1969 6c California Settlement

Issue Date:  July 16, 1969
City:  San Diego, CA
Quantity:  144,425,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed, engraved
Perforations:  11
Color:  Orange, red, black and light blue

This stamp was issued in 1969 to mark the two hundredth anniversary of the first European settlement in California. The dates 1769 and 1969 appear at the top of the design, marking the two centuries since Spanish missionaries and settlers established the earliest permanent outposts along the California coast, a movement that would eventually lead to the founding of the mission system across the region.

The design centers on a large mission bell hanging within an arched wooden frame, with a row of smaller bells lined up beneath it. Mission bells like these were an important part of daily life at the early settlements, used to call residents to prayer, meals, and work throughout the day. The stamp is rendered in warm orange and brown tones, giving it an earthy, historical feel that reflects the adobe architecture common to the California missions.