Postage Stamps of the United States First Issued in 1908     President: Theodore Roosevelt  ·  Postmaster General: George von L. Meyer Domestic Letter Rate: 2¢ per oz. ·  Postcard Rate: 1¢  ·  Registry Fee: 8¢  ·  Foreign Rate: 5¢ The New Designs of the Regular Issues First Issued in 1908 - The Third Bureau Issues   Flat Plate - Perf 12 - Double-line Watermark - 400 Subject Plates   The 10¢ through $1 stamps - issued in January, 1909 Issue Date: Nov. 16, 1908 several billion issued Issue Date: Dec. 2, 1908 several billion issued Issue Date: Dec. 12, 1908 est. 50 million issued Issue Date: Dec. 19, 1908 est. 250 million issued Issue Date: Dec. 24, 1908 est. over 100 million issued Issue Date: Dec. 24, 1908 est. 200 million issued Issue Date: Dec. 31, 1908 over 50 million issued   The New Designs of the Ordinary Issues - Series of 1908  It is interesting to note that all of the rarer varieties of the Series of 1902 stamps were first issued in 1908 (not illustrated here, but listed below). In fact, three of these are so rare that census information is kept and is available at: Robert A. Siegel - census information (scroll down to Scott 314A on that page) . The earliest known use for any of the Washington Franklin stamps is the two cent booklet stamp, Scott 332a, on November 16, 1908. In fact, the early plates of both the one and two cent stamps were 180 subject plates, providing three rows of ten panes of 6 stamps from which to make thirty booklet panes. Later the plates were expanded to 360 subject plates, providing six rows of ten panes of 6 stamps from which to make sixty booklet panes. The earliest known use of the ordinary stamps, the two cent Scott 332, wasn't until several weeks later, December 4, 1908.  Although Scott lists the six cent stamp with an issue date of "Jan. 1909", official post office records show an issue date of December 31, 1908 and we are including it here for that reason. However earliest known covers are dated January 6, 1909.  Not all of the denominations of this Series were issued in 1908, in fact none of the denominations above eight cents were issued before 1909. There are no concrete numbers available for the quantities issued, the post office did not make a distinction between the many and various types, but the estimates provided should provide a ballpark feel for the relative amounts of the perf 12 stamps issued. The Washington Franklin stamps provide some of the greater challenges in all of philately and we have detailed this in other sections of the site. The reader is encouraged to learn more about each sub-group of the Washington Franklin stamps by browsing the Washington Franklin Guide. We would hope that the reader is well aware of 1847USA's Washington Franklin Identifier, but a link is provided here to guide you to that section as well.   The Special Delivery Stamp of 1908    Flat Plate - Perforated 12 - Double-line Watermark - 280 Subject Plates Issue Date: Dec. 12, 1908 The 10¢ Special Delivery Stamp of 1908 - The "Merry Widow" Dubbed the "Merry Widow", most likely inspired by the hat worn by the widow in the operetta of the same name, this stamp had the shortest life of any of the special delivery issues. Its size and color matched that of the one cent Franklin regular issue and did not distinguish itself as had the larger, rectangular dark blue special delivery stamps that had preceded it. The point of the stamp was to insure special handling and this lack of distinction created problems among postal employees. One of the first acts of the new Postmaster General, Frank H. Hitchcock, who took office on March 6, 1909, was to order a return to the special delivery stamp of the 1902 Series. This was finalized on June 9, 1909, and a return to the earlier stamp was made. Thus the "Merry Widow" had a life of less than six months. The "Merry Widow" is not as scarce as its short life might dictate. The unusual color and size, for a special delivery stamp, most likely inspired many to set aside covers bearing the stamp. Additionally, many collectors mistakenly set aside plate blocks of four, of which a substantial number have subsequently been broken to sell as singles, since the "correct" plate block is of six stamps and the block of four brings little premium. Even the six stamp plate block was popular enough at the time that today it brings a premium less than any of its contemporaries. The earliest known cover, addressed to a stamp dealer in Washington, D.C., is December 14, 1908.                                                                                                                                                         The following postage stamp varieties were first issued by the U.S. in 1908:                                                                                                                                                        Ordinary issue:    Designer: Claire Aubrey Huston, based on the profile from Houdon's busts of Washington and Franklin   Engravers: Marcus W. Baldwin, Edward M. Hall and Robert Ponickau Scott 314A - 4¢ Grant Series of 1902  imperforate with Schermack Type III - EKU: 5/27/08 Scott 314H - 1¢ Franklin Series of 1902 imperforate from a horizontal strip Scott 314V - 1¢ Franklin Series of 1902 imperforate from a vertical strip Scott 315   - 5¢ Lincoln Series of 1902 imperforate - EKU: 9/15/08 Scott 316   - 1¢ Franklin Series of 1902 perf 12 horizontally - EKU: not known on cover Scott 317   - 5¢ Lincoln Series of 1902 perf 12 horizontally - EKU: 9/18/08 Scott 318   - 1¢ Franklin Series of 1902 perf 12 vertically - EKU: not known on cover Scott 320H - 2¢ Washington Design of 1903  imperforate from a horizontal strip Scott 320V - 2¢ Washington Design of 1903  imperforate from a vertical strip Scott 321   - 2¢ Washington Design of 1903 perf 12 horizontally - EKU: 10/02/08 Scott 322   - 2¢ Washington Design of 1903 perf 12 vertically - EKU: not known on cover Scott 331   - 1¢ Franklin perf 12 double-line watermarked - EKU: 12/01/08 Scott 331a - 1¢ Franklin perf 12 D/L Wmk Booklet (pane) - EKU: 12/02/08 Scott 332   - 2¢ Washington perf 12 double-line watermarked - EDU: 12/03/08 Scott 332a - 2¢ Washington  perf 12 D/L Wmk Booklet (pane) - EKU: 11/16/08 Scott 333   - 3¢ Washington perf 12 double-line watermarked - EKU: 1/12/09 Scott 334   - 4¢ Washington perf 12 double-line watermarked - EKU: 1/12/09 Scott 335   - 5¢ Washington perf 12 double-line watermarked - EKU: 1/12/09 Scott 336   - 6¢ Washington imperforate double-line watermarked - EKU: 1/6/09 Scott 337   - 8¢ Washington imperforate double-line watermarked - EDU: 1/8/09 Scott 343   - 1¢ Franklin imperforate double-line watermarked - EKU: 1/4/09 Scott 344   - 2¢ Washington imperforate  double-line watermarked - EDU: 12/7/08 Scott 348   - 1¢ Franklin perf 12 horizontally D/L Wmk - EDU: 1/25/09 Commemoratives: No new varieties of commemorative stamps were issued in 1908 Special Delivery: Scott E7 - 10¢ Helmut of Mercury perf 12 double-line watermarked - EKU: 12/14/08 Postage Dues: No new varieties of the Postage Due stamps were issued in 1908                                                                                                                                                             Previous: 1907                                                       Next: 1909

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