1991-95 WW II 50TH ANNIVERSARY SOUVENIR SHEETS

 

Five Stamp Sheetlets Bring WWII’s Story to Life
Historic U.S. Stamp Series Created Over Five Years…

US #2559/2981

1991-95 WWII 50th Anniversary Souvenir Sheets

SCOTT #R3 PROPRIETARY 1 CENT

 
In 1871, the government established two separate classes of stamps – Documentary and Proprietary, which made stamp production and accounting easier.  Documentary stamps, which paid the fees on a wide variety of documents, would continue using the R-numbers already established, while the new Proprietary stamps would be RB.  The first RB Proprietary stamps were issued September 2, 1871.  Get the full story here.

US #R3 Old Revenue Proprietary Stamp Issued 1862-71 From the first issue of Revenue stamps in 1862.

US #

SCOTT #CE1 AIRMAIL SPECIAL DELIVERY 16 CENT

On August 30, 1934, the US Post Office issued its first Airmail Special Delivery stamp.  Mail with this stamp would travel by plane to its designated post office, where a messenger would then deliver it immediately to the recipient.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was an avid collector, designed the stamp himself!  Its first day of sale, 88 years ago, was at the convention of the American Air Mail Society in Chicago.  Two years later, the stamp was reprinted using two colors – carmine and blue.  Airmail special delivery stamps were only in use for a

US #CE1 1934 16¢ Airmail Special Delivery

brief time.  After 1936, the fees for special delivery service on airmail were to be paid by additional regular special delivery stamps.

 

SCOTT #C-6 DE HAVILLAND PLANE 24 CENT

 

US #C6

De Havilland Plane Airmail Issued August 21, 1923

The De Havilland plane on this stamp eventually replaced the Jenny in carrying the mail.  This stamp was issued to provide payment for night flights from New York all the way to the Pacific Coast

SCOTT #910 OVER RUN COUNTRY CZECHOSLOVAKIA 5 CENT

 

Did you know… a postage stamp is so powerful it can give a nation hope?

Did you know… a postage stamp is so persuasive it can rally people around a social or political cause?

Did you know… a postage stamp is so influential it can raise money to fight disease, domestic violence, and more?

US #910 from the Overrun Countries Series

The truth is, a little postage stamp can do all these things and lots more.  I was reminded of that today while browsing through the Encyclopedia of U.S. Stamps and Stamp Collecting.  It’s a great reference book for us collectors. 

In the section on mid-20th-century commemoratives, authors Rodney Juell and Steven Rod discuss “stamps with agendas.”  They give lots of examples.  I was able to add even more to the list from my years of collecting.  Starting with one of their choices (and my favorite) here’s just a small sample…

SCOTT #C45 WRIGHT BROTHERS 6 CENT

President Franklin Roosevelt declared the first National Aviation Day on Orville Wright’s 68th birthday.

As we all know, the Wright brothers invented the airplane.  Beginning in 1899, the Wright brothers began experimenting with gliders.  Their experiments led to their first heavier-than-air powered flight on December 17, 1903.  The event made such a global impact, many different countries honored it on stamps and coins.  The Wright brothers are two of the most famous figures in aviation history.

US #C45

1949 Wright Brothers Commemorativ

 

SCOTT 5409 WOODSTOCK FOREVER

Today marks 53 years since the ending of the most famous rock festival in history – Woodstock.  The USPS issued a Woodstock stamp commemorating the festival’s 50th anniversary.  The stamp’s design uses the same dove illustration found on the original Woodstock promotional flyers.  The festival was also honored in the popular Celebrate the Century Series in 1999.  

US #5409 2019 Woodstock 50th Anniversary Commemorative Stamp

US #5409 2019 Woodstock 50th Anniversary Fleetwood First Day Cover

 

PUERTO RICO OVERPRINTS

 

The Spanish-American War marked the emergence of the United States as a world power.  On December 10, 1898, Spain signed the Treaty of Paris granting Cuba its freedom and ceding Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines to the US.  After the signing of the treaty, the use of US money and postage was made official, and in 1899, overprinted US stamps replaced the provisional issues used previously.  These Puerto Rico Overprints carried the inscription “PORTO RICO.”  Later overprints were spelled “PUERTO RICO.”

US #PT210 1899 U.S. 1¢ PORTO RICO Overprint

US #PT211 1899 U.S. 2¢ PORTO RICO Overprint

SCOTT #2967 MARILYN MONROE 32 CENT

Early on August 5, 1962, the world was shocked by the loss of a shining star, actress, and entertainer – Marilyn Monroe.  In her short life, she went from an unknown, albeit pretty, face working in a World War II airplane factory, to the world’s most famous blonde bombshell.

Since losing Marilyn, countries around the world have issued postage stamps in her honor.  Each stamp captures a different facet of Marilyn – all the beauty and personality that made her one of the most famous woman of the 20th century.

In 1995, the United States featured Marilyn on the first stamp in the popular Legends of Hollywood Series (#2967) – a fitting place for the legendary Marilyn Monroe.  The design is based on a 1950s painting of her.  Originally, the selvage was supposed to picture the

US #2967 1995 Marilyn Monroe Legends of Hollywood Series

famous scene from The Seven Year Itch where Marilyn’s dress is blown up by a subway grate, but Marilyn’s estate felt it didn’t do her image justice.  A larger version of the stamp design was used in the selvage instead.

 

SCOTT #3139 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SOUVENIR SHEET

When the American Revolution began in 1775, Benjamin Franklin was the obvious choice to take over the country’s mail system.  That’s because he was previously the Colonies’ postmaster general for the Crown.  He was appointed as America’s first-ever postmaster general on July 26, 1775.  (We became the United States in 1776.)

As postmaster, Franklin was a dynamo – he standardized rates, surveyed mail routes, slashed delivery times between major cities by half, and more.  He even donated his $1,000 salary to relief for wounded Continental soldiers!  Franklin’s work in taking over the mail system was

US #3139 1997 Franklin Issue Honors 150 Years of U.S. Postage Stamps Faithful Reproduction of U.S. #1

rewarded in 1847 when he was pictured on the first official US postage stamp.  He’s been honored on countless stamps over the years – more than most former presidents…

 

UKRAINES WAR MESSAGE THROUGH STAMPS

On the first day of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, the warship Moskva demanded the surrender of Ukranian soldiers on Snake Island.  Instead, they gave the middle finger to the Russian warship Moskva.  Their spunk inspired Ukraine and the rest of us.

Stamps have long been used for patriotic messaging.  Ukraine jumped on the opportunity and issued two stamps showing a soldier, standing on Snake Island, saying, “Russian warship, go f*** yourself.”  The stamps proved a brilliant move – they quickly sold out,

S Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, holding the new Snake Island stamps.

captured loads of media attention, and raised $135,000 for Ukraine’s Army.  

 

SCOTT #740 YOSEMITE 1 CENT

 

As you know, President Franklin Roosevelt was a stamp collector.  During his administration, he took it upon himself to work with the Post Office Department to help create and approve new stamps. 

As FDR was reviewing suggestions for the 1934 schedule, Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes saw an opportunity to advertise the National Parks System.  Ickes felt many Americans were unaware the federal government had set aside large amounts of land for their enjoyment and for future generations.  At his suggestion,

US #740 – First stamp in the National Park Set

1934 had been declared National Parks Year.  Ickes now proposed the legacy of the national parks be portrayed on postage stamps, which FDR approved immediately.  Ten parks were chosen and the first stamp was issued on July 16, 1934, honoring Yosemite National Park.

SCOTT #QE4 SPECIAL HANDLING 25 CENT

 

On April 11, 1925, the first Special Handling stamp was issued.  And today marks the end of Special Handling service after nearly a century.

Special Handling stamps gave parcel post packages first-class mail service.  The USPS Act of February 1925 provided for a 25¢ fee that allowed fourth-class mail to receive the same service as first-class.  US #QE4 was issued a few months later.

Three years later, 10¢, 15¢, and 20¢ denominations were issued to cover the revised rates in 1928.

US #QE4

First U.S. Special Handling Stamp

SCOTT #120 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 24 CENT

Today’s the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress of the United States officially ratified the Declaration of Independence.  The meeting was held in Independence Hall (then the Pennsylvania State House) and led to the printing and distribution of copies to the public. 

Without the Declaration of Independence, the United States may never have existed, and neither would our stamps.  So on this July 4th, don’t forget to pause for a moment during your celebrations and remember the most important reason we still honor this holiday.

US #120 Sought-After 1869 Declaration of Independence Pictorial