 The 2¢ Landing of Columbus is the most common stamp of the Columbian Issue The Columbian Issue, often simply called the Columbians, is a set of 16 postage stamps issued by the United States to mark the 1893 World Columbian Exposition held in Chicago. The finely-engraved stamps were the first commemorative stamps issued by the United States, depicting various events during the career of Christopher Columbus and are today highly prized by collectors. Over two billion stamps, whose total face value exceeded forty million dollars, were printed by the American Bank Note Company. A selection of Hong Kong postage stamps A postage stamp is evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services. ...
1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
One-third scale replica of The Republic, which once stood in the great basin at the exposition, Chicago, 2004 The World Columbian Exposition (also called The Chicago Worlds Fair), a Worlds fair, was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbuss discovery...
Nickname: The Windy City, The Second City, Chi Town, The City of Big Shoulders The 312 Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in Chicagoland and Illinois Coordinates: Country United States State Illinois County Cook Incorporated March 4, 1837 Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area...
The Common Man featured in a commemorative golden postage stamp released by the Indian Postal Service on the 150th anniversary of the Times of India - 1988 A commemorative stamp is a postage stamp issued to honor or commemorate a place, event or person. ...
Christopher Columbus (1451?-1506) was a navigator and maritime explorer credited as the discoverer of the Americas. ...
Fifteen of the stamps went on sale Monday, January 2, 1893. They were available nationwide, and were not restricted to the Exposition in any way. However, the $16.34 face value for the complete set was a substantial sum of money in 1893. In approximate 2006 dollars,[1] the set would cost over three hundred dollars. As a result, only a small number of the most expensive stamps, especially the dollar values, were sold. Unsold stamps were destroyed after the Columbian Issue was removed from sale on April 12, 1894. January 2 is the second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ...
1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...
Opinion regarding the Columbian Issue at the time was mixed. The set sold well and did not face the sort of criticism that led to the withdrawal of the 1869 Pictorial Issue. However, approval was not universal. An organization called the Society for the Suppression of Spurious Stamps was created in protest over the creation of this set, deeming the Exposition in Chicago insufficiently important to be honored on postage, while some collectors balked at the Post Office Department's willingness to profit from the growing hobby of philately. The Columbians did not immediately increase in value after being removed from sale, in part due to substantial speculation resulting in a glut of stamps on the secondary market. However, as of 2006, depending on condition, a full set might be valued at $10,000 or more.[2] The Post Office Department was the former name of the United States Postal Service when it was a cabinet department. ...
Close examination of the Penny Red, left, reveals a 148 in the margin, indicating that it was printed with plate #148. ...
Speculation involves the buying, holding, and selling of stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, collectibles, real estate, derivatives or any valuable financial instrument to profit from fluctuations in its price as opposed to buying it for use or for income via methods such as dividends or interest. ...
The secondary market is the financial market for trading of securities that have already been issued in an initial private or public offering. ...
2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The 1¢ stamp
Entitled "Columbus in Sight of Land", this lowest value in the set was based on a painting by William Powell and was one of several to be engraved by Alfred Jones. This stamp was primarily used to pay postage on third class mail.[3] A British pillar box. ...
Because the images in the series were not based on the works of a single artist, Columbus's appearance changes dramatically between this stamp, where he is clean-shaven, and the 2-cent value, where he sports a full beard, despite the depicted events occuring only a day apart.[4]
The 2¢ stamp John Vanderlyn's painting "The Landing of Columbus", originally comissioned by Congress, and already used on five dollar banknotes and the 15-cent stamp from the 1869 Pictorial Issue, was again pressed into service. By a substantial margin, this is the most common stamp of the Columbian Issue. More than a billion copies were printed, over seventy percent of the total number of Columbian Issue stamps, in part because it paid the first-class rate for domestic mail.[3] John Vanderlyn (October 18, 1776 - September 23, 1852) was a U.S. neoclassicist painter, was born at Kingston, New York. ...
A British pillar box. ...
Damage to one transfer roll resulted in a chevron-shaped notch in Columbus's hat on some copies of this stamp. This variety, known as the "broken hat", is no longer considered significant enough for the Scott catalogue to provide it with its own minor number listing, although the catalogue still tracks separate, slightly higher, prices for the variant, which is popular with collectors. Covers of the 2002 edition featured art on stamps. ...
Philatelists traditional method of identifying postage stamps uniquely has long been to number each countrys stamps consecutively; Norway #1 is the 4-skilling blue stamp issued in 1855, and so forth. ...
The 3¢ stamp Entitled "Flag Ship of Columbus", this value depicts the Santa Maria. It is generally believed that a Spanish engraving was the model for this stamp, but the source remains unknown. Regardless of its original source, Robert Savage performed the engraving used. Although over 11 million were printed, this stamp also did not pay any standard postal rate in 1893. Instead it was considered a "make-up" stamp, meant to be used in combination with other small denomination stamps to pay higher rates.[3] The Santa Maria was the largest of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. ...
The 4¢ stamp  The 4¢ Columbian, ultramarine  The 4c Columbian, blue, error of color There is some dispute regarding the origin of the design of "Fleet of Columbus". Like the previous value, it is widely attributed to an unknown Spanish engraving. However, a similar image also appeared in an American book some six months before the Exposition. There are significant differences, however, and philatelic authors researching the issue have stated that it is not possible to conclusively determine the origins of the design with the information known. The stamp itself paid the first-class rate for double-weight mail.[3]
The most significant collectable variety in the set also occurs on this value. The normal color of this stamp is a shade known as ultramarine. A very small number of 4-cent stamps were printed in error using the wrong color ink, a significantly darker shade that more closely resembles the blue of the 1-cent stamp. At least two error sheets, totally two hundred stamps, are thought to have been produced, although significantly fewer copies are known to have survived. The "4-cent blue" is thus considered a great rarity, regularly selling for thousands of dollars.[5]
The 5¢ stamp Alfred Major created the design for this stamp, entitled "Columbus Soliciting Aid of Isabella", basing it off an 1884 painting by Václav Brožík called "Columbus at the Court of Ferdinand and Isabella". This value was primarily used to pay the half-ounce Universal Postal Union international rate.[3] 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...
Václav BrožÃk (5 March 1851 – 15 April 1901) was the greatest Czech academic painter. ...
The Universal Postal Union (UPU, French: Union postale universelle) is an international organization that coordinates postal policies between member nations, and hence the world-wide postal system. ...
The 6¢ stamp In 1857, Randolph Rogers was comissioned to produce a number of door panels depcting Columbus's voyages, to be hung at the United States Capitol building. The 6-cent value in the Columbian Issue, "Columbus Welcomed at Barcelona", was taken from one of those door panels, the seventh in Rogers's chronology. The framing figure on the left is King Ferdinand of Spain. The one on the right is Vasco Núñez de Balboa, a Spanish explorer inspired by Columbus's return. Robert Savage was the engraver for the printed design.[3] 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...
Randolph Rogers (July 6, 1825, Waterloo, New York – January 15, 1892) was an American sculptor. ...
The United States Capitol is the capitol building that serves as the location for the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. ...
Ferdinand II of Aragon. ...
Vasco Núñez de Balboa Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–January 15, 1519) was a Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador. ...
Slight variations are known in the purple color of this stamp. The most dramatic, a color called red violet, is considered significant enough to be given a minor number listing by Scott. However, this variation is not considered to be an error like the 4-cent blue and so does not command substantial premiums.
The 8¢ stamp When originally issued, there were only fifteen stamps in the Columbian Issue. However, when the fee for registered mail was lowered on January 1, 1893 it necessitated the introduction of 8-cent stamps. A design was prepared based on a painting by Francisco Jover Casanova, and this stamp, titled "Columbus Restored to Favor", was added to the Columbian Issue in March.[3] January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ...
1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
The 10¢ stamp The design for this stamp, "Columbus Presenting Natives", was modeled after one of the paintings created by Luigi Gregori for the administration building at the University of Notre Dame after it was rebuilt following an 1879 fire, and was one of five designs engraved by Robert Savage. This denomination was originally intended to pay the fee for registered mail. However, the change in registered mail fees that necessitated the introduction of the 8-cent Columbian also changed the most common purpose of this value; it instead paid the full postage for registered first-class mail, rather than just the additional fee.[3] The University of Notre Dame IPA: is a leading Roman Catholic institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana, immediately northeast of South Bend, Indiana, United States. ...
1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
The 15¢ stamp "Columbus Announcing His Discovery" depicts his return to court from his first voyage. The original painting by Ricardo Baloca y Cancico is lost and is believed to have been destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. Originally intended to pay postage for international registered letters, the change in the registered mail fee left this stamp with fewer direct uses. Although it would pay the cost for a triple-rate international letter, it was most commonly used in combination with other stamps to meet more expensive heavyweight charges.[3] Combatants Spanish Republic CNT-FAI UGT POUM Soviet Union International Brigades Spanish State Falangists Carlists Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan NegrÃn Francisco Franco Casualties Civilians killed/wounded = hundreds of thousands The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from July 17, 1936 to April...
The 30¢ stamp The title of painter Felipe Maso's work, "Columbus before the Franciscans at La Rabida" was shortened to "Columbus at La Rabida" when it was adapted for use in the Columbian Issue. This value was most commonly used to pay for mail to expensive foreign destinations.[3]
The 50¢ stamp A painting by A. G. Heaton was the basis for "Recall of Columbus",[6] the first 50-cent stamp issued in the United States. Like all high value Columbians, it was primarily used in combination to meet the needs of heavyweight or international shipments.[3]
The $1 stamp This design was based on a painting by Antonio Muñoz Degrain,[6] and, like many others in the Columbian Issue, engraving for this design was done by Robert Savage. Prior to the printing of "Isabella Pledging Her Jewels", no United States postage stamp had been issued with a value above 90 cents. This stamp, like all five dollar-value stamps in the set, paid no specific rate at all. Although all five are known to have been used for heavy international shipments, there is speculation that they were primarily intended as Exposition advertising and as revenue for the Post Office Department. Most uses of the dollar-value Columbians were on philatelic covers.[3] A philatelic cover is a cover sent through the mails for the purpose of creating a collectible item. ...
The $2 stamp "Columbus in Chains", its imaged derived from a painting by Emanuel Leutze,[6] is one of only two stamps in the series to depict Columbus on land in the New World (along with the 2-cent). Here, he is shown facing charges of administrative misconduct after his arrest in San Domingo by Don Francisco de Bobadilla.[3] Washington Crossing the Delaware Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (May 24, 1816 – July 18, 1868) was a German-born American painter. ...
Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ...
Saint-Domingue was a French colony from 1697 to 1804 that is today the independent nation of Haiti. ...
The $3 stamp The $3 Columbian, yellow green "Columbus Describing Third Voyage" was one of five designs engraved by Robert Savage. All of which were his sole work, engraved without collaboration with either of the other two engravers working on the Columbian Issue. Engraving was based on a painting by Francisco Jover Casanova, the same artist whose work was adapted for the 8-cent stamp's design.[6] The three highest value Columbians were printed in much smaller quantities than less expensive members of the set, 27,650 in the case of the 3-dollar value.[3]
Like with the 6-cent Columbian, a color variety exists that is awarded minor number status. While this stamp is normally described as yellow green, the variant is considered to be olive green.
The $4 stamp The $4 Columbian, crimson lake "Isabella and Columbus" was the first United States stamp to bear the portrait of a woman. Queen Isabella's place on U.S. postage in that regard would not be equalled until Martha Washington was depicted on a 1902 definitive. The portrait of Columbus on the right was adapted from one by Lorenzo Lotto.[6] Only 26,350 were printed, the least of any of the Columbians. Isabella of Castile Isabella (April 22, 1451 – November 26, 1504) was Queen regnant of Castile and Leon. ...
Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 21, 1731 – May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States, and therefore is seen as the first First Lady of the United States (although that title was not coined until after her death; she was...
1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
A definitive postage stamp is a regular issue stamp that is part of a definitive issue or definitive series consisting of a range of denominations sufficient to cover all postal rates usefully. ...
Lorenzo Lotto (c. ...
Like with the 6-cent Columbian, a color variant exists that is awarded minor number status. While this stamp is normally described as crimson lake, the variety is considered to be rose carmine.
The $5 stamp Alfred Jones engraved the "Columbus" portrait, which faced the opposite direction from his similar engraving work on the Columbian Exposition half dollar. The two framing figures were engraved by Charles Skinner. 27,350 were printed, of which 21,844 sold.[7] Like all the dollar-value Columbians, copies sell for many times the original face value, even adjusting for inflation, with the finest examples auctioning for tens of thousands of dollars.[5]
Related releases  Close-up of design from 1¢ Columbian envelope
Envelopes A series of four envelopes, or preprinted postal stationary, was issued along with the stamp set. This series included 1-cent, 2-cent, 5-cent, and 10-cent values depicting the heads of Columbus and Liberty. An envelope is a packaging product, usually made of flat, planar material such as paper or cardboard, designed to contain a flat object such as a letter. ...
Postal stationery: Postcard of 1895 A piece of postal stationery is an envelope, letter sheet, or postal card with an amount of postage preprinted on it, at the postcard rate for postcards, and (usually) at the domestic first-class rate for letter sheets and envelopes. ...
Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix, refers to the classical conception of the Goddess Liberty. ...
Postal cards A postal card was also issued to commemorate the Exposition. There were 10 different designs related to the Exposition. The cards were sold individually or as a set in a paper wrapper. One, depicting the Women's Building, is known in two slightly different versions. The preprinted stamp was not specifically designed for the Exposition, and was the same on all versions.[8] For the computer diagnostic tool, see Postcard (computing). ...
The special delivery stamp of 1893 The stamps used to pay the 10-cent special delivery fee were printed in blue. There were concerns that the 1-cent Columbian, also printed in blue, might be too similar for post office employees to distinguish quickly, resulting in confusion or underpayment for services. It is not clear if this problem ever actually occurred; no covers are known using a 1-cent Columbian to pay for the special delivery charge.[9] However, the Post Office Department issued a new special delivery stamp, colored orange, to remedy the potential problem. Although not officially part of the Columbian Issue, this stamp is sometimes referred to as the "Orange Columbian" by collectors due to its origin. In philately, a cover is an envelope or package, typically with stamps that have been cancelled. ...
References - ^ Shar, Robert. Inflation Conversion Factors for Dollars 1665 to Estimated 2016. Oregon State University. Retrieved on 2006-12-14.
- ^ Apfelbaum, John and David Lidman. United States Philately. The World of Stamps & Stamp Collecting. Retrieved on 2006-12-14.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Haimann, Alexander T. (2006-05-16). Columbian Exposition Issues (1893). Retrieved on 2006-12-14.
- ^ Brookman, Lester G. (1947). The 19th Century Postage Stamps of the United States, Vol. II. H. L. Lindquist.
- ^ a b The Scarsdale Collection, Part One. Robert A. Seigel Auction Galleries. Retrieved on 2006-12-14.
- ^ a b c d e Bird, Gayland. Columbian Series of 1893. Retrieved on 2006-12-14.
- ^ Rose, Robert G. and Larry Lyons (2005). The Five Dollar Columbian Stamp of 1893. The Philatelic Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-12-14.
- ^ Stendel, Robert C. (1994). Koehler-Girsch Expo Views & Plating UX10.
- ^ Markovits, Bob (November 2001). U.S. 10¢ Special Delivery Rate 1885-1917. Retrieved on 2006-12-14.
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