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STATISTICS
Issued: The 1¢ was officially issued on January, 1st 1893, a Sunday, and at Post Offices the following day. There are a couple of examples postmarked in New York, N.Y., on January 1st, 1893.
Plate Size: Sheets of 200 subjects (2 panes of 100).
Printer: The American Bank Note Company.
Watermark: None.
Quantity Issued: 449,195,550.
Color: Deep blue, pale blue or blue. The railroad mail clerks complained that this new larger 1¢ stamp looked like the blue Special Delivery stamp, the latter’s color was changed to orange a few months after the Columbian’s introduction, so that it would not be confused with the UPU designated blue color for the 1¢ postal issue.
Common use: The stamp was primarily used to pay the one-cent-per-half-ounce third-class printed matter rate.
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE DESIGN
According to legend, disbelievers among the crew were finally convinced that Columbus was divinely inspired and fell to their knees in front of him. This legend was the inspiration of a painting created by George William Henry Powell (1823-1879). In the center of Powell’s painting stands a staunch, controlled Columbus among his elated and reverent men. It is believed that engravers crafted the 1¢ Columbus in Sight of Land stamp from Powell’s work. Of the 16 commemorative stamps issued in 1892 for the Chicago Exposition, this stamp departs the farthest from the original painting.
It is worth noting that Columbus is clean shaven whilst sighting land on this stamp, whilst the two cent value depicts Columbus during the landing sporting a full beard. This was the subject of much derision at the time of issue.
VARIETIES
The stamps color ranges from blue to pale blue with little variation. Other than the occasional double entry there is one major flaw to look for, that being the cracked plate.
ESSAYS AND PROOFS
- Brookman, Lester G., U.S. Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Lindquist 1966
.comThe Swedish Tiger’s US Stamp Site An illustrated Guide
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