Patton Stamps

Patton Commemorative Stamps

and

First Day Covers

United States Commemorative Stamp History

Issued in honor of Gen. George S. Patton Jr., Commander of the 15th U. S. Army during World War II, who died Dec. 21, 1945 from injuries suffered in a motor car accident at Mannheim, Germany. The stamp also honored the U. S. Army Armored Forces.

Announced March 10, 1953 by Postmaster General Arthur E. Summerfield as one of the commemoratives the Post Office Department planned to issue during the year. First day post office and date of issue designated Nov. 11, 1953. Details of design announced Sept. 29, 1953. Color announced Oct. 22.

Issued: Nov. 11, 1953.

First day sale: Fort Knox, Ky., headquarters for the Armored Forces, U. S. Army.

First day statistics: 242,600 covers cancelled, 717,395 stamps sold.

Source of design: Portrait of Gen. George S. Patton and photograph of two M-46 General Patton tanks in action. Both photographs supplied to the Post Office Department by the U. S. Army.

Designer: William K. Schrage of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Washington, D. C.

Engravers: Matthew D. Fenton (Vignette) and George A. Payne (frame, lettering and numerals).

Description: Standard commemorative stamp size (0.84 by 1.44 inches) arranged horizontally. Printed on the rotary press from 200-subject electric eye convertible plates. Distributed to post offices in sheets of 50 stamps. Color, purple. Perf. 11 by 10%.

Printing order: 110 million copies.

Plate numbers: 24875-76-77-78-79-80.

First printing: Oct. 26, 1953 from plates 24875-76.

Second printing: Oct. 27, 1953 from plates 24877-78.

Third printing: Oct. 30, 1953 from plates 24879-80.

Designs Presented for Consideration

And the winner is . . .

Note: The General George S. Patton commemorative was placed on sale Nov. 18, 1953 at Army Post Office 42 in Austria and a cancellation was used which carried the legend "First Day of Issue in Europe 2nd Armored Division." Most of the covers which received this cancellation also received a rubber stamp cachet identifying the 2nd Armored Division as "General Patton's Own Division." But this cancellation and cachet were more or less unofficial in character.