Pan American

The Pan American Exposition stamp set was issued in 1901 to commemorate the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. This was only the third set of commemorative stamps issued by the United States Post Office and the stamps were only available while the exposition was held from May 1, 1901 to October 31, 1901. Fortunately for stamp collectors, the stamps were sold allround the country. Buffalo at the time was one of the biggest cities in the US and had a booming economy supported by one of the nations top rail and water transport systems. Fittingly, the Pan American Exposition stamps featured transportation themes.

The exposition had exhibits featuring respective cultures from around the world such as “Fair Japan” and “African Village” as well as more fantastic displays such as “Trip to the Moon”, Darkness and Dawn” and “Dreamland”. The Pan American Exposition was likewise notorious as being the spot that President William McKinley was shot and killed by an anarchist. A boulder with an embedded plaque marks the spot to this day.

The stamp set consisted of six stamps. The one cent stamp features a Great Lakes Steamer, the 225 foot “City of Alpena” a steamer that was built in 1880 and was applied for transporting persons and cargo throughout the Great Lakes. The two cent stamp features a steam locomotive, the indispensable method of transportation all over the United States in those days. An early electric automobile is displayed on the four cent stamp (after 100 years, they’re in the end catching on!). The five cent stamp features the Bridge at Niagara Falls. Although not a method of transportation, the bridge was the greatest single span steel bridge in the world at the time and was an indispensable route among the United States and Canada. The eight cent “Canal Locks at Sault Sainte Marie” stamp featured another primary route amid the United States and Canada. The last stamp in the set, the ten cent American Line Steamship stamp, features the “St. Paul” an ocean going steamship that was applied for transport and also by the U.S. Navy in the Spanish American War.

These six stamps are not the only stamps that make up the set; three unintentional invert stamps were also produced. The two colors of the stamps were developed by running the sheets through two dissimilar printing presses, each printing a distinguished color. At some point the one cent, two cent and four cent stamps were run through the second press upside down, creating an inverted picture in the center of the stamp. These stamps are rather rare, and may cost thousands of dollars in good condition.

Pan American Pic

Pan American Image

Pan American Photo

Pan American Pic