US #3184m
1998 Lindbergh Flies Atlantic – Celebrate the Century (1920s)
• Part of the third sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Honors Charles Lindbergh
• Includes text on the back with historical details
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 32¢ First Class Mail Rate
First Day of... more
US #3184m
1998 Lindbergh Flies Atlantic – Celebrate the Century (1920s)
• Part of the third sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Honors Charles Lindbergh
• Includes text on the back with historical details
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 32¢ First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: May 28, 1998
First Day City: Chicago, Illinois
Quantity Issued: 188,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Intaglio
Format: Panes of 15
Perforations: 11.6
Tagging: Block Tagging
Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate Charles Lindbergh’s famous first flight across the Atlantic.
About the stamp design: Pictures a portrait of Lindbergh by artist Keith Birdsong. Includes the following text on the back “On May 20-21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh completed the first nonstop solo trans-Atlantic flight. He left from Long Island and flew 3,600 miles to Paris in 33 ½ hours.”
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at Chicago’s Celebrate on State Street festival.
About the Celebrate the Century series: The USPS launched the Celebrate the Century series in 1998 to mark the end of the 20th century and herald the arrival of the 21st. The series includes 10 sheets of 15 stamps (150 in total), with each honoring important moments from a different decade (1900s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s). At the time of completion, it was the longest and most ambitious commemorative stamp series in US history.
History the stamp represents: Born in 1902, Charles Augustus Lindbergh was taught to be completely self-reliant. It was this mentality, along with the spirit of an explorer, that led to the flight which would make him an aviation pioneer.
“Lucky Lindy” began his career at the age of 20, when he left the University of Wisconsin to enroll in flight school. Soon he was a barnstormer, offering plane rides for $5 a person and performing as a stunt pilot at fairs. He also trained with the Army Air Service and went on to fly air mail between St. Louis and Chicago.
A $25,000 prize was offered in 1919 for the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris. By 1927, it had still not been won. Lindbergh believed he could accomplish this feat, and with financial help from some businessmen, he had a plane built to his own specifications.
Lindbergh’s plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, was so heavy with fuel it barely cleared the telephone lines to begin the daring flight. Still, Lindbergh took off for Paris on the morning of May 20, 1927. Cruising at an average speed of 100 miles an hour, he crossed Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Ireland, England, and the English Channel. He landed in Paris 33 ½ hours later, greeted with thousands of delighted fans. Lindbergh would receive this kind of widespread admiration for the rest of his life.
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