2013 First-Class Forever Stamp,Imperforate New England Coastal Lighthouses

U.S. # 4791-95b
2013 46¢ New England Coastal Lighthouses Imperforate

Strip of 5

Many of New England’s lighthouses guarded the Eastern shorelines before the U.S. became a country. Since then, they have become beloved landmarks to seafarers and “landlubbers” alike.

In Colonial times, the British established beacons at the busy ports of Boston and New London. During the American Revolution, the lighthouses were destroyed then rebuilt by opposing forces. When the nation gained independence, President George Washington understood the significance of the New England lighthouses and commissioned the first keepers, contracts for oil, and completion of a new station in Portland Head, Maine.

The role of lighthouses in history continued during the War of 1812. In Boston Harbor, the keeper and his wife witnessed the battle when American Captain James Lawrence declared, “Don’t give up the ship!” The lamps from Rhode Island’s Point Judith station were stolen by the British, and later found in Bermuda, returned, and reinstalled.

In the 20th century, the lanterns were extinguished along New England’s rocky coast to prevent the nation’s enemies from navigating the waterways and busy harbors. 

The five lighthouses honored in 2013 are:

Portland Head, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Portsmouth Harbor, New Castle, New Hampshire

Point Judith, Narragansett, Rhode Island

New London Harbor, New London, Connecticut

Boston Harbor, Boston, Massachusetts

Howard E. Paine and Greg Breeding used Howard Koslow’s original paintings for the 2013 lighthouse stamps.  Koslow’s paintings have been used on all of the stamps in the lighthouse series since 1990.

Value: 46¢ 1-ounce first-class letter rate

Issued:  July 13, 2013  

First Day City: Boston, MA, New Castle, NH, Portland, ME, Narragansett, RI, and New London, CT

Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America for Sennett Security Products
Method: Lithograph printing in sheets of 120 in 6 panes of 20
Perforation: Imperforate  

Self-Adhesive

The five lighthouses honored on the 2013 stamps are among the oldest in the U.S. and are included on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Other issues in the Lighthouse series include:

1990 Lighthouses (U.S. #2470-74)

1995 Great Lakes Lighthouses (U.S. #2969-73)

2003 Southeastern Lighthouses (U.S. #3787-91)

2007 Pacific Lighthouses (U.S. #4146-50)

2009 Gulf Coast Lighthouses (U.S. #4409-13)

Scarce Modern Imperforates

The modern imperforate stamps are one of the hottest stories around.  In 2012, the U.S. Postal Service released some issues as press sheets.  The sheets with die cut perforations were issued in limited quantities. 

To the surprise of many collectors, officials then issued a small number of press sheets without perforations.  The uncut sheets were only available in Kansas City, Missouri, yet most sold out immediately.  In an instant, the imperforate stamp sheets became modern rarities.  For example, only 75,000 Baseball All-Star se-tenant sheets were issued compared to 118,000 Bugs Bunny sheets with the 10th stamp imperforate.

In a controversial move, the editors of Scott Catalogue announced they would not list or give numbers to these stamps because they did not fit Scott guidelines.  This decision was strongly debated since the imperforate stamps are valid for postage.   They eventually decided to give the stamps minor numbers and have continued issuing imperforates in the years since.

Because they were issued in such limited quantities, these scarce modern imperforates can be difficult to find.  Luckily Mystic purchased a small number of each imperforate stamp issued so you can add these modern rarities to your collection.  Be one of the lucky few – order today.