Design/Printing Firsts Since 1940

Before assembling this list I had not realized how many firsts in US stamp design and printing had occurred with Christmas issues. There are many more "firsts" of note so feel free to append to the list, as well as correct my mistakes.

First non-commemorating commemorative - 949 3c doctors
First corporation mentioned - 1006 3c B&O
First multi-color definitive - 1041 8c liberty
First USA Flag - 1094 4c 48-star flag
First Giori stamp - 1094 4c 48-star flag
First lacking a rectangular print design/border - 1096 8c Magsaysay
First boldly-colored paper - 1183 4c Kansas
First space exploration - 1193 4c Mercury
First holiday - 1205 4c Christmas
First stamp lacking "US" - 1208 5c White House
First se-tenant ordinary pane - 1254-1257 5c holiday
First se-tenant across perfs - 1331-1332 5c space walk
First gravure - 1335 5c Eakins
First 6+ stamp plate block - 1363 6c Christmas
First BEP gravure - 1410-1413 6c Save... (?)
First pre-printed pre-cancel - 1415a-1418a 6c Christmas
First Bicentennial - 1432 8c
First with printing on back - 1489-1498 8c postal people
First non-quarter/half cent fractional - 1518 6.3c liberty bell
First self-adhesive - 1552 10c peace on earth
First non-denominated - 1579 (10c) Christmas
First in two different printing methods - 1702/1703 13c Christmas
First smaller format - 1734 13c indian head cent
First plate number with new "A" prefix - 1789 15c John Paul Jones
First single-digit plate number - 1874 15c Dirkson
First plate number coil - 1891 18c flag

First boldly-colored paper - 1083 Nassau Hall printed on orange paper is earlier.

First Mr Zip character in margin - 1242 Sam Houston
First to show same person twice on the same stamp - 1245 John Muir

First single-digit plate number - Scott #7 (7/1/1851) plate numbers 2 or 3

Don, don't tell anyone, but 1851 was waaaaay before 1940!

Peter

Well doh, my bad for not reading the thread title.

Don, just kidding!

Peter

First without US - 1920 Pilgrim series.

First pre-printed [in the BEP] precancel - 1916 series.

Was the Pony Express [1940] a corporation?

The Pilgrim Series, though before 1940, had escaped my notice. I'd mistakenly thought #1208 was the only US postage stamp lacking the country name.

The Pony Express certainly was a company, unsure if it fits the definition of a corporation. I've read that the B&O stamp was controversial upon issue because the B&O was an active corporation at the time.

First US stamp ever issued on "Leap Year Day", February 29, 1988 was the 3 cent Conestoga Wagon Transportation Coil, Scott 2252

The first US flag would be the 1952 Betsy Ross stamp (#1004), which clearly portrays the 13-star flag. 1945 Iwo Jima stamp (#929), which clearly shows the 48-star flag!

I would disagree with #1432 being the first bicentennial stamp. I begin my US Bicentennial collection with the 1968 Revolutionary War Flags (#1345-54).

Might not the 1948 Fort Bliss Centennial (#948) be considered by some as the first space stamp? Certainly without the research done there, the Mercury Program would not have occurred.

Let's not forget the first African-American, the 1940 Booker T. Washington stamp (#973).