1904 8c Martha Washington, Black, Canal Zone Overprint Reading Up

This stamp is part of the Canal Zone series produced during the early years of the United States administration of the Panama Canal Zone. The design began as part of the 1902 regular issue portrait series depicting notable figures in American history, and this particular stamp features Martha Washington, wife of George Washington. To prepare stamps for use in the Canal Zone, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing applied a Canal Zone overprint to existing United States stock, with this example showing the overprint reading upward.

The central design shows Martha Washington in profile within an oval frame, surrounded by decorative laurel branches on either side. A banner beneath her portrait spells out her name, and the dates 1732 and 1802 appear on either side, marking her birth and death years. The top of the stamp reads "United States of America" along with the series year of 1902, while the denomination of eight cents appears in numerals at both bottom corners and in words along the bottom edge.

This stamp is printed in black and represents an important piece of Canal Zone postal history, reflecting the early period when the United States government issued its own stamps for use in the territory during the construction and operation of the canal.