1893 Columbian Exposition Issues On Cover

America's first commemorative stamps were issued in conjunction with the World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago's World's Fair) held in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Landing of Columbus in America. There are sixteen values in the set, each showing a different scene related to the voyages of Columbus.

Scott Catalogue value for a cover with the 1893 1c "Columbus in Sight of Land" stamp is a mere 90c, and a cover with the 2c "Landing of Columbus" is listed at just 35c. Gimme a break. I consider these values ridiculously low. In my experience, only the most dirty old ugly covers with tears and stains and mouse nibbles would sell at these low prices.

Do you have any covers with any of the 1893 Columbian Exposition stamps on them? Please post some pictures!

1c Columbian on a 1893 cover advertising books from Fleming H. Revel Co. in Chicago. Chicago 47 oval cancel ties the stamp to the cover.

Because of the advertising it carries, this cover should be worth more than 90 cents to a collector of postal history.

Yes you are absolutely right, modern_who. However I think the 1c rate was for open circulars, so many contained some sort of advertising, inside and/or outside, what we call junk mail today. I have not come across many 1c covers with or without advertising. I found just one on ebay this morning without advertising for sale at over 3X catalog (a good price, I think).

Well I know you all want to see more Columbians on cover! Woo-hoo



2c Columbo on an advertising cover for Frank Harrison's Shorthand Magazine, not to be confused with Frank Harrison's Shorthand Weekly, which was published entirely in shorthand! Bright! Newsy! Progressive!

I especially like "CIRCULATION VERY LARGE."

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Just jumped over to ebay and found none currently or recently being offered. Wonder how many, if any, survived.

Here is another 2c Columbian on cover which is not in the best shape but still very interesting.



The cover is addressed to Sherman Hoar, an attorney who was part of a large and powerful political family in Massachusetts. Sherman Hoar was the great-grandson of Roger Sherman, a signer of both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. This cover to Sherman Hoar was mailed from Waltham, Massachusetts in 1893, shortly after his finished his term in Congress. It indicates he was a guest at http://cgi.ebay.com/MAINE-ME-HISTOR...EL_W0QQitemZ130083468018QQcmdZViewItem

Wow! That history is interesting! Note how they give the names of a boy (son) but not the daughters! Glad things have changed!
Gussyboy1

Henry David Thoreau, arguably Concord's best known figure, makes several mentions of various Hoars in his journal (kept between 1837-1861). It's been a long time since I read it last, but I believe the name was also mentioned in Walden.

I haven't been able to find out much about this cover which has a fairly nice pair of 1c Columbians.



My searches haven't yielded any references or records relating the sender, Syracuse Investment Co., of Syracuse, Nebraska, or any references to the addresee, Miss S. G. Krehbiel of Cleveland Ohio. Today there is no such place as 196 Marcy Avenue, Cleveland Ohio!

However the 1900 Cleveland City Directory lists Augusta M. Krehbiel as a retired teacher living at that address, who was very likely related to the mysterious Miss Krehbiel.

Well no one is begging me to stop yet, so here is another Columbian on cover:



#232 3c green Santa Maria "The Flagship of Columbus" stamp used on a international commercial cover
from the Schoellkopf Aniline and Chemical Works in Buffalo, New York to another chemical company,
H. Kupferberg & Co. in Manchester, England.

The cover has a nice Buffalo, N.Y. machine cancel dated April 30, 1894.






The Schoellkopf Aniline and Chemical Works in Buffalo, NY was founded by Jacob F. Schoellkopf (1858-1942).

The first industrial-scale use of aniline was in the manufacture of mauveine, a purple dye discovered in 1856 by William Henry Perkin.
The synthetic dye industry grew rapidly as many new aniline-based dyes were developed in the late 19th century for use in manufacturing textiles and other products.
Today aniline is used as an important precursor in the synthesis of drugs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and materials such as polyurethane.

anyone want to see more Columbians on cover? or please, please no more


Hidden prize: Answer "Yes, I love Columbians on cover!" to win this cover! - WON by justabeginner

The roar the crowd, demanding to see "More Columbians on Cover" is deafening!
So here is another one to hold back the raucous mob:



Special delivery cover with four different Columbians! The address is hard to read; it appears addressed to a Count (maybe German or Austrian) staying at the The Brunswick Hotel, which was one of the luxurious 19th century hotels on Madison Square at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street in New York City.

So why do I say there are four Columbians on this cover? The orange special delivery stamp #E3 is considered part of Columbian Exposition issue. It was released in orange because #E2, the regular blue special delivery stamp, was easily confused with the 1c Columbian #230. So from January 24, 1893 to January 5, 1894 the special delivery stamp was temporarily printed in orange and the orange stamps continued to be used until the stock was exhausted in May 1894. This cover, dated February 20, 1894 is a nice example of this usage during this time period.

Hey t360

Wonderfull history

I'm not clear as to why they are called "Columbian"

Could you enlighten me

Dianne

The stamps were issued in conjunction with the World's Columbian Exposition also known as the Chicago's World's Fair held in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Landing of Columbus in America. There are sixteen values in the set, each showing a different scene related to the voyages of Columbus. Today the stamps are highly prized by collectors, but when they were issued there was outcry by stamp collectors at the large number of denominations and the inclusion of expensive high values in the set which paid no possible rate at the time. The Fair was quite spectacular and successful - and included the first Ferris Wheel, built by George Ferris.

Thanks

When I get home I'm going to check to see if I have any

Dianne