United States year 1893 2 cent stamp Landing of Columbus

United States year 1893 2 cent stamp Landing of Columbus

The United States issued a series of commemorative stamps in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. The most notable stamp in this “Columbian” series was the 2-cent denomination featuring the “Landing of Columbus”. The 2-cent Landing of Columbus stamp (Scott #231) depicts Columbus coming ashore at Guanahani (San Salvador) in the West Indies. It shows Columbus claiming the land in the name of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. This stamp was part of a larger set of 16 Columbian commemorative stamps issued in denominations ranging from 1 cent to $5.The Columbian series was the first commemorative stamps issued by the United States and generated tremendous interest among stamp collectors at the time. Demand for the stamps far exceeded supply, with some postal clerks refusing to sell them due to the high volume of collectors seeking to acquire the full set. The 2-cent Landing of Columbus stamp was printed by the American Bank Note Company using the flat plate printing method. It was issued on January 1, 1893 and had a total print run of over 1.4 billion copies. The stamp is brown-violet in colour and perforated 12.These Columbian commemorative stamps are highly sought after by philatelists today and considered an important milestone in American stamp collecting history