BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
17 Jan 2020
07:49:31pm

The Famous Americans series of 1940 was extensive and actually continued into the 1940s as individual stamps were issued. Commemorative stamp issues were reduced in volume during World War II so there is no telling how this series would have fared in peacetime.

Anyway, with Johnny's post of the two cent stamp of the Scientists set of this series, I was eyeballing the ten cent Jane Addams first day cover that I recently received and was sitting next to my computer. When I receive new items they generally are left out and next to the computer for maybe a week so I can admire them prior to putting them into my albums. This FDC completed my collection for the Scientists, yea! Hurrah!

With those two above occurrences, and not wishing to crash on Johnny's thread, here's a thread just on the Scientists stamps and how my collection on my two pocket pages is situated. You can like, love or hate how I build my albums. They are pleasing to me!



With the cover page for each category of the Famous Americans series, I thought it would be nice to see the entire set together. So this is the entry page for each of the categories. In the top pocket I've displayed the entire set. I still haven't figured what will go in the bottom pocket, but something will show up!



Then we go to the pages for the individual stamps. For each, I have at least a plate block and a first day cover. I tried to vary the covers by different manufacturers to make the collection interesting. This is an Anderson cachet on the one cent John Audobon stamp. With a three cent rate for first class mail, three of these one cent stamps would be needed. The person servicing our cover went for a pleasing block of four including selvage. It's a keeper!



The two cent stamp is Dr Crawford Long. Again, I have a plate block and first day cover. I'm not certain who the manufacturer of the FDC was. A pair of stamps was needed to make the 3 cent first class rate.




The three cent value is Dr Luther Burbank. Once again, I have a plate block and first day cover. I'm not certain who the manufacturer of the FDC was. I found it very interesting that the cachet was printed on airmail stationary! Where a single three cent stamp would have made the first class rate, two stamps were needed for airmail. Thus, I grabbed this cover!



The five cent value, which was issued for international letter rate, was Dr Walter Reed. On this issue not only did I have a plate block, but I'm a sucker for corner blocks. I guess this one was found in a lot I purchased, so my album style allows me to include it in the collection. Again, I don't know the first day cover maker, but check out the fancy pen work on the address. That was part of the charm that made me buy this cover!



And the reason why I actually did this post, was that I acquired the Dr Jane Addams first day cover this past week! I thought it was interesting with a block of four and that it went through the mails via Special Delivery. There is a receiving back stamp on it too! I was pleased to acquire this cover because it again represented a different cachet maker with an interesting and pleasing presentation on cover. I believe this is a Fleugel Cachet.

So this is how my album looks. 1940 is it's own album in a purple binder. I like to be able to just sit and thumb through and admire my US stamps this way. For the record, my 1940 is complete except for a few entries... I am missing a 10 cent Samuel Clemens (authors) mint stamp, I have a 3 cent James Russel Lowell (poets) used stamp, but not a mint single and the only fdc I don't have is the 1 cent Eli Whitney (inventors) issue!

I for one, am not upset that US stamp values are in the toilet. It has allowed me to amass this near complete collection of stamps I lusted after as a youth! I can only imagine what twelve year old me would say!

 
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Harvey

re: Famous Americans - Scientists

For those of you who are really into this particular stamp series I have a small green book called "Famous Americans" by the Globus Stamp Company in 1940. I'm sorry I can't include a photo - I'm still procrastinating setting up my new camera. It's a small pamphlet that enables you to mount the stamps and has a bit of a history of each person. I have seen it on E-Bay occasionally and it is usually less than $20. It is small enough that I mounted it on a facing page of my US Liberty album and now have two copies of each stamp. Again I apologize for no photo, but I'm sure one of you US collectors out there has one and can supply a picture.

 
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