About This Stamp
The Post Office Department issued a series of four commemorative stamps during 1958 and 1959 recognizing the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth in 1809.
The Post Office Department issued the three-cent value in this series in New York City on February 27, 1959. The stamp commemorated the important political address that Lincoln delivered at New York's Cooper Union on February 27, 1860, which some credit for his election later that year to the presidency. The First Day Ceremony was held at Cooper Union, on the same platform from which Lincoln had spoken. Since first-class letter postage was four cents at the time, a solo use of this stamp paid no common rate. Patrons occasionally used it to pay the third-class, single-piece rate for up to two ounces.
Ervine Metzl designed the stamp, using as source material a photograph of the sculptured head of Lincoln by Gutzon Borglum. The marble bust now stands in the rotunda of the US Capitol. Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette; Howard F. Sharpless engraved the signature, lettering, and numeral. Stamps were printed from four plates: 26251, 26252, 26253, and 26254. Perforated 10 1/2 x 11, the stamp was printed on the rotary Cottrell press from 400-subject engraved plates. Each sheet was cut into four panes of 50 stamps for distribution to post offices.