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#1239
1963 5c International Red Cross Centennial
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U.S. #1239
5¢ International Red Cross Centennial
Issue Date: October 29, 1963
City: Washington, D.C.
Quantity: 118,665,000
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Giori Press
Perforations: 11
Color: Bluish black and red
This stamp was issued in 1963 to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the International Red Cross. The organization traces its origins to Swiss businessman Henry Dunant, who witnessed the devastating aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in Italy in June 1859, where roughly forty thousand soldiers on both sides were killed or wounded in a single day with almost no medical attendance available to care for them. Dunant was so shaken by what he saw that he abandoned the original purpose of his trip entirely and instead devoted himself to establishing an organization dedicated to providing care for wounded soldiers regardless of which side of a conflict they fought on, a mission that led to the founding of the Red Cross in 1863.
This particular stamp also honors a more recent chapter in the organization's history, drawing on the Red Cross's role in a mercy mission that returned refugees from Cuba to the United States earlier that same year. The stamp's design is based on a photograph of the freighter S.S. Morning Light, one of the mercy ships used to bring Cuban refugees back to Port Everglades, Florida, on May 24, 1963, connecting the stamp's centennial theme to a real world example of the organization's humanitarian work still unfolding at the time of its release. The design shows the Red Cross flag flying above the silhouettes of ship passengers and personnel, with the flag's red cross emblem rendered in a bold pop of color against the otherwise dark, dramatic tones of the composition.
The International Red Cross went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1963, the same year this stamp was issued, marking the third time the organization had been honored with the award since its founding. This stamp offers a fitting tribute to a century of humanitarian work born from one man's decision to respond to suffering with organized, impartial compassion, a mission that continues to guide the organization's work around the world today.
U.S. #1239
5¢ International Red Cross Centennial
Issue Date: October 29, 1963
City: Washington, D.C.
Quantity: 118,665,000
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Giori Press
Perforations: 11
Color: Bluish black and red
This stamp was issued in 1963 to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the International Red Cross. The organization traces its origins to Swiss businessman Henry Dunant, who witnessed the devastating aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in Italy in June 1859, where roughly forty thousand soldiers on both sides were killed or wounded in a single day with almost no medical attendance available to care for them. Dunant was so shaken by what he saw that he abandoned the original purpose of his trip entirely and instead devoted himself to establishing an organization dedicated to providing care for wounded soldiers regardless of which side of a conflict they fought on, a mission that led to the founding of the Red Cross in 1863.
This particular stamp also honors a more recent chapter in the organization's history, drawing on the Red Cross's role in a mercy mission that returned refugees from Cuba to the United States earlier that same year. The stamp's design is based on a photograph of the freighter S.S. Morning Light, one of the mercy ships used to bring Cuban refugees back to Port Everglades, Florida, on May 24, 1963, connecting the stamp's centennial theme to a real world example of the organization's humanitarian work still unfolding at the time of its release. The design shows the Red Cross flag flying above the silhouettes of ship passengers and personnel, with the flag's red cross emblem rendered in a bold pop of color against the otherwise dark, dramatic tones of the composition.
The International Red Cross went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1963, the same year this stamp was issued, marking the third time the organization had been honored with the award since its founding. This stamp offers a fitting tribute to a century of humanitarian work born from one man's decision to respond to suffering with organized, impartial compassion, a mission that continues to guide the organization's work around the world today.
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