Stamps of the United States

English: Note that US stamp designs since 1978 are copyrighted by the United States Postal Service, and not in the public domain. Up to the end of 1977 the designs are all PD in the US.

Deutsch: Briefmarken aus den USA nach 1978 der United States Postal Service sind urheberrechtlich geschützt und dürfen hier nicht abgebildet werden!

Español: Tome en cuenta que los diseños de timbres/sellos de correo de los Estados Unidos apartir de 1978 están protegidos por derechos de autor, y no en el dominio público. Aquellos diseños de timbres/sellos de correo apartir del fin de 1977 y antes están en el dominio público.

1840s[edit]

Provisional stamps[edit]

Providence, RI
5¢, 1846
imperforate
Alexandria, D. C.,
5¢, 1846
imperforate
[[Alexandria
"Blue Boy"]]
New York, NY]],
5¢, 1845
imperforate

St. Louis, MO
5¢, 10¢, 1845; 20¢, 1846
imperforate

1847 Issue[edit]

Imperforate. Printed by Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson

Benjamin Franklin, 5¢
Premier timbre des États-Unis (First US stamp)
Benjamin Franklin, 5¢
George Washington, 10¢

This was the first series of federally issued US postage stamps. They were issued under an act of congress on March 3, 1847 and first sold in New York City on July 1, 1847. (Ref. National Postal Museum)

1850s[edit]

1851-57 Issue[edit]

Imperforate. Printed by Toppan, Carpenter, Chasilear & Co.

Benjamin Franklin
1¢, Type II, 1851
Benjamin Franklin
1¢, 1 Type II, 2 Type IVs, 1851
Benjamin Franklin
1¢

George Washington
3¢, 1851, possibly from a cracked plate
George Washington
3¢, 1851, detail of previous
George Washington
3¢, 1851

Thomas Jefferson
5¢, 1856
George Washington
10¢, Type III, 1855
George Washington
12¢, 1851

1857-61 Issue[edit]

Perforated 15. Printed by Toppan, Carpenter & Co.

George Washington
3¢
George Washington
3¢
George Washington
3¢, 1861

1860s[edit]

1861-66 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12. Printed by the National Bank Note Co.

George Washington
3¢, 1862
revenue stamp
Andrew Jackson
2¢, 1863, the "Black Jack"
Andrew Jackson
2¢
Abraham Lincoln
15¢ 1866

1867 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12 and grilled. Printed by the National Bank Note Co.

George Washington, 3¢
George Washington, 3¢
with "F-grill"

1869 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12 and grilled. Printed by the National Bank Note Co.

1c Benjamin Franklin
1869 issue

2c Post rider
1869 issue

3c Locomotive
1869 issue

6c George Washington
1869 issue

10c Shield and eagle
1869 issue

12c Steam Ship
S.S. “Adriatic"
1869 issue

15c Landing of Columbus
Type I, 1869 issue

24c Declaration of Independence
1869 issue

30c Shield, eagle and flag
1869 issue

90c Abraham Lincoln
1869 issue

Locomotive, 3¢
3¢ with "G-grill"
Locomotive, 3¢
Landing of Columbus, 15¢

1870s[edit]

1870-71 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12. Printed by the National Bank Note Co.

Benjamin Franklin, 1¢
Andrew Jackson, 2¢
(brown)
Andrew Jackson, 2¢
(red)
George Washington, 3¢
George Washington, 3¢
Washington, 3¢ detail
Edwin M. Stanton, 7¢
Stanton, 7¢ (detail)
Thomas Jefferson, 10¢
Winfield Scott, 24¢
30¢ mute, Alexander Hamilton
30¢ unused
90¢ used, Oliver Hazard Perry

1873 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12. Printed by the Continental Bank Note Co.

George Washington, 3¢
George Washington, 3¢
detail showing secret marks
George Washington
3¢, 1873
Washington, 3¢
detail showing secret marks
Lincoln, 6¢ with location of secret marks
Edwin M. Stanton, 7¢
With location of secret marks
Edwin M. Stanton, 7¢
detail showing secret marks
George Washington, 3¢
U.S. War Dept. stamp

1879 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12. Printed by the American Bank Note Co. on soft porous paper.

Oliver Hazard Perry, 90¢

1880s[edit]

1881-82 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12. Printed by the American Bank Note Co.

1883 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12. Printed by the American Bank Note Co.

George Washington, 2¢

1887 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12. Printed by the American Bank Note Co.

Benjamin Franklin, 1¢
George Washington, 2¢

1890s[edit]

1890-93 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12. Printed by the American Bank Note Co.

Benjamin Franklin, 1¢
George Washington, 2¢
George Washington, 2¢
George Washington, 2¢
Ulysses S. Grant, 5¢
Daniel Webster, 10¢

1893 Columbian Exposition Commemoratives[edit]

World Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
Perforated 12. Printed by the American Bank Note Co.

Unused stamps[edit]

1c Columbus in sight of land
1893 issue

2c Landing of Columus
1893 issue

3c Santa Maria
1893 issue

4c Fleet of Columbus
1893 issue

5c Columbus soliciting aid from Queen Isabella
1893 issue

6c Columbus welcomed at Barcelona
1893 issue

8c Columbus restored to favor
1893 issue

10c Columbus presenting natives
1893 issue

15c Columbus announcing his discovery
1893 issue

30c Columbus as La Rabida
1893 issue

50c Recall of Columbus
1893 issue

$1Queen Isabella pledging her jewels
1893 issue

$2 Columbus in chains
1893 issue

$3 Columbus describing his third voyage
1893 issue

$4 Queen Isabella and Columbus
1893 issue

$5 Columbus
1893 issue

Used stamps[edit]


Columbus in Sight of Land 1¢	Landing of Columbus 2¢	Landing of Columbus 2¢

Columbus Presenting Natives 10¢	Columbus Presenting Natives 10¢

1894 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12. Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Benjamin Franklin, 1¢, ultramarine
George Washington, 2¢, type III, pink
George Washington, 2¢, type III, carmine
Andrew Jackson, 3¢
James Garfield, 6¢
William T. Sherman, 8¢
Daniel Webster, 10¢

1895 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12 with double-line "USPS" watermarks. Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.


Benjamin Franklin 1¢, blue	George Washington 2¢	William T. Sherman 5¢

1898 Issue[edit]

Perforated 12 with double-line watermark. Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing


Benjamin Franklin 1¢, green	Abraham Lincoln 4¢	Ulysses S. Grant 5¢

1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition Commemoratives[edit]

1c Marquette on the Mississippi
1898 issue

2c Farming in the west
1898 issue

4c Indian hunting buffalo
1898 issue

5c Fremont on Rocky Mountains
1898 issue

8c Troops guarding wagon train
1898 issue

10c Puerto Rico election
1898 issue

50c Western mining prospector
1898 issue

$1 Western cattle in storm
1898 issue

$2 Mississippi River bridge
1898 issue


Father Jacques Marquette on the Mississippi, 1¢	Father Jacques Marquette on the Mississippi, 1¢	Farming in the West, 2¢

Fremont on the Rocky Mountains, 5¢	Troops Guarding Train, 8¢	Hardships of Emigration, 10¢

Western Cattle in Storm, $1.00 "Black Bull"	Flag cancellation mark on 2¢ stamp

1898 Revenue stamps[edit]

½¢ revenue stamp
$1.00 revenue stamp

1900s-oughts[edit]

1901 Envelope[edit]

1¢, 1901
Savannah-Mulhouse

1901 Pan-American Exposition Commemoratives[edit]


294. Fast Lake Navigation 1¢ (postcard rate)	295. Fast Express 2¢ (domestic letter rate)	296. Automobile 4¢	297. Bridge at Niagara Falls 5¢ (foreign rate)	298. Canal Locks at Sault de Ste Marie 8¢ (registry fee)	299. Fast Ocean Navigation 10¢

1902-03 Issue[edit]


300 — 1¢ Benjamin Franklin 02/1903	301 — 2¢ George Washington 01/1903	302 — 3¢ Andrew Jackson 02/1903	303 — 4¢ Ulysses S. Grant 02/1903	304 — 5¢ Abraham Lincoln 01/1903

307 — 10¢ Daniel Webster 02/1903	308 — 13¢ William Henry Harrison 11/1902	309 — 15¢ Henry Clay 05/1903	311 — $1.00 David Glasgow Farragut 11/1903

1903 Issue[edit]

319.
George Washington
2¢
11/1903

1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commemoratives[edit]

1c Robert Livingston
1903 issue

2c Thomas Jefferson
1903 issue

3c James Monroe
1903 issue

5c William McKinley
1903 issue

10c Map of Louisiana Purchase
1903 issue

Thomas Jefferson, 2¢

1907 Jamestown Exposition Commemoratives[edit]

1c John Smith
1907 issue

2c Jamestown founding
1907 issue

5c Pocahontas
1907 issue


Captain John Smith, 1¢	Pocahontas detail	Captain John Smith, 1¢	Powhatan detail	Founding of Jamestown, 2¢

1908-09 Issue[edit]


Benjamin Franklin 1¢	George Washington 2¢	George Washington 3¢	George Washington 15¢

Issues of 1908, 1 through 6-cents

Issues of 1908, 8 cents through 1 dollar

1908-10 Coil Stamps[edit]

George Washington
1¢, 1908 series
coil stamp

1909 Lincoln Memorial Commemoratives[edit]

1910s[edit]

Post Office Clerk
1¢, 1913
Parcel Post
Issue of 1912
George Washington
2¢, 1914
George Washington
3¢, 1917
perf-10 line (2)

Parcel Post Stamps 1912-13[edit]

Further Washington-Franklin Issues[edit]

1912-14 series Washington 7c in black and Franklin with Oak leaves, 8c to 11c

1912-14 series, Franklin with Oak leaves, 12c to 50c

Franklin 1-DollarIssued 1912

Franklin 11-centIssued 1915

5-cent color error, 1916-17

1st / only Franklin 13cissue of 1919

The 'Big Bens'
Issue of 1918

Franklin 2-dollar reprintissue of 1920

Curtiss JN4
24¢, 1918
"Inverted Jenny"
Curtiss Jenny
24¢, 1918
Curtiss Jenny
24¢, 1918
"Fast Plane"
Comparison of normal and "Fast Plane" varieties

1913-1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition[edit]

1-cent Explorer Balboa
2-cent Pedro Miguel Locks, Panama Canal
5-cent "Golden Gate", San Francisco Bay
10-cent Spanish expedition to San Francisco Bay

1920s[edit]

Pilgrim Tercentenary Issue of 1920[edit]

1¢ “Mayflower"
1920 issue

2¢ Landing of the Pilgrims
1920 issue

5¢ Signing of the Compact
1920 issue

Huguenot-Walloon tercentenary Issue of 1924[edit]

1c Ship “Nieu Nederland"
1924 issue

2c Walloons landing
at Fort Orange (Albany)
1924 issue

5c Jan Ribault Monument
at Duval County FL
1924 issue

Lexington-Concord Issue of 1925[edit]

1c Washington at Cambridge
1924 issue

2c “Birth of Liberty”
by Henry Sandman
1924 issue

5c “The Minute Man”
by Daniel Chester French
1924 issue

Norse-American Issue of 1925[edit]

2c Sloop “Restaurationen"
1925 issue

5c Viking ship
1925 issue

Norse-American
5¢, 1925
Norse-American
5¢, detail

Aeronautics Conference Issue of 1928[edit]

2¢ Wright flyer
1928 issue

5¢ Monoplane
1928 issue

15¢, 1928
Special Handling
James Garfield
6¢, 1929
cancelled "Kans."

1930s[edit]

2¢, 1930
revenue stamp
Graf Zeppelin
65¢, 1930
Mount Vernon
1¢, 1936
6¢, 1936
Souvenir Sheet of 4
George Washington
2¢, 1938, precancelled
Martin Van Buren
8¢, 1939

National Parks Issue of 1934[edit]

1c El Capitan
Yosemite, California
1934 issue

2c Grand Canyon
Arizona
1934 issue

3c Mount Ranier and
Mirror Lake, Washington
1934 issue

4c Cliff Palace
Mesa Verde Park, Colorado
1934 issue

5c Old Faithful
Yellowstone, Wyoming
1934 issue

6c Crater Lake
Oregon
1934 issue

7c Great Head
Acadia Park, Maine
1934 issue

8c Great White Throne
Zion Park, Utah
1934 issue

9c Mt. Rockwell and Two Medicine Lake
Glacier National Park, Montana
1934 issue

10c Great Smokey Mountains
North Carolina
1934 issue

Army Issue of 1936-1937[edit]

1c G. Washington, N. Greene
Mount Vernon
1936-7 issue

2c A. Jackson, W. Scott
The Hermitage
1936-7 issue

3c Grant, Sherman, Sheridan
1936-7 issue

4c R.E. Lee and T.J. Jackson
Stratford Hall
1936-7 issue

5c U.S. Military Academy
1936-7 issue

Navy Issue of 1936-1937[edit]

1c J.P. Jones and J. Barry
1936-7 issue

2c S. Decatur and T. MacDonough
1936-7 issue

3c D. G. Farragut and D. D. Porter
1936-7 issue

4c Sampson, Dewey and Schley
1936-7 issue

5c U.S. Naval Academy
1936-7 issue

Territorial Issues of 1937[edit]

3c Kamehameha I, Honolulu
Hawaii Territory
1937 issue

3c Mount McKinley
Alaska Territory
1937 issue

3c La Fortaleza,
San Juan, Puerto Rico
1937 issue

3c Charlotte Amalie Harbor,
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
1937 issue

Presidential Issues of 1938[edit]

1940s[edit]

10¢, 1941 Airmail
13¢, 1944, Special Delivery
Four Chaplains, 3¢, 1948 (stamp)
Four Chaplains, 3¢, 1948 (envelope)

Famous Americans Series, 1940[edit]

Overrun Countries Series, 1943-44[edit]

1950s[edit]

National capital sesquicentennial[edit]

3c Statue of Freedom
Washington DC
1950 issue

3c The White House
Washington DC
1950 issue

3c U.S. Supreme Court Building
Washington DC
1950 issue

3c U.S. Capitol Building
Washington DC
1950 issue

Wildlife conservation issues of 1956-7[edit]

3¢ Wild Turkey
1956 issue

3¢ Longpronged antelope
1956 issue

3¢ King salmon
1956 issue

3¢ Whooping crane
1957 issue

Newspaper Boys, 3¢, 1952 (4 stamps)
Thomas Jefferson, 2¢, coil (2 stamps)
Liberty, 3¢ , 1954
15¢, 1955, Certified Mail
3¢, 1956, Friendship - Key to World Peace.
US Flag, 4¢, 1957
United States postage stamp honoring Simon Bolivar (1958)

1960s[edit]

Camp Fire Girls, 4¢, 1960
Project Mercury, 4¢, 1962
Dag Hammarskjold, 4¢, 1962, inverted yellow
Robert H. Goddard, 1964
John F. Kennedy, 5¢, 1964
100 years Salvation Army, 5¢, 1965
Mary Cassatt, 5¢, 1966 (Mr. Zip in margin)
Washington, 5¢, 1966
Washington, 5¢, 1967 (updated drawing)
National Grange, 5¢, 1967
Oliver Wendell Holmes, 15¢, 1968
First Man on the Moon, 10¢, 1969, Air Mail
United States postage stamp honoring Amelia Earhart (1963)
US stamp honoring Johnny Appleseed
US stamp honoring Montgomery Blair

1970s[edit]

Edgar Lee Masters, 6¢, 1970
Save our Cities, Soil, Air, Water, 6¢, 1970
South Carolina, 6¢, 1970
LOVE Stamp, 8c, 1973, designed by Robert Indiana
Robert Frost, 10¢, 1974

American Bicentennial Issue: Flag Series, 1976[edit]

US local stamps[edit]

1845, Boyd's City Express 2¢ #20L4 (black on green)
1859, Brady & Co., New York, #22L1, Forgery D
1857, Clark & Co., New York, #46L1, Forgery C
1866, Hussey's Special Message Post. 10¢, #87LE2 (gold on green)
1877, Hussey's Special Message & Letter Post. Reprint. #87L56
1857, Price's City Express - Post 2c, #119L1 (black on red)
1857, Price's City Express - Post 2c, #119L2 (black on green)
1858, Price's City Express - Post 2c, #119L3 (black on green)
1851, Priest's Despatch, Paid (2¢) #121L3 (black on yellow) prob. forgery
1851, Priest's Despatch, Paid (2¢) #121L4 (black on rose) prob. forgery
1851, Priest's Despatch, Paid (2¢) #121L5 (black on blue) prob. forgery
1851, Priest's Despatch, Paid (2¢) #121L5 (black on blue) Forgery A
Pony Express 25¢,
used at Virginia City

Other US stamp-related images[edit]

Première édition du catalogue Scott / 1st edition cover of the Scott catalog

Copyright-Note up to 1978[edit]

English: Note that US stamps issued after 1 January 1978 are copyright United States Postal Service, and not in the public domain. Up to the end of 1977 the designs are all PD in the US.

Deutsch: Briefmarken aus den USA nach 1 Januar 1978 der United States Postal Service sind urheberrechtlich geschützt und dürfen hier nicht abgebildet werden!

Español: Tome en cuenta que los diseños de timbres/sellos de correo de los Estados Unidos apartir de 1978 están protegidos por derechos de autor, y no en el dominio público. Aquellos diseños de timbres/sellos de correo apartir del fin de 1977 y antes están en el dominio público.

La .lojban.: merko jecta xe pelji ba 1/1/1978 cu kapirait USPS gi'e na zvati lo gubni lacri i co'u lo fanmo be 1977 lo tasmi cu na zvati kapirait

Stamps of the United States

1840s[edit]

Provisional stamps[edit]

1847 Issue[edit]

1850s[edit]

1851-57 Issue[edit]

1857-61 Issue[edit]

1860s[edit]

1861-66 Issue[edit]

1867 Issue[edit]

1869 Issue[edit]

1870s[edit]

1870-71 Issue[edit]

1873 Issue[edit]

1879 Issue[edit]

1880s[edit]

1881-82 Issue[edit]

1883 Issue[edit]

1887 Issue[edit]

1890s[edit]

1890-93 Issue[edit]

1893 Columbian Exposition Commemoratives[edit]

Unused stamps[edit]

Used stamps[edit]

1894 Issue[edit]

1895 Issue[edit]

1898 Issue[edit]

1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition Commemoratives[edit]

1898 Revenue stamps[edit]

1900s-oughts[edit]

1901 Envelope[edit]

1901 Pan-American Exposition Commemoratives[edit]

1902-03 Issue[edit]

1903 Issue[edit]

1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commemoratives[edit]

1907 Jamestown Exposition Commemoratives[edit]

1908-09 Issue[edit]

1908-10 Coil Stamps[edit]

1909 Lincoln Memorial Commemoratives[edit]

1910s[edit]

Parcel Post Stamps 1912-13[edit]

Further Washington-Franklin Issues[edit]

1913-1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition[edit]

1920s[edit]

Pilgrim Tercentenary Issue of 1920[edit]

Huguenot-Walloon tercentenary Issue of 1924[edit]

Lexington-Concord Issue of 1925[edit]

Norse-American Issue of 1925[edit]

Aeronautics Conference Issue of 1928[edit]

1930s[edit]

National Parks Issue of 1934[edit]

Army Issue of 1936-1937[edit]

Navy Issue of 1936-1937[edit]

Territorial Issues of 1937[edit]

Presidential Issues of 1938[edit]

1940s[edit]

Famous Americans Series, 1940[edit]

Overrun Countries Series, 1943-44[edit]

1950s[edit]

National capital sesquicentennial[edit]

Wildlife conservation issues of 1956-7[edit]

1960s[edit]

1970s[edit]

American Bicentennial Issue: Flag Series, 1976[edit]

US local stamps[edit]

Other US stamp-related images[edit]

Copyright-Note up to 1978[edit]

See also[edit]

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