1893 Columbian Exposition stamps
It took me 50 years to complete this page in my stamp collection.
Ok, those of you who collect US stamps will know what it is, but the rest of you won't. If you want to know how COOOL this page is, follow along as I tell you about stamp collecting.
Many people know that diamonds are judged by 'color, cut and clarity'. Stamps can be judged by three 'c's also: circulation, condition and centering. (I just made that alliteration up, but it is actually pretty accurate.)
CIRCULATION: The number of stamps that were printed will directly affect the value of the stamp. Many stamps are printed in the billions. Some have been printed in mere hundreds, and some even less than that. It is important to know, though, that collector demand goes hand-in-hand to affect values, too. Even non-collectors know about the 'Inverted Jenny', of which 'only' a hundred were purchased in a single sheet. An exceptionally nice single sells for about a million dollars.
Here is a copy of the famous air mail stamp that does NOT have the upside down plane. (By the way, since the plane was actually printed on the sheet before the frame was printed, technically the frame is inverted.)
(NOTE: all stamps shown here are from my collection.)
There are some stamps that were issued in the 19th century where only a handful of copies exist, but sell for tens of thousands of dollars. The reason? Demand. Every collector wishes to own an Inverted Jenny. Not every collector wants a Scott #81, of which only 8 copies exist. These stamps sell for 'only' $200,000 each. [Scott numbers are a published list of stamps allowing collectors to identify and value every variety of US stamp. This proprietary numbering system, created by Scott Publishing Co., is commonly used for US stamps, but collectors in other countries use numbering systems for their countries by other publishers, such as Michel.] Thus, the number printed and sold combine with collector demand to help determine value.
CONDITION: Unused (aka 'Mint') stamps will be worth more than stamps used to mail a letter or package (but not always!). In general, more used copies than mint copies exist (for older stamps) and most collectors prefer mint stamps. However, in some very rare cases, a used stamp can command MUCH more than a mint stamp. See, for example, Scott #39. This was the first 90c US stamp, and it was issued shortly before the Civil War started (some time around September 1860). Very few of these stamps were actually used. After the War started, the Union demonetized (that is, rendered worthless), all stamps then in circulation. This forced the Confederate states to issue their own stamps. After the war was over, a number of these 90c stamps were found in southern post offices and sold to collectors. Here is a scan of an unused (no gum) copy that I own:
An unused copy (*with* original gum) sells for about $3500 (no gum copies sells for much less). However, a genuine USED copy sells for $10,000! If you happen to have one actually on a cover, that would be worth $225,000! (By the way, if you have grandma’s or grandpa’s collection of old envelopes with stamps from the 1800’s, DON’T remove the stamps! The stamps may be worth far more on cover than off the cover.)
Fun fact! You can use any US stamp issued after 1861 on mail today! I’ve used damaged (and thus worthless collector-wise) stamps from the 1890’s on mail, and often use stamps from the 1930’s and 1940’s on mail. The reason most stamps from about 1932 and after are worth only face value (or less) is an interesting story that I may tell in a different diary. (Of note, stamp dealers used to routinely pay about 70-75% of face value for stamps, then sell them at about 80% or more as ‘discount postage’. Nowdays, the buy price actually hovers around 50% of face. The demand for discount postage is much lower than it used to be. If you use a lot of postage yourself, check out e-bay with the key words of ‘discount postage’. Odds are you can save as much as 50% in your postage costs. If you don’t like e-bay, there are many stamp dealers you can find on Google using the same key words.
A stamp removed from an envelope can be damaged by its removal. The simple act of putting a stamp into a stamp album can damage a stamp as well. Back in the 19th century, stamp dealers used to pin stamps to walls to show the stamps they were selling. Collectors used to routinely 'mount' a stamp into an album using something called a 'hinge', which is just a small bit of paper with gum that is folded, with one part stuck to the stamp and one part stuck to an album page. If a hinge is used with a mint stamp, removing the hinge will also remove some of the stamp's gum, and the stamp becomes known as 'hinged' (as opposed to 'never hinged'). (BTW, there are many degrees of being 'hinged', such as 'lightly hinged' where only a bare trace of the hinge mark can be seen, to 'heavily hinged', where one or more hinges were on the stamp and often still remain.) Never hinged mint stamps always sell for a premium over hinged stamps. An unused stamp from the 1800's might sell for a $100 hinged, but $500 never hinged. Stamps issued after about 1930 are so undesirable as ‘previously hinged' that they are typically worth, at best, just their face value.
In addition to the difference between hinged and never hinged, stamps can be damaged in other ways. Over time, stamps can develop a 'thin' (where part of the paper has been 'thinned' due to removal from an envelope or a hinge), or can be torn or creased. Any and all damage to a stamp will greatly reduce its value. A particular stamp that is completely 'sound' (no damage) might sell for $100, but a very tiny tear or crease might reduce its value to just $10 or less. If a corner is torn off, it becomes worthless.
A related issue concerns 'altered' stamps. These are stamps that have been fraudulently manipulated to make them appear either undamaged, or to be a different stamp altogether. For example, a stamp with a small tear may have a small amount of paper carefully applied over the tear to make the stamp appear sound. Without going into detail (perhaps a different diary!), very inexpensive stamps can be changed to appear to be very valuable varieties. It is very easy for such alterations to fool a novice collector. Expensive stamps should always be submitted to an expertizing service to confirm that the stamp is genuine. These services are not cheap, but it is far cheaper than buying a fake/altered stamp for hundreds or thousands of dollars and then finding out that it is a fake. (Collectors of other memorabilia, such as sports cards, comic books or coins, for example, are familiar with such services.)
One other alteration should be mentioned. Remember the difference between 'hinged' and 'never hinged' stamps? Some clever (and evil) people have learned how to apply gum to unused stamps that have no gum in order to make them appear 'never hinged'. That's right: a person can take a stamp that has been hinged (or has had the gum removed), and apply *new* gum so that the stamp appears to be never hinged. An expertizing service can detect this 'regumming', but many novice and even experienced collectors are unable to do this. (Many novice collectors are unaware that this can even be done, and buy valuable 'never hinged' stamps that have been regummed.) I once went to a stamp show and asked a dealer to show me his expertized stamps. He laughed and said he ‘didn't believe in certs (certificates of authenticity)’. I skipped his booth.
CENTERING: Most modern stamps have the stamp design perfectly centered within the border of the stamp. Such perfect centering was uncommon or even rare prior to about 1930. Collectors prefer nicely centered stamps, of course. Nicely centered stamps command a strong premium. In fact, a stamp that is 'perfectly' centered can command a price *thousands* of times higher than a poorly centered stamp. Take, for example, a fairly common half cent stamp from 1938. You can buy a nice copy of this for a dollar or two. However, if the stamp has been expertized to be genuine AND be 'perfectly centered' (with a perfect 'grade' of 100 on a scale of 0 to 100), it is valued at over $600. If this stamp is graded as a 'near-perfect' 98, it is valued at just $120. That extra tiny fraction of perfection is worth almost $500! Most mortals are incapable of actually seeing this tiny difference, but professional graders can, and grade accordingly. The common terms for centering are: If the design is cut by the perforations, it is called ‘Average’ (AVE), or sometimes ‘Good’. If the design is centered close to the edge, but not cut by perforations, it is ‘Fine' (F). If even better centered, it is called ‘Very Fine’ (VF). Exceptional centering is ‘Extra Fine’ (XF) or ‘Superb’ or ‘Gem’. These can be combined to indicate if the design has different centering top to bottom vs left to right. Thus a stamp could be ‘F/VF’. Centering can be very subjective, but expertizing services can provide an exact 'grade’ thereby eliminating guesswork.
Here are some examples of centering:
The first stamp from the 1860’s is clearly Ave. Parts of the design are cut by the perforations.
The second stamp would be called ‘Fine’, since it is centered off to the side in both directions:
Finally comes a stamp that has not been graded, but is clearly XF or Superb! (This is a #480 for you collectors.) If this were to be graded, it would probably be 95 or 98. I think it is centered very slightly low. Can you see what I see?
Again, the better the centering, the more valuable it is.
The COLUMBIANS:
The Columbian set is the first set of 'Commemoratives' (stamps that commemorate an event, place or person) that were issued by the Post Office. They were printed by the American Banknote Company, and were the last stamps printed in the 19th century century by a private company. The Columbians were issued in conjunction with the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Additionally, great care was spent in the design and engraving of each stamp. Consequently, almost without exception, each stamp is quite beautiful. The combination of being the first commemoratives, along with their beauty (and in many cases, their rarity) makes this set highly prized among collectors.
The question most people might first have is: how valuable are they? Without giving exact figures (which can range widely for every stamp), the value of a previously hinged stamp is approximately 1000 times face value for the 1c to $1 stamps, and 600 times face value for the $2 through $5 stamps. If you want a NH copy, then expect to pay 3x the value of a previously hinged copy. Of course, the standard rules of centering and faults apply. Used copies are relatively inexpensive for all denominations until you get to the $1 and higher. A used 50c Colombian sells for about $200 and a used $5 sells for about $1500.
Why the huge difference in values between used and unused? When the Columbians were first issued, there were actually many stamp collectors. The sheer number of different denominations didn’t sit well with them. Before the Columbians, the highest denomination was only 90 cents. The Columbians had $1, $2, $3, $4 and $5! Buying a complete set was expensive ($16.34, about $400 in today’s money), and many collectors just decided not to get them all. Many collectors today would balk at paying $16 for a set of newly issued stamps, let alone $400.
The high values were actually printed with collectors in mind. In 1892, an assistant postmaster general wrote "[printing the Columbians] was not only calculated to prove a popular one, but to be the means, through the sale of stamps to the collectors, and by specially stimulating the use of the stamps to the public, of adding largely to the revenue of the Department.” This practice of extracting money from collectors continues to this day despite the fact that very very few modern stamps will ever be worth more than a fraction of face value on the open market.
Many stamp dealers and speculators at the time found themselves with lots of high denomination stamps that no one wanted to buy. Even after the turn of the century, stamp dealers were still using high values on mail, since they couldn't sell them! Consequently, relatively few unused copies survive, and genuine NH copies are far rarer still. I say 'genuine' since many (many!) unused Columbians have been regummed to appear NH. An expertization certificate is an absolute must for any NH copy of most any denomination.
Ok, so now that we have a rough idea of what the Columbians are all about, how about if we look at a detailed scan of each one along with some historical information.
1c
440,195,550 issued
"Columbus in Sight of Land"
After the Painting by William H. Powell
Color: Antwerp Blue
The painting reproduction is in the center, along with an Indian woman with her child on the left, and an Indian chief on the right.
Typical use: printed matter, third class rate of 1c per half ounce.
2c
1,464,588,750 issued
"Landing of Columbus"
Engraving based on a painting by Vanderlyn, in the Washington Capitol Rotunda.
Color: Purple Maroon
Typical use: Domestic first class postage
Due to the incredible quantity printed, even nice copies are not terribly expensive.
Back when I was first collecting around 1967, I had a used copy of this. I found it in a box of old stamps my father (who collected some when he was younger) gave me. It was all folded and creased, but it was from the 1800's!! That made it really fascinating. When I put this stamp into my album for the first time, 50 years ago, and saw all of the other stamps on the page, I wondered if I would ever have them all. Well, now I do, 50 years later!
There is a variety of this stamp where a sailor's hat is 'broken', and is called the 'broken hat variety' and is worth a modest premium. The 'break' is due to a flaw on the transfer roll (that creates the printing plates). Thus, there would only be one stamp (and possible a few others) on a sheet with this variety. I have had used copies of this, but don't have an inclination to obtain a mint copy. Some collectors actively seek out this variety.
3c
11,591,250 issued
"Flag Ship of Columbus"
Reproduction of a Spanish engraving. Interestingly, Newfoundland uses the same painting for a stamp where the ship is called “The Mathew”.
Color: medium shade of green
Typical use: make-up rate to be used with other stamps
I've always liked this value. The color is pretty and the design is nice too.
This is the stamp that rudely taught me about regumming. I originally bought a 'mint' copy at a stamp show about 20 years ago. I didn't pay much for it, but it was my first 'mint' Columbian. Then, years later when I first learned about regumming and how to spot it, I looked at my copy... and sure enough, there were clear signs that it was regummed! So, I got rid of my copy and bought a good one with a cert. (By the way, if you look at the black background that the stamp is resting on (in the scan), you will see small white dots. I make my own album pages, and I change the black border to a 'mottled’ border if the stamp has a cert.)
4c
19,181,550 issued
"Fleet of Columbus"
From a Spanish Engraving
Color: ultramarine blue
Typical use: pay double-weight domestic rate
This is a very pretty stamp with a nice shade of ultramarine blue. A few sheets (probably 200 total stamps) were printed with the wrong shade of blue. (The blue is similar to, but “bluer” than, the 1c blue.) It is an 'error of color' and very rare. Expect to pay about $20K for it. I don't collect errors and don't expect to ever have a copy of it, but I wouldn't turn it down if someone gave me one!
5c
35,248,250 issued
"Columbus Soliciting Aid from Queen Isabella"
After a painting by Brozik
Color: chocolate brown
Typical use: pay the 5c per ½ ounce Universal Postal Union letter rate
This design is interesting for this reason: It is the first US stamp depicting a female! (Prominently and identifiably, that is: otherwise, see the Indian woman on the 1c.) And she is not even an American! Isabella is depicted on several denominations in this series. We wouldn't get an American woman on a stamp until Martha Washington was given her own stamp in 1901. Incidentally, the next female to be depicted on a US stamp after Martha was Pocahontas in 1907. Then there wouldn’t be a different historical female on a US stamp (not counting ‘Whistler’s Mother’ in 1934) until Susan B. Anthony was depicted in 1936. It wouldn’t be until the 1980’s where women began to appear on US stamps with any regularity.
By the way, I recently read that around 1490, after Queen Isabella was instrumental in forcing the Muslim Moors out of Spain, the rules of chess were changed so that the Queen became all powerful and could move in any direction.
6c
4,707,550 issued
"Columbus welcomed at Barcelona"
A scene from one of the panels on the bronze doors by Randolph Rogers in the Capitol in Washington. On each side is a niche, with the left being King Ferdinand, and the right being Balboa.
Color: royal purple
Typical use: pay the triple domestic-letter rate of 2c per ounce; with 4c postage to make the letter rate and registry fee; double Universal Postal Union letter rate
8c
10,656,550 issued
“Columbus Restored to Favor”
After a painting by Jover.
Color: Magenta Red
Typical use: prepayment of registry fee
This stamp was the only one not originally printed with the others. While the others were all printed at the same time in January of 1893, a rate change required this addition, and this was printed in March 1893. This was also the first 8c stamp ever issued, printed prior to the 8c regular issue (depicting Sherman) associated with the regular issue series of 1890.
10c
16,516,950 issued
“Columbus Presenting Natives”
After a painting by Luigi Gregori at the University of Notre Dame.
Color: Vandyke Brown.
Typical use: registry fee plus single letter rate; double 5c Universal Postal Union letter rate; ½ ounce non-UPU letter rate.
This is pretty much the last of the values where a cert is not absolutely necessary (but novice collectors beware!)
15c
1,576,950 issued
“Columbus Announcing his Discovery”
After a painting by Baloca, now in Madrid.
Color: dark green
Typical use: triple UPU letter rate; make up higher rates
30c
617,250
“Columbus at La Rapida”
After a painting by R. Maso
Color: sienna brown
Typical use: heavy overseas letters; on parcel post mail (15c per pound)
For some reason, this 30c stamp has a value roughly that of the 15c. I don't know why the 30c is worth about the same as the 15c even though about half as many were printed. My copy is poorly centered, and I hope to get a better one some day.
Look! A dog! Horses, cows, buffalo, oxen, fish and birds (including a chicken) will appear on US stamps before another dog appeared on a stamp in 1966.
50c
243,750 issued
“Recall of Columbus”
After a painting by A.G. Heaton, now in the Capitol in Washington.
Color: slate blue
Typical use:heavy overseas letters; on parcel post mail (16c per pound, max 4 pounds)
$1
55,050 issued (Note the dramatic drop in quantity issued for all dollar values!)
“Isabella Pledging her Jewels.”
After a painting by Munoz Degrain, now in Madrid.
Color: rose salmon
Typical use: philatelic use; high multiple foreign mail rates
Percentage of mint stamps that are NH: 5.4 (That is, for every 100 mint stamps, only 5 have never been hinged.)
Until this series, the highest denomination on a stamp was 90 cents. This is the stamp that broke the $1 barrier, then this series went on to break it four more times. Also, at this point, premiums for great centering and never hinged gum start to rise to astronomical prices.
$2
45,550 issued
“Columbus in Chains”
After a painting by Luetze, now in Providence, RI.
Color: toned mineral red
Typical use: philatelic covers
Percentage of mint stamps that are NH: 5.4
$3
27,650 issued, but 2,937 unsold stamps were destroyed in 1899.
“Columbus Describing his Third Voyage”
After a painting by Jover.
Color: yellow green
Typical use: philatelic covers
Percentage of mint stamps that are NH: 3.2
I don't believe that another $3 (or $4) stamp was ever issued by the Post Office.
$4
26,350 issued, but 3,357 unsold stamps were destroyed in 1899.
“Isabella and Columbus.”
Portrait of Isabella after a well-known painting in Madrid, portrait of Columbus after a painting by Lotto.
Color: carmine
Typical use: philatelic covers
Percentage of mint stamps that are NH: 2.3
This variety can often be faded, but my copy is very vibrant.
$5
27,350 issued but 5,506 unsold stamps were destroyed in 1899.
“Columbus”
After a cast provided by the Treasury Department for the souvenir 50 cent piece.
Color: black
Typical use: philatelic covers
Percentage of mint stamps that are NH: 0.5!!! (That is, virtually none are NH, which is why a NH copy sells for over $10K!)
There, I did it! My last purchase! And it is a beaut! VF and LH with a cert.
Thanks for making it through my stamp collecting diary. I really appreciate it!
Sources:
Brookman, Lester, “The 19th century postage stamps of the US”, 1947.
Post Office Department, “A Description of United States Postage Stamps 1847-1939”, 1939.
Linn’s, “US Stamp Facts 19th Century”, 1999
Datz, Stephen R., “The Buyers Guide: An Analysis of Selected US Postage Stamps”, 2000
