Pictorials
Before 1869, the U.S. Post Office issued stamps that depicted mostly Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, and a few with Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln. These stamps, though, are different. They include scenes of Christopher Columbus coming to the Americas, a train, a ship, and a letter carrier.
The first stamp on the second row shows a rider and a horse carrying mail. The Pony Express was a private express mail service that carried mail from Missouri to California, which took ten days. Despite a popular conception, this service was not part of the post office and lasted only eighteen months. It ended when telegraph lines were installed linking the East with the West.
The second stamp on the same row shows a Baldwin 4-4-0 Locomotive. Such locomotive engines were instrumental in the expansion of the United States into the western territories. When I was a boy, I rode on a train with one of those Baldin engines. They have one in use in Disney World, Florida circling the Magic Kingdom and the surrounding grounds.
These two stamps were the beginning of postage stamps which would present to the public images of events and people of the United States besides its presidents and founding leaders. It was the beginning of a new time in the country.
Note
I like these stamps, but they are not cheap. They cost a good bit. Somehow I happen to own these two used ones. I’m not sure when or where I got them – or how much I paid. Maybe one day I can devote all of the funds I have available for stamp acquisitions on buying these stamps. For now, this page will remain fairly empty.
Contains 11 spots: own 6 – 1 unused, 5 used.
Album or Web Page Last changed Mar 16, 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 |
Natl. Bank Note Co. - Pictorial
✓ |
112 |
1c (apr 1869) |
|||
✗ |
113 |
2c (mar 1869) |
|||
✗ |
114 |
3c (mar 1869) |
|||
✗ |
115 |
6c (apr 1869) |
|||
116 |
10c (apr 1869) |
||||
✗ |
117 |
12c (apr 1869) |
|||
118 |
Columbus Landing |
15c (apr 1869) |
|||
✗ |
119 |
Columbus Landing |
15c (may 1869) |
||
120 |
Declaration of Ind. |
24c (apr 1869) |
|||
121 |
30c (may 1869) |
||||
122 |
90c (may 1869) |
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.
