Skip to main content
Smithsonian main website

Search

Donate

EnglishEnglish
EnglishEnglishAfrikaansAfrikaansAlbanianAlbanianAmharicAmharicArabicArabicArmenianArmenianAzerbaijaniAzerbaijaniBasqueBasqueBelarusianBelarusianBengaliBengaliBosnianBosnianBulgarianBulgarianCatalanCatalanCebuanoCebuanoChichewaChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCorsicanCroatianCroatianCzechCzechDanishDanishDutchDutchEsperantoEsperantoEstonianEstonianFilipinoFilipinoFinnishFinnishFrenchFrenchFrisianFrisianGalicianGalicianGeorgianGeorgianGermanGermanGreekGreekGujaratiGujaratiHaitian CreoleHaitian CreoleHausaHausaHawaiianHawaiianHebrewHebrewHindiHindiHmongHmongHungarianHungarianIcelandicIcelandicIgboIgboIndonesianIndonesianIrishIrishItalianItalianJapaneseJapaneseJavaneseJavaneseKannadaKannadaKazakhKazakhKhmerKhmerKoreanKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)Kurdish (Kurmanji)KyrgyzKyrgyzLaoLaoLatinLatinLatvianLatvianLithuanianLithuanianLuxembourgishLuxembourgishMacedonianMacedonianMalagasyMalagasyMalayMalayMalayalamMalayalamMalteseMalteseMaoriMaoriMarathiMarathiMongolianMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)Myanmar (Burmese)NepaliNepaliNorwegianNorwegianPashtoPashtoPersianPersianPolishPolishPortuguesePortuguesePunjabiPunjabiRomanianRomanianRussianRussianSamoanSamoanScottish GaelicScottish GaelicSerbianSerbianSesothoSesothoShonaShonaSindhiSindhiSinhalaSinhalaSlovakSlovakSlovenianSlovenianSomaliSomaliSpanishSpanishSudaneseSudaneseSwahiliSwahiliSwedishSwedishTajikTajikTamilTamilTeluguTeluguThaiThaiTurkishTurkishUkrainianUkrainianUrduUrduUzbekUzbekVietnameseVietnameseWelshWelshXhosaXhosaYiddishYiddishYorubaYorubaZuluZulu
Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
  • Visit
    Visit
    • Know Before You Go
    • Location and Directions
    • Calendar of Events
    • Public Programs
    • Tours and Itineraries
    • Museum Highlights
    • Museum Shop
    • Virtual Tour
    • Virtual Self-Guides
    • Information Desk
    • Reviews
    • Accessibility
    • Alerts
    Plan a Visit

    Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    Admission is always free!

    2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
    Washington, DC 20002

    The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

    street map of Postal museum

    Learn more
  • Exhibitions
    Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Virtual Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
    The museum's Atrium
  • Learn & Explore
    Learn & Explore
    • For Researchers
    • For Educators
    • National History Day
    • Topical Reference Pages
    • Oral History
    • Research Articles
    • Stamp Collecting
    • Social Media
    • Activities
    Front windows showing stamp images at night
  • Collections
    Collections
    • Search the Collection
    • Collection History
    • Collection Plan
    • Collection Projects
    • Object Donations
    • Object Loans
    • Digital Asset Collections
    • Rights and Reproductions
    • Preservation
    • Object Spotlight
    People in front of log post office building
  • About
    About
    • Support the Museum
    • History of the Museum
    • Celebrating 175 Years of the Smithsonian Institution
    • FAQs
    • Host an Event
    • Museum Councils
    • Philatelic Achievement Awards
    • Volunteering
    • Internships
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • Smithsonian Affiliations
    • Press
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Site Map
    Historic Lobby
  • Blog
William H. Gross Stamp Gallery
Every Stamp Tells a Story
  • Home
  • Exhibitions
  • Current Exhibitions
  • William H. Gross Stamp Gallery
  • 1918: The Inverted Jenny
Click to view social media share links

1918: The Inverted Jenny

Refer to caption
24c Curtiss Jenny inverted block of four, 1918.
Loan from William H. Gross.

This upside-down blue plane within a red frame is the most famous U.S. stamp and one of the world’s most famous printing errors. Only one misprinted sheet of 100 stamps was sold.

Inverted Jenny Topical Reference Page »

William H. Gross Stamp Gallery

  • World of Stamps
  • Gems of American Philately
    • 1765-1776: Revolutionary Milestones
    • 1847: America’s First Stamps
    • 1918: The Inverted Jenny
    • 1851: Hawaiian Missionaries
    • 1860: Pony Express Mail
    • 1971: Moon Mail
  • Mail Marks History
    • Amelia Earhart Flight Suit in 3D
  • Connect with U.S. Stamps
  • National Stamp Salon
  • Stamps Around the Globe
    • Treasures of the World
      • Africa
      • Americas
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Middle East
      • Oceania
  • About the Stamp Gallery
    • Photo Gallery
    • Donors
      • Extraordinary Rarities
    • Exhibition Team
  • Supporting Areas
    • Historic Lobby
      • Building History
      • Building Architecture
    • Byrne Education Loft
    • Windows Into America
      • Bay 1
      • Bay 2
      • Bay 3
      • Bay 4
      • Bay 5
      • Bay 6
      • Bay 7
      • Bay 8
      • Bay 9
      • Bay 10
      • Bay 11
      • Bay 12
      • Bay 13
    • Rotating Exhibitions
  • Resources
    • Videos
    • Clues to a Letter's Journey
    • The Language of Philately
  • Exhibition Outline

Topics

Inverted Jenny
‹ 1847: America’s First Stamps up 1851: Hawaiian Missionaries ›

HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Plan a Visit

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

street map of Postal museum

Learn more
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Press
  • Site Map
  • e-News
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Flickr

Have you signed up for our monthly e-newsletter?

Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

Back to Top