White Plains
The Battle of White Plains in New York and New Jersey was fought in late October, 1776 – as part of the U.S. revolutionary war. George Washington, then Commanding General of the Continental Army, was in New York, primarily in Brooklyn and Manhattan – then known as York Island – with his army, along with some state militia. On the British side was General Howe leading his troops, along with auxiliary troops from Germany – the Hessians.
The British and Hessians managed to land by water on the island of Manhattan in the south and from the west side, in an attempt to close in on Washington’s troops. Before they could do so, the Continental Army retreated north to New Rochelle and then to White Plains.
In the White Plains area, they dug in on higher ground in preparation for Howe’s advance. There they engaged in battle and managed to keep the British and Hessians from advancing as Washington’s troops made their escape across the river to safety. Eventually, Howe gave up and had his forces return to Manhattan to establish control of the island. Two months later, Washington crossed the Delaware River and attacked the Hessians and was victorious in Trenton, New Jersey.
The Battle of White Plains wasn’t a victory for Washington. It was a battle in which he was able to thwart Howe’s attempt to defeat him. Washington and his troops saved themselves from losing the war. This stamp was issued to remember those who suffered and died in that battle, which was critical to the survival of the Continental Army and thereby the start of the United States.
Note
When I was previously very active in collecting stamps, I wanted to buy this sheet of stamps. It cost about $250 at that time, in the early 1980s. That was plenty of money for me since I was making less than $20,000 a year. Over the following several years, I saw the price rise to about $350 and wished I had bought it when it was cheaper. Now that I have a much higher income, I bought this sheet of stamps at an auction in the New York a few months ago for $250 – the same price from as forty-five years ago.
It’s not that I got it at a bargain price. Instead, it’s that stamp values have declined. Previously, the value of stamps increased fairly regularly owing to stamps being lost due to fire, flooding, and other factors – coupled an increase in demand for stamps. However, while the first set of factors continue, the number of stamp collectors has declined over the decades. The supply has diminished slightly, but the demand has greatly decreased by comparison. The result is that prices are down – which is find by me since I don’t see them as an investment, but rather a hobby.
Contains 1 spots: own 1 – 1 unused, 0 used.
Page is finished.
Album or Web Page Last changed Mar 13, 2025
Stamp Details
The table below lists information about the stamps shown on this page of Lighthouse’s stamp album. For more details about a particular stamp, click on its description. That will take you to the related web page of Colnect.
spot |
own |
catalog |
subject |
description |
comment |
Souvenir Sheet
✓ |
630 |
Battle of White Plains |
50¢ (oct 1926) |
Bought at Auction; Mequon, Wisconsin |
Footnotes
Spot refers to the postion of the stamp on the album page (e.g., 3.2 indicates row 3, position 2).
Amt. is an abbreviation for the face amount of the stamp.
Own indicates the stamp status: ✓ for unused; ✗ for used or canceled; ⭑ signifies I ordered one; ; ✨ indicates it was bought recently; ✠ means an auction bid is pending; and ◎ is used, and it costs too much for unused.
To search by catalog number, go to the search box and enter it in the catalog number box. However, it’s a bit broken; I need to fix it.
