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Series of 1869 · Designs of the U.S. Pictorial Issues of 1869
  1¢-12¢: Printed in sheets of 300 - Cut into two panes of 150 stamps · 15¢-90¢: Printed in sheets of 100 stamps

  1¢ Franklin of 1869

Designer: E. Pitcher · Vignette: Joseph I. Pease · Frame: Wm. D. Nichols · Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy  
Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Variety Grill Image Size(mm) Usage/Rates
1869 112 4/1/1869 12,020,550 .....12..... National

Plate Nos.
1; 2

 ......buff...... ......G...... 20.25 x 20.25  The one cent stamp paid 
the local rate, as well as 
the rate for unsealed circulars. 
It was often used with other 
stamps to make up a higher rate.
About 2500 covers are known.
--- 112b --- 12 buff
without grill
with original gum		 none 20.25 x 20.25 
1875 123 12/9/1877 10,132  12 National buff none 20.25 x 20.25 Reissue · Special Printing
1880 133 10/05/1880 5000  12 National buff none 20.25 x 20.25  Reissue · Special Printing
1881 133a n/a 12 National brown orange none 20.25 x 20.25  Reissue · Special Printing
  2¢ Post Horse and Rider of 1869

Designer: James Macdonough · Vignette: Christian Rost · Frame: Geo. W. Thurber · Lettering: Geo. W. Thurber  
Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Variety Grill Design Size Usage/Rates
1869 113  3/20/1869
First Day		 72,109,050 12 National

Plate Nos.
3-6; 27; 28

 brown ......G......  20.25 x 20 mm The two cent stamp paid the 
local or drop letter rate with 
carrier service, and was often 
used on unsealed circulars. It also saw frequent use with other stamps to make up a higher rate.
Between 5,000 and 25,000 
covers are thought to exist.
--- 113b --- 12 brown
without grill
with original gum		 none  20.25 x 20 mm
1875 124 3/20/1880 4755  12 National brown none  20.25 x 20 mm Reissue · Special Printing
  3¢ Locomotive of 1869

Designer: James Macdonough · Vignette: Christian Rost · Frame: Geo. W. Thurber · Lettering: Geo. W. Thurber  
Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Variety Grill Design Size Usage/Rates
1869 114  3/27/1869 335,534,850 12 National

Plate Nos.
7-12; 25;
26; 29; 30

 pale to dark ultramarine;
blue; violet blue		 ......G......  20.25 x 20 mm Three cents was the domestic First-Class letter rate. This 
stamp was the workhorse 
of the Series of 1869. About 
175,000 covers are known.
--- 114a  --- 12 ultramarine
without grill
with original gum		 none  20.25 x 20 mm
--- 114 --- 12 ultramarine 
(double strike)		 G  20.25 x 20 mm
1875 125 n/a 1406  12 National blue none  20.25 x 20 mm Reissue · Special Printing
   6¢ Washington of 1869

Designer: E. Pitcher · Vignette: Wm. E. Marshall · Frame: Wm. D. Nichols · Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy   
Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Variety Grill Design Size Usage/Rates
1869 115 4/26/1869 4,293,100 12 National

Plate Nos.
13; 14		 ultramarine ......G...... 20 x 19.75 mm The six cent stamp paid the rate 
to Canada, Great Britain (after 
Jan. 1 1870) and other foreign destinations. It also paid the double-rate on domestic letters. 
About 1,350 covers are known.
1875 126  n/a 2226  12 National blue none 20 x 19.75 mm Reissue · Special Printing
   10¢ Shield and Eagle of 1869

Designer: Douglas S.  Ronaldson · Vignette: D. S.  Ronaldson · Frame and Lettering: D. S.  Ronaldson   
Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Variety Grill Design Size Usage/Rates
1869 116  4/1/1869 about 3 million 12 National

Plate Nos.
15; 16		 yellow ......G...... 20 x 19.75 mm The ten cent stamp paid the 
rate to France, Germany and 
many other foreign destinations, including contract rates to 
China and Japan. Domestic 
covers are relatively scarce. 
About 1,500 covers are known. 
1875 127 11/11/1880 1947  12 National yellow none 20 x 19.75 mm Reissue · Special Printing
  12¢ Adriatic of 1869

Designer: James Macdonough · Vignette: James Smillie · Frame: Geo. W. Thurber · Lettering: Geo. W. Thurber  
Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Variety Grill Design Size Usage/Rates
1869 117  4/1/1869 3,012,950 12 National

Plate Nos.
17; 18		 green ......G......  20.25 x 20 mm Solo usage was primarily 
for mail bound to England 
(12¢ from Jan. 1868 to Jan. 1870). Although it paid the quadruple rate on domestic letters, such usage is not common, nor is registry usage common.
About 900 covers are known. 
1875 128 3/20/1880 1584  12 National green none  20.25 x 20 mm Reissue · Special Printing
  15¢ Landing of Columbus of 1869 (Type I)

Designer: E. Pitcher · Vignette: James Smillie · Frame: D. S.  Ronaldson · Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy  

Type III shown here		 Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Type Grill Design Size  Usage/Rates
1869 118  3/31/1869 110,000
to
120,000		 12 National

Plate No.
19 
(2 plates)

 brown and blue/type I G 21.75 x 21.75 mm Covers with the fifteen cent 
type I stamp are known 
primarily on mail to France. 
Only about 175 covers are 
known to have survived.
--- 118a --- 12 brown and blue/type I
without grill
with original gum		 none 21.75 x 21.75 mm
1875 129 3/20/1880 1981  12 National brown and blue
type III*		 none 21.75 x 21.75 mm Type III Reissue 
Special Printing
  15¢ Landing of Columbus of 1869 (Type II)

Designer: E. Pitcher · Vignette: James Smillie     Frame: D. S.  Ronaldson    Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy  
1869 119 4/5/1869 1,376,700 12 National

Plate No.
23 
(2 plates)

 brown and blue/type II G 21.75 x 21.75 mm The fifteen cent type II stamp 
was used on mail to pay various fifteen cent rates to Europe. It also paid the domestic registry fee.
About 550 covers are known.
--- 119b --- 12 Type II - vignette inverted G 21.75 x 21.75 mm
--- 119c --- 12 National doubled center - one inverted G 21.75 x 21.75 mm

  * Types I and III do not frame the vignette, Type II does. Type I has horizontal brown lines of shading behind the vignette, Type III does not.
  24¢ Declaration of Independence of 1869

Designer: E. Pitcher · Vignette: James Smillie · Frame: D. S.  Ronaldson · Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy  
Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Type Grill Design Size Usage/Rates
1869 120  4/7/1869 248,925 12 National

Plate No.
20 
(2 plates)

also plate 24 for the
vignette only

 green & violet G 22 x 22 mm The 24¢ stamp paid multiple weight rates and was also used 
as a make up stamp. Covers are very rare, with only 76 known, 
of which only 23 are domestic uses. Of the others, 16 are to 
Peru and 10 to Spain.
-- 120a  --- 12 green & violet
without grill		 none 22 x 22 mm
--- 120b  March 1874 12 vignette inverted G 22 x 22 mm
1875 130 3/27/1880 2091  12 National green & violet none 22 x 22 mm Reissue · Special Printing
  30¢ Shield, Eagle and Flags of 1869

Designer: James Macdonough · Vignette: D. S.  Ronaldson or Lewis Delnoce · Frame and Lettering: D. S.  Ronaldson  
Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Type Grill Design Size Usage/Rates
1869 121  5/22/1869 304,650 12 National

Plate No.
21 
(2 plates)

 blue and carmine G 22 x 22.25 mm The 30¢ stamp paid double the treaty rate to France. Covers are very rare, with only 58 known and of those only 8 were domestic.
-- 121a  --- 12 blue and carmine
without grill		 none 22 x 22.25 mm
--- 121b  --- 12 flags inverted G 22 x 22.25 mm
1875 131  n/a 1535  12 National none none 22 x 22.25 mm Reissue · Special Printing
  90¢ Lincoln of 1869

Designer: E. Pitcher · Vignette: Joseph P. Ourdan · Frame: D. S.  Ronaldson · Lettering: J. C. Kenworthy  
Year Scott EDU No. Issued Perf Printer Color/Type Grill Design Size Usage/Rates
1869 122  8/8/1873 47,360

Plate No.
22 (2 plates)		 12 National carmine and black G 21.75 x 22 mm There is only one cover known with the 90¢ 1869 Pictorial, the famed "Ice House" cover. This cover will sell in the Siegel 973A sale. 
--- 122a --- 12 National carmine and black
without grill		 none 21.75 x 22 mm
1875 132  n/a 1356  12 National carmine and black none 21.75 x 22 mm Reissue · Special Printing
 


Special Printings: The following information applies to all of the 1869 re-issues, except 133 and 133a. The Special Printings were issued to showcase a complete set of the U.S. issues for the first World's Fair officially held in the U.S., at the Centennial International Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia and also to provide stamps for collectors and others to satisfy numerous requests. Reissued stamps were valid for postage.
Bibliography and suggested additional reading:

Basic Information: 
United States Postage Stamps of 1869, by Jon Rose (1996 Linn's)
The Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Volume 2, by Lester Brookman (1966)
The 2009 Scott U.S. Specialized Stamp Catalogue (Amos Press 2008)
Linn's U.S. Stamp Facts 19th Century, by Elliot A. Landau, editor (1999)
The United States 1869 Issue - An Essay-Proof History, by Fred P. Schueren (1974)
1869 Pictorial Issue Postage Stamps collected by John C. Juhring, Sotheby Parke Bernet stamp auction, June 14, 1978
The United States Issue of 1869, by Stanley B. Ashbrook (1943-1944 American Philatelist) 

Design dimensions: 
The Postage Stamps of the United States, John Luff  (1902 and 1937)

Colors:
The Encyclopedia of the Colors of United States Postage Stamps - Volume 1 Issues of 1847-1868, by Roy H. White (1981)

Websites of interest to the 1869 collector: 
The Collectors Club Philatelist at www.collectorsclub.org.
The Chronicle of the U.S. Classic Postal Issues at www.uspcs.org
Siegel Powersearch at Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc.

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