1918 Curtiss Jenny airmail stamps facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curtiss Jenny Airmail Stamps |
|
|---|---|
| Type | Airmail stamp |
| Country of issue | United States |
| Country of production | United States |
| Designer | Clair Aubrey Huston |
| Engraver | Edward Weeks (frame), Marcus W. Baldwin (vignette) |
| Printer | Bureau of Engraving and Printing |
| Dimensions | 2.54 cm X 2.54 cm |
| Perforation | 11 |
| Commemorates | U.S. Army's Curtiss airplane |
| Depicts | U.S. Army's Curtiss airplane |
| Notability | first U.S. airmail stamp, world's first definitive airmail stamp, first bicolored airmail stamp, first airmail stamp printed with an error, first airmail stamp produced for a regular service |
| Face value | 6¢, 16¢, 24¢ |
The 1918 Curtiss Jenny Air Mail Stamps are a special set of three Airmail postage stamps. The United States released them in 1918. These stamps were used for sending mail by airplane.
The 24-cent stamp was the first one released. It was actually America's very first airmail stamp! Italy had issued the world's first airmail stamp in 1917. Later in 1918, the 16-cent and 6-cent stamps came out. Their values changed because the cost of sending airmail went down. Each stamp shows a picture of the Curtiss JN-4 airplane. This plane was often called the "Jenny."
The stamps have special numbers called Scott Catalog numbers. These numbers (C1, C2, C3) are in a different order than when the stamps were actually released.
Contents
Meet the Curtiss Jenny Stamps
These stamps are famous for being among the first airmail stamps. They helped people send letters much faster. Each stamp had a different value. This value told you how much it cost to send a letter by air.
The Different Jenny Stamps
There were three main stamps in this set. Each one had a different face value. This value was how much you paid for the stamp.
| Design | Scott Catalog Number | Release Date | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6¢ Curtiss Jenny | C1 | December 10, 1918 |  |
| 16¢ Curtiss Jenny | C2 | July 11, 1918 |  |
| 24¢ Curtiss Jenny | C3 | May 13, 1918 |  |
Why Different Values?
The 24-cent stamp was the first one. It was used when airmail service first started. Later, the cost of sending airmail went down. That's why the 16-cent and 6-cent stamps were made. They matched the new, lower prices.
The Famous Inverted Jenny Error
One of the most famous stamp errors ever happened with the 24-cent Jenny stamp. A whole sheet of 100 stamps was printed with a mistake. The picture of the airplane in the middle was upside down! This created the very rare and valuable Inverted Jenny stamp. It's a huge deal for stamp collectors.
