1901 Postage Stamps US Postage Stamps

The value of the stamps Statistics and facts about the stamp
what you should look for how the stamp was made
Varieties of the stamp the making of the stamp

The Value of the Stamp

296 US Postage Stamps

'Bridge at Niagara Falls'
5¢ - Ultramarine and black or dark ultramarine and black
Scott #297 - 1901

  NY Auction Houses
  MNH Graded MH Graded Used MNH Graded
Spring 2003 - - - - - - -
Fall 2003 - - - - - - -
Spring 2004 $50-$60 - $15-$25 - $2-$10 - -
Fall 2004 - - $15-$35 - $3-$12 - -
Spring 2005 $150 - $10-$70 - $1-$4 $425 -
Fall 2005 $125-$180 - $15-$50 - $2-$5 $210-$1,050 -
Spring 2006 $60-$100 - $15-$55 - $1-$3 $3,500 98
Fall 2006 $40-$100 - $15-$20 - $1-$5 $1,900 95
Spring 2007 $75-$165 - $18-$50 - $1-$6 - -
Fall 2007 $40-$60 - $18-$40 - $1-$3 - -
Spring 2008 $55-$115 - - - - - -
$475-$510 90 - - - - -
Fall 2008 $50-$55 - $20-$30 - $1-$4 $140 80
- - - - - $150 85
- - - - - $400 90
- - - - - $1,100 95
- - - - - $3,750-$6,250 98
Spring 2009 $50-$75 - $18-$35 - $2-$6 $400 90
- - $50 85 - $550-$850 95
- - - - - $3,000-$3,250 98
Fall 2009 $45-$60 - $16-$30 - $1-$5 $2,500 98
Spring 2010 $40 - $13-$40 - $1-$5 $30 70
$425 90 - - - $1,100 95
Fall 2010 $50-$125 - $10-$35 - $1-$7 $275 85
- - - - - $2,400 98
Spring 2011 $50-$225 - $19-$45 - $1-$9 - -
Fall 2011 $70-$125 - $21-$45 - $1-$8 - -
2012 $25-$170 - $10-$50 - $1-$7 $325 90
- - - - - $1,300 95J
2013 - - - - - - -
2014 - - - - - - -
2015 - - - - - - -
2016 - - - - - - -

Statistics

Issued: Introduced on May 1st, 1901. Earliest documented use is the same date, example shown below. There were no inverts.

Plate Size: Sheets of 200 subjects (2 panes of 100).

297 sheet
A full pane of 100

Printer: The Bureau of Printing and Engraving

Watermark: Double lined USPS watermark.

Quantity Issued: 7,200,000. It paid the foreign destination fee for first class mail.

What you should look for

There is little variety and history to the issue. As with all stamps of this issue be on the look out for the expo cancel, a sample of which can be seen below.

297 Exposition Cancel for Pan-Am exhibit

The Inspiration for the Design

297 US Postage Stamps

Postcard of the bridge from the same year as the Expo, 1901

The picture is of the Upper SteelArch Road Bridge, nicknamed the "Honeymoon" Bridge. At the time of the design it was the world's largest single span steel bridge. Unfortunately, it was not to last, the bridge collapsed in 1938, a victim an ice storm crushing its foundations. It was prone to swaying violently, this was caused by wind, a technical aspect little understood at the time of the design. It was replaced by the current Rainbow bridge.

297 Bridge Collapse US Postage Stamps

The Bridge, after its collapse in 1938

297 Steel Bridge - US Postage Stamps

A photo of the bridge from almost the same angle as used in the design.
Notice the two trams on the bridge in the design
.

297 US Postage Stamps

Varieties to look for

296 ultramar
The Ultramar overprint

The Portuguese Ministry for the Colonies was originally supplied with 25 Specimen stamps. They overprinted the specimens with the "Ultramar" overprint, meaning "overseas", the stamps were distributed to the various colonies.

The Essay's and Proofs

297-E1 US stamp
#297-E1
Photo reproduction of ink drawing
Photo sensitive paper
Unadopted design

297-E1 US stamp

#297-E2
Pencil Drawing
Tracing paper
on thin card

297-E3
#297-E3
Ink drawing
On Card

297-E3
#297-E4
Photo Reproduction
On photo-sensitive paper
2012 ebay sale $1,000

297-P1
297 P1
Die Proof on India
Die sunk on card

297 P2 Proof US Stamp

297 P2
Small Die Proof

1901 Postage Stamps US Postage Stamps