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
Issues of 1870-87
One-cent. -A lined rectangular ground is left uncovered
near the edges of the stamp on all sides. Inside this a more distinctly
outlined border of scroll work and conventionally foliated ornaments
fill the space to the medallion, which contains a profile bust of Franklin.
The sides of this border are symmetrically curved inward, the corners being
ornamentally rounded; on it, and resting upon and following the upper
curve of the medallion, is a narrow panel bearing the words "U.S.
postage." The words "One" and "Cent" in white capitals at the bottom
appear in two curves, drooping at the ends and separated by an ornate heavy-faced
white figure "1"
Two-cent. -An elliptical medallion, containing a profile bust of Jackson after Powers' statue, rests upon a shield covering almost the entire stamp and placed upon a faint-lined rectangular ground. On this shield, above the medallion, is an ornamented tablet, curving with the ellipse except at the ends of the line, which tend outward, and bearing the words "U.S. postage." A faint trace of leafy branches curving upward fill the space at the bottom and sides of the shield not covered by the medallion. Across this, upon a ribbonlike double-curved tablet flowing at the ends, are the words, in white capitals, "Two" and "Cents", divided by the denomination figure "2."
Three-cent. -Nearly the whole face of the stamp is taken up by a shield resting upon a dimly lined ground, on which shield the bust of Washington, after Houdon's statue, in an elliptical opening is placed, surmounted by a curved ornamented tablet bearing the words "U.S. postage." Under the portrait, on a flowing ribbon with forked ends, are the words "Three cents", separated by a large Arabic white-faced figure "3."
Six-cent. -On a delicately lined ground appears a dark rectangular mass of color, with heavy side projections nearly one-third of the length, on which is the bust of Lincoln in an elliptical medallion, surmounted by a panel bearing the words "U.S. postage." Below the medallion, on a waved ribbon with forked ends, are the words "Six cents", in white capitals, separated by a large white Arabic figure "6."
Seven-cent. -A large rectangular tablet, ornamented at the four corners with heavy balls, rests upon a background, the edges of which alone appear. On this tablet is an elliptical medallion containing the profile bust of Stanton, surmounted by a curved panel bearing the words "U.S. postage", while below the medallion is a similar panel bearing the words "Seven cents", in white capitals, separated by a white Arabic figure "7".
Ten-cent. -A large faint-lined shield rests upon a darker rectangular ground. On this shield is a profile bust of Jefferson, in an elliptical medallion, with words "U.S. post age" above and "Ten cents", separated by the number "10", below, displayed in the same way as the legends on the 6-cent stamp.
Twelve-cent. -On a lined rectangular frame is a raised panel of the same shape, with beveled edges. On this panel rests an elliptical medallion bearing the profile bust of Henry Clay. Above and below, in curved tablets, connected on the sides by triangular joints, are, respectively, the words in white capitals, "U.S. postage" and "Twelve cents", the two latter words being separated by the number "12" in Arabic figures. The words of denomination are in block letters.
Fifteen-cent. -On a lined rectangular frame, with triangular panels set in near each corner, is an elliptical medallion bearing the profile bust of Daniel Webster. Above, in a curved tablet, ending on either side in a circular knob, are the words, in shaded white letters, "U.S. postage." Below, in a similar tablet, but without knobs, in small white letters, are the words "Fifteen cents", separated by the number "15" in ornamental Arabic figures.
Twenty-four-cent. -The denomination numerals, "24", in Gothic type, are in each of the upper corners, conforming in their position to the curve of an ornamental tablet, placed immediately above an elliptical medallion bearing a profile bust of Gen. Winfield Scott. Thirteen five-pointed stars are placed on this tablet; 2 at each end are blank white, while each of the II remaining bears a small Gothic capital letter, constituting the legend "U.S. postage" in the color of the stamp. The denomination is given at the bottom in small white Gothic capitals "Twenty-four" close up to and following the ellipse line, and "Cents" in a straight line, in the middle, below. In the left lower corner appears a flag, loosely gathered around its staff, the muzzle end and part of the wheels of a piece of field artillery, and a pile of shells. In the right are three muskets stacked.
Thirty-cent. -On a rectangular-lined ground is placed a heavy beveled tablet, rounded in a half circle at the bottom, and with the upper corners described by bastionlike projections. From this point down to the half circle-a distance of half an inchthe tablet is straight lined on its sides and narrower than the stamp by about one-sixteenth of an inch. On the tablet is an elliptical medallion bearing the profile bust of Alexander Hamilton. The legend, "U.S. postage", above the medallion, is curved as on the 6-cent stamp, except that no panel encloses it, and the words "Thirty" and "Cents" appear in the black capitals at the bottom on a double-curved ribbon dropping inward with forked ends.
Ninety-cent. -The upper half of an elliptical medallion bearing the profile bust of Commodore Perry, is bounded by a rope attached at each end by eye-splices to a swinging panel describing the lower half of the ellipse, and bearing the words "Ninety" and "Cents" in block letters assigned to the left and right of the number "90." A plain tablet is the basis of the stamp, and is beveled except within 1/8 of an inch of the corners, where it exhibits sharp edges. In each upper corner is a five-pointed star raised in the center, and in each lower corner the flukes of an anchor and part of the shank project from under the panel.
Five-cent. (Taylor) 1875 -Tablet, legend, and denomination are of a style very similar to the 10-cent stamp. The portrait of Gen. Zachary Taylor is the only full face in the series. The dress is an open double-breasted military coat, within which appear the neck stock and high white collar.
Five-cent. (Garfield) 1882 -On a rectangularlined tablet, the greater portion of which is raised in the shape of a shield, is an elliptical medallion bearing the portrait of President Garfield. The medallion is bordered by a line of small white beads, the legend, "U.S. postage", is at the bottom of the stamp in small black block letters. The words "Five" and "Cents" are above the legend and partly on the lower edge of the tablet, divided by a large six-pointed star, upon which is the white-faced figure "5" upon a dark ground. The star is outlined with white, and the denomination words are each on lines curved downward at the ends.
Two-cent, 1883.-This is described in a circular of the Third Assistant Postmaster General, dated July 18, 1883 a plain tablet; above the oval, surrounding the head, are the words 'United States postage' and underneath the tablet are the words 'Two cents.'" It may be added that the tablet is shaped like the shield on the 3-cent stamp of this series and that the figure "2" separates the words "Two" and "Cents" which form a straight line resting partly on the point of the tablet and partly on the darkly shaded ground below. This is the first stamp of the series with the legend unabbreviated. The medallion is elliptical, and bears the profile bust of Washington.
Four-cent, 1883.-The tablet is rectangular and beveled, covering the entire stamp, the lower half in solid color. The legend, like that on the 2-cent stamp of even date, is in th,e unabbreviated form, "United States postage", following the upper line of an elliptical medallion bearing the profile bust of Andrew Jackson, and is in small white capitals. In each lower corner is a large white figure "4." Below these and in an unbroken straight line are the words "Four cents" in small white capitals with a very small star at the right and left and immediately under the figure "4."
One-cent, 1887.-A description by Postmaster General Vilas, given on the 23d of May, 1887, describes this stamp as "a profile bust of Benjamin Franklin upon a disk with shaded background, the lower portion of the oval disk being bordered with pearls, and the upper portion with a curved panel, containing, in small white letters, the words "United States postage." The whole is engraved in line upon a shield-shaped tablet with a truncated pyramidal base, bearing the words 'One cent' on either side of the figure 1. The changes of colors of other stamps of this series after June 11, 1887, were not accompanied by any change of design.