National Defense (899-901)

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=22 BGCOLOR="#BF0000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=145 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1940 Issues"><IMG SRC="0af1e140.png" border=0 width="30" height="20" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <div> <A HREF="coronado_expedition_898.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coronado Expedition (898)"><IMG SRC="0b0280e0.png" border=0 width="40" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A><A HREF="thirteenth_amendment_902.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thirteenth Amendment (902)"><IMG SRC="0b1280e0.png" border=0 width="40" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <div> <A HREF="one_cent_defense_899.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="One Cent Defense (899)"><IMG SRC="0b21e140.png" border=0 width="30" height="20" ALT="down" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=458 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><I>W. G. Crosby FDC Catalog</I></FONT> |    <B> </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="https://wgcrosbyfdcs.com/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="https://wgcrosbyfdcs.com/index.htm"><B>home</B></A></FONT></div> <div> back to  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1940 Issues"><B>1940 Issues</B></A></FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0ae07040.png" border=0 width="263" height="4" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>National Defense Issues (899-901) </B></div> <bR> <div> In 1940 as the European war raged, it became increasingly evident that the United States might be drawn into the struggle.  At the time though, the US was not well prepared for such a war either politically or practically and the US needed to significantly build up its defenses for such an endeavor.  Realizing the advertising value of postage stamps, several ideas were suggested along those lines.  One suggestion (that was not followed) was to issue a special one cent stamp which would be required on all mail as an additional stamp.  The money raised would supply funds for the National Defense.</div> <bR> <div> By August plans were being made for the issuance of 3 stamps.  New Postmaster General Frank Walker took office on September 11, 1940 and began to oversee the effort for these stamps.  The design for all three stamps was based on pencil sketches made by President Roosevelt.  October 16, 1940 was eventually designated as the date of issuance for all three stamps.  That date was requested by President Roosevelt to correspond with National Registration Day, when men would be required to register under the Selective Service Act.  (The originally planned issuance date was October 12, 1940.  Crosby had prepared some cachets with that date before the change was announced.  See 899-WGC-5.)</div> <bR> <div> Each stamp highlighted different areas of importance to the Country's defense.  The one cent stamp: Industry and Agriculture.  The two cent stamp; the Army and Navy.  The three cent stamp: Security, Education, Conservation and Health.</div> <bR> <div> The stamps each had their own color, with the one cent in green, the two cent in red, and the three cent in violet.  Almost all of Crosby's cachets were printed in one of those three colors and thus can be generally assigned to the individual stamp of the same color.  While the Mellone catalog does not distinguish between the cachets for each of these stamps and instead lists all three values together, I have chosen to individually list them in this catalog.  Only where the cachet design does not clearly indicate the proper stamp have I listed them together as 899-901.</div> <bR> <div> Thus there are four pages which follow for these stamps.  Click on the link below for each listing.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="one_cent_defense_899.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="One Cent Defense (899)"><B>One Cent (899)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="two_cent_defense_900.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Two Cent Defense (900)"><B>Two Cent (900)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="three_cent_defense_901.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Three Cent Defense (901)"><B>Three Cent (901)</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="defense_issues_899_901.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Defense Issues (899901)"><B>Combined (899-901)</B></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="coronado_expedition_898.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coronado Expedition (898)"><B>Prior Page</B></A><B>   </B><A HREF="thirteenth_amendment_902.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thirteenth Amendment (902)"><B>Next Page</B></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>