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 1890&3
Note: the 8-cent stamp was the only one issued in 1893
One-cent. -Profile bust, after Ceracchi, of Benjamin Franklin looking to the left, on an ellipse, with dark background and narrow white border. Immediately above, set in a panel conforming to the elliptical curve, are the words "United States postage" in white capitals, and below in slightly larger and shaded letters, arranged in a waved line running nearly the whole width of the stamp, are the words "One cent." Just above these latter words, on either side, is a white numeral of denomination-the Arabic figure "1" in a small oval space, surrounded by an ornate scroll, the upper portion of which is connected with and serves as a support to the panel around the medallion. The whole is placed upon a distinctly lined oblong tablet, seven-eighths of an inch high by three-fourths of an inch wide, with beveled sides and bottom. The color is blue. The medallions on all this series are elliptical.
Two-cent. -Profile bust, after Roudon, of George Washington, looking to the left. The surroundings of the medallion are the same as in the I-cent stamp, with the necessary change of figures and letters representing the denomination. Color, carmine. An improved quality of color for the 2-cent stamp was adopted May 12, 1890.
Three-cent. -Profile bust after Powers, of Andrew Jackson looking to the left. The surroundings of the medallion are the same as in the 1-cent stamp, with the necessary chan e of figures and letters representing the denomination. Color, purple.
Four-cent. -Portrait of Abraham Lincoln, after a photograph from life, three-quarters face, lookin to the right. The surroundings of the medallion are the same as in the 1cent stamp, with the necessary change of figures and letters representing the denomination. Color, dark brown. Issued June 2, 1890.
Five-cent. -Portrait of U. S. Grant, after a photograph from life, three-quarters face, looking to the right. The surroundings of the medallion are the same as in the I-cent stamp, with the necessary change of figures and letters representing the denomination. Color, light brown. Issued June 2, 1890.
Six-cent. -Portrait of James A. Garfield, after a photograph from life, three-quarters face, looking to the left. The surroundings of the medallion are the same as on the I-cent stamp, with the necessary change of figures and letters representing the denomination. Color, light maroon.
Eight-cent. -Portrait of Gen. William T. Sherman, after a photograph from life, full face. The surroundings of the picture are the same as those on the stamps below the lO-cent denomination, with the necessary change of fi ures and letters representing the value. Color, lilac. It was issued March 21, 1893, in connection with the reduction of the registry fee from 10 to 8 cents.
Ten-cent. -Portrait of Daniel Webster, after a daguerreotype from life, three-quarters face, looking to the left, with dark background and narrow white border, around the upper half of which, set in a panel conforming to the medallion curve, are the words "United States postage" in small white capitals, the words "Ten cents" in somewhat similar letters being placed in a like panel below the medallion. Below this again, in the two lower corners of the stamp, are plain Arabic numerals of denominations, "10", set in circular spaces surrounded with ornate scrolls not unlike those" in the I-cent stamp. The whole is placed upon an oblong tablet,7/8of an inch high by 3/4 of an inch wide, with beveled sides and bottom. The color is green.
Fifteen-cent. -Portrait of Henry Clay, after a daguerreotype from life, three-quarters face, looking to the left. The surroundings of the medallion are substantially the same as in the IO-cent stamp, with appropriate changes of figures and letters representing the denomination. Color, deep blue.
Thirty-cent. -Profile bust of Thomas Jefferson, after Ceracchi, looking to the left. The surroundings of the medallion are the same as in the IO-cent stamp, with the necessary change of the letters and figures of denomination, the latter, however, being in block form. Color, black.
Ninety-cent. -Profile bust of Commodore O. H. Perry, after Wolcott's statue, looking to the left. The surroundings of the medallion are substantially the same as in the 30cent stamp, with the necessary change of the letters and figures of denomination. Color, orange.
The demensions of all of the above stamps are three-fourths by seven-eights of an inch.