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Fourth Bureau issue facts for kids

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The Fourth Bureau Issue, also known as the Series of 1922, was a definitive series of postage stamps issued by the United States between 1922 and 1938. The series comprises 27 different designs with denominations ranging from one-half-cent to 5 dollars. The designs featured past presidents, prominent Americans, architectural landmarks, and icons of American culture.

The first issue of the series, featuring president Rutherford Hayes, was released on 4 October 1922, the 100th anniversary of Hayes's birth, in his hometown of Fremont, Ohio. This was the first instance of the U.S. Post Office Department issuing new stamps on a specific day and in a specific city. Collectors regard the First Day Covers of this stamp as the beginning of modern First Day Cover collecting.

The Fourth Bureau Issue stamps were produced during a period of modernization and rapid change within the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The long production life of the series resulted in stamps that were produced on both the older flat plate printing press as well as the new rotary printing press. The series includes numerous variations of color shades, perforation differences, security overprints, precancels, commemorative overprints, plate errors, and other distinguishing factors of interest to collectors.

Individual stamp designs

Design Image
½¢ Nathan Hale Nathan Hale
Ben Franklin Ben Franklin
1½¢ Warren Harding profile Warren Harding
1½¢ Warren Harding Portrait from campaign poster.

Replaced prior design because his widow did not like profile.
(Issued 1930)

Warren Harding
George Washington George Washington
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
Change of rate 1932
Design taken from Washington_Bicentennial_stamps_of_1932
George Washington
Martha Washington Martha Washington
Howard Taft
(issued 1930)
Howard Taft
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt
James Garfield James Garfield
William McKinley William McKinley
Ulysses Grant Ulysses Grant
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson
10¢ James Monroe James Monroe
11¢ Rutherford Hayes James Monroe
12¢ Grover Cleveland Rutherford Hayes
13¢ Benjamin Harrison
(issued 1925)
Rutherford Hayes
14¢ American Indian American Indian
15¢ Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty
17¢ Woodrow Wilson
(issued 1925)
Woodrow Wilson
20¢ Golden Gate
Note: no bridge yet.
Golden Gate
25¢ Niagara Falls Niagara Falls
30¢ American buffalo American buffalo
50¢ Arlington Amphitheater Arlington Amphitheater
$1 Lincoln Memorial Lincoln Memorial]
$2 United States Capitol United States Capitol
$5 Head of Freedom Statue Statue of Freedom

Rotary issues of 1922-1928

  • Precanceling
  • Gum Breakers

Overprints

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