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The Unique United States "Inverted Jenny" 1918 Postage Stamp
In May 1918, the U.S. Postal Service released a stamp to celebrate the nation's first airmail flight. Produced in haste before the inaugural run, the two-colored stamp featured a biplane, the Curtiss JN-4, or "Jenny." First used in World War I, the plane was the nation's first airmail carrier. The post office clerk who sold the only misprinted sheet of 100 stamps claimed ignorance, having never seen an airplane. The buyer rebuffed appeals by USPS inspectors to return the stamps, instead selling the sheet for a large profit. The new owner sold off individual stamps and groups, while retaining some for himself. The stamps on view here are known as a plate-block -- stamps still attached to the original sheet and including the serial number of the printing plate, also inverted. The stamp memorializes the birth of airmail, which not only created a speedier mail service but also laid the groundwork for commercial aviation. |