Stamps from United States of America (USA) catalogue

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The United States of America is a country in North America, bordering the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The United States has been issuing stamps since 1847. They were used not only in the then 29 states, but also in the territories. More

The United States of America is a country in North America, bordering the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The United States has issued postage stamps since 1847. They were not only used in the then 29 states, but also in the territories. Later, the United States claimed the then uninhabited islands of Baker, Howland, Jarvis and Navassa (1857), Johnston (1858), Midway (1859), Kingman (1860) and Wake (1898) as U.S. territories. From 1861, the seceded Confederate States of America issued their own stamps, until they were defeated in 1865. In 1867, the United States bought the Russian colony of Russian America, from then on the department (and later state) of Alaska. In 1899, Tutuila (since 1911 American Samoa) became a U.S. territory. The territories of Hawaii and Puerto Rico have used U.S. postage since 1900, and Guam since 1901. In 1917, the United States purchased the Danish West Indies colony from Denmark, which has since become the U.S. Virgin Islands Territory. During World War II, the United States occupied the Japanese South Pacific Mandate in 1944, which was officially converted into the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, a U.S. trust territory of the United Nations, in 1947. Palau began issuing its own stamps in 1983, and Micronesia and the Marshall Islands in 1984, but the Northern Mariana Islands continue to use U.S. postage.

FLAT PLATE PRINTING
Flat plate press was initially used for printing all stamps of the United States. The first engraved plates used for this purpose in 1847 contained 200 subjects. The number of subjects to a plate varied between 100 and 300 until the issue of 1890, when the 400-subject plate was first laid down. Since that time, this size of plate has been used for a majority of the regular postal issues (those other than commemoratives).
Most stamps were printed and sold by postmasters in whole sheets, which means that sheets, per se, are not uncommon. Because the resulting sizes were often so large as to make them unwieldy, these large sheets were typically cut into counter sheets, also called panes.
The sheets of many classic US stamps had only two panes, many of the Bureau issues had four panes, while modern sheets may have six or more panes. A white margin surrounds the stamps on the four sides.
Voids called gutters separated the panes, giving printers waste-free areas within which to make their cuts. When it comes to the traditional, perforated sheets, collectors look for the colored sheet numbers in the margin or gutter, which can identify a sheet by its plate block, as well as its print run.
In a typical 400-subject plate there were guide-lines: horizontal or vertical colored lines, extending wholly or partially across the sheet. They serve as guides for the operators of perforating machines or to indicate the point of separation of the sheet into panes.
When guide lines are used to mark the division of the sheet into panes, the space between the stamps at the edge of the pane is no different than the space between any other stamps on the sheet. Some plates provide a wide space, or gutter, between the panes. These plates do not produce guide lines.
As a result of cutting sheets in two or four panes, these panes always contain two imperforate sides:
Pane 1: one on the right side and one at the bottom;
Pane 2: one on the right side and one at the top;
Pane 3: one on the left side and one at the bottom;
Pane 4: one on the left side and one on the top
Stamps in the corners always have two sides imperforate.
The rotary press printing was developed in 1910 and first production took place in 1914. Because of the curved plates of the rotary press cylinders, the rotary impressions are somewhat larger.

Watermarks
Watermarks
Filigrees
Watermarks

F – Cinquante-quatre filigranes furent utilisés pour les timbres-poste et entiers postaux des États-Unis d'Amérique:
E – Fifty-four watermarks were used for the stamps and postal stationaries of the United States of America:

1) NL A. Hoen & Co. Baltimore. lith. (sheet watermark)
E A. Hoen & Co. Baltimore. lith. (sheet watermark)
F A. Hoen & Co. Baltimore. lith. (filigree de feuille)
D A. Hoen & Co. Baltimore. lith. (Bogenwasserzeichen)

F En vigueur à partir de 1886.
E In effect from 1886.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

2) NL USPS (double line) (multiple) (sheet watermark)
E USPS (double-lined) (multiple) (sheet watermark)
F USPS (double trait) (multiple) (filigree serial)
D USPS (zweizeilig) (mehrfach) (Bogenwasserzeichen)

F En vigueur à partir du 29 Avril 1895. The filigrane feuillet a été utilisé avec les lettres à ligne double USP S. (“United States Postage Stamp”) or (Timbre-poste des Etats-Unis). The letters on which the results are based on a series of orientations differing: a version "pass en arrière" followed by the initial sequence of letters commenced by a letter in the range, and a deuxième version, an appelée "pas en avant", followed by the letter range of letters commences with a letter à droite de la rangee dessus. It is a matter of completeness of the parts of the timbre and the beauty of the parties of the deux lettres.
E In effect from 29th of April 1895. This sheet watermark was used with the double-lined letters USP S. The letters, standing for “United States Postage Stamp”, were spread over a whole sheet in two different orientations: a “backward-stepping” version in which each row of letters begins one letter to the left of the row, and a second variety, called a “forward-stepping” variety, in which each row of letters begins one letter to the right of the row above. A letter can be seen completely or partially on each stamp, and sometimes parts of two letters.

F Filigree normal (droit) ou couché.
E Watermark normal (upright) or sideways.

3) NL USIR (double line) (multiple) (watermark)
E USIR (double-lined) (multiple) (sheet watermark)
F USIR (double trait) (multiple) (filigrane feuille)
D USIR (zweizeilig) (mehrfach) (Bogenwasserzeichen)

F En vigueur à partir du 2 mai 1895.
E In effect from 2nd of May 1895.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

4) NL DENNIS (watermark)
E DENNIS (sheet watermark)
F DENNIS (filigree de feuille)
D DENNIS (Archery sign)

F En vigueur à partir de 1907. Il s'agit de timbres utilisés pour le télégraphe.
E In effect from 1907. These stamps are only used for telegraph.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

5) NL USPS (single line) (multiple) (sheet watermark)
E USPS (single-lined) (multiple) (sheet watermark)
F USPS (simple trait) (multiple) (filigrane feuille)
D USPS (einzeilig) (mehrfach) (Bogenwasserzeichen)

F En vigueur à partir du 23 november 1910. This filigree document is used with the letters à ligne unique USPS réparties sur une feuille entière comme pour 1.
E In effect from 23rd of November 1910. This sheet watermark was used with the single-lined letters USPS spread over a whole sheet as for 1.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

F – Cinquante-quatre filigranes furent utilisés pour les entiers postaux (envelopes timbrées, emballages et cartes postales) des États-Unis d'Amérique:
E – Fifty-four watermarks were used for the postal stationaries (stamped envelopes, wrappers and postal cards) of the United States of America:

1) NL POD US (double-lined on two lines) (watermark on postal stationery)
E POD US (double-lined on two lines) (watermark on postal stationary)
F POD US (à double trait sur deux lignes) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D POD US (sailing on sailing) (Wasserzeichen on Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir du 6 July 1853.
E In effect from 6th of July 1853.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

2) NL POD US (written in double lines) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationery)
E POD US (double-lined script) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationary)
F POD US (à double trait écrit) (entrelacé) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D POD US (zweizeilig Schreibschrift) (verlachten) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1870.
E In effect from 1870.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

3) NL POD US (double-lined narrow letters) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationery)
E POD US (double-lined small letters) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationary)
F POD US (letters étroites à double trait) (entrelacé) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D POD US (two-sided schmale Buchstaben) (verlachten) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir du 12 mai 1873. Il s'agit de cartes postales.
E In effect from 12th of May 1873. These are postal cards.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

4) NL 1876 on USC (monogram) (watermark on postal stationery)
E 1876 over UCS (monogram) (watermark on postal stationary)
F 1876 sur UCS (monogramme) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D 1876 over UCS (Monogramm) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1876.
E In effect from 1876.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

5) NL POSTAL SERVICE on US (monogram) (watermark on postal stationery)
E POSTAL SERVICE over US (monogram) (watermark on postal stationary)
F POSTAL SERVICE sur US (monogramme) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D POSTAL SERVICE over US (Monogramm) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1877.
E In effect from 1877.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

6) NL POD US (double-lined writing) (intertwined) and star (watermark on postal stationery)
E POD US (double-lined script) (intertwined) and star (watermark on postal stationary)
F POD US (à double trait écrit) (entrelacé) et étoile (filigrane sur entier postal)
D POD US (two-word writing) (verwochten) and Stern (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1878.
E In effect from 1878.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

7) NL POD US (double-lined writing) (intertwined) and 82 (watermark on postal stationery)
E POD US (double-lined script) (intertwined) and 82 (watermark on postal stationary)
F POD US (à double trait écrit) (entrelacé) et 82 (filigrane sur entier postal)
D POD US (two-word writing) (interwoven) and 82 (Wasserzeichen on Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1882.
E In effect from 1882.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

8) NL US (double line) (diagonal) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationery)
E US (double-lined) (diagonally) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationary)
F US (à double trait) (en diagonal) (entrelacé) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D US (two-sided) (diagonal) (intertwined) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1886.
E In effect from 1886.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

9) NL US (double line) (wide S) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationery)
E US (double-lined) (large S) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationary)
F US (à double trait) (S large) (entrelacé) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D US (sweizeilig) (breite S) (woven) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1886.
E In effect from 1886.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

10) NL POD (double-lined) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationery)
E POD (double-lined) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationary)
F POD (à double trait) (entrelacé) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D POD (sweizeilig) (dyed) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1886.
E In effect from 1886.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

11) NL POD (double-lined) (oblique) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationery)
E POD (double-lined) (cursive) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationary)
F POD (à double trait) (incliné) (entrelacé) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D POD (sweizeilig) (schräg) (woven) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1886.
E In effect from 1886.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

12) NL US (double line) (narrow S) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationery)
E US (double-lined) (small S) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationary)
F US (à double trait) (Sétroit) (entrelacé) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D US (sweizeilig) (schmales S) (verwochten) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1890.
E In effect from 1890.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

13) NL LIBERTY US COLUMBUS (oval) circa 1498 1898 (watermark on postal stationery)
E LIBERTY US COLUMBUS (oval) around 1498 1898 (watermark on postal stationary)
F LIBERTY US COLUMBUS (oval) autour de 1498 1898 (filigrane sur entier postal)
D LIBERTY US COLUMBUS (Oval) um 1498 1898 (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1893.
E In effect from 1893.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

14) NL US (double line) (horizontal) POD 94 (vertical) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationery)
E US (double-lined) (horizontal POD 94 (vertical) (intertwined) (watermark on postal stationary)
F US (à double trait) (horizontalement) POD 94 (verticalement) (entrelacé) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D US (sweizeilig) (waarecht) POD 94 (senkrecht) (verwochten) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1894.
E In effect from 1894.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

15) NL POD US (double line) (intertwined) and ' 99 (watermark on postal stationery)
E POD US (double-lined) (intertwined) and '99 (watermark on postal stationary)
F POD US (à double trait) (entrelacé) et '99 (filigrane sur entier postal)
D POD US (sweizeilig) (interwoven) and '99 (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1899.
E In effect from 1899.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

16) NL US (double line) POD (diagonal) (intertwined) 1903 (watermark on postal stationery)
E US (double-lined) POD (diagonally) (intertwined) 1903 (watermark on postal stationary)
F US (à double trait) POD (en diagonal) (entrelacé) 1903 (filigrane sur entier postal)
D US (two-sided) POD (diagonal) (intertwined) 1903 (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1903.
E In effect from 1903.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

17) NL US (double line) POD (diagonal) (intertwined) 1907 (narrow) (watermark on postal stationery)
E US (double-lined) POD (diagonally) (intertwined) 1907 (narrow) (watermark on postal stationary)
F US (à double trait) POD (en diagonal) (entrelacé) 1907 (étroit) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D US (zweizeilig) POD (diagonal) (intertwined) 1907 (schmal) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1907.
E In effect from 1907.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

18) NL US (double line) POD (diagonal) (intertwined) 1907 (wide) (watermark on postal stationery)
E US (double-lined) POD (diagonally) (intertwined) 1907 (wide) (watermark on postal stationary)
F US (à double trait) POD (en diagonal) (entrelacé) 1907 (large) (filigrane sur entier postal)
D US (zweizeilig) POD (diagonal) (intertwined) 1907 (breit) (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1907.
E In effect from 1907.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

19) NL US (double line) POD (diagonal) (intertwined) 1911 (watermark on postal stationery)
E US (double-lined) POD (diagonally) (intertwined) 1911 (watermark on postal stationary)
F US (à double trait) POD (en diagonal) (entrelacé) 1911 (filigrane sur entier postal)
D US (two-sided) POD (diagonal) (intertwined) 1911 (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1911.
E In effect from 1911.

F Filigree normal (right).
E Watermark normal (upright).

20) NL US-SE 1911 (watermark on postal stationery)
E US-SE 1911 (watermark on postal stationary)
F US-SE 1911 (filigrane sur entier postal)
D US-SE 1911 (Wasserzeichen auf Ganzsache)

F En vigueur à partir de 1911.
E In effect from 1911.