U.S. #210
1883 2¢ Washington
Issued: October 1, 1883
Quantity issued: 4,490,699,200 (estimate)
Printed by: American Bank Note Company
Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 12
Color: Red brown

In March 1883, Congress passed an act which lowered the First Class mail rate from 3¢ per half ounce to 2¢ per half ounce, thus creating the need for this stamp. The new lower rate dramatically increased the volume of mail.

U.S. #210 is a 2-cent red brown definitive stamp issued on October 1, 1883, printed on soft paper with perforation 12 by the American Bank Note Company. The stamp was produced following a change in postal law: in March 1883, Congress lowered the first-class letter rate from 3 cents to 2 cents per half ounce, creating an immediate need for a new stamp at that denomination. Because long-standing postal policy called for the first-class rate stamp to feature George Washington, a new 2-cent Washington design was introduced to replace the existing 2-cent stamp, which had pictured Andrew Jackson.

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He served as commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, leading American forces through eight years of conflict before Britain's final surrender in 1781. His leadership during the war made him one of the most admired men in the country, and he was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States in 1789.

Washington served two terms as president, helping to shape the structure of the new government and set precedents that future presidents would follow. He was careful to avoid being seen as a king or monarch, and his decision to step down after two terms established a tradition that lasted until the 20th century. He died on December 14, 1799, at his Mount Vernon estate in Virginia, and has been honored on U.S. postage stamps more than any other figure in American history.