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STATISTICS
Issued: The $5 Columbian was officially was issued on January, 1st 1893, a Sunday, and at Post Offices the following day. The earliest known use of the $5 Columbian is the 6th January, 1892.
Plate Size: Sheets of 100 subjects (2 panes of 50). There are no plates or sheets left in existence.
Printer: The American Bank Note Company.
Watermark: None.
Quantity Issued: 27,350 (of which 21,844 were sold). The demand for the $5 Columbian depressed the demand for the $5 small bureau, making the latter the rarer of the two.
Color: Black or grayish black.
Common use: The $5 Columbian is often seen on its own on covers, mostly for philatelic use, it is rarely seen in combination with other values. It is often seen with the registered fee cancel.
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE DESIGN
The source for the design was the 1892-1893 Columbian Exposition Half Dollar designed by Olin L. Warner who based his design off a medal that had been struck in Madrid.
VARIETIES
There are no varieties of the $5 Columbian issue.
ESSAYS AND PROOFS
Despite the popularity of the Columbian series there are very few essays and proofs on the market. The proofs of the $5 are probably the most commonly available.
- 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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