United States Postage Stamps
A History
Regular, Commementive, Memorial Issues
Introduction
~ Series of 1847
Series of 1851
Series of 1861
Series of 1869
Issues of 1870
Issues of 1890&3
Columbian Series of 1893
Isues of 1894
Trans-Mississippi Exposition Stamps of
1898
Pan-American Stamps of 1901
Series of 1902-3
Lousiana Purchase Commemorative Stamps of
1904
Jamestown Commemorative Stamps of
1907
Issues of 1908-9
Issues of 1909
Issues of 1912
Panama-Pacific
Commemorative Stamps of 1913
Issues of 1914-5
Issues of 1918
Issues of 1919
Pilgram Tercentenary Commemorative Stamps
of 1920
Issues of 1922-23
Issue of 1923
Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary Stamps of
1924
Issues of 1925
Issues of 1926
Issues of 1927
Issues of 1928
Issues of 1929
Issues of 1930
Isues of 1931
Washington Bicentennal Commemorative Stamps
of 1932 & other Issues
Issues of 1933
Issues of 1934
Issues of 1935
Special
Souvenior sheets of 1935
Issues of 1936
Issues of 1937
Issues of 1938
Issues of 1939
Famous Americans Commem's of 1940 &
Others
Vnmont Statehood of 1941
Issues of 1942
Overrun Countries commem's of 1943-44 &
Others
Issues of 1944
Roosevelt and Armed Forces Series of 1945
& Others
Issues of 1946
Issues of 1947
Air Mail Stamps
Issues
of 1918-1947
Carriers' Stamps
Issues of 1851
Newspaper & Periodical Stamps
Issues
of 1865
Issues of 1875
Issues of 1895
Offical Postage Stamps
Issues
of 1873-1884
Parcel Post Stamps
Issues of 1912-1913
Postage Due Stamps
Issues of 1879-1930
Parcel Post Postage Due Stamps
Issues of 1912
Postal Savings Offical Stamps
Issues of 1910-1911
Postal Savings Stamps
Issue
of 1911
Registry Stamp
Issue of 1911
Special Delivery Air Mail Stamp
Issue of 1934-1936
Special Delivery Stamps
Issues
of 1885-1925
Special Handling Stamp
Issue of 1925
United States Postage Stamps
1847 through 1947 ~ The first 100 years
ORDINARY POSTAGE STAMP (13-CENT) ISSUE OF 1919
NEW DENOMINATION
A new postage stamp of I3-cent denomination was issued January 10, 1919, and is described as follows:
This stamp bears the head of Franklin in profile, from Houdon's bust, looking to the left, and is printed in light green ink. It is of the same shape (a rectangle on end) and size (about 7/8 by 3/4 inch) as the other ordinary stamps, series of 1912. The border design is the same as that of the other denominations of the current issue above 7-cent.
The new stamp was issued primarily for use in prepaying a single rate of letter postage, or for postage and registry fee, and was also available to the amount of its value for other purposes for which ordinary postage stamps are used.
VICTORY STAMP (3-CENT) - ISSUE OF 1919
A Victory postage stamp of 3-cent deno nation was issued March 3, 1919, to c( memo rate the successful outcome of World War I.
The stamp is 27/32 by 3/4 inch in dimension, arranged horizontally, and is printed in purpIe. The design presents a standing fig of Liberty Victorious, with a background composed of the flags of the five countries which were most actively engaged in the cause.
The figure of Liberty is helmeted, the up part of the body is encased in scale armor and a flowing skirt falls to the feet. The right hand grasps a sword, the point of which rests on the ground at the feet of the figure; the left arm is partially extended, and the hand holds a balance scale representing justice.
Back of the figure appears the American flag; at the left are draped the British and Belgian flags, and at the right the Italian and French flags.
The whole design appears upon a shaded panel. Extending across the top, in straight line of Roman capital letters, is the inscription "U. S. postage." At the bottom, directly beneath the figure, in a straight line of Roman capitals, is the word "Cents" flanked by circles containing the numeral "3" in each lower corner of the stamp. This stamp was first placed on sale March 3, 1919 at Washington, D.C.
ORDINARY POSTAGE STAMPS (SURCHARGED
"SHANGHAI, CHINA") - ISSUE OF 19l9
Postage stamps of the current series were issued to the United States postal agency, Shanghai, China, in denominations of 1-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-, 10-, 12-, 15-, 20-, , 50-cent and $1; surcharged "Shangai, China", at double the original value of stamps; that is to say, the 1-cent stamp surcharged 2 cents, the 2-cent stamp is surcharged 4 cents, and so on through the list. The surcharge is printed in black letters on all denominations except 7-cent and the $1, which are surcharged with red ink. For ample, the I-cent stamp is surcharged follows:
SHANGHAI 21 CHINA
Owning to the small demand for 10-cent special delivery stamps at the United States postal agency, Shanghai, China, no 10-cent special delivery stamps surcharged "Shanghai, China", were printed.
These stamps were intended for sale by the postal agency at Shanghai at their surcharged value in local currency, and were valid to the amount of their original values for the prepayment of postage on mail dispatched from the U.S. postal agency at Shanghai to addresses in the United States.