Issued: Jan 2nd 1893 but first placed on sale at the Columbian Exposition on Jan 3rd 1893

Plate Size: Sheets of 100 subjects (2 panes of 50)

Pane of 50 of #232

Printer: The American Bank Note Company, thereafter, with one exception of the Overun stamps of 1943 all stamps have ssince been printed by the Bureau of Engraving

Watermark: None

Quantity Issued: 11,051,250

As with all the values of this issue, look for Columbia Expo cancels, they marginaly increase value. There was no postal rate for the 3c stamp, it was printed for use as a make up stamp for other postal rates so it is a less commonly found than the 1c and 2c values.

Although January 2nd was the official
release date, there are a very few covers
with a January 1st postmark. This set
of six, known as the 'Burger Covers'
is a full set of the six values that had
this dates strike. Another example of
a 1st Jan cover can be seen by viewing
the 2c Columbian value on this site.

How come Jan 1st is so rare? Well,
Jan 1st in 1893 was a Sunday and
at that time the Post Office had only
one branch open on a Sunday, this
was located in New York City. Hence
the origination of these covers.

#232 on cancelled on the last day of the Columbian Exhibition

Occasionaly postmarks from states that had tiny amounts of mail in this year can add to the value. This is particularly true of Alaska and the Territories. For a list of the number of stamps issued by each state in the year ending 30th June 1894 click here.

Picturing the Santa Maria, the flagship of Christopher Columbus. The image was taken from a engraving in Spain. This engraving was last seen in Spain in 1938 lost to history after the Spanish Civil War in 1939 and no copy exists.

The same engraving is used on the Cabot series from Newfoundland

The stamps color ranges from green through to dull green and dark green with little variation. Other than the occasional double entry there is little to look for. As this stamp was rarely used for first class mail it is prone to heavy cancels. See an example of these cancels on the 5c value (#234)

Essay for the 3c (232-E2b)