# 627-29 - 1926 Sesquicentennial Expo. 3v

 

U.S. #627 was issued to commemorate the 1926 Sesquicentennial Expo, which was a world’s fair held in Philadelphia. The event celebrated the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the 50th anniversary of the 1876 Centennial Exposition. A centerpiece of the expo was an 80-foot replica of the Liberty Bell, which was covered with 26,000 light bulbs.

 

The idea for the 1926 Ericsson Memorial Issue (U.S. #268) came from the John Ericsson Memorial Commission, which had raised funds to create a memorial to the inventor of the screw propeller. Postmaster General Harry New approved the stamp with less resistance than almost any other stamp issued during his tenure. 

 

To accommodate the height of the statue, the stamp had to be vertical, and was the tallest U.S. stamp issued up to that time. The statue itself pictures Ericsson seated in a chair with figures representing Vision, Labor, and Adventure standing around the memorial. The view on the stamp shows Vision directly above Ericsson. 

 

U.S. #629 commemorates the Battle of White Plains, a Revolutionary War battle fought on October 28, 1776. The design is entitled “Hamilton’s Battery” in honor of Alexander Hamilton, an outstanding artillery commander, and his men. Hamilton later served as the first Secretary of the U.S. Treasury.