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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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  • 13c Harriet Tubman single
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13c Harriet Tubman single

Object Details

Description
Harriet Tubman (1820-1913) led hundreds of slaves to freedom along the underground railroad in the years leading up to the Civil War. Born a slave herself, she escaped in 1849 when she heard rumors of her anticipated sale further south. Over the next ten years, she returned south nineteen times to bring other slaves to freedom, including members of her own family. She served the Union Army during the Civil War as a scout and spy.
Harriet Tubman was the first African-American woman to be honored on a U.S. stamp, and the first honoree in the Black Heritage series. Initiated with this stamp in 1978, the USPS continues to issue a stamp featuring a notable Black American every February in conjunction with Black History Month and at other times during the year.
The 13-cent Harriet Tubman commemorative stamp was first available on February 1, 1978, at Washington, D.C.
mint
Credit line
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
February 1, 1978
Object number
1980.2493.6245
Issue Name
1978 Black Heritage Series Tubman
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive / photogravure
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Title
Scott Catalogue USA 1744
Topic
Humanitarian Causes
Black Heritage
The Cold War (1945-1990)
Women's Heritage
U.S. Stamps
Record ID
npm_1980.2493.6245
Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8aebc795d-2ee7-418e-9c3e-543829b72672

Related Object Groups

  • Marking Harriet Tubman's 200th Birthday
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Visit »

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

street map of Postal museum

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