Basic Information
Color: Green and Black
Subject: First Lake Navigation
Watermark: Watermarked double-lined USPS
Paper: Soft porous paper
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Perforations: 12
Scott #: 294
Quantity issued: 91,401,500
Issued: May 1st, 1901
Value
An unused stamp with perfect gum: $5-$8
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $3-$6
A used stamp: 25¢-50¢
About the Pan-American Series
A pane of #294
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One of many Pan-American
cinderella stamps
The 1901 Pan-American US stamp series was primarily created to publicise and promote the Pan-American Exposition, a World’s Fair held in Buffalo, New York.
The series served as a celebration of a "new century" and aimed to highlight three core themes:
1. Modern Rapid Transportation
The central design of each stamp focused on the advancements in modern transit. Each denomination depicted a different "cutting edge" machine or method of moving people and goods
2. Technological and Industrial Progress
The stamps were a salute to the engineering achievements of the Western Hemisphere. The Exposition itself focused heavily on the use of electricity. By showcasing these marvels on postage, the US Post Office helped broadcast the narrative of American industrial dominance and the "marvelous development" of the 19th century into the new 20th century.
3. Pan-American Unity and Trade
The stamps were a salute to the engineering achievements of the Western Hemisphere. The Exposition itself focused heavily on the use of electricity. By showcasing these marvels on postage, the US Post Office helped broadcast the narrative of American industrial dominance and the "marvelous development" of the 19th century into the new 20th century.
Technical Innovation
Two-Tone PrintingThis series was the first U.S. commemorative set to be printed in two colors (bi-colour). The central image (vignette) was printed in black, while the ornate frame was printed in a second color. This complex two-stage process led to the creation of the famous "Pan-American Inverts," where the central image was accidentally printed upside
About the Pan-American Exhibition
The Electric Tower
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The Temple of Music
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The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, from 1 May to 2 November 1901. Spanning 350 acres on the western edge of Delaware Park, it was designed to celebrate the commercial and cultural achievements of the Western Hemisphere. While intended as a showcase of progress and unity, the event is most famously remembered for the tragic assassination of President William McKinley.
Key Features & Attractions
The "City of Light": The exposition was a landmark event for electricity, powered by hydroelectric energy from nearby Niagara Falls. The fairgrounds were illuminated by nearly 250,000 electric bulbs, a spectacle that was unprecedented at the time.
The Electric Tower: Standing 410 feet tall, this massive structure acted as the fair's central beacon and represented technological mastery.
The "Rainbow City": Unlike previous World's Fairs that were predominantly white, the Pan-American structures were painted in a vibrant, intricate color scheme of pale pinks, taupes, and bright pre-cast ornamentation.
Inventions on Display: The fair showcased cutting-edge technology of the era, including Thomas Edison's X-ray machine, early automobiles, and infant incubators.
Attendance & Legacy
Visitors: Over 8 million people attended the six-month event, including President William McKinley.
Economic Success: While successful in attendance and spectacle, the exposition was not a financial success, resulting in an estimated deficit of roughly $3 million.
Current Site: Most of the fair's ornate buildings were temporary and demolished after the event. The New York State Building was the only permanent structure and now houses The Buffalo History Museum.
Today: At the Buffalo History Museum you can see a permanent exhibit titled "Return to the Rainbow City" featuring artifacts like the gun used in the McKinley assassination.
The Inverts
#294a
During this two-stage printing process, a few sheets were accidentally fed upside down, resulting in the iconic "Pan-American Inverts" where the central vehicles appear upside-down relative to their frames. Three values have inverted frames.
#294a 1¢
It is the most common of the three inverts, with several hundred copies known to exist.
#295a 2¢
This is the rarest and most valuable of the genuine postal errors from the series. It was discovered by the public in mid-1901. When postal authorities realized the mistake, they successfully located and destroyed the remaining stock, saving only one pane. Fewer than 80 to 100 copies are known to survive. Because the surviving archive pane was stuck face-down to a backing sheet, most examples today have disturbed or missing gum.
#296a 4¢
Unlike the 1¢ and 2¢ versions, the 4¢ invert was not a public accident. Following the discovery of the first two errors, the Third Assistant Postmaster General, Edwin C. Madden, ordered samples of what an invert looked like. Due to a misunderstanding, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing intentionally printed 400 inverted 4¢ stamps.
Off Center Vignettes
Sinking Ship
Fast Ship
Slow ship
Due to the difficulty in aligning the vignette plate to the frame plate some sheets were printed with the vignettes off centre. The degree of misplacement will effect the value of the stamp.
Usage
First day cover with the exhibition cancel, May 1st, 1901
#294 was primarily used for paying the postage on postcards. It was also used for drop letters, circulars, and newspapers/periodicals. Another use was in combination with other denominations to fulfill higher postage rates.
Plates
#294 was issued with the following plate #'s
Frame plates:
1112-16, 23, 39, 72, 75, 79, 81
Vignette plates:
1113-17, 25, 36, 56, 68, 70, 77, 80, 94, 96
1225-28, 33-35, 48
The Inspiration for the Design
'City of Aplena'
The photograph used as the basis for the vignette design
For the vignette was based on this photograph of the City of Aplena, taken whilst it was steaming from Detroit to Mackinac Island.
The impressive new CITY OF ALPENA and her sister were 285 feet long and driven by 2,000-horsepower steam engines. They carried as many as 400 passengers along with significant cargoes of “package freight”….merchandise and foodstuffs to supply the needs of local communities. They provided a critical link to big cities like Toledo, Detroit and Saginaw, in the years before completion of railroads and highways to the communities of booming Northeast Michigan.