Scott #2869 & #2870 LEGENDS OF THE WEST 29 CENT

Correct Sheet US #2869 Pictures Bill Pickett – the correct person.   Error Sheet LEGENDS US #2870 Picturing the wrong person – Ben Pickett.

In January 1994, the USPS announced it was creating a set of 20 stamps titled “Legends of the West.”  One of the people to be featured was black rodeo star Bill Pickett.  Nobody expected this sheet to cause one of the biggest stamp stories in years… After the stamps were announced, a radio reporter phoned Frank Phillips Jr., great-grandson of Bill Pickett, and asked him about the stamp.  This was the first Phillips heard about the stamp, which was ironic.  For the last 14 years Phillips had written to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee suggesting that Bill Pickett should be honored on a stamp.  He was turned down every time.

Pleasantly surprised, Phillips went to his local post office, looked at the design and recognized it as Ben Pickett – Bill’s brother.  The stamp pictured the wrong man!  That was mistake #1. Phillips complained to the Postal Service, and Postmaster General Marvin Runyon issued an order to recall and destroy the error stamps.  But before the recall, 186 error sheets were sold by postal workers – before the official first day of issue.  This was mistake #2.  These error sheets were being resold for sums ranging from $3,000 to $15,000 each! Bill Pickett on the left (correct person), Ben Pickett on the right (printed on the error sheet.)

Weeks later, the USPS said 150,000 error sheets would be sold at face value by means of a mail-order lottery.  This unprecedented move was made with the permission of Phillips, Jr., so the Post Office could recover its printing cost and not lose money.  Sales were limited to one per household and the remaining stamps were destroyed.