US Stamps
Commemoratives of 1919-1923
New commemorative US stamps were issued to mark three significant events, during the period between 1919 and 1923.
The stamp shown above (Sc. #537) was issued on March 3, 1919 to celebrate the Victory of the Allies in World War I. The stamp was printed in panes of 100 on the Flat Plate press, and it is perforated 11.
The design shows a standing, allegorical representation of the "Goddess of Liberty Victorious", holding a sword in one hand and the scales of justice in the other. Behind her are the flags of the Allied nations, Great Britain, Belgium, United States, Italy, and France.
The stamp comes in four distinct colors, with them being violet, deep red violet, light reddish violet, and red violet. The deep red violet and red violet colors are the scarcest, and they both require authentication.
The three commemorative US stamps shown above (Sc. #548-50) were issued on December 20, 1920 to commemorate 300th Anniversary of the Landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The 1 Cent denomination stamp depicts the "Mayflower" at sea. The 2 Cent denomination stamp depicts the "Landing of the Pilgrims". The 5 Cent denomination stamp depicts the "Signing of the (Mayflower) Compact".
The Pilgrims were a separatist Christian sect that had originally fled England for the Netherlands during the 16th Century, in order to avoid persecution by the Church of England. In the fear that they would lose their cultural identity in the Netherlands, the group made arrangements with English investors to establish a new colony in North America.
The Plymouth Colony, established in 1620, became the second successful English settlement in the New World, after that of Jamestown. The Mayflower Compact, signed in November 1620, during the voyage, became the charter for the Plymouth Colony, and it was the first document in the New World to guarantee religious freedom.
The Pilgrims' struggle for religious freedom became a central theme for the history and culture of the United States of America and one of the principal points of focus for the United States Constitution.
The three US stamps shown above (Sc. #610-12) were issued in September and November of 1923, and they are called the Harding Memorial Issue.
President Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) became ill and died, while visiting San Francisco, on August 2, 1923. There was great public grief after the death of President Harding, and as a result, the stamps shown above were quickly issued in his memory.
The first two stamps shown in the scan above were printed on the Flat Plate Press, with the first being perforated 11 (September 1, 1923) and the second being imperforate (November 15, 1923).
I read an article once, stating that the imperforate panes were issued, so people could buy large blocks of them for framing, as mementos of President Harding.
The third stamp shown above was printed on the Rotary Press, being perforated 10 (November 15, 1923).
A few of the Rotary Press stamps were also perforated 11 .... These perforated 11 Rotary Press stamps (Sc. #613) are very rare, with all the known examples being in used condition. Authenticated examples of them are rarely offered for sale, and the prices are out-of-reach for most collectors.
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