Americana series facts for kids
The Americana series was a collection of United States postage stamps released between 1975 and 1981. These were "definitive" stamps, meaning they were regular stamps used for everyday mail, not special commemorative ones. They came in many values, from one cent up to five dollars. This series replaced the Prominent Americans series and was later replaced by the Great Americans series and the Transportation coils.
Even though these stamps weren't officially part of the Bicentennial celebration (which marked 200 years of American history), their theme fit right in! The Americana series celebrated important American ideas and values that have been part of the nation's story from the very beginning. Unlike earlier stamp collections, this one didn't show any presidents or specific famous people. Instead, it featured symbols and ideas. The only human figures on the stamps were symbolic, not real people.
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The Look of the Americana Stamps
The stamps in the Americana series had a special, organized design. Unlike earlier stamps that looked very different from each other, these all followed a clear plan. Each stamp had text along two of its sides, which curved around one corner. This text usually talked about American history or freedoms.
When you looked at a group of four stamps with increasing values, the curved text would cycle through all four corners: top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right. This made it so that when you put four stamps together, the text would form a complete border around the whole block!
Themes of the Stamp Blocks
The stamps were grouped into five main themes:
- Roots of Democracy: Focused on the basic ideas that make up a democratic society.
- Rights and Freedoms of the American People: Showed important rights that Americans have.
- Symbols of America: Featured well-known symbols of the United States.
- Pioneer America: Highlighted the spirit of exploration and building the nation.
- America's Light: Represented the guiding principles and future of America.
Special Stamps and Errors
The Americana series was the first regular stamp collection since 1922 to not include any stamps with values like "half a cent." Instead, it introduced stamps with decimal values, like 3.1 cents or 8.4 cents. These were mainly for businesses that sent a lot of mail.
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One of the most famous stamps from this series is the CIA invert. This was a mistake on the one-dollar lamp stamp. The picture of the lamp was printed upside down! It got its name because the original sheet of these error stamps was bought by someone who worked for the CIA. These rare stamps have sold for a lot of money, sometimes as much as $15,000!
Some stamps, like the 16-cent and 29-cent values, were made for a new mail rate that was planned but never actually happened. Because of this, these stamps weren't used very much.
Many of these stamps were first released in New York City in November. This was often done during the yearly stamp show held by the American Stamp Dealers Association.
Stamps in the Series
Here are some of the stamps from the Americana series:
Sheet Stamps
These stamps were sold in large sheets.
Roots of Democracy
- 1 cent: A quill pen and inkwell. Inscription: "The Ability to Write * A Root of Democracy."
- 2 cent: A speaker's stand. Inscription: "Freedom To Speak Out * A Root of Democracy."
- 3 cent: A ballot box. Inscription: "To Cast A Free Ballot * A Root of Democracy."
- 4 cent: Books and eyeglasses. Inscription: "A Public That Reads * A Root of Democracy."
Rights and Freedoms of the American People
- 9 cent: The Capitol dome. Inscription: "Right of People Peaceably to Assemble."
- 10 cent: Head of the statue of Justice. Inscription: "People's Right To Petition For Redress."
- 11 cent: An early printing press. Inscription: "Liberty Depends on Freedom of the Press."
- 12 cent: The torch of the Statue of Liberty. Inscription: "Freedom of Conscience * An American Right."
Symbols of America
- 13 cent: The Liberty Bell. Inscription: "Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land."
- 13 cent: An eagle and shield. Inscription: "One Nation Indivisible * E Pluribus Unum."
- 15 cent: The American Flag. Inscription: "The Land of the Free * The Home of the Brave."
- 16 cent: Head of the Statue of Liberty. Inscription: "I Lift My Lamp Beside the Golden Door."
Pioneer America
- 24 cent: Old North Church. Inscription: "Midnight Ride * One if by Land, Two if by Sea."
- 28 cent: Fort Nisqually, Washington. Inscription: "Remote Outpost * New Nation Building Westward."
- 29 cent: Sandy Hook lighthouse. Inscription: "Lonely Beacon Protecting Those Upon the Sea."
- 30 cent: A one-room schoolhouse. Inscription: "American Schools * Laying Future Foundations."
America's Light
- 50 cent: A Betty lamp. Inscription: "America's Light Sustained by Love of Liberty."
- $1: A rush lamp. Inscription: "America's Light Fueled by Truth and Reason."
- $2: A kerosene lamp. Inscription: "America's Light Will Shine Over All the Land."
- $5: A lantern. Inscription: "America's Light Leads Her Generations Onward."
Coil Stamps
These stamps were sold in rolls, often used in vending machines or by businesses.
- 1 cent: Quill pen and inkwell.
- 3.1 cent: Guitar.
- 3.5 cent: Violins.
- 7.7 cent: Saxhorns.
- 7.9 cent: Drum.
- 8.4 cent: Piano.
- 9 cent: Capitol dome.
- 10 cent: Head of statue of Justice.
- 12 cent: Torch of Statue of Liberty.
- 13 cent: Liberty Bell.
- 15 cent: American Flag.
- 16 cent: Head of Statue of Liberty.
Booklet Stamps
Only one stamp was made just for booklets:
- 9 cent (white paper): This stamp was sold in a booklet with seven 13-cent Flag over Capitol stamps.
Images for kids
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9 cents on white paper, 1977
