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

Series of 1869 - March 1, 1869 to April 9, 1870

One-cent. -Head of Franklin, after bust by Houdon, looking to the left, surrounded by a circle of pearls, "U. S. postage" on, a curved tablet at top, "One cent" on two similar tablets at bottom, with the numeral "1" in a small panel between the words. Color, Roman ocher. Post horse and rider, facing to left surrounded by ornamental scroll work, "United States postage" on a fringed curtain at top, "Two cents" on a scroll at bottom, with large numeral "2" between the words. Color, light brown.

Two-cent.-Post horse and rider, facing to left surrounded by ornamental scroll work, "United States postage" on a fringed curtain at top, "Two cents" on a scroll at bottom, with large numeral "2" between the words. Color, light brown.

Three-cent. -Locomotive, heading right, surrounded by ornamental scroll work; "United States postage" on a curved and a horizontal tablet at top; "Three cents" on wide curved tablets at bottom, with large numeral "3" between the words. Color, ultramarine blue.

Six-cent. -Head of Washington, after Stuart's painting, three-quarter face, looking to right; frame square, tessellated near the corners, with a circular opening, lined with pearls; "U. S." in upper left and right corners onrame, respectively; the word "Postage" in upper bar of frame; "Si'x cents" in lower, with the large numeral "6" between the words, and "United States" on each side. Color, ultramarine blue.

Ten-cent. -Shield, on which is resting an eagle with outspread wings, eagle looking to left; "United States Postage" in upper section of shield with the number "10" below and the words "Ten cents" in a scroll at bottom; the whole design surmounted by 13 stars arranged in a semicircle. Color, orange.

Twelve-cent. -Ocean steamship, the S.S. Adriatic, surrounded by ornamental scroll work; "United States postage" at top; "Twelve cents" at bottom, with large numeral "12" between the words. Color, milori green.

Fifteen-cent. -Landi'ng of Columbus, after the painting by Vanderlyn in the Capitol at Washington, ornamental scroll work at top and bottom; "U. S. postage" at top; "Fifteen cents" at bottom, with numeral "IS" underneath. Colors: Picture, Prussian blue; scroll and ornamental work, light brown.

Twenty-four-cent. -Declaration of Independence, after the painting by Trumbull in the Yale Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn.; ornamental and scroll work at top and bottom; "U" and "S" surrounded by circles at upper left and right corners, respectively; the word "Postage" between the two; "Twenty-four cents" in scroll at bottom, with numeral "24" underneath. Colors: The picture, purple lake; scroll and ornamental work, light milori green.

Thirty-cent. -Eagle, facing to left with out­spread wings, resting on shield, with flags grouped on either side; the words "United States postage" in upper section of shield; the numeral "30" in lower; the words "Thirty cents" across the bottom; 13 stars arranged in semicircle at top of design. Colors: Eagle and shield, carmine; flags and other parts, blue.

Ninety-cent. -Head of Lincoln, from a photograph, in an ellipse, three-quarters face, looking to right, surrounded by ornamental and scroll work; numeral "90" at each of the upper corners; "U. S. postage" at top; "Ninety" and "Cents" in scroll at lower left and right corners of medallion, respectively; "U" and "s" in Old English at lower left and right corners of stamp, respectively. Colors: Portrait in black; surrounding or­namental and scroll work, carmine.

The sizes of these stamps vary from the 13/16 of an inch circle on the 1-cent to 13/16 by 27/32 of an inch in dimension.

The designs were furnished by the National Bank Note Co. of New York with their bid, upon which contract was entered into on the 12th of December, 1868.

Only printed one year due their unpopularity at the time.

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