Fourth Bureau Issues (1922-1930)

The first stamp of the series, the 11-cent Rutherford B. Hayes stamp, was issued on October 4, 1922, the hundredth anniversary of Hayes's birth, in his hometown of Fremont, Ohio, and in the District of Columbia. Thus began the practice of issuing a new stamp on a specific day and in a particular city. Many collectors regard First Day Covers of the Hayes stamp as the beginning of modern First Day Cover collecting.

Attempts to economize produced a few unusual stamps in this series. Rotary press coil stamps web sections, not long enough to be made into coils, were made into sheets of stamps known as 'coil waste'. Similarly, some short sections of the rotary-printed web sheet stamps were salvaged and perforated with the gauge 11 perforation that was intended only for use on flat plate stamps. These 'sheet waste' stamps are exceedingly rare.

Encyclopedia of United States Stamps and Stamp Collecting
May 16, 2006

A young American patriot, Nathan Hale (1755-1776) was executed as a spy by the British in New York during the American Revolution. Hale is perhaps best remembered for the last words attributed to him, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” A half-cent stamp, the first half-cent stamp in U.S. history, was required by new postal rates established in 1925. Hale was selected to appear on that stamp by Postmaster General Harry New. Since no images of Hale are known, the stamp's designer, Clair Aubrey Huston, based his work on a photograph of a clay model of a statue of Hale located on the campus of Yale University, which Hale attended as a student.

John Eissler engraved the Hale stamp's vignette. E.M. Hale engraved the frame and lettering, and J.C. Benzing engraved the scrolls and ribbon. E.M. Weeks engraved the numerals. The stamp was first printed on the flat plate press in 1925, and was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), American patriot, printer, inventor, diplomat, and first postmaster general was chosen for the Fourth Bureau Issue's 1-cent stamp. An image of Franklin had appeared continually on the lowest value U.S. stamp since 1847, when stamps were first issued in the United States. No new engraving was made for the Franklin vignette of this stamp. Rather, Marcus Baldwin's engraving for Washington-Franklin Heads Series was reused. Baldwin modeled his work after a photograph of a plaster bust of Franklin created by French artist Jean Jacques Caffieri's in 1777. Caffieri was one of Louis XV's court sculptors and died in 1792. The stamp's frame was designed by Clair Aubrey Huston and engraved by Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing.

The 1-cent Franklin, which was commonly used on postcards, first appeared in 1923, and had been printed by the flat plate press. It was later printed by the Stickney rotary press. It exists not only as a sheet stamp but also in coil and booklet formats.

Rod Juell

Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) of Ohio, the incumbent U.S. president who had died unexpectedly in office less than two years earlier, was chosen to appear on a 1.5-cent postage stamp made necessary by postage rate changes in 1925. The first fractional cent stamp in U.S. history, it was intended for use on third-class mail.

Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp. Frederic Pauling engraved the vignette, a Harding profile. It was the same vignette used in 1923 on a 2-cent stamp issued in memory of Harding—stamps sometimes called the 'Black Hardings'. Engravers E.M. Hall, J.C. Benzing, and E. M. Weeks worked on the frame. Both the flat plate press and the rotary press were used to print sheets of the stamp, which were issued on March 19, 1925. A sidewise coil version was also issued that day. Subsequently, an endwise coil version was released. In 1930 the Post Office Department decided that the 1.5-cent Harding should feature a full-face version of Harding's likeness, and it issued a new version of the stamp.

Rod Juell

In 1930 the U.S. Post Office Department issued two new designs for existing values in the rotary press regular issue series: a 4-cent stamp issued on June 4 replaced the portrait of Martha Washington with one of former President William Howard Taft; a 1.5-cent stamp issued on December 1 replaced the profile portrait of former President Warren G. Harding with one of Harding full-face. Both stamps were issued as vertically perforated coils and in sheet format.

Rod Juell

George Washington (1732-1799), Revolutionary War hero and first president of the United States, appears on the Fourth Bureau Issue's 2-cent stamp, the 'workhorse' stamp of this series. It was printed by the billions for use on first-class letters. Featuring Washington on this stamp perpetuated the tradition, begun in 1847, of portraying Washington on a stamp in current use by the Post Office Department. No new engraving was made for the Washington vignette of this stamp. Rather, an existing engraving made for the preceding series of stamps—known as the Washington-Franklins Heads Series—was used. That engraving, done by Marcus Baldwin, was modeled from a bust made by Clark Mills in 1853. The Mills bust, however, was a reproduction of a bust sculpted by Jean Antoine Houdon at Washington’s Mount Vernon, Virginia, home in 1785. Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp's frame, which was engraved by Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing.

The 2-cent Washington was first printed on the flat plate press and was issued on January 15, 1923. The stamp was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press. In addition to existing as sheet stamps, the 2-cent Washington also exists as coil and booklet stamps.

Rod Juell

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the Civil War, was chosen for the design of the 3-cent stamp. Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp using an existing engraving for the vignette. George F.C. Smillie, an engraver at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, had made the earlier engraving in 1898. Smillie based his work on a photograph of Lincoln taken in 1864 by Matthew Brady, arguably the most important photographer of the Civil War era.

Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame for the stamp. The stamp, initially printed on the flat plate press, was issued on Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, 1923, in both Washington, D.C., and in Hodgenville, Kentucky, near Lincoln’s birthplace. The stamp was subsequently printed by the Stickney rotary press both in sheet and coil formats. A 1934 reprint commemorated the 125th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.

Rod Juell

Martha Washington (1731-1802), wife of George Washington and America’s first 'First Lady', appeared on the 4-cent stamp, which was often used to pay the postage on a double-weight letter. Martha Washington had also appeared on the 8-cent stamp in the Series of 1902. Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp. Leo C. Kauffmann, who engraved the vignette, based his work on a drawing done by the French artist Charles Francois Jalabert, who had based his drawing, in part, on Gilbert Stuart's portrait of Washington.

Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame for the stamp. Initially printed on the flat plate press for the 1923 release, the stamp was later printed on the Stickney rotary press in both sheet and coil versions.

Rod Juell

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) was the only man to ever serve as both president and chief justice of the United States. He appeared in the Series of 1922 beginning in 1930, when a stamp bearing his image appeared. The Taft stamp replaced the Martha Washington stamp issued in 1923. It was issued in Taft’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 4, 1930, less than three months after his death.

Stamp designer Clair Aubrey Huston based the vignette on a photograph of Taft taken while he was chief justice, an office he preferred to the presidency. Taken by the Washington studio of Harris & Ewing, the portrait shows Taft in his judicial robe. The vignette was engraved by John Eissler. Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame. This stamp is the only one in the Series of 1922 to be printed exclusively on the Stickney rotary press. It exists in a coil version as well as sheet format.

Rod Juell

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), hero of the Spanish-American War and the Battle of San Juan Hill, conservationist, and president of the United States appeared on the 5-cent stamp. Issued in 1922, the stamp was commonly used on letters to foreign destinations. Its blue color conformed to Universal Postal Union regulations for stamps used on foreign mail. Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp. The vignette, engraved by John Eissler, was based on a photograph taken of Roosevelt by the Washington, D.C., firm of Harris & Ewing in 1907. Edward M. Hall, Joachim C. Benzing, and Edward E. Meyers engraved the frame. Initially printed from the flat plate press, it was later printed on the Stickney rotary press in both sheet and coil format.

Rod Juell

An image of James A. Garfield of Ohio (1831-1881), the nation's twentieth president, appears on the 6-cent stamp. He was one of four presidents assassinated while in office. The others were Abraham Lincoln (1865), William McKinley (1901), and John F. Kennedy (1963).

Garfield had appeared on four previous stamps, the first of which appeared in 1882, the year following his death. Like the stamp issued in 1922, each of the previous Garfield stamps was based on a photograph of Garfield taken by New York photographer Edward Bierstadt. The vignette for the 1922 stamp was engraved by John Eissler. Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame.

The stamp was released in a flat plate printed version on the day after Garfield's birthday, November 20, 1922. It was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press in both sheet and coil versions. When the stamp was first issued, it could have paid postage on triple-weight letters. Beginning in 1934, it could be used to pay the six-cent air mail rate.

Rod Juell

William McKinley of Ohio (1843-1901), the president of the United States who lead the nation during the Spanish-American War and who was felled by an assassin at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, appears on the 7-cent stamp. It was McKinley’s second appearance on a stamp. He first appeared on the 5-cent stamp in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Issue.

Clair Aubrey Huston designed the 7-cent McKinley stamp. The vignette, inspired by George Rockwood's 1898 photograph of the president, was engraved by Louis Schofield. The frame was engraved by Edward E. Myers, Edward M. Hall, and Joachim C. Benzing.

The flat plate sheet stamp was issued on May 1, 1923, both in Washington, D.C., and McKinley’s birthplace, Niles, Ohio. The stamp was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), Union general during the Civil War, hero of the battle of Vicksburg who accepted the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House, and president of the United States from 1869 to 1877, was selected for the 8-cent stamp. Grant’s image had appeared on four earlier U.S. postage stamps.

Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp. A photo of Grant by renowned Civil War-era photographer Mathew Brady inspired Huston’s vignette. The die for the vignette was engraved by Louis Schofield but reworked by John Eissler. Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame. William B. Wells engraved the lettering in the ribbon.

First printed on the flat plate press and issued in 1923, the 8-cent Grant was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press. When the stamp was issued it could be used to pay the postage on a four ounce letter. It could also be used to pay the postage on a single zone of the transcontinental airmail route during the mid 1920s, and the basic airmail rate from July 6, 1932, until June 30, 1934.

Rod Juell

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) of Virginia, author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States (1801-1809), appeared on the 9-cent stamp, issued in 1923. Jefferson first appeared on a U.S. postage stamp in 1856. Clair Aubrey Huston designed the new Jefferson stamp. For his vignette, Huston used George F.C. Simille’s engraving of Jefferson that appeared on the 2-cent value of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition Series. Simille used as a model for his engraving a portrait of Jefferson painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1805. Simille’s engraving was transferred to a new die and restored by John Eissler and Leo Kauffmann for use on the 1923 stamp. The stamp’s frame was engraved by Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing.

Initially printed on the flat plate press, the stamp was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

An image of James Monroe (1758-1831) appears on the 10-cent stamp issued in 1923 as part of the new series. James Monroe served as president of the United States from 1817 until 1825 and authored the “Monroe Doctrine,” which forbade any interference by foreign governments in the western hemisphere.

Clair Aubrey Huston designed the Monroe stamp. For the vignette he used an engraving done by George F.C. Simille for the 3-cent value of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition Series. Edward J. Hein transferred Simille’s engraving to a new die and restored it for the new stamp. Simille’s engraving was probably based on an engraving by Asher Durand, which itself seems to have been based on a painting by John Vanderlyn. The frame for the Monroe stamp was engraved by Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing, while Howard I. Earle engraved the lettering in the ribbon.

The registry and special delivery rates were each ten cents when the stamp was issued, so it was frequently used to pay for those services. Printed initially on the flat plate press, it was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press in both sheet and coil formats.

Rod Juell

An image of Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893) of Ohio appears on the 11-cent stamp of the Series of 1922, also known as the Fourth Bureau Issue. A Civil War veteran, Hayes served as president of the United States from 1877 until 1881. The stamp was issued on the 100th anniversary of Hayes’ birth—October 4, 1922—in Washington, D.C., and in Hayes’ hometown, Fremont, Ohio. Issued on a specific day and in a specific city, it is considered by many the beginning of modern 'First Day Cover' collecting.

Hayes had not previously appeared on a postage stamp, and this one, designed by Clair Aubrey Houston, had a vignette apparently based on a photograph taken by Matthew Brady. John Eissler engraved the die for the vignette. The frame was engraved by Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing, while Edward M. Weeks engraved the lettering in the ribbon. Originally printed on the flat plate press, the Hayes stamp was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), the first Democrat elected president of the United States following the Civil War and the only person to serve two non-consecutive terms as president, appears on the 12-cent stamp. Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp and John Eissler engraved the vignette. The frame was engraved by Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing, while Edward M. Weeks engraved the lettering in the ribbon. The source of the portrait used for the vignette is listed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing as “unknown.” The stamp was released on March 20, 1923, both in Washington, D.C., and in Cleveland’s hometown of Caldwell, New Jersey.

When the stamp was issued it could be used to pay the combined first-class postage and special delivery fee or the combined first-class postage and registration fee. First printed on the flat plate press, the stamp was subsequently also printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901), grandson of the nation's ninth president (William Henry Harrison, 1841), a Civil War veteran, and president of the United States, appears on the 13-cent stamp. The stamp was not contemplated for the series as originally conceived but added to the series in 1926.

Harrison holds the unique distinction of having defeating the sitting president, Grover Cleveland, in 1889. Four years later Cleveland reclaimed the office by defeating Harrison. Harrison had previously appeared on the 13-cent stamp in the Series of 1902. Clair Aubrey Huston, who engraved the 1926 Harrison stamp, based the vignette on the same photograph of Harrison that was the source of the 1902 stamp. That photograph was taken by the firm of McHugh and Sherman at an unknown date. John Eissler engraved the die for the vignette, and Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame.

Initially printed on the flat plate press, the stamp was subsequently also printed on the Stickney rotary press. It was issued January 11, 1926, both in Washington, D.C., and Harrison’s adopted hometown, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rod Juell

A figure identified simply as 'American Indian' appears on the 14-cent stamp—the first 14-cent stamp ever issued in the United States. Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp, which was inspired by De Lancey Gill's photograph of Hollow Horn Bear (1850-1913), a Brule Sioux. Gill took the photograph in March 1905 when Hollow Horn Bear was in Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt. The Smithsonian Institution now owns the photo. Louis Schofield engraved the die for the vignette. The frame was engraved by Frank Lamasure, Edward M. Hall, and Joachim C. Benzing.

The American Indian stamp, initially printed on the flat plate press, was placed on sale on May 1, 1923, both in Washington, D.C., and Muskogee, Oklahoma. It was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

Simply labeled “Liberty,” the 15-cent stamp depicts the Statue of Liberty, which has welcomed soldiers home and greeted hopeful immigrants since 1886. Designed by Frederic August Bartholdi, the people of France presented the statue to the people of the United States in that year. It stands in New York Harbor. The 15-cent stamp was the first to bear an image of the Statue of Liberty, which has since appeared on numerous issues.

Clair Aubrey Houston, who designed the stamp, drew inspiration from an 1888 engraving by Charles Skinner for the vignette. Skinner worked for the American Bank Note Company. Louis S. Schofield engraved the die for the vignette. Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame, which is unique in the series.

The stamp, sometimes used to pay the registration fee beginning in 1925, was initially printed on the flat plate press and issued on November 11, 1922. The stamp was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

Like the 13-cent stamp, the 17-cent stamp was an afterthought, not included in the Series of 1922 as originally conceived. President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), who had died the previous year, appears on the 17-cent stamp. Issued on December 28, 1926, the stamp can be considered a memorial to Wilson. Since the registration fee had recently increased to fifteen cents, it conveniently paid the combined first-class postage and registration fee.

President Wilson’s widow provided the photograph which designer Clair Aubrey Houston used as the basis for the vignette. It is believed to have been taken during Wilson’s second term. John Eissler engraved the die for the vignette. Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame.

The stamp, originally printed on the flat plate press, was later printed on the Stickney rotary press. It was issued both in Washington, D.C., and in Wilson’s birthplace, Staunton, Virginia.

Rod Juell

The lowest value stamp in the Series of 1922 to use a horizontally-oriented frame, the 20-cent stamp depicts San Francisco’s harbor or 'Golden Gate' prior to the construction of the legendary Golden Gate Bridge. It was the last stamp approved by President Harding's outgoing postmaster general, Hubert Work. Postmaster General Harry S. New approved the die proof on April 11, 1923. In the image, San Francisco lies to the south and Marin County lies to the north. A painting by W.A. Coulter inspired the vignette. The full-rigged ship depicted in the painting and on the stamp was reportedly the “W.F. Babcock.”

Louis S. Schofield engraved the vignette for the 20-cent Golden Gate stamp. Edward E. Meyers engraved the variable lettering in the ribbon Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame. The stamp was issued both at Washington, D.C., and San Francisco on May 14, 1923. Initially printed on the flat plate press, the stamp was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press as well. The stamp is sometimes encountered on airmail and registered mailings.

Rod Juell

The 25-Cent Niagara stamp, issued in Washington, D.C., on November 11, 1922, pictures the American Falls on the Niagara River. The Niagara River, separating the United States from Canada, flows from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. The source of the vignette is given in Bureau of Engraving and Printing records simply as "A photograph of Niagara Falls taken from Goat Island." Goat Island, also known as Luna Island, divides the American portion of Niagara Falls, shown on the stamp, from the Canadian portion of the falls, often called Horseshoe Falls.

Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp, Charles Chalmers engraved the vignette, and Edward E. Meyers engraved the variable lettering in the ribbon. Edward M Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame.

Printed initially on the flat plate press, the stamp was later printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

Issued on March 20, 1923, the 30-cent stamp featured a buffalo that resembled the 'buffalo nickel' in circulation at the time. It is the only stamp in the series on which a ribbon does not appear under the vignette. Clair Aubrey Huston chose a 1901 drawing of a bison by Charles R. Knight as the basis for the vignette. Knight reported that he completed his drawing by observing a bison at the Zoological Park in Washington, District of Columbia. Louis Schofield engraved the vignette. Edward M Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame. Issued at Washington, D.C., and printed on the flat plate press, the stamp was subsequently printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

The 50-cent stamp depicts the Arlington Amphitheater. The Amphitheater, completed in 1920, is located in Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, District of Columbia. An image of the original Tomb of the Unknown Soldier occupies the stamp's foreground. The tomb holds the remains of an unidentified WW I American soldier who was entombed on Armistice Day, November 11, 1921. This simple tomb was covered in 1931 by the more elaborate marble sarcophagus familiar today. The stamp was issued in Washington, D.C., on November 11, 1922, the first anniversary of the soldier's entombment.

Clair Aubrey Huston, who designed the stamp, based his work on a photograph. The vignette was engraved by Louis Schofield. Edward E. Myers engraved the words “Arlington Amphitheatre.” Edward E. Myers. Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame.

Initially printed on the flat plate press, the stamp was also printed on the Stickney rotary press.

Rod Juell

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., appears on the 1-dollar stamp. The stamp was issued in Washington, D.C., and Springfield, Illinois, on Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, 1923. The stamp, which was issued only a few months after the completion and dedication of the memorial, was designed by Clair Aubrey Huston, who based his work on a U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph taken as the memorial was being completed. The stamp shows the east façade of the memorial, facing the Washington Monument. The vignette was engraved by Louis S. Schofield. Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame. The stamp was printed exclusively on the flat plate press.

Rod Juell

The U.S. Capitol appears on the 2-dollar stamp. The image is based on a photograph in the files of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing taken by an unknown photographer. The House of Representatives side of the building is in the foreground. The stamp was designed by Clair Aubrey Huston and released in Washington, D.C., on March 20, 1923. The vignette was engraved by Louis A. Schofield. Edward M. Hall engraved the words “U.S. Capitol” while Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame. The stamp was printed only on the flat plate press.

Rod Juell

The 5-dollar Head of Freedom Statue stamp, which features the head of the sculpture atop the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., is bi-colored, the vignette in blue and the frame in red. The Statue of Freedom by Thomas Crawford was erected on December 2, 1863, atop the Capitol. This was, of course, in the midst of the Civil War. Clair Aubrey Huston designed the stamp. The vignette, incorrectly labeled 'America' was engraved by John Eissler. Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the frame. It was issued at Washington, D.C., on March 20, 1923.

Being a bi-colored stamp, this stamp required the manufacture of two plates, one for the vignette and one for the frame. The stamp, which was printed only on the flat plate press, required two independent passes through the press, once for the printing of the frame and another for the printing of the vignette.

Rod Juell