Series of 1869
Designs of the U.S. Pictorial Issues of 1869
1¢-12¢: Printed in sheets of 300 - Cut into two panes of 150 stamps
15¢-90¢: Printed in sheets of 100 stamps
Click on underlined Catalog Numbers below to see more details.
1¢ Franklin of 1869
Designer: E. Pitcher Vignette: Joseph I. Pease
Frame: Wm. D. Nichols Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Varieties | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 112 | 4/1/1869 | 12,020,550 | 12 | National Plate Nos.1; 2 | buff; brown orange dark brown orange double transfer double grill; split grill |
G | 20¼ x 20¼ mm | The one cent stamp paid the local rate, as well as the rate for unsealed circulars. It was often used with other stamps to make up a higher rate. About 2500 covers are known. |
| --- | 112b | no grill - with original gum | 12 | National | buff | none | 20¼ x 20¼ mm | ||
| 1875 | 123 | 12/9/1877 | 10,132 | 12 | National | buff | none | 20¼ x 20¼ mm | Reissue Special Printing |
| 1880 | 133 | 10/05/1880 | 5000 | 12 | American | buff | none | 20¼ x 20¼ mm | Reissue Special Printing |
| 1881-82 | 133a | --- | 18,252 | 12 | American | brown orange | none | 20¼ x 20¼ mm | Reissue Special Printing |
2¢ Post Horse and Rider of 1869
Designer: James Macdonough Vignette: Christian Rost
Frame: Geo. W. Thurber Lettering: Geo. W. Thurber
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Varieties | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 113 | 3/20/1869 First Day |
72,109,050 | 12 | NationalPlate Nos. 3-6; 27; 28 | brown; pale brown dark brown; yellow brown double transfer; double grill multiple, split and end-roller grills |
G | 20¼ x 20 mm | The two cent stamp paid the local or drop letter rate with carrier service, and was often used on unsealed circulars. It also saw frequent use with other stamps to make up a higher rate. Between 5,000 and 25,000 covers are thought to exist. |
| --- | 113b | no grill - with original gum | 12 | National | buff | none | 20¼ x 20 mm | ||
| --- | 113c | bisect used as 1¢ on cover | 12 | National | buff | G | 20¼ x 20 mm | ||
| --- | 113d | printed on both sides | 12 | National | buff | G | 20¼ x 20 mm | ||
| 1875 | 124 | 3/20/1880 | 4755 | 12 | National | brown | none | 20¼ x 20 mm | Reissue Special Printing |
3¢ Locomotive of 1869
Designer: James Macdonough Vignette: Christian Rost
Frame: Geo. W. Thurber Lettering: Geo. W. Thurber
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Varieties | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 114 | 3/27/1869 | 335,534,850 | 12 | NationalPlate Nos. 7-12; 25; 26; 29; 30 |
pale to dark ultramarine; blue; violet blue cracked plate; gray paper double, triple, quadruple, sextuple, split, end roller and points up grill varieties |
G | 20¼ x 20 mm | Three cents was the domestic First-Class letter rate. This stamp was the workhorse of the Series of 1869. About 175,000 covers are known. |
| --- | 114a | no grill - with original gum | 12 | National | buff | none | 20¼ x 20 mm | ||
| --- | 114b | vert. 1/3 used as 1¢ on cover | 12 | National | buff | G | 20¼ x 20 mm | ||
| --- | 114c | vert. 2/3 used as 2¢ on cover | 12 | National | buff | G | 20¼ x 20 mm | ||
| --- | 114d | double impression | 12 | National | buff | G | 20¼ x 20 mm | ||
| --- | 114e | printed on both sides | 12 | National | buff | G | 20¼ x 20 mm | ||
| 1875 | 125 | --- | 1406 | 12 | National | blue | none | 20¼ x 20 mm | Reissue Special Printing |
6¢ Washington of 1869
Designer: E. Pitcher Vignette: Wm. E. Marshall
Frame: Wm. D. Nichols Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Varieties | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 115 | 4/26/1869 | 4,293,100 | 12 | National Plate Nos. 13; 14 |
ultramarine pale ultramarine double transfer double, quadruple, split and end-roller grills |
G | 20 x 19¾ mm | The six cent stamp paid the rate to Canada, Great Britain (after Jan. 1 1870) and other foreign destinations. It also paid the double-rate on domestic letters. About 1,350 covers are known. |
| --- | 115b | bisect (vert. half) as 3¢ on cover | National | buff | G | 20 x 19¾ mm | |||
| 1875 | 126 | n/a | 2226 | 12 | National | blue | none | 20 x 19¾ mm | Reissue Special Printing |
10¢ Shield and Eagle of 1869
Designer: Douglas S. Ronaldson Vignette: D. S. Ronaldson
Frame and Lettering: D. S. Ronaldson
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Varieties | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 116 | 4/1/1869 | about 3 million | 12 | National Plate Nos. 15; 16 |
yellow; yellow orange double grill; split grill; end roller grill |
G | 20 x 19¾ mm | The ten cent stamp paid
the rate to France, Germany and many other foreign destinations, including contract rates to China and Japan. Domestic covers are relatively scarce. About 1,500 covers are known. |
| 1875 | 127 | 11/11/1880 | 1947 | 12 | National | yellow | none | 20 x 19¾ mm | Reissue Special Printing |
12¢ Adriatic of 1869
Designer: James Macdonough Vignette: James Smillie
Frame: Geo. W. Thurber Lettering: Geo. W. Thurber
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Varieties | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 117 | 4/1/1869 | 3,012,950 | 12 | National Plate Nos. 17; 18 |
green; yellow green; blue green; double grill; split grill; end roller grill | G | 20¼ x 20 mm | Solo usage
was primarily for mail bound to England (12¢ from Jan. 1868 to Jan. 1870). Although it paid the quadruple rate on domestic letters, such usage is not common, nor is registry usage common. About 900 covers are known. |
| 1875 | 128 | 3/20/1880 | 1584 | 12 | National | green | none | 20¼ x 20 mm | Reissue Special Printing |
15¢ Landing of Columbus
(Type I and III)
Designer: E. Pitcher Vignette: James Smillie
Frame: D. S. Ronaldson Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Type | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 118 | off cover: 3/31/1869 on cover: 4/2/1869 |
110,000 to 120,000 |
12 | NationalPlate No. 19 (both plates) |
brown (dark brown) and blue/type I; without grill; double grill; split grill | G | 21¾ x 21¾ mm | Covers with the fifteen cent type I stamp are known primarily on mail to France. Only about 175 covers are known to have survived. |
| --- | 118b | --- | 12 | --- | without grill and with gum | none | 21¾ x 21¾ mm | --- | |
| 1875 | 129 | 3/20/1880 | 1981 | 12 | National | brown and blue | none | 21¾ x 21¾ mm | Type III Reissue Special Printing |
| --- | 129a | --- | 12 | National | imperforate horizontally | none | 21¾ x 21¾ mm |
15¢ Landing of Columbus
(Type II)
Designer: E. Pitcher Vignette: James Smillie
Frame: D. S. Ronaldson Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Type | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 119 | 4/5/1869 | 1,376,700 | 12 | National Plate No. 23 2 plates: 1 brown 1 blue |
brown (dark brown) and blue/type II; double transfer; double grill; split grill | G | 21¾ x 21¾ mm | The fifteen cent type II stamp was used on mail to pay various fifteen cent rates to Europe. It also paid the domestic registry fee. About 550 covers are known. |
| --- | 119b | --- | 12 | vignette inverted | G | 21¾ x 21¾ mm | |||
| --- | 119c | --- | 12 | center printed twice - one inverted | G | 21¾ x 21¾ mm | |||
| * Types I and III do not frame the vignette, Type II does. Type I has horizontal brown lines of shading behind the vignette, Type III does not. | |||||||||
24¢ Declaration of Independence of 1869
Designer: E. Pitcher Vignette: James Smillie
Frame: D. S. Ronaldson Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Varieties | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 120 | 4/7/1869 | 248,925 | 12 | National Plate No.20 (2 plates)also plate 24 for thevignette only | green (bluish green) & violet; without grill; double grill; split grill | G | 22 x 22 mm | The 24¢ stamp paid multiple weight rates and was also used as a make up stamp. Covers are very rare, with only 76 known of which only 23 are domestic uses. Of the others, 16 are to Peru and 10 to Spain. |
| --- | 120a | --- | 12 | without grill | none | 22 x 22 mm | |||
| --- | 120b | Mar. 1874 | 12 | vignette inverted | G | 22 x 22 mm | |||
| 1875 | 130 | 3/27/1880 | 2091 | 12 | National | green & violet | none | 22 x 22 mm | Reissue Special Printing |
30¢ Shield, Eagle and Flags of 1869
Designer: James Macdonough Vignette: D. S. Ronaldson or Lewis Delnoce
Frame and Lettering: D. S. Ronaldson
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Varieties | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 121 | 5/22/1869 | 304,650 | 12 | National Plate No. 21 (2 plates) |
ultramarine (dark ultramarine) and carmine; split grill; double grill | G | 22 x 22¼ mm | The 30¢ stamp paid double the treaty rate to France. Covers are very rare, with only 58 known and of those only 8 were domestic. |
| --- | 121a | --- | 12 | without grill with gum | none | 22 x 22¼ mm | |||
| --- | 121b | --- | 12 | flags inverted | G | 22 x 22¼ mm | |||
| 1875 | 131 | --- | 1535 | 12 | National | --- | none | 22 x 22¼ mm | Reissue Special Printing |
90¢ Lincoln of 1869
Designer: E. Pitcher Vignette: Joseph P. Ourdan
Frame: D. S. Ronaldson Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy
|
| Year | Number | EDU | No. Issued | Perf | Printer | Color/Varieties | Grill | Design Size | Usage/Rates |
| 1869 | 122 | 8/8/1873 (The Ice House Cover) |
47,360 | 12 | National Plate No. 22 (2 plates) |
carmine (carmine rose) and black; split grill | G | 21¾ x 22 mm | There is only one cover known with the 90¢ 1869 Pictorial, the famed "Ice House" cover. See the Siegel #973A sale. |
| --- | 122a | --- | 12 | National | without grill | none | 21¾ x 22 mm | Reissue Special Printing | |
| 1875 | 132 | --- | 1356 | 12 | National | carmine and black | none | 21¾ x 22 mm | Reissue Special Printing |
Special Printings:
The following information applies to all of the 1869 re-issues, except Number 133. The Special Printings were issued to showcase a complete set of the U.S.issues for the first World's Fair officially held in the U.S., at the Centennial International Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia and also to provide stamps for collectors and others to satisfy numerous requests. Reissued stamps were valid for postage.
Bibliography and suggested additional reading:
United States Postage Stamps of 1869, by Jon Rose (1996 Linn's)
The Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Volume 2, by Lester Brookman (1966)
The 2011 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps & Covers, Scott Publishing Co. 2010
Linn's U.S. Stamp Facts 19th Century, by Elliot A. Landau, editor (1999)
The United States 1869 Issue - An Essay-Proof History, by Fred P. Schueren (1974)
1869 Pictorial Issue Postage Stamps collected by John C. Juhring, Sotheby Parke Bernet stamp auction, June 14, 1978
The United States Issue of 1869, by Stanley B. Ashbrook (1943-1944 American Philatelist)
Design dimensions:
The Postage Stamps of the United States, John Luff (1902 and 1937)
Colors:
The Encyclopedia of the Colors of United States Postage Stamps - Volume 2 Issues of 1869-1893, by Roy H. White (1981)
The following information applies to all of the 1869 re-issues, except Number 133. The Special Printings were issued to showcase a complete set of the U.S.issues for the first World's Fair officially held in the U.S., at the Centennial International Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia and also to provide stamps for collectors and others to satisfy numerous requests. Reissued stamps were valid for postage.
Bibliography and suggested additional reading:
United States Postage Stamps of 1869, by Jon Rose (1996 Linn's)
The Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Volume 2, by Lester Brookman (1966)
The 2011 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps & Covers, Scott Publishing Co. 2010
Linn's U.S. Stamp Facts 19th Century, by Elliot A. Landau, editor (1999)
The United States 1869 Issue - An Essay-Proof History, by Fred P. Schueren (1974)
1869 Pictorial Issue Postage Stamps collected by John C. Juhring, Sotheby Parke Bernet stamp auction, June 14, 1978
The United States Issue of 1869, by Stanley B. Ashbrook (1943-1944 American Philatelist)
Design dimensions:
The Postage Stamps of the United States, John Luff (1902 and 1937)
Colors:
The Encyclopedia of the Colors of United States Postage Stamps - Volume 2 Issues of 1869-1893, by Roy H. White (1981)
Additional Resources
Year In Stamps - 1869 Collectors Club Chronicle of the USPCS Siegel Auction GalleriesBrookman PDF download
