Transcontinental Railroad & Pictorial Issue

Prior

to 1869, all United States stamps bore a portrait of one of five men: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, or Abraham Lincoln. All of that changed in 1869 with the issuance of the “Pictorial Issue”. Ranging from 1c to 90c, the obligatory portraits of Franklin and Washington were included, but so too were designs depicting a post rider on horseback, a locomotive, and the S.S. Adriatic (among others). The locomotive was particularly significant as 1869 also marked the completion of the transcontinental railroad in Utah which greatly expedited the carrying of mail from coast to coast. Public outcry against these unconventional stamps was swift, and after only about 13 months they were replaced by a more traditional series. Today, the Pictorial Issue is prized for both its beauty and its rarity.

The 3c Pictorial Issue depicts a locomotive and was released alongside the completion of the transcontinental railroad. This example (left) bears the popular “Shoo Fly” cancellation of Waterbury, Connecticut. Higher denominations such as the 12c (center) and 24c (right) were primarily used to foreign destinations.