1930 2c Guam Guard Mail, Green

 Scarce Guam Guard Mail Stamps

Very scarce Guam Guard Mail stamps were issued in very low quantities over 80 years ago.  Only 1,000 of the 1¢ stamps were produced – and every stamp sold out on the first day of issue.  Today, Guam Guard Mail stamps are very scarce – and this stamp is the key to owning a complete set.

Guam became a US territory following the Spanish-American War.  In 1929, Guam’s newly appointed military governor, Willis W. Bradley Jr., learned that the US Post Office didn't provide mail service on the island.  So Bradley ordered his assistant to produce stamps for local use.

The resulting Guam Guard Mail stamps were produced in sheets of 25 in a labor-intensive, two-step process.  The amateur technique required 50 separate impressions for every sheet of 25 stamps – the first for the Seal of Guam and another in a second color ink for the logo and denomination.