mountain, and the tents of Camp Chagres — the Girl Scout campground located in the Canal Zone. The inscription reads "Girl Scouts U.S.A. 1912–1962" with the motto "Honor the past, Serve the future."

The Girl Scouts had long maintained an active presence in the Canal Zone, serving the daughters of American military and civilian personnel stationed there. The stamp's first day of issue generated remarkable enthusiasm, with approximately 640,000 stamps received and more than 55,000 first day covers processed. The 4-cent denomination was well suited to its era, as it corresponded to the rate for first-class boat mail letters. Records indicate that the entire print run was sold, with no copies destroyed at a later date.

CZ156 was issued the same year as the U.S. commemorative Scott #1199, also honoring the Girl Scouts' Golden Anniversary, giving collectors the opportunity to pair two related issues from the same event. As a Canal Zone stamp, CZ156 occupies a distinct niche — one of a relatively small body of commemoratives issued by the postal administration of the U.S.-governed Canal Zone territory before it was eventually ceded to Panama. It appeals to collectors of Canal Zone material, scouting topicals, and mid-century American commemoratives alike.