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Pilgrim Tercentenary Issue

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2-cent Pilgrim Tercentenary The Landing of the Pilgrims single

Fairs and expositions lost their prominent place in American culture as the second decade of the twentieth century began. Never again would fairs and expositions so thoroughly dominate the American imagination–or the nation’s stamp program. New patterns emerged for commemorative stamps during the late 1920s and early 1930s.

More commemorative stamps were issued, but the trend was toward issuing fewer stamps for each event commemorated. Some of those events might today be considered obscure, or perhaps even inappropriate for commemoration, but stamps were sometimes issued in response to political pressures.

The 1920 Pilgrim Tercentenary Issue was the first to represent this change. The three stamps of the issue celebrated the 300th Anniversary of the 1620 settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and paid tribute to America’s origin as a haven of religious freedom and representative democracy.

The 1-cent stamp illustrated the ship Mayflower that carried the Protestant Separatists to the New World. Though headed for the Virginia Charter Colony, after a difficult sixty-six-day voyage the ship landed at the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, the weary Pilgrims established their Massachusetts Colony at Plymouth, as depicted on the 2-cent stamp. The 5-cent stamp celebrated the Compact (agreement) that was signed aboard the Mayflower on November 21, 1620. The document—the colony's constitution—was the first plan for an American style of democratic governance.

So well known was the story of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth that the stamps did not include the country of origin. These were the only stamps ever issued without the words “United States” or the U.S. initials.

Roger S. Brody

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1-cent Pilgrim Tercentenary The "Mayflower" single

A photograph of a model of the Mayflower in the Smithsonian Museum's collection inspired the engraving of the 1-cent stamp of the Pilgrim Tercentenary Issue. The stamps of this Issue were released in sheets of seventy and were initially available on December 18, 1920, at Provincetown and Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Issue's other stamps feature images of the pilgrim's landing and the signing of the Mayflower Compact, which established their new government.

As a single stamp, the 1-cent Mayflower paid the card rate of one-cent. It was also commonly used with other denominations to fulfill large weight and foreign destination rates. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produced approximately 138 million 1-cent of these stamps.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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2-cent Pilgrim Tercentenary The Landing of the Pilgrims single

The image on the federal five dollar bank note inspired the Pilgrim Tercentenary Issue's 2-cent stamp, the Landing of the Pilgrims. The Mayflower appears in the distant background.

The 2-cent Landing of the Pilgrims stamp most often paid the two-cent first class domestic rate. Patrons also used it with other denominations to fulfill large weight and foreign destination rates. An estimated 196 million 2-cent stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and issued to the public.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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5-cent Pilgrim Tercentenary The Signing of the Compact single

A painting by American artist Edwin White (1817-1877) inspired the image for the final denomination of the Pilgrim Tercentenary Issue. The signing of the Mayflower Compact was the first major political event of American history.

Patrons commonly used the 5-cent stamp with other denominations to fulfill large weight and foreign destination rates. Approximately 11 million of these 5-cent stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and issued to the public.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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