1918 Curtiss Jenny airmail stamps

The 1918 Curtiss Jenny Air Mail Stamps were a set of three Airmail postage stamps issued by the United States in 1918.[1] The 24¢ variety was the first of the stamps to be issued, and was in fact, America's first Airmail stamp. (The world's first airmail stamp was issued by Italy in 1917[2]). The 16¢ and 6¢ varieties were issued later in the year to reflect reductions in the postage rate. It features the image of the Curtiss JN-4 airplane.

Curtiss Jenny Airmail Stamps
TypeAirmail stamp
Country of issueUnited States
Country of productionUnited States
DesignerClair Aubrey Huston
EngraverEdward Weeks (frame), Marcus W. Baldwin (vignette)
PrinterBureau of Engraving and Printing
Dimensions2.54 cm X 2.54 cm
Perforation11
CommemoratesU.S. Army's Curtiss airplane
DepictsU.S. Army's Curtiss airplane
Notabilityfirst U.S. airmail stamp, world's first definitive airmail stamp, first bicolored airmail stamp, first airmail stamp printed with an error, first airmail stamp produced for a regular service
Face value6¢, 16¢, 24¢

The order of the Scott Catalog numbers[3] for these stamps (C1 through C3) is the inverse of the order of release dates for the stamps.

Individual stamp designs

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Design Scott Catalog Numbers Date of Issue Image
6¢ Curtiss Jenny C1 Dec. 10, 1918  
16¢ Curtiss Jenny C2 July 11, 1918  
24¢ Curtiss Jenny C3 May 13, 1918  

Inverted Jenny error

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The unique plate block, Positions 87-88 and 97-98, original gum previously hinged, owned by Stuart Weitzman as of March 11, 2021.[4]

A single sheet of 100 of the two-color 24¢ was printed with the center design inverted, thus creating the Inverted Jenny.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Kirker, Joe. "24c Curtiss Jenny single". Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  2. ^ Miller, Rick. "Landmarks of airmail history: who's on first?". Linn's Stamp News. Amos Media Company. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  3. ^ Bigalke, Jay (April 1, 2020). 2021 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue - Volume 1 (US & A-B) (177th ed.). Scott Publishing. ISBN 0894875825.
  4. ^ "POSITION 87 ⇒ BLOCK 87-88/97-98".
  5. ^ "Production of the Inverted Jenny". InvertedJenny.com. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
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