1902–17 Second Bureau issue

If the stamps in the first Bureau issue are somewhat staid, those from the second Bureau issue can only be called ornate. Each of the 15 stamps in the set has a different frame, and collectively the stamps are sometimes called the “Gingerbread” series because of the complex and imaginative engraving around each vignette.

As was the case with the first Bureau issue, the second Bureau issue featured values ranging from 1¢ to $5. These include two different 2¢ designs picturing George Washington. The first stamp, which featured hanging flags as part of the framework, met with criticism, in part because of the redness of Washington’s nose. The replacement design used a simpler frame with a reworked portrait.

All of the stamps in this series were issued in normally perforated sheet form, but a few of the most popular values were also sold as perforated coils and imperforate sheets, which were privately perforated by vending machine manufacturers. The government-perforated coils rank among the great rarities of United States philately.

Green 1-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing Benjamin Franklin — Benjamin Franklin

Red 2-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing George Washington — George Washington

Purple 3-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing Andrew Jackson — Andrew Jackson

Brown 4-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing Ulysses S. Grant — Ulysses S. Grant

Blue 5-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing Abraham Lincoln — Abraham Lincoln

Carmine 6-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing James A. Garfield — James A. Garfield

Black 8-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing Martha Washington — Martha Washington

Brown 10-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing Daniel Webster — Daniel Webster

Purple 13-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing Benjamin Harrison — Benjamin Harrison

Olive 15-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing Henry Clay — Henry Clay

Orange 50-cent U.S. postage stamp picturing Thomas Jefferson — Thomas Jefferson

Black $1 U.S. postage stamp picturing David G. Farragut — David G. Farragut

In 1917, additional copies of the $2 and $5 values were issued. Sheet stamps from the initial printing are perf. 12, but the later stamps are perf. 10, which was the perforation gauge in use at the time they were produced.

Blue $2 U.S. postage stamp picturing James Madison — James Madison

Next: 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition

Published 2018-06-19