1847–1899 US Stamp Sets & Series

1869 Pictorial Issues

The 1869 Pictorials were historic. They were the first U.S. stamps to feature something other than the bust or head of a famous American leader. They were also the first bi-color stamps. As precursors of today’s commemorative stamps, the Pictorials were revolutionary for their time. Never before had stamps featured paintings, horses and locomotives. Never … Read more

About the 1893 Columbian Series

The Columbian stamps were produced to promote the World’s Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World’s Fair), which was held in Chicago, Illinois, from May 1 to October 30, 1893. The exposition was a world’s fair celebrating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World. The Columbians were the first US stamps … Read more