Stamps That Made History

In the Canal Zone discussion, Rod brought up the story of a stamp that may have helped determine that the canal would be located in Panama. Not that that was the only reason, but one wonders about the strength of non-deductive decision-making progresses on history.

Anyone else have an example of a stamp that affected the course of world history? I'm not looking for philatelic history, but political or military or social history.

Any important personalities rehabilitated or denigrated by a stamp issue? Any relevant propaganda uses of stamp designs? Lots of stamps reflect history, but how many help make it?

BTW, first issues don't count -- too obvious.

Dave

You are opening a can of worms here Dave
The numerous forgeries and propaganda of Hitler,
Sir Winston Churchill with a battleship broken over his head,
etc & etc.
A political statement stamp I can recall was the Paraguayan stamp
claiming the gran chaco. There are others, Argentina claiming the Falklands. Disputes over Antarctica.
There are the Philippine Aguinaldo stamps.

I'll throw this one into the mix, banning a fascist poster stamp in 2009 in Italy.

A political statement stamp from Denmark from 2005
regarding the cartoon controversy.
(and the genuine stamp alongside)

No can of worms intended. I was not looking for examples of propaganda, of which there are of course hundreds.

I want to see stamps whose images or issue actually created or directly influenced the course of events, not just reflected them. The effect of propaganda (or commemoration, depending on your point of view) notwithstanding, most issues of this sort are after the fact.

Instead of a stamp showing a national park, show me stamp of an endangered bird that added strength to the movement for preservation of its habitat.

Instead of a stamp depicting a contemporary political leader, show me a stamp of a historical event or personage the issue of which stimulated current opinion or motivation that resulted in a historically significant fact.

I like the examples of governments using stamps to put forward their territorial claims. Like inter-war Germany issuing stamps lamenting the loss of colonies and territories. Did these stamps influence or reflect events?

This is a net with a fine weave. Maybe, because stamps are artifacts of an establishment institution, their position in history is a little behind the cusp of change.

Here is a nice summary of the Gran Chaco affair, with pictures of the offending stamps:

http://www.danstopicals.com/chaco.htm

This is one of those examples where you can find a two-paragraph blurb titled, "The Stamp that Started a War." I am not enough of a student of South American history to say what roles the stamps played in precipitating any events, but it is an interesting story which comes close enough to the topic to be repeated here.

Nicaragua and Honduras also had a dispute over territory that Nicaragua depicted on a stamp. I am not at home, but maybe later I can post a scan of the stamp. It was around the time of the Gran Chaco war...maybe a few years later. If I recall correctly, in this example the stamp itself was the cause of the flare up.

Collin

How about this one:



The stamp that was forced upon the colonists in 1765 (Stamp Act) that led directly to the the American Revolution. Ok, not a postage stamp, but probably one of the most desirable revenue stamps in US history...

-Allen

What about the tea tax "stamps" that began the American Revolution & The Boston Tea Party? ie. Taxation without representation and the Benjamin Franklin "B. Free" postmark. Just a thought.

Abohart, I think this is the one you are thinking of. The one you have is a British Stamp for use in England, not North America.

Right you are! Whoops. Actually, it's been rather difficult trying to figure out which stamp is the right one, as there are so many differing stories spread around the Internet about it. Thanks for that!

-Allen

Stamperdude, After much research for over 200 years the existence of a "Tea Tax" Stamp has never been proven. It was a standard "America" Tax Stamp placed on bill's of lading that was then passed on down to consumers. Along with an additional "Sales Tax" on Tea.

Revstampman,
That is what I thought. But you get the idea of what I was proposing. It is a conspiracy...

abohart,
We must have been typing at the sametime. You beat me by 3 minutes. LOL.

stamperdude, I guess we were! I've always wanted to own one of those stamps... I'm not even sure that's possible, thinking that most, if not all examples, are in museums at this point.

-Allen

I hear ya. I have seen several of the US Rarities though when I attended the Washington DC 2006 event. I should have taken a picture of the Z Grill, Inverted Jenny Block, Hawaiin Missionaries, etc but I was afraid of my flash going off and the armed guard tackeling me.

Thanks for that link Collin, I had been wishing to see those stamps
for quite a while. Nicely done too, by the webmaster.
I look forward to your Honduran story as well.