About This Stamp
The 13-cent Alta California commemorative stamp was first available on September 9, 1977, at San Jose, California. The stamp commemorates the 200th anniversary of the founding of El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe, the first civil settlement in Alta California. Earl Thollander designed the stamp, which depicts the earthen-roofed houses of the settlement. Its colors are yellow, orange, blue, red, green, and black.
The stamp was printed on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Giori press as sheets of 200 subjects, tagged, perforated 11, and distributed as panes of 50 (five across and 10 down). Mr. Zip, “MAIL EARLY IN THE DAY,” electric eye markings, and a plate number in each corner are printed in the selvage.
San Jose was California's first civic settlement, founded November 29, 1777, by Mexican colonists who named the community "El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe." The name honored both St. Joseph and the Guadalupe River, which flowed near the town site. The town was to support the military by producing agricultural products in the Alta (upper) California territory. Each settler was issued animals, farm implements, seeds, and a monthly stipend. These farmers joined Spanish missionaries already in the area. The Native American inhabitants of the region were the Olhone, who eventually succumbed to the disruption of their culture by the missionaries and farmers and the spread of diseases.