Champion of Liberty Issue

Two stamps issued on June 25, 1958, commemorated Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) as the second person to be featured in the Champions of Liberty series that honored men who fought for freedom in their homelands and offered a counterpoint to the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union. The stamp honors Bolivar with the appellation, "The Liberator." The Bolivar stamps were issued with impressive ceremony in the Postmaster General's Reception Room in the Post Office Department Building, a reflection of their importance to the federal government.

Simon Bolivar, leader in Spanish America's struggle for independence from Spain, contributed decisively to the independence of Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Historians have called him the "George Washington" of South America.

The 4-cent Bolivar stamps were perforated 10 1/2 x 11 and printed on the rotary Cottrell press from 280-subject engraved plates. Each 280-subject sheet was cut into four panes of seventy stamps for distribution to post offices. Four plates were used: 26057, 26058, 26059, and 26060.

William K. Schrage modeled the stamp using a portrait of Bolivar furnished by the Venezuelan Information service and a rough pencil sketch provided by the Post Office. The design was based on the previously issued Magsaysay commemorative, although reduced in size from the Magsaysay commemorative (US Scott 1096).

Charles A. Brooks (vignette) and John S. Edmondson and Howard F. Sharpless (lettering) of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing engraved the stamp.

Reference: Linn's World Stamp Almanac. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 2000.

Rod Juell

Two stamps issued on June 25, 1958, commemorated Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) as the second person to be featured in the Champions of Liberty series that honored men who fought for freedom in their homelands and offered a counterpoint to the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union. The stamp honors Bolivar with the appellation, "The Liberator." The Bolivar stamps were issued with impressive ceremony in the Postmaster General's Reception Room in the Post Office Department Building, a reflection of their importance to the federal government.

Simon Bolivar, leader in Spanish America's struggle for independence from Spain, contributed decisively to the independence of Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Historians have called him the "George Washington" of South America.

The 8-cent multicolored Bolivar stamps were perforated 11 and printed on the sheet-fed Giori press. The 288-subject sheets were cut into panes of seventy-two stamps each for distribution to post offices. Five plates were used: 26021, 26026, 26056, 26061, and 26062. Two plates were required for the printing of each sheet. Plates 26021 and 26026 printed the vignette and were used only for the Bolivar 8-cent stamp. The remaining plates were used for the frame, some of which were also used for the frame of the 8-cent Kossuth stamp.

William K. Schrage of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing modeled both the 4-cent and 8-cent Kossuth stamps after a photograph of Kossuth furnished by the American Hungarian Federation. Both were based, as were all the stamps in the series, on the previously issued Magsaysay commemorative (US Scott 1096), although reduced in size from the Magsaysay commemorative (US Scott 1096).

Charles A. Brooks, John S. Edmondson, and Howard F. Sharpless of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing engraved the Bolivar stamps.

Reference: Linn's World Stamp Almanac. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 2000.

Rod Juell

Two stamps issued on September 19, 1958, honored Lajos Kossuth (1802-1894) as the third person featured in the Champions of Liberty series that honored men who fought for freedom in their homelands and offered a counterpoint to the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union. The ceremony, held at the Department of Interior Building in Washington, DC, featured delegations of prominent Hungarians, the postmaster general, and Vice President Nixon.

Lajos Kossuth, a Hungarian radical who fought for Hungarian independence, served briefly as president of an an independent Hungary in 1849. The regime quickly collapsed, and in 1851 he fled to the United States.

The 4-cent Kossuth stamps were perforated 10 1/2 x 11 and were printed on the rotary Cottrell press from 280-subject engraved plates. Each 280-subject sheet was cut into four panes of seventy stamps for distribution to post offices. Four plates were used: 26124, 26125, 26126, and 26127.

William K. Schrage of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing modeled both the 4-cent and 8-cent Kossuth stamps after a photograph of Kossuth furnished by the American Hungarian Federation. Both were based, as were all the stamps in the series, on the previously issued Magsaysay commemorative (US Scott 1096).

Richard M. Bower, John S. Edmondson, and Howard F. Sharpless of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing engraved the 4-cent Kossuth stamp.

Reference: Linn's World Stamp Almanac. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 2000.

Rod Juell

Two stamps issued on September 19, 1958, honored Lajos Kossuth (1802-1894) as the third person featured in the Champions of Liberty series that honored men who fought for freedom in their homelands and offered a counterpoint to the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union. The ceremony, held at the Department of Interior Building in Washington, DC, featured delegations of prominent Hungarians, the postmaster general, and Vice President Nixon.

Lajos Kossuth, a Hungarian radical who fought for Hungarian independence, served briefly as president of an independent Hungary in 1849. The regime quickly collapsed, and in 1851 he fled to the United States.

The 8-cent multicolored Kossuth stamps were perforated 11 and were printed on the sheet-fed Giori press. The 288-subject sheets were cut into panes of seventy-two stamps each for distribution to post offices. Four plates were used for the vignette: 26092, 26095, 26098, and 26119. Plates used for the frame were 26056, 26062, 26088, and 26091.

William K. Schrage of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing modeled both the 4-cent and 8-cent Kossuth stamps after a photograph of Kossuth furnished by the American Hungarian Federation. Both were based, as were all the stamps in the series, on the previously issued Magsaysay commemorative (US Scott 1096).

Richard M. Bower, John S. Edmondson, and Charles A. Brooks engraved the 8-cent version.

Reference: Linn's World Stamp Almanac. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 2000.

Rod Juell

Two stamps issued on February 25, 1959, honored Jose de San Martin (1778-1850), the "Hero of the Andes", as the fourth person to be featured in the Champions of Liberty series that honored men who fought for freedom in their homelands and offered a counterpoint to the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union. The First Day of Issue ceremony was a by-invitation-only event held in the Postmaster General's Reception Room in the Post Office Department building in Washington, DC.

Jose de San Martin, an Argentine general, was a key leader in southern South America's struggle for independence from Spain. In 1817 he led a campaign across the Andes that led to the Chile's liberation.

The 4-cent San Martin stamps were perforated 10 1/2 x 11 and printed on the rotary Cottrell press from 280-subject engraved plates. Each 280-subject sheet was cut into four panes of seventy stamps for distribution to post offices. Four plates were used: 26238, 26239, 26240, and 26241.

William K. Schrage of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing modeled both the 4-cent and 8-cent San Martin stamps using a photograph of a bust of Jose de San Martin obtained from the Library of Congress. Matthew D. Fenton and John S. Edmondson engraved the die.

Reference: Linn's World Stamp Almanac. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 2000.

Rod Juell

Two stamps issued on February 25, 1959, honored Jose de San Martin (1778-1850), the "Hero of the Andes", as the fourth person to be featured in the Champions of Liberty series that honored men who fought for freedom in their homelands and offered a counterpoint to the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union. The First Day of Issue ceremony was a by-invitation-only event held in the Postmaster General's Reception Room in the Post Office Department building in Washington, DC.

Jose de San Martin, an Argentine general, was a key leader in southern South America's struggle for independence from Spain. In 1817 he led a campaign across the Andes that led to the Chile's liberation.

The 8-cent multicolored San Martin stamps were perforated 11 and printed on the sheet-fed Giori press. The 288-subject sheets were cut into panes of seventy-two stamps each for distribution to post offices. Two plates were used: 26244 and 26249. Unlike previous 8-cent stamps in the series, the San Martin stamps required only a single plate to print a sheet of stamps.

William K. Schrage of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing modeled both the 4-cent and 8-cent San Martin stamps using a photograph of a bust of Jose de San Martin obtained from the Library of Congress. Matthew D. Fenton and John S. Edmondson engraved dies for both the 4-cent and 8-cent stamps.

Reference: Linn's World Stamp Almanac. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 2000.

Rod Juell

The Post Office Department honored Ernst Reuter (1889-1953), mayor of Berlin, with two stamps issued on September 29, 1959. He was the fifth person featured in the Champions of Liberty series that honored men who fought for freedom in their homelands and offered a counter point to the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union.

The First Day of Issue ceremony was a by-invitation-only event held in the Postmaster General's Reception Room in the Post Office Department building in Washington, DC, with a simultaneous ceremony held in West Berlin.

An announcement issued by the POD on May 19, 1959, provided information about Reuter. It read, "After being persecuted and imprisoned by the Nazis, [Reuter] went into exile abroad. Returning to Germany immediately after World War II ended, he worked tirelessly to establish free democracy and rebuild his city out of rubble. It was his courage and leadership that inspired the people of Berlin to stand up successfully under the strain of the Soviet blockade."

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing printed the 4-cent Reuter stamp, perforated 10 1/2 x 11, on the rotary Cottrell press from 280-subject engraved plates. Each 280-subject sheet was cut into four panes of seventy stamps for distribution to post offices. Four plates were used: 26451, 26452, 26453, and 26454.

Charles R. Chickering of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing modeled both the 4-cent and 8-cent Reuter stamps, using a photograph of Reuter furnished by the Post Office Department for inspiration. Richard M. Bower, Howard F. Sharpless, and Robert J. Jones engraved the dies for both stamps.

Reference: Linn's World Stamp Almanac. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 2000.

Rod Juell

The Post Office Department honored Ernst Reuter (1889-1953), mayor of Berlin, with two stamps issued on September 29, 1959. He was the fifth person featured in the Champions of Liberty series that honored men who fought for freedom in their homelands and offered a counter point to the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union.

The First Day of Issue ceremony was a by-invitation-only event held in the Postmaster General's Reception Room in the Post Office Department building in Washington, DC, with a simultaneous ceremony held in West Berlin.

An announcement issued by the POD on May 19, 1959, provided information about Reuter. It read, "After being persecuted and imprisoned by the Nazis, [Reuter] went into exile abroad. Returning to Germany immediately after World War II ended, he worked tirelessly to establish free democracy and rebuild his city out of rubble. It was his courage and leadership that inspired the people of Berlin to stand up successfully under the strain of the Soviet blockade."

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing printed the 8-cent multicolored Reuter stamps, perforated 11, on the sheet-fed Giori press. The 288-subject sheets were cut into panes of seventy-two stamps each for distribution to post offices. Two plates were used: 26464 and 26466.

Charles R. Chickering of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing modeled both the 4-cent and 8-cent Reuter stamps, using a photograph of Reuter furnished by the Post Office Department for inspiration. Richard M. Bower, Howard F. Sharpless, and Robert J. Jones engraved the dies for both stamps.

Reference: Linn's World Stamp Almanac. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 2000.

Rod Juell