1995 32c Civil War: Monitor-Virginia
# 2975a - 1995 32c Civil War: Monitor-Virginia
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U.S. #2975a
1995 32¢ Monitor and Virginia
Civil War
- Issued for the 130th anniversary of the Civil War
- From the second pane in the Classic Collections Series
- Declared the most popular stamps of 1995 by the USPS
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Civil War 130th Anniversary
Value: 32¢, rate for first-class mail
First Day of Issue: June 29, 1995
First Day City: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Quantity Issued: 15,000,000
Printed by: Stamp Venturers
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 20 in sheets of 120
Perforations: 10.1
Why the stamp was issued: To mark the 130th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.
About the stamp design: The Civil War stamps featured artwork by Mark Hess, who had previously produced the artwork for the Legends of the West sheet. The USPS explained that they liked his painting style because of its “folksy stiffness,” that “emulates people standing uncomfortably in front of daguerreotype cameras.”
Hess found this stamp to be one of the most challenging – picturing two large horizontal ships on a vertical stamp. And most existing images of the ships and battle were horizontal. Hess opted to picture the ships from above, with the USS Monitor in the foreground and the CSS Virginia behind it. After the stamp was released, a collector pointed out that the Confederate flag on the Virginia was inaccurate – the white bar in the middle should stop at the blue canton, but is show extending all the way to edge.
First Day City: The official first day ceremony was held at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the site of one of the war’s most famous battles. Because they received a large number of requests, the USPS made the stamps available for sale across the country the same day.
Unusual facts about the Civil War stamps: The Civil War sheet was available by mail order in uncut press sheets of six panes. Of these, 20,000 were signed by stamp artist Mark Hess. The USPS also produced a set of postcards featuring the same images as the stamps (US #UX200-19). Imperforate and partially imperforate error panes have also been found.
About the Civil War Stamps: The Civil War stamp sheet featured 16 individuals – eight from the Union and eight from the Confederacy. The four battles in the corners included one victory for each side and two that are considered draws.
This was the second sheet in the Classic Collections Series following the famed Legends of the West sheet. Stamps in this series follow a similar format – 20 stamps, a decorative header, and information about each stamp printed on its back under the gum.
Plans for the Civil War sheet began while the 1994 Legends of the West sheet was still in its planning stage. The USPS believed that the Civil War was a natural addition to the new series and would be informational for the public. Initially the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee rejected the idea, saying they should wait 20 years for the 50th anniversary of the war. But they were eventually swayed and the Civil War stamps were created. A group of historians were tasked with making a list of protentional subjects and Shelby Foote was hired to make the final selections. Foote was an expert in the Civil War, having written a three-volume history of the war and been featured in Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series on the war.
The USPS wanted the Civil War stamps to have more action to them – so only the two presidents were depicted in traditional portraits. The rest of the individuals were placed in the field or amidst an activity. After the Legends of the West mix-up, in which the Bill Pickett stamp mistakenly pictured his brother Ben, the USPS completely revamped their research process. The release of the 20 Civil War stamps marked the most extensive effort in the history of the USPS to review and verify the historical accuracy of stamp subjects. As Hess completed each version of his paintings, they were sent to a panel of experts who commented on the historical accuracy of everything from the weather to belt buckles.
Some of the people and battles featured in the Civil War sheet had appeared on US stamps before. This was also the second time the Civil War was honored – a set of five stamps (US #1178-82) was issued for the centennial in the 1960s. And from 2011-15, the USPS issued a series of stamps for the war’s 150th anniversary (US #4522/4981).
History the stamp represents: On March 9, 1862, the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimack) fought in the first battle between two ironclad warships. The battle changed naval warfare around the world, as major navies halted construction of wooden ships to build iron monitors.
On April 17, 1861, Virginia seceded from the Union. Three days later, the United States Navy evacuated the navy yard near Norfolk, Virginia. The Union left so quickly, they abandoned equipment and did not destroy the structures as well as they intended to. The Confederate Navy immediately moved in and found gunpowder, construction materials, a dry dock, and over 1,000 heavy guns. The Federal troops had scuttled and sunk ships, including the USS Merrimack. The hull and engines were salvaged and rebuilt as the Confederacy’s first ironclad. On February 17, 1862, the newly commissioned ship was renamed the CSS Virginia, though it is commonly referred to as the Merrimack.
The Northern Navy was building an iron-plated steamship of its own. Swedish inventor John Ericsson designed a ship that would ride very low in the water. It was described as “a cheese box on a raft.” Unlike ships of its time, guns were not stationed along the sides, but two guns were housed in a round, rotating turret. This made it possible to fire at opposing ships from any direction, rather than only from the side. The USS Monitor was completed on January 30, 1862.
On the morning of March 8, 1862, the Merrimack steamed up the Elizabeth River to break the Union blockade of Hampton Roads. As it entered the “Roads,” or estuary, its first target was the Union sailing ship Cumberland. The wooden craft was no match for the ironclad. The Cumberland’s shells bounced off the iron plating. The Merrimack steamed right into the side of the Cumberland with its ram and the wooden boat sunk almost immediately.
The next ship under attack was the Union’s Congress. When the commander realized he was practically defenseless, he surrendered to the captain of the Merrimack. The USS Minnesota ran aground in water too shallow for the ironclad to reach, and darkness fell before much damage was done to the Union ship. The Merrimack returned to the naval yard for minor repairs. The commander planned to return in the morning to finish off the remainder of the Union fleet.
In the North, the Monitor was on its way to the Virginia coast. It arrived in the Chesapeake Bay on the evening of March 8 and traveled up the bay to Hampton Roads. Lieutenant John Worden was given orders to protect the grounded Minnesota.
When the Merrimack arrived the next morning to destroy the Union ships, it was met by the odd-looking Union ironclad. After hours of fighting, neither ship gained a clear victory. The shells that were so effective against wooden ships could not penetrate the thick metal armor. The Monitor withdrew temporarily when a shell fragment struck the pilothouse. The crew of the Merrimack thought the enemy was retreating, so they headed back to their harbor for much-needed repairs. When the Monitor returned, the opposing ship was gone, so the Union sailors assumed they had won the battle.
In the months following the battle, the Union blockade was strengthened by additional ironclads, and the North held on to Hampton Roads. This gave them continued access to the James River and the Confederate capital. Later in the year, the Confederates destroyed the Merrimack themselves when they realized the North had blocked their escape route.
Ironclads were used extensively in Civil War battles on the Mississippi and James Rivers, but the low profile of the Monitor proved a disadvantage on the open waters. While being towed to Beaufort, North Carolina, to help with the blockade there, it took on water and sank.
Both sides claimed victory in the “Battle of the Ironclads.” The governments praised the captains and crews for their bravery. News of the effectiveness of the iron-armored steamships traveled quickly to Europe. Production began immediately in England and France, and ironclads made wooden warships obsolete. The ships that took part in the Battle of Hampton Roads changed the face of naval warfare throughout the world.
U.S. #2975a
1995 32¢ Monitor and Virginia
Civil War
- Issued for the 130th anniversary of the Civil War
- From the second pane in the Classic Collections Series
- Declared the most popular stamps of 1995 by the USPS
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Civil War 130th Anniversary
Value: 32¢, rate for first-class mail
First Day of Issue: June 29, 1995
First Day City: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Quantity Issued: 15,000,000
Printed by: Stamp Venturers
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 20 in sheets of 120
Perforations: 10.1
Why the stamp was issued: To mark the 130th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.
About the stamp design: The Civil War stamps featured artwork by Mark Hess, who had previously produced the artwork for the Legends of the West sheet. The USPS explained that they liked his painting style because of its “folksy stiffness,” that “emulates people standing uncomfortably in front of daguerreotype cameras.”
Hess found this stamp to be one of the most challenging – picturing two large horizontal ships on a vertical stamp. And most existing images of the ships and battle were horizontal. Hess opted to picture the ships from above, with the USS Monitor in the foreground and the CSS Virginia behind it. After the stamp was released, a collector pointed out that the Confederate flag on the Virginia was inaccurate – the white bar in the middle should stop at the blue canton, but is show extending all the way to edge.
First Day City: The official first day ceremony was held at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the site of one of the war’s most famous battles. Because they received a large number of requests, the USPS made the stamps available for sale across the country the same day.
Unusual facts about the Civil War stamps: The Civil War sheet was available by mail order in uncut press sheets of six panes. Of these, 20,000 were signed by stamp artist Mark Hess. The USPS also produced a set of postcards featuring the same images as the stamps (US #UX200-19). Imperforate and partially imperforate error panes have also been found.
About the Civil War Stamps: The Civil War stamp sheet featured 16 individuals – eight from the Union and eight from the Confederacy. The four battles in the corners included one victory for each side and two that are considered draws.
This was the second sheet in the Classic Collections Series following the famed Legends of the West sheet. Stamps in this series follow a similar format – 20 stamps, a decorative header, and information about each stamp printed on its back under the gum.
Plans for the Civil War sheet began while the 1994 Legends of the West sheet was still in its planning stage. The USPS believed that the Civil War was a natural addition to the new series and would be informational for the public. Initially the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee rejected the idea, saying they should wait 20 years for the 50th anniversary of the war. But they were eventually swayed and the Civil War stamps were created. A group of historians were tasked with making a list of protentional subjects and Shelby Foote was hired to make the final selections. Foote was an expert in the Civil War, having written a three-volume history of the war and been featured in Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series on the war.
The USPS wanted the Civil War stamps to have more action to them – so only the two presidents were depicted in traditional portraits. The rest of the individuals were placed in the field or amidst an activity. After the Legends of the West mix-up, in which the Bill Pickett stamp mistakenly pictured his brother Ben, the USPS completely revamped their research process. The release of the 20 Civil War stamps marked the most extensive effort in the history of the USPS to review and verify the historical accuracy of stamp subjects. As Hess completed each version of his paintings, they were sent to a panel of experts who commented on the historical accuracy of everything from the weather to belt buckles.
Some of the people and battles featured in the Civil War sheet had appeared on US stamps before. This was also the second time the Civil War was honored – a set of five stamps (US #1178-82) was issued for the centennial in the 1960s. And from 2011-15, the USPS issued a series of stamps for the war’s 150th anniversary (US #4522/4981).
History the stamp represents: On March 9, 1862, the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimack) fought in the first battle between two ironclad warships. The battle changed naval warfare around the world, as major navies halted construction of wooden ships to build iron monitors.
On April 17, 1861, Virginia seceded from the Union. Three days later, the United States Navy evacuated the navy yard near Norfolk, Virginia. The Union left so quickly, they abandoned equipment and did not destroy the structures as well as they intended to. The Confederate Navy immediately moved in and found gunpowder, construction materials, a dry dock, and over 1,000 heavy guns. The Federal troops had scuttled and sunk ships, including the USS Merrimack. The hull and engines were salvaged and rebuilt as the Confederacy’s first ironclad. On February 17, 1862, the newly commissioned ship was renamed the CSS Virginia, though it is commonly referred to as the Merrimack.
The Northern Navy was building an iron-plated steamship of its own. Swedish inventor John Ericsson designed a ship that would ride very low in the water. It was described as “a cheese box on a raft.” Unlike ships of its time, guns were not stationed along the sides, but two guns were housed in a round, rotating turret. This made it possible to fire at opposing ships from any direction, rather than only from the side. The USS Monitor was completed on January 30, 1862.
On the morning of March 8, 1862, the Merrimack steamed up the Elizabeth River to break the Union blockade of Hampton Roads. As it entered the “Roads,” or estuary, its first target was the Union sailing ship Cumberland. The wooden craft was no match for the ironclad. The Cumberland’s shells bounced off the iron plating. The Merrimack steamed right into the side of the Cumberland with its ram and the wooden boat sunk almost immediately.
The next ship under attack was the Union’s Congress. When the commander realized he was practically defenseless, he surrendered to the captain of the Merrimack. The USS Minnesota ran aground in water too shallow for the ironclad to reach, and darkness fell before much damage was done to the Union ship. The Merrimack returned to the naval yard for minor repairs. The commander planned to return in the morning to finish off the remainder of the Union fleet.
In the North, the Monitor was on its way to the Virginia coast. It arrived in the Chesapeake Bay on the evening of March 8 and traveled up the bay to Hampton Roads. Lieutenant John Worden was given orders to protect the grounded Minnesota.
When the Merrimack arrived the next morning to destroy the Union ships, it was met by the odd-looking Union ironclad. After hours of fighting, neither ship gained a clear victory. The shells that were so effective against wooden ships could not penetrate the thick metal armor. The Monitor withdrew temporarily when a shell fragment struck the pilothouse. The crew of the Merrimack thought the enemy was retreating, so they headed back to their harbor for much-needed repairs. When the Monitor returned, the opposing ship was gone, so the Union sailors assumed they had won the battle.
In the months following the battle, the Union blockade was strengthened by additional ironclads, and the North held on to Hampton Roads. This gave them continued access to the James River and the Confederate capital. Later in the year, the Confederates destroyed the Merrimack themselves when they realized the North had blocked their escape route.
Ironclads were used extensively in Civil War battles on the Mississippi and James Rivers, but the low profile of the Monitor proved a disadvantage on the open waters. While being towed to Beaufort, North Carolina, to help with the blockade there, it took on water and sank.
Both sides claimed victory in the “Battle of the Ironclads.” The governments praised the captains and crews for their bravery. News of the effectiveness of the iron-armored steamships traveled quickly to Europe. Production began immediately in England and France, and ironclads made wooden warships obsolete. The ships that took part in the Battle of Hampton Roads changed the face of naval warfare throughout the world.