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Prominent Americans Issue (1965-1978)

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18-cent Elizabeth Blackwell single

In April 1965 Postmaster General John A. Gronouski announced plans for a new series of definitive postage stamps, the Prominent Americans. The series would recognize men and women who made important contributions to the growth and development of America. Thirteen different individuals produced the diverse designs of the series which was introduced on November 10, 1965, with the issuance of the 4-cent Lincoln stamp. Over the next nine years a total of twenty-five stamp designs would be issued. The Prominent American stamps were in general use into the late 1970s while a few continued to be produced until the mid-1980s, gradually being replaced by the Great Americans Issue.

All of the designs were issued as sheet stamps with the exception of the deep claret 8-cent Eisenhower booklet stamp. Six denominations were produced as booklet panes for a total of twelve single and combination booklets. Nine denominations were released in coil rolls. In addition, the 6-cent Eisenhower would be reissued as an 8-cent stamp and the 5-cent Washington would be redrawn.

The series was in production when the Post Office Department (POD) was reorganized into the United States Postal Service (USPS). This was a period of numerous postal rate changes that resulted in several denomination changes. Two stamps were replaced while the series was current; Dwight D. Eisenhower replaced both Franklin D. Roosevelt on the 6-cent value and Albert Einstein on the 8-cent value, both when the First Class postage rate was increased to those denominations. Rate changes also factored into the 15-cent Oliver Wendell Holmes stamp being produced with three different designs types.

All of the stamps were intaglio printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. All but one of the sheet stamps were printed on the Bureau’s Huck-Cottrell presses. The exception was the black, red, and blue-gray 8-cent Eisenhower stamp, which was printed on the three-color Intaglio Giori press. The Prominent American stamps were in general use into the late 1970s while a few continued to be produced until the mid-1980s, gradually being replaced by the Americana and Great Americans Issues.

Encyclopedia of United States Stamps and Stamp Collecting
May 16, 2006

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1-cent Thomas Jefferson single

An image of the nation’s third president, Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), is featured on the 1-cent stamp. Jefferson studied law at the College of William and Mary and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress. At age thirty-three Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence. He succeeded Benjamin Franklin as minister to France in 1785 and served as secretary of state in President Washington’s cabinet.

Breaking with the Hamilton’s Federalists, Jefferson assumed leadership of the Republicans, who opposed strong central government. In 1796 he became vice president under President John Adams and in 1800 was elected president. Jefferson’s notable successes include reducing the national debt and fighting the Barbary Coast pirates, but he is most celebrated for the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 and writing the Declaration of Independence.

The 1-cent green stamp was issued January 12, 1968, at Jeffersonville, Indiana. The 1-cent sheet stamps were printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. In addition, the stamp was produced as a horizontal coil. The stamp was also produced in both horizontal and vertical booklet pane formats used in combination with the 6-cent Franklin Roosevelt, the 6-cent Eisenhower, and the 8-cent Eisenhower booklet panes. To produce booklets with even-dollar values, slogan labels were substituted for some of the stamps on Jefferson panes.

The stamp was designed by Robert Geissmann, inspired by an 1800 portrait by Rembrandt Peale which hangs in the White House. The stamp was engraved by Edward R. Felver (vignette) and Kenneth C. Wiram (lettering). No other American except Washington, Franklin, and Lincoln has appeared on more U.S. postage stamps than Thomas Jefferson.

The 1-cent Jefferson stamp was generally used in multiples or in combination with other stamps to meet domestic and foreign rate postage fees.

Roger S. Brody

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1.25-cent Albert Gallatin single

Albert Gallatin (1761–1849), political leader, diplomat, and financier is pictured on the 1-1/4¢ stamp. Gallatin, born in Switzerland to an aristocratic family , immigrated to America in 1780 and settled in western Pennsylvania. He was elected to local government and later to the U.S. House of Representatives. Known for his fiscal integrity, he created the Ways and Means Committee, with the power of using House appropriations to uphold or veto treaties. He served presidents Jefferson and Madison as secretary of the treasury from 1801 to 1811. Gallatin is considered the chief architect of the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812. He went on to serve as minister to France. After forty years of public service, he entered private banking and headed the National (later the Gallatin) Bank of New York. He is buried in the yard of Trinity Church, at the foot of Wall Street in New York.

The Post Office Department issued the 1-1/4¢ light green stamp on January 30, 1967, in Gallatin, Missouri. The stamp was produced as a sheet stamp printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The stamp was designed by Robert Gallatin, a descendant of Albert Gallatin, after a Gilbert Stuart portrait currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. The stamp was engraved by Edward R. Felver (vignette) and Robert G. Culin (lettering). This was the first time Gallatin appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 1-1/4 ¢ Gallatin stamp paid the third class, non-profit bulk/quantity discount mail rate.

Roger S. Brody

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2-cent Frank Lloyd Wright single

The 2-cent stamp of the series features an image of Frank Lloyd Wright (1869–1959), one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. His revolutionary approach to building, which emphasized the long, horizontal lines of a prairie landscape, was equal to his controversial private life.

Though he left the University of Wisconsin engineering school without a degree, he apprenticed with several prominent Chicago architects, including Louis Sullivan, before opening his studio in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1893. Over the next sixty years, Wright established himself as an architectural icon, blending air, space, and natural surroundings to create hundreds of homes and significant buildings. His most recognized masterpiece, a project that occupied him for sixteen years, was the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. That building is depicted in the 2-cent stamp's background.

The dark blue gray 2-cent stamp was issued June 9, 1966, in Spring Green, Wisconsin, the location of Wright's Taliesin East home, It was produced as a sheet stamp printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The stamp was also issued in vertical booklet panes of six stamps used in combination with the 6-cent Franklin Roosevelt, the 11-cent Red Jet airmail, and the 13-cent Liberty Bell stamp of the Americana Series. To produce booklets with even-dollar values, slogan labels were substituted for stamps on some of the Wright stamp panes.

The stamp was designed by Patricia Amarantides after a photograph by Blackstone-Shelburne. The overall design was developed by artists of Taliesin West (Arizona), the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. Howard C. Mildner and Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette, and Kenneth C, Wiram engraved the lettering. Frank Lloyd Wright had not previously been the subject of a U.S. stamp.

The 2-cent Wright stamp was used to pay the third-class, special non-profit quantity-discount rate of two-cents per piece. The stamp was also used in multiples and with other denominations to cover existing rates.

Roger S. Brody

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3-cent Francis Parkman vertical coil single

Francis Parkman (1823–1893), the subject of the Prominent Americans 3-cent stamp, established himself at the foremost historian of his time. A naturalist and an experienced European traveler, Parkman embarked on a hunting expedition to the American west in 1846. His experience living among the Sioux people initiated a lifetime of research and writing about the history of the North American continent. Parkman is best known for his seven-part epic "France and England in North America" and an earlier work titled "The Oregon Trail."

The violet 3-cent stamp was issued September 16, 1967, in Boston, Massachusetts. It was produced as a sheet stamp printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 10.5 x 11 perforations. It was also issued in vertical coil format on November 4, 1975, in Pendleton, Oregon. The stamp was designed by Bill Hyde based on a portrait in a biography of Parkman by H.D. Sedgwick. Edward R. Felver engraved the vignette, and Robert G. Culin engraved the lettering.

Since the stamp was extensively used for bulk mailings, three types of “Bureau” precancels were applied during the printing process on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing presses—“city and state” bars only, “national,” and “service inscribed.” This was Francis Parkman’s first appearance on a U.S. stamp.

The 3-cent Parkman stamp paid a variety of the third-class rates, including regular quantity-discount, carrier route presort, and special non-profit quantity-discount mail.

Roger S. Brody

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4-cent Abraham Lincoln single

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the nation’s sixteenth president, is honored on the 4-cent stamp. Though he received the barest of formal education, Lincoln’s speeches and writings are today considered masterpieces. His steadfastness and determination in the face of national disastor won him respect worldwide. No other American except George Washington and Benjamin Franklin has appeared more often on U.S. postage stamps than Abraham Lincoln.

The 4-cent black stamp featuring Lincoln’s profile with the 'log cabin' background was the first Prominent Americans stamp. It was issued on November 17, 1965, in New York City.

The stamp was produced as a sheet stamp printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The stamp was also printed in horizontal coil format and issued on May 28, 1966. Bill Hyde designed the stamp based on a Mathew Brady photograph. The background was based on a photograph of the Cooperage at the Onstott residence, New Salem, Illinois. Joseph S. Creamer, Jr., engraved the vignette, and George A. Payne engraved the lettering.

The 4-cent stamp paid the postcard rate in effect until January 1, 1968. It also paid the single piece per two-ounce third-class rate and in multiples or with other stamps to cover existing rates.

Roger S. Brody

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5-cent George Washington single

George Washington (1732–1799), featured on the 5-cent stamp, has appeared on more U.S. stamps than any individual so honored. The reverence in which he is held was captured in the graveside tribute by Washington's fellow Virginian and patriot Henry Lee, who described Washington as “first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Among the many who paid tribute to Washington at his death, Thomas Jefferson eulogized, “His mind was great and powerful . . . as far as he saw, and no judgment was ever sounder. . . .”

The 5-cent blue stamp was issued February 22, 1966, in Washington, D.C., in sheet format, printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. In addition, the stamp was produced as a horizontal coil and issued September 8, 1966, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The stamp was designed by Bill Hyde after a portrait by Rembrandt Peale which is displayed at the National Gallery of Art. Charles A. Brooks engraved the vignette, and William R. Burnell engraved the lettering. Brooks’s engraving, while quite true to the Peale portrait, presented an unflattering image of the first president. Criticism of the stamp led to a new engraved version, which was issued November 17, 1967.

The 5-cent Washington stamp was initially used to pay the domestic first-class letter rate in effect from January 7, 1963. The stamp, by itself and in multiples, also paid several other rates and fees in effect over the life of the Prominent Americans Series, including the foreign surface and airmail letter rates, foreign air postcard rate, and certified, return receipt, certificate of mailing, and special delivery fees.

Roger S. Brody

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5-cent George Washington single

The initial 5-cent blue Washington sheet stamp was issued February 22, 1966; the 5-cent blue Washington was issued as a horizontal coil on September 8, 1966. Bill Hyde designed the stamp after a portrait by Rembrandt Peale displayed at the National Gallery of Art. Charles A. Brooks engraved the vignette, and William R. Burnell engraved the lettering.

Brooks’s engraving was quite true to the Peale portrait, but the stamp’s facial features gave the unflattering appearance of a 'pocked marked' and 'unshaven' first president. Criticism led to a new version, engraved by Joseph S. Creamer, Jr., which was issued as sheet stamps on November 17, 1967, at the American Stamp Dealers Association National Postage Stamp Show in New York City.

When the first-class letter rate changed from five cents to six cents in January 1968, there was little need for 5-cent stamps. Even when the first-class letter rate increased to fifteen cents in May 1978, there were still plenty of original design coil stamps available. Surprisingly, a 5-cent coil stamp with the re-engraved image appeared unannounced in the early months of 1981.

One reason for the issuance of the new coils was the anticipation of a five-cent increase from the then current fifteen-cent first-class rate. It is speculated that a significant quantity of new coils was produced at the request of the Disabled American Veterans for their charitable response envelopes.

As it turned out, the rate increased only by three cents in March 1981, and the DAV mailing used a strip of three of the new 5-cent Washington coil stamps and a single 3-cent Parkman coil stamp. The plates for the re-engraved 5-cent coil went to press only one time, on December 2, 1980. In November 1981 the first-class rate increased to twenty cents. Surprisingly, when additional quantities of 5-cent coils were needed, new plates were made with the original 'unshaven' design, and they appeared in strips of four on the next DAV mailing.

Roger S. Brody

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6-cent Franklin D. Roosevelt single

The Post Office Department featured Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), the nation's thirty-first president, on the initial 6-cent stamp of the Prominent Americans Issue. Roosevelt headed the nation during two severe crises—the Great Depression and World War II.

Roosevelt entered political life in 1910 as a New York state senator. President Woodrow Wilson appointed him assistant secretary of the Navy, and he was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 1920. In the summer of 1921, when he was thirty-nine, poliomyelitis paralyzed him. He fought to regain the use of his legs, particularly through swimming, but he never walked without assistance again. At the 1924 Democratic Convention he dramatically appeared on crutches to nominate Alfred E. Smith. In 1928 Roosevelt was elected governor of New York

He was elected president in 1932, the first of four terms. Facing the depths of the Great Depression, he proposed sweeping programs, called the "New Deal," to bring recovery to business and agriculture and relief to the unemployed. He promoted many reforms, including Social Security, progressive taxation, and controls over banks and public utilities.

Roosevelt wanted to keep the United States out of the war in Europe, but when France fell and England came under siege in 1940, he began to send Britain all possible aid short of actual military involvement. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Roosevelt mobilized the nation's manpower and resources for global war.

The gray brown 6-cent sheet stamp was issued January 28, 1966, in Hyde Park, New York. The sheet stamp was produced from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 10.5 x 11 perforations. The stamp was also produced as a vertical coil and booklet panes and issued December 28, 1967, in Washington, District of Columbia. The vertical booklet pane of eight 6-cent stamps was used in combination with the horizontal 1-cent Jefferson pane of eight. The horizontal booklet pane of six 6-cent stamps was used in combination with the vertical 2-cent Frank Lloyd Wright booklet pane of six. The later booklet was sold only through vending machines, at an even one dollar, requiring both the Roosevelt and Wright panes to have slogan labels substituted for one stamp on each pane. A revised horizontal coil version that accommodated stamp-affixing machines was issued on February 28, 1968, in the District of Columbia.

The stamp was designed by Richard Lyon Clark based on a photograph of the president with Winston Churchill during the signing of the Atlantic Charter. Robert J Jones and Howard C. Mildner (vignette) and Howard F. Sharpless (lettering) engraved the stamp.

The 6-cent FDR stamp was used to pay the domestic first-class letter rate when that rate became six cents on January 7, 1968. The stamp was also used in combination with other denominations to cover existing rates.

Roger S. Brody

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6-cent Dwight D. Eisenhower single

Four years after issuing the 6-cent Franklin D. Roosevelt stamp, the Post Office Department introduced a new 6-cent stamp honoring Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969). As general and supreme commander of the Allied forces, Eisenhower was chief architect of the Normandy invasion and allied victory in Europe during World War II. The popular Eisenhower was elected the nation's thirty-fourth president and served two terms. As president, he quickly negotiated a truce that brought an armed peace along the border of North and South Korea. Eisenhower, from a position of military strength n the early years of the Cold War, promoted cooperation with the Soviet Union. He pursued a strong but controlled military and emphasized a balanced budget. He sent federal troops into Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 to assure desegregation of schools in compliance with the federal court orders. He also ordered complete desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The dark blue gray 6-cent stamp was issued in sheets, horizontal coils, and horizontal booklets panes on August 6, 1970, in Washington, District of Columbia. The sheet stamp was produced from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The horizontal booklet panes of eight 6-cent stamps were used in combination with the horizontal 1-cent Jefferson pane of eight.

Robert Geissmann based his design for the stamp on a photograph by George Tames of The New York Times. Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette, and Kenneth C. Wiram engraved the lettering.

The 6-cent Eisenhower stamp paid the domestic first-class letter rate, and it was also used in combination with other denominations to cover existing rates.

Roger S. Brody

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7-cent Benjamin Franklin single

The Prominent Americans Issues features an image of Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) on the 7-cent stamp. In a 1978 tribute, the U.S. Postal Service described Franklin as “a printer, newspaper publisher, and author of Poor Richard’s Almanack. He founded or helped to establish the first American hospital, subscription library, volunteer fire and paid police departments, the American Philosophical Society, and the University of Pennsylvania. He was a scientist and inventor (lightning rod, bifocals, and the stove that bears his name). He was a patriot and public servant. He served as a member of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence, and was the first Postmaster General (of the British colonies). As a diplomat, he negotiated the treaty of alliance with France and the peace treaty with Great Britain. He was unquestionably the best known and most admired man in colonial America and one of the greatest figures of the eighteenth century.”

After George Washington, Benjamin Franklin has been the most honored American on U.S. postage stamps.

The 7-cent bright blue Franklin stamp was issued in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 20, 1972. The stamp was produced as a sheet stamp printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 10.5 x 11 perforations. Bill Hyde designed the stamp based on an oil painting by David Martin. The style of the “7C” is taken from Poor Richard’s Almanack. T.F. Kronen engraved the vignette, and Howard F. Sharpless engraved the lettering.

The 7-cent Franklin stamp initially paid the seven-cent domestic postcard rate that went in effect September 14, 1975, and lasted only three months, changing to nine cents on December 31. Two Franklin stamps could pay several fourteen-cent rates, including the domestic air postcard, third-class single piece per two ounce and, later, the foreign surface postcard rate. Three Franklin stamps at various times could pay the twenty-one cent foreign airmail letter rate and, later, the foreign air postcard and surface postcard rates.

Roger S. Brody

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8-cent Albert Einstein single

The initial 8-cent stamp of the Prominent Americans Issue honors Albert Einstein (1879–1955). As a young man, the German-born mathematician wrote several papers, three on Brownian motion. The quantum theory photoelectric effect and special relativity are considered part of the foundation of modern physics. Though most noted for his theories on relativity, Einstein received the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his work on the photoelectric effect.

When Adolph Hitler came to power in January 1933, Einstein was a guest professor at Princeton University, a position which he had taken in December 1932. Einstein renounced his Prussian citizenship and stayed in the United States, where he was given permanent residency. He accepted a position at the newly-founded Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and became an American citizen in 1940.

Einstein was instrumental in the 1933 foundation of the International Rescue Committee to assist opponents of Adolph Hitler. Having noted Hitler’s interest in developing an atomic weapon, in 1939 he urged President Roosevelt to sanction the study of nuclear fission for military purposes. This was the impetus for the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atom bomb.

Einstein’s fame within the world of science and popular culture is unlike that of any other scientist, and his name has become synonymous with intelligence and genius.

The 8-cent violet Einstein stamp was issued in Princeton, New Jersey, on March 14, 1966. It was produced as a sheet stamp printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The stamp, designed by Frank Sebastiano, was based on a photograph taken in 1946 by Philippe Halsman. Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette, and George A. Payne engraved the lettering. This was the first time Einstein appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 8-cent Einstein stamp paid the eight-cent domestic airmail letter rate and later the domestic air postcard and the foreign surface postcard rates.

Roger S. Brody

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8-cent Dwight D. Eisenhower single

When the domestic first-class letter rate increased to eight cents on May 16, 1971, the 6-cent Eisenhower stamp was re-engraved with the new 8-cent denomination. The stamp was issued in sheet, coil, and booklet formats. The sheet stamp was the first and only multicolored stamp of the Prominent American Issue. The black, red, and blue-gray 8-cent Eisenhower sheet stamp was printed on the Bureau’s three-color Intaglio Giori press, in use since 1957. This was a sheet fed press that printed from four plates of four hundred subjects in panes of one hundred with gauge 11 perforations.

The coil and booklet versions were mono-colored claret stamps printed on the Huck/Cottrell web mono-color intaglio presses. These rotary presses, in use since 1955, printed roll-to-roll from two curved plates mounted together around a cylinder forming a perfect circle. The plate layout was four hundred subjects in quadrants (panes) of one hundred.

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8c Dwight D. Eisenhower single

The 8-cent coil stamps were produced in a horizontal format. The booklet panes were produced in horizontal panes of eight stamp and vertical panes of six stamps. Both formats utilized slogan stamp labels to produce even dollar booklets. The vertical panes of six were used in combination with the 1-cent Jefferson stamp panes to produce a one dollar booklet for use in vending machines.

The multicolored and mono-colored 8-cent sheet, coil, and booklet stamps were issued on May 10, 1971, in Washington, District of Columbia. In addition to paying the domestic first-class letter rate, the 8-cent stamps were used as multiples and with other denomination to cover existing rates.

Roger S. Brody

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10-cent Andrew Jackson single

The 10¢ Andrew Jackson (1767 – 1845) stamp honors the seventh president of the United States. Jackson won fame for his military victory at the battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. Popular with the masses because of his “log cabin” beginnings, Jackson was a deft politician who created the Democratic party, the first modern political party in our nation’s history.

Jackson’s persona as a man of the people can best stated in his own words: “Every man is equally entitled to protection by law; but when the laws undertake to add artificial distinctions, to grant titles, gratuities, and exclusive privileges, to make the rich richer and to potent more powerful, the humble members of society–the farmers, mechanics, and laborers–who have neither the time nor the means of securing the favors to themselves, have a right to complain of the injustice of their government.”

The 10¢ lilac Jackson stamp was issued in Hermitage, Tennessee on Mar. 17, 1967, the 200th anniversary of Jackson’s birth. The stamp was produced in sheet format printed from plates of 400 and sold in panes of 100 stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The stamp, designed by Lester Beall was based on a portrait by Thomas Sully which hangs in the National Gallery of Art. The engravers were Arthur W. Dintaman (vignette) and Howard F. Sharpless (lettering).

The 10¢ Jackson stamp paid a variety of rates and services including the 10¢ domestic air mail letter, the return receipt fee and later the domestic first class letter rate, the third class single per 2 oz and foreign surface post card rates. The stamp was frequently used as multiples and in combination with other denominations to cover existing rates.

Roger S. Brody

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12-cent Henry Ford single

Henry Ford (1863–1947), the subject of the 12-cent stamp of the series, once said, “I will build a motor car for the great multitude.” The mass production process introduced by Ford in the manufacture of automobiles revolutionized the machine age. In 1908 Ford introduced assembly line production with the Model T automobile, a single model with a standardized chassis constructed of interchangeable parts.

In 1914, eleven years after establishing his first automobile factory, Ford doubled the daily wage of most of his workers. In doing so, he enhanced loyalty and productivity; he also increased the buying power of his workers, a key to his goal—building cars for the masses.

In releasing the Henry Ford stamp, it was said, “His methods of mass production were responsible for transforming the automobile from a luxury for the rich to and affordable necessity for the common man. In doing so, he profoundly influenced the mobility and lifestyle of generations of Americans.”

The black 12-cent Henry Ford stamp was issued in Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1968. It was produced as a sheet stamp printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 10.5 x 11 perforations. The stamp was designed by Norman Todhunter based on a Ford Motor Company photograph in the book "Ford-Decline and Rebirth" by Nevins and Hill. The stamp’s background pictures a 1909 Model T Ford touring car. Edward R. Flever (vignette) and William R. Burnell (lettering) engraved the stamp. This was the first time Henry Ford appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 12-cent Ford stamp paid two times the domestic first-class letter rate, the third-class single per two-ounce and later the foreign surface postcard rate. The stamp was also used in combination with other denominations to cover existing rates.

Roger S. Brody

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13-cent John F. Kennedy single

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), the nation's thirty-fifth president, is honored on the 13-cent stamp. Kennedy, a naval officer who served in the South Pacific in World War II, served as both congressman and senator from Massachusetts. He was elected president in 1960.

Kennedy’s presidency was highlighted by confrontations with the Soviet Union and Communist China, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin wall, and events bringing the country into the Vietnam War. It was Kennedy’s resolve to achieve superiority over the Russians in the space race and to put a man on the moon. The Civil Rights movement heavily influenced his domestic programs.

Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. The assassination had a traumatic impact on the nation and the political history of the ensuing decades. He was one of four sitting presidents to be assassinated, the other three being Abraham Lincoln (1865), James Garfield (1881), and William McKinley (1901).

Issued in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1967, the 13-cent brown Kennedy stamp was produced as a sheet stamp printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The stamp was designed by Stevan Dohanos based on a photograph by Jacques Loew in the book "The Kennedy Years." Arthur W. Dintaman (vignette) and Howard F. Sharpless (lettering) engraved the stamp.

The 13-cent Kennedy stamp paid the foreign surface letter and air postcard rates. The stamp later paid the 13-cent domestic airmail letter rate, the third-class single per two-ounce and postcard rates. The stamp was also used to pay the second ounce when the domestic first-class letter rate went to fifteen cents.

Roger S. Brody

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14-cent Fiorello Henry LaGuardia single

The 14-cent stamp of the Prominent American Series features one of New York City’s most beloved and colorful mayors, Fiorello H. La Guardia (1882–1947). After working for the U.S. Consular and Immigration services, La Guardia graduated with a law degree from New York University. He continued his public service career, serving as deputy attorney general of New York in 1914. In 1916 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he developed a reputation as an outspoken reformer. La Guardia served as a decorated pilot at the Italian front in World War I, attaining the rank of major. Upon returning, he again won a seat in Congress in 1922, were he sponsored labor legislation and argued for less restrictive immigration.

In 1933, at the height of the Depression, La Guardia was elected mayor of New York City. For the next twelve years, the 5' 2" La Guardia, affectionately named “Little Flower,” dominated life in New York City. He ferreted out corruption and reformed city government. LaGuardia earned a reputation for placing the city's interests ahead of political considerations. He secured federal subsidies that enabled the city to create a transportation network envied by many large cities around the world, build parks, low income housing, bridges, schools, and hospitals. He reformed the structure of city government, creating a new City Charter. He presided over construction of New York City's first municipal airport on Flushing Bay, later appropriately named "La Guardia Airport."

Speaking weekly on the radio, La Guardia gained the respect and confidence of New Yorkers and once used that medium to read the comics to New Yorkers during a citywide newspaper strike. In 1945 La Guardia, the city’s first three-term mayor, declined to run for a fourth term. After leaving office, he hosted a weekly radio show and was appointed director general of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.

The Postal Service issued the 14-cent gray brown La Guardia stamp on April 24, 1972, in New York City. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. Robert Geissmann based his design for the stamp on a photograph by George Fayer. The stamp’s background is a part of the New York City skyline and features the Empire State Building. Arthur W. Dintaman and Robert G. Culin executed the engraving. This was the first time Fiorello La Guardia appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 14-cent stamp paid the domestic air postcard rate and, later, the third-class single per two-ounce and foreign surface postcard rates. The stamp was also used in combination with other denominations to cover existing rates.

Roger S. Brody

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15-cent Oliver Wendell Holmes Type I single

United States Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841–1935) is the subject of the Prominent Americans 15-cent stamp. After graduating from Harvard University in 1861, Holmes enlisted in the Union Army, saw considerable action, and was wounded at Antietam and Fredericksburg. After the war, he returned to Harvard to study law, was admitted to the bar in 1866, and then practiced in Boston, his hometown. In 1870 Holmes became editor of the American Law Review. In 1882 he became a professor at Harvard Law School and a justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. As chief justice of that court, Holmes became known for decisions that balanced property rights with the rule of the majority and his advocacy of workers’ rights to organize trade unions.

Theodore Roosevelt name Holmes to the United States Supreme Court in 1902. On that bench, Holmes was known for his pithy and often-quoted opinions. He was criticized for his allegedly elitist personal attitudes, though he himself chastised his colleagues’ unconscious biases regarding questions of economic policy. Holmes was a strong critic of the Supreme Court's 'liberty of contract' doctrine, which was frequently invoked to strike down progressive economic legislation.

Holmes was a strong advocate of freedom of speech, famously declaring that the First Amendment would not protect a person "falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic." He formulated the “clear and present danger” doctrine to evaluate government speech restrictions in 1919’s Schenk vs. United States, the first notable First Amendment "freedom of speech" opinion in the Court's history.

Holmes retired from the Supreme Court in January 1932. At the age of ninety, he was the oldest serving justice in the Court’s history.

The 15-cent magenta Holmes stamp was issued on March 8, 1968, in the District of Columbia. The stamp was issued in sheet format printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. When the domestic first-class letter rate increased to fifteen cents a decade later, a smaller version of the Holmes stamp was issued on June 14, 1978, as a vertical booklet pane of eight stamps. At the same time a re-engraved image was used to produce additional sheet stamps and a new horizontal coil stamps. The Holmes design thus incorporates three different cataloged die types.

Richard Hurd based his design for the Holmes stamp on a National Photos photograph in the April 8, 1951, issue of The New York Times. Joseph H. Creamer engraved the vignette, and Howard F. Sharpless engraved the lettering. This was the first time Oliver Wendall Holmes had appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 15-cent stamp initially paid the North, Central, and South American airmail letter rate and, later, the foreign surface letter and foreign air postcard rates and the return receipt fee. In 1978 the stamp was extensively used to pay the fifteen-cent domestic first-class letter rate.

Roger S. Brody

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16-cent Ernie Pyle single

The subject of the 16-cent Prominent Americans stamp is journalist Ernest “Ernie” T. Pyle (1900–1945). Born in Indiana, Pyle wrote for local newspapers before moving to Washington, D.C., where he became an aviation columnist and then the managing editor of the Washington Daily News.

When the United States entered World War II, Pyle became a war correspondent. He reported from the United States, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific. He reported the conflict from the perspective of the common soldier, and this unique style won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1944. One of his columns urged that soldiers engaged in fighting should get combat pay just as airmen were paid 'flight pay'. When Congress passed combat pay legislation, it was named the “Ernie Pyle Bill.”

Pyle will killed by enemy fire in April 18, 1945, while reporting in the Pacific. He is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. One of the best know correspondents of World War II, Pyle was also the enlisted man's favorite.

The Postal Service issued the 16-cent brown Pyle stamp on May 7, 1971, in the District of Columbia. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. Robert Geissmann based his design for the stamp on an Alfred Eisenstaedt photograph published in Life magazine in 1944. The stamp was engraved by Edward P. Archer (vignette) and Howard F. Sharpless (lettering). This was the first time Ernie Pyle appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 16-cent stamp paid the two times domestic first-class letter rate and was used in combination with other denominations to cover existing rates.

Roger S. Brody

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18-cent Elizabeth Blackwell single

Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) is honored on the 18-cent stamp of the Prominent Americans Series. Blackwell was a pioneer and roll model for women in the medical profession at a time when few women were admitted to medical schools. She was the first woman to receive a medical degree, graduating at the head of her class from Geneva Medical College in 1849. Barred from practice in most hospitals, she opened her own clinic, which later became the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. She was the sister-in-law of feminist Lucy Stone.

When the Civil War began, Blackwell trained nurses, and in 1868 she founded a Medical College for Women at the Infirmary to formally train women as physicians. In 1869, leaving her sister Emily in charge of the college, she went to England, where, with Florence Nightingale, she opened the Women’s Medical College. Blackwell taught at the newly-created London School of Medicine for Women and became the first female doctor in the U.K. Medical Register.

The violet 18-cent Blackwell stamp was issued on January 20, 1974, in Geneva, New York, where she had received her medical degree 125 years earlier. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. Robert Geissmann designed the issue, and Edward P. Archer and A. Saaverdra executed the engraving. Elizabeth Blackwell had never before appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 18-cent stamp paid the foreign surface letter and air postcard rates and later was used to pay the domestic first class letter rate.

Roger S. Brody

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20-cent George Marshall single

George C. Marshall (1880–1959) is the subject of the 20-cent stamp of the Prominent Americans series. Marshall had a long and distinguished military career. A graduate of the Virginia Military Academy, he served with the American expeditionary forces in France during World War I.

Between the world wars, Marshall served as a key planner and writer in the War Department, focusing on training and teaching modern, mechanised warfare. By 1936 he had risen to the rank of brigadier general. President Roosevelt selected Marshall to be U.S. Army chief of staff in 1939, a position he held until 1945. He was the first U.S. five star “General of the Army.” During World War II, Marshall was the chief military strategist for the Allies, directing forces in both the European and Pacific theaters of operation.

After the war Marshall served as Truman's secretary of state, and as such he introduced the European Recovery Program, popularly know as the 'Marshall Plan', for which he was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. He also served briefly as president of the American Red Cross and was secretary of defense during he Korean War.

The deep olive 20-cent Marshall stamp was issued the 20th anniversary of the Marshall Plan, October 24, 1967, in Lexington, Virginia. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued regulations in the late 1970s requiring the use of lead-free inks, the Bureau found it difficult to match deep olive ink used for the 20-cent stamp, and so the Marshall stamp is also cataloged with a 'black olive' shade variety.

The stamp was designed by Robert Geissmann based on a Life magazine photograph of Marshall taken when he was chief of staff. Arthur W. Dintaman (vignette) and Kenneth C. Wiram (lettering) engraved the stamp. This was the first time George Marshall had appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 18-cent stamp paid the foreign surface letter and air postcard rates and later was used to pay the domestic first-class letter rate.

Roger S. Brody

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21-cent Amadeo P. Giannini single

The 21-cent stamp of the Prominent American Series features an image of Amadeo P. Giannini (1870–1949). Giannini’s life mirrors the classic Horatio Alger 'American Dream' story. Born to Italian immigrant parents, he left school at thirteen. On Oct. 17, 1904, he opened the Bank of Italy in a former San Francisco saloon, taking in deposits of $8,780. When the 1906 great earthquake hit, Giannini was forced to run his bank from a plank across two barrels in the street. By 1915 he had expanded and opened several branches. His enterprise became the Bank of America in 1928.

At his death in 1949, Giannini headed the largest bank in the United States and the largest private banking system in the world. He pioneered statewide branch banking and introduced diversified financial services such as home loans, payable in monthly installments, and loans on modest collateral to small depositors and investors.

The 21-cent green Giannini stamp was issued on June 27, 1973, in San Mateo, California. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. Robert Geissmann designed the issue based on a photograph by the Moulin Studio in San Francisco. Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette, and Howard F. Sharpless engraved the lettering. This was the first time Amadeo Giannini appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 21-cent stamp paid the foreign airmail letter rate. It later paid the foreign air postcard rate. A multiple of ten stamps could be used when the registry rate went to $2.10 on July 18, 1976.

Roger S. Brody

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25-cent Frederick Douglass single

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass (1817–1895) is the subject of the Prominent Americans Issue's 25-cent stamp. Douglass was the best known and most influential Black spokesman for the abolitionist movement in the nineteenth century. Born a slave, he escaped to the North, where he became an anti-slavery leader. The self-educated Douglass published his own newspaper in 1847, which not only championed emancipation but also women’s rights. He collaborated with the white abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips, and he lectured extensively at anti-slavery conventions across the nation. Douglass's best-known work is his autobiography, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave," which was published in 1845.

Douglass conferred with President Lincoln on the treatment of black soldiers and with President Andrew Johnson on the subject of black suffrage. During the Reconstruction period, he was appointed to the territorial legislature of the District of Columbia and subsequently served as police commissioner and later as minister to Haiti.

The 25-cent rose lake Douglass stamp was issued on February 14, 1967, in the District of Columbia. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The stamp was also printed as 'magenta' due to an inadequately cleaned ink fountain that had been used to produce the 15-cent Holmes magenta-colored stamp. The stamp was designed by Walter DuBois Richards, based on a photograph approved by Douglass’s descendants. Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette, and Kenneth C. Wiram engraved the lettering. This was the first time Frederick Douglass appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 25-cent stamp paid the foreign airmail letter rate to Asia, and later to North, Central, and South American. The stamp also paid the twenty-five cents Special Handling fee and was used extensively as multiples and with other denomination to pay existing postage rates.

Roger S. Brody

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30-cent John Dewey single

A portrait of John Dewey (1859–1952) is featured on the 30-cent stamp of the Prominent American Series. An American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, Dewey is recognized as one the founders of the philosophical school of thought known as “pragmatism.” He is renowned for his progressive educational theories, which stressed experience and problem solving.

Dewey received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1884, taught at the University of Michigan for a decade, and then joined the faculty at the University of Chicago, where he established and directed the laboratory school. His experience with the lab school provided the opportunity to apply his developing ideas about learning and teaching. He resigned in 1904 after a disagreement with the staff. The Department of Philosophy at Columbia University immediately welcomed him, and he spent the remainder of his career at Columbia. He wrote an extensive body of texts on psychology, human nature and conduct, habit in human behavior, democracy, aesthetics, religion, as well as an examination of fascism.

The 30-cent red lilac Dewey stamp was issued on October 21, 1968, in his birthplace, Burlington, Vermont. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 10.5 x 11 perforations. The stamp was designed by Richard Clark based on one of Dr. Dewey’s favorite photographs. Edward P. Archer engraved the vignette, and William R. Burnell engraved the lettering. This was the first time John Dewey had appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 30-cent stamp paid the special delivery and the certified mail fees and later the special handling fee. The stamp was also used as multiples and with other denominations to pay existing postal rates and fees.

Roger S. Brody

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40-cent Thomas Paine single

The 40-cent stamp of the Prominent Americans Series portrays Thomas Paine (1737-1809). Paine, born in Thetford, England, engaged in a variety of vocations before attracting the attention of Benjamin Franklin, who resided in London at the time. Paine’s political treatise to Parliament for better pay and working conditions for excisemen impressed Benjamin Franklin, who sponsored Paine's immigration to Philadelphia in 1774. Franklin opened doors in the publishing world for Paine, whose eloquent and powerful writing, most notably his "Common Sense," spurred the colonies' thrust toward independence. "The American Crisis," a series of pamphlets written by Paine, inspired colonists throughout the bitter struggle for independence. Its opening line—"These are the times that try men's souls. . . ."—remains one of the most quoted in American history. The radical Paine was staunchly anti-slavery and was one of the first to advocate a world peace organization and social security for the poor and elderly, ideas also proposed by radicals during the French Revolution of 1789.

The 40-cent blue black Paine stamp was issued on January 29, 1968, in Philadelphia. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. Robert Geissmann based his design for the stamp on a portrait by John Wesley Jarvis which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, District of Columbia. Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette, and Robert G. Culin engraved the lettering. This was Thomas Paine’s first appearance on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 40-cent stamp paid the foreign airmail letter rate to Europe and Asia but was most often used as multiples and with other denominations to pay existing postal rates and fees.

Roger S. Brody

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50-cent Lucy Stone single

Lucy Stone (1818–1893) is depicted on the 50-cent stamp of the Prominent Americans Issue. She is recognized for her pioneering work for women’s suffrage, abolition, and the temperance movement.

Stone graduated from Oberlin College, the first woman of Massachusetts to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Though married to Henry Blackwell, a noted abolitionist and brother of Elizabeth Blackwell (who appears on the 18-cent Prominent Americans stamp), Stone used her maiden name as a lecturer, writer, and lobbyist in her crusade for the legal rights of women. She helped organize the first national women’s rights convention in 1850 and the American Woman Suffrage Association in 1869. The following year she founded the Woman’s Journal, a publication she edited for the rest of her life. After her death, her daughter, Alice Stone Blackwell, edited the publication.

Her steadfast refusal to be known by her husband’s name, an assertion of her own rights and identity, garners additional acclaim for Stone. Women who continue using their maiden names after marriage are occasionally known as “Lucy Stoners” in the United States.

The 50-cent rose magenta Stone stamp was issued on August 13, 1968, in Dorchester, Massachusetts. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. Mark English based his design for the stamp on a photograph in a biography of Lucy Stone by her daughter, Alice Stone Blackwell. Edward R. Felver engraved the vignette, and Robert G. Culin engraved the lettering. This was the first time Lucy Stone had appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 50-cent stamp paid the special handling fee and was most often used as multiples and with other denominations to pay existing postal rates.

Roger S. Brody

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$1 Eugene O'Neill single

Eugene O’Neill (1888–1953), America's most honored playwright, is pictured on the 1-dollar stamp of the Prominent Americans Series. After Shakespeare and Shaw, Eugene O’Neill is probably the most translated and produced playwright of all time. His melodramas, musicals, and farces transformed the American theatre into a serious literary medium.

O’Neill’s plays, like his life, often described the downtrodden and those on the fringes of society who struggle to maintain their hopes and aspirations. In addition to his four Pulitzer Prize winning plays—Beyond the Horizon (1920), Anna Christie (1922), Strange Interlude (1928), and Long Days Journey into Night (1957)—other highly regarded works include Desire Under the Elms, Mourning Becomes Electra, and Ah, Wilderness. In 1936 O’Neill received the Nobel Prize for Literature. Ten years later he wrote his most renowned play, The Iceman Cometh.

The 1-dollar dull purple O’Neill stamp was issued on October 16, 1967, in New London, Connecticut. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The stamp was also issued as a horizontal coil on January 12, 1973, in New Hempstead, New York. Norman Todhunter designed the stamp, basing his work on a photograph in the September 22, 1957, issue of The New York Times. Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette, and Robert G. Culin engraved the lettering. Eugene O’Neill had never before appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 1-dollar stamp paid the priority mail (up to one pound) rate and was used as multiples to pay higher priority and express mail rates and business reply postage and, with other denominations, to pay existing postal rates and fees.

Roger S. Brody

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$5 John Bassett Moore single

The 5-dollar stamp of the Prominent Americans Series features John Bassett Moore (1860–1947). Moore, a jurist and diplomat, was a renowned authority on international law. He was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1883. After clerking at the U.S. Department of State, he became assistant secretary of state. In 1891 he accepted a full professorship of international law at Columbia University, a position he held until 1924. Moore became a government advisor on international commissions and inter-American conferences. He represented the United States as a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague from 1912 until 1938 and served as a judge of the Permanent Court of International Justice (the World Court) from 1921 until 1928.

The 5-dollar gray black Moore stamp was issued in Moore's birthplace, Smyrna, Delaware, on December 3, 1966. The sheet stamp was printed from plates of four hundred and sold in panes of one hundred stamps with gauge 11 x 10.5 perforations. The stamp was designed by Thomas Laufer based on a photograph that appeared in the September 1966 issue of the American Bar Association Journal. Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette, and William R. Burnell engraved the lettering. John Bassett Moore had never before appeared on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 5-dollar stamp was used to pay high priority and express mail rates and business reply postage and, with other denominations, to pay existing postal rates and fees.

Roger S. Brody

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