The 1918 Curtiss Jenny Air Mail Stamps were a set of three Airmail postage stamps issued by the United States in 1918.[1] The 24¢ variety was the first of the stamps to be issued, and was in fact, America's first Airmail stamp. (The world's first airmail stamp was issued by Italy in 1917[2]). The 16¢ and 6¢ varieties were issued later in the year to reflect reductions in the postage rate. It features the image of the Curtiss JN-4 airplane.
| Curtiss Jenny Airmail Stamps | |
|---|---|
| Type | Airmail stamp |
| Country of issue | United States |
| Country of production | United States |
| Designer | Clair Aubrey Huston |
| Engraver | Edward Weeks (frame), Marcus W. Baldwin (vignette) |
| Printer | Bureau of Engraving and Printing |
| Dimensions | 2.54 cm X 2.54 cm |
| Perforation | 11 |
| Commemorates | U.S. Army's Curtiss airplane |
| Depicts | U.S. Army's Curtiss airplane |
| Notability | first U.S. airmail stamp, world's first definitive airmail stamp, first bicolored airmail stamp, first airmail stamp printed with an error, first airmail stamp produced for a regular service |
| Face value | 6¢, 16¢, 24¢ |
The order of the Scott Catalog numbers[3] for these stamps (C1 through C3) is the inverse of the order of release dates for the stamps.
Individual stamp designs
edit| Design | Scott Catalog Numbers | Date of Issue | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6¢ Curtiss Jenny | C1 | Dec. 10, 1918 | 
|
| 16¢ Curtiss Jenny | C2 | July 11, 1918 | 
|
| 24¢ Curtiss Jenny | C3 | May 13, 1918 | 
|
Inverted Jenny error
edit
A single sheet of 100 of the two-color 24¢ was printed with the center design inverted, thus creating the Inverted Jenny.[5]
References
edit- ^ Kirker, Joe. "24c Curtiss Jenny single". Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ Miller, Rick. "Landmarks of airmail history: who's on first?". Linn's Stamp News. Amos Media Company. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ Bigalke, Jay (April 1, 2020). 2021 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue - Volume 1 (US & A-B) (177th ed.). Scott Publishing. ISBN 0894875825.
- ^ "POSITION 87 ⇒ BLOCK 87-88/97-98".
- ^ "Production of the Inverted Jenny". InvertedJenny.com. Retrieved 11 March 2021.