# 630 - 1926 2c Battle of White Plains Souvenir Sheet - International Philatelic Exhibition Issue
1926 Hamilton’s Battery
2¢ Battle of White Plains
First City: New York, NY
Quantity Issued: 107,398
2nd U.S. International Philatelic Exhibition
America hosted its first exhibition 13 years earlier, also in New York City, in 1913. The Post Office Department hadn’t yet created a division to cater directly to stamp collectors, so there were no U.S. stamps issued to commemorate the event.
Remember – you can click on any of these images to find more conditions and covers and to buy them for your collection. |
The show opened at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday October 16, 1926. From the White House, President Calvin Coolidge turned a golden key that was connected to the Grand Central Palace, formally opening the exhibition. Thousands of collectors lined up to view 800 frames, which each held 30 pages.
The total value of the stamps exhibited was estimated at over $10,000,000 and included the famous British Guiana stamp that was then owned by Arthur Hinds. (That’s equal to $451,000,000 in today’s wages!) It was the first time the legendary stamp was displayed in the United States.
Of course, the biggest story from the 1926 show was the White Plains issue. The U.S. Post Office Department was more actively engaged with collectors than they had been in 1913 and decided to issue a stamp at the show. They ultimately decided to release the Battle of White Plains stamp, originally scheduled for release on October 28 in White Plains, New York (to honor the 150th anniversary of that battle), at the show. The stamp would be issued on October 18 at the show in New York City. In addition to issuing the stamp in a standard pane of 100 (U.S. #629), they also produced miniature sheets of 25 stamps with the words “International Philatelic Exhibition, Oct. 16th to 23rd, 1926” in the selvage. This was America’s first souvenir sheet.
.
1926 Hamilton’s Battery
2¢ Battle of White Plains
First City: New York, NY
Quantity Issued: 107,398
2nd U.S. International Philatelic Exhibition
America hosted its first exhibition 13 years earlier, also in New York City, in 1913. The Post Office Department hadn’t yet created a division to cater directly to stamp collectors, so there were no U.S. stamps issued to commemorate the event.
Remember – you can click on any of these images to find more conditions and covers and to buy them for your collection. |
The show opened at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday October 16, 1926. From the White House, President Calvin Coolidge turned a golden key that was connected to the Grand Central Palace, formally opening the exhibition. Thousands of collectors lined up to view 800 frames, which each held 30 pages.
The total value of the stamps exhibited was estimated at over $10,000,000 and included the famous British Guiana stamp that was then owned by Arthur Hinds. (That’s equal to $451,000,000 in today’s wages!) It was the first time the legendary stamp was displayed in the United States.
Of course, the biggest story from the 1926 show was the White Plains issue. The U.S. Post Office Department was more actively engaged with collectors than they had been in 1913 and decided to issue a stamp at the show. They ultimately decided to release the Battle of White Plains stamp, originally scheduled for release on October 28 in White Plains, New York (to honor the 150th anniversary of that battle), at the show. The stamp would be issued on October 18 at the show in New York City. In addition to issuing the stamp in a standard pane of 100 (U.S. #629), they also produced miniature sheets of 25 stamps with the words “International Philatelic Exhibition, Oct. 16th to 23rd, 1926” in the selvage. This was America’s first souvenir sheet.
.