Distinguished Americans series

Summary

The Distinguished Americans series is a set of definitive stamps issued by the United States Postal Service which was started in 2000 with a 10¢ stamp depicting Joseph Stilwell.[1] The designs of the first nine issues are reminiscent of the earlier Great Americans series, but less austere. The first nine issues were done with black lines on a white background, but in 2008, with the James A. Michener issue (#10), the USPS added color toning. Like the Great Americans series, the first twelve issues measured 0.84 inches by 0.99 inches overall,[2] and were all designed by Mark Summers of Waterdown, Ontario.[3][4] In 2011, with the Oveta Culp Hobby stamp, the series went to a larger format with full color images and colored backgrounds.[2][5]

The 2004 Rudolph stamp is the only one in the series to have been issued in both a sheet (pane) and booklet format.[6] Both the 2001 Caraway issue and the 2002–2003 Ferber issues have perforation differences.[7]

The stamps issued in this series include the following (rank, date of issue, denomination, depicted person):[2][3]

  1. 2000, August 24. 10¢. General Joseph W. Stilwell.[1]
  2. 2000, September 7. 33¢. Senator Claude Pepper.
  3. 2001, February 21. 76¢. Senator Hattie W. Caraway.
  4. 2002, July 29. 83¢. Author Edna Ferber. Reissued in 2003 with 11¼ x 11¼ perforations.
  5. 2004, July 14. 23¢. Athlete Wilma Rudolph[8]
  6. 2006, March 9. 63¢. Medical scientist Jonas Salk.
  7. 2006, March 9. 87¢. Virologist Albert Sabin.
  8. 2007, June 13. 58¢. Senator Margaret Chase Smith.[9]
  9. 2007, June 13. 75¢. Author Harriet Beecher Stowe.[10]
  10. 2008, May 12. 59¢. Author James A. Michener.[4]
  11. 2008, May 12. 76¢. Physician Edward Trudeau.[4]
  12. 2009, May 15. 78¢. Philanthropist Mary Lasker.[11]
  13. 2011, April 15. 84¢, first-class mail, three-ounce rate stamp. Stateswoman Oveta Culp Hobby.[5]
  14. 2012, April 26. Forever.[12] Actor José Ferrer.[13]
  15. 2014, March 13. 70¢, first-class mail, two-ounce rate stamp. Aviator C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson.[14]
  16. 2017, April 11. 70¢, first-class mail, two-ounce rate stamp. Teacher, pioneer of deaf studies Robert Panara.[2][15]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Wozniak, Maurice D., ed. (2001). Krause-Minkus Standard Catalog of U.S. Stamps. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-87349-321-5.
  2. ^ a b c d Baadke, Michael (17 March 2017). "Meet Robert Panara, the latest subject of a Distinguished Americans stamp". Linn's Stamp News. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017.
  3. ^ a b Batdorf, Lynn (2 February 2009). "Distinguished Americans Issue (2000-2012)". Arago (Smithsonian National Postal Museum). Archived from the original on 15 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "Two American Legends Appearing on Stamps: The Postal Service Honors James Michener and Dr. Edward Trudeau" (PDF). United States Postal Service. 15 May 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b "2011 USPS New Issues Calendar". Stamp News Now. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012.
  6. ^ See Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue volume 1, United States #3422 and #3436.
  7. ^ See Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue volume 1, United States #'s 3431, 3432, 3433, 3434.
  8. ^ "Stamp Announcement 04-22 Wilma Rudolph Definitive Stamp". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017.
  9. ^ "Stamp Announcement 07-18: Margaret Chase Smith". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Stamp Announcement 07-19: Harriet Beecher Stowe". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017.
  11. ^ "Stamp Announcement 09-26: Mary Lasker". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017.
  12. ^ Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current first-class mail one-ounce rate. "Forever Stamps – Explanation, History, and Current Value". Stamp Collecting Spot. 16 June 2016. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016.
  13. ^ "2012 New U.S. Stamp Issues". American Philatelic Society. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Stamp Announcement 14-14: C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson Stamp". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014.
  15. ^ "2017 New U.S. Stamp Issues". American Philatelic Society.
Preceded by US Definitive postage stamps
since 2000
Succeeded by
not specified yet