Stamps

The Commemorative Postage Stamps of 1927

Green Mountain Boy
Flat Plate - Perf 11 - 400 Subject Plates
First Day: 8/3/27 39,974,900 issued

Burgoyne's Surrender at Saratoga
Flat Plate - Perf 11 - 200 Subject Plates
First Day: 8/3/27 25,628,450 issued

The stories of these two stamps are intricately intertwined, for one would not exist without the other. The year 1927 marked the 150th anniversary of many important events surrounding the American War of Independence and the Postmaster was deluged with requests for new issues commemorating these events. In the case of New York and Vermont, there were four key events that were worthy of commemoration: the British siege at Fort Stanwix (renamed Fort Schuyler at the time) from August 3-22, 1777; the battle of Oriskany, about 6 miles East of Fort Stanwix, on August 6, in which many Oneida Indians aided the American rebel cause; the battle in Bennington, Vermont, on August 16, in which the Green Mountain Boys defended supply storehouses, severely weakening General Burgoyne's resources; and the surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga, New York, on October 17, widely regarded as one of the key events shaping the Revolutionary War.

Postmaster New reluctantly agreed to issue a single commemorative honoring these events. The model for the vignette was the painting by Trumbull "The Surrender of Burgoyne" which hangs in the White House Rotunda. The cropping of this painting to fit the vignette resulted in major figures in the events being left out, among them General Schuyler and General Stark. Commemorating all four events, the frame is busier than it need have been, had a set of four commemoratives been issued.

Perhaps the omission of General Stark, who led the Battle of Bennington, or perhaps the fact that then President Coolidge was a Vermonter, but more likely due to the tireless efforts of John Spargo, an intimate friend of the President, Vermont's part in this story was given a boost when a separate stamp was issued to commemorate the Battle of Bennington and the Green Mountain Boys that had saved the day.

This stamp is often called the "Vermont Sesquicentennial" since that is indeed the caption on the stamp itself. However, this is quite misleading since Vermont did not become a state until 1791. In fact, a proper sesquicentennial stamp was issued for Vermont in 1941. Perhaps a more meaningful title for this stamp would be "The Green Mountain Boys at Bennington" for that is what is portrayed.

There was some controversy surrounding which cities would be honored by allowing First Day stamps to be issued. Amazingly on a stamp that is often referred to as the "Saratoga" stamp, Saratoga, New York was not chosen as a First Day city. The "Surrender of Burgoyne" stamp had First Day sales at the Philatelic Agency in Washington, D.C. and in Albany, Rome, Syracuse and Utica, New York. The "Green Mountain Boys" stamp was much simpler with First Day sales at the Philatelic Agency in Washington, D.C. and of course at Bennington, Vermont.

The Air Mail Stamps of 1927
Flat Plate - Perforated 11 - 200 Subject Plates

20¢ Map Air Mail Stamp of 1927
more than 17 million issued
First Day: January 25, 1927

The 10¢ Lindbergh Air Mail Stamp
more than 20 million issued
First Day: June 18, 1927

The 20¢ Map Air Mail stamp of 1927
The 20¢ Air Mail stamp rightly belongs with the other "Map" stamps of 1926, but is included here since it was not issued until 1927. This stamp would go on to fill a large need for the one ounce letter, uniform air mail rate, although the stamps could be legitimately used for any mail matter. First Day sales were at the Philatelic Center in Washington, D.C. and New York City.

The 10¢ Lindbergh Mail stamp of 1927
If the Harding Memorial stamp was put into production faster than any stamp that had preceded it, the Lindbergh stamp shattered that record. Lindbergh landed in Paris on May 21, 1927 and the stamp honoring this event was placed on sale June 18. Lindbergh was one of the Post Office's own, technically he was on leave from his duties as an air mail pilot.

First Day sales were made at the Philatelic Agency in Washington, D.C. and in St. Louis, Detroit and Little Falls, Minnesota.

The Special Delivery Rotary Press Stamp of 1927
Rotary Press- 200 subject sheets - Perforated 11 x 10½

10¢ Special Delivery - Rotary Printing
First Day: November 29, 1927 -quantity issued unknown

This stamp came about as the result of cost-cutting measures, since the rotary press stamps could be produced faster and with about half the work force of the flat plate method. This was the first rotary press special delivery stamp and although not regarded as a new stamp by the Post Office Department, advance notice of the issue was given. Several philatelists took advantage of this advance notice and prepared First Day Covers, covers today which bring quite a premium.

The following postage stamp varieties were first issued by the U.S. in 1927
No new varieties of U.S. Special Handling stamps were issued in 1927
No new varieties of U.S. Postage Due stamps were issued in 1927

Ordinary issue
Number 632 - 1¢ Franklin rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 6/10/1927
Number 632a - 1¢ Franklin rotary Booklet (pane) - First Day: 11/2/1927
Number 633 - 1½¢ Harding rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 5/17/1927
Number 634d - 2¢ Washington rotary booklet - First Day: 2/25/1927
Number 635 - 3¢ Lincoln rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 2/3/1927
Number 636 - 4¢ Martha Washington rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 5/17/1927
Number 637 - 5¢ Theodore Roosevelt rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 3/24/1927
Number 638 - 6¢ Garfield rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 7/27/1927
Number 639 - 7¢ McKinley rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 3/24/1927
Number 640 - 8¢ Grant rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 6/10/1927
Number 641 - 9¢ Jefferson rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 5/17/1927
Number 642 - 10¢ Monroe rotary perf 11 x 10½ - First Day: 2/3/1927

Commemoratives
Number 643 - 2¢ Green Mountain Boy Designer: C. A. Huston - Engravers: E. M. Hall (frame & lettering) - L. S. Schofield (vignette, ribbons)
Number 644 - 2¢ Surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga Designer: C. A. Huston - Engravers: F. Lamasure (frame & lettering) - J. Eissler (vignette, ribbons)

Air Mail
Number C9 - 20¢ "Map" Air Mail Designer: C. Huston - Engravers: J. Benzing (vignette, frame) - E. Hall (lettering) - F. Lamasure (numerals)
Number C10 - 10¢ Lindbergh stamp Designers: C. A. Huston & A. R. Meissner- Engravers: Hein, Benzing, Wells and Edward M. Hall

Special Delivery
Number E15 - The 10¢ Motorcycle rotary perf 11 x 10½ Designer: C. A. Huston - Engravers: Hall, Louis S. Schofield and Edward M. Weeks