N. Y. C. & H. R. Steam Locomotive #938 and Pan-American Stamp of 1901

Built by the Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1898.

PAN-AMERICAN STAMPS OF 1901

The train of four cars is drawn by a four-drive locomotive. Four parallel tracks are shown. The vignette ground is oblong, the ends being rounded and the upper and lower sides projecting at the point of greatest diameter of the end curves and where the two meet in a corner. This upper line is slightly arched, while the lower line is straight and horizontal. The upper line of the border rises in the middle to conform to the opening below, and the device appears following this border line, outside of it. The words "United States of America" appear in two lines of two words each in the space between the borderline and the opening, or ground for the vignette. Leaning on the curved lines at each end of the opening is a winged female figure bearing a torch, and beneath this figure in each lower corner is the denominational numeral. The legend "Fast Express" and the words of denomination are located as in the 1-cent stamp.

The stamps of this series were placed on sale at post offices May 1, 1901, and were withdrawn from sale October 31, 1901, the dates fixed for the opening and closing of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, which they were issued to commemorate.

These stamps are of uniform dimensions, 76/100 by 1 6/100 of an inch, the longer side being horizontal. The borders take the colors of the regular series on the same denominations at this date. The words "Commemorative series, 1901", and "United States of America" next below appear above the vignette; the legend in a line next below the central opening, with the denomination in a line at the bottom, appears in the same order on all stamps of the series. All the lettering is in white Roman capitals. The numerals are all white-faced Arabic in the Roman type except the 10-cent, which is the block-letter type of figure condensed to secure space for the two figures. The borders are well separated from the central pictures, and the words of denomination at the bottom are preceded on the same line by the word "Postage". All the central illustrations are from photographs and are printed in black.

These stamps were first placed on sale May 1, 1901, at Buffalo, N.Y.

Source: Postage Stamps of the United States, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, 1970.

Archive # 1,861.