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#923
1944 3c Steamship "Savannah"
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U.S. #923
3¢ Steamship Savannah
Issue Date: May 22, 1944
City: Savannah, GA; Kings Point, NY
Quantity: 61,001,450
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Rotary Press
Perforations: 11 x 10.5
Colors: Violet
Issued on May 22, 1944 — National Maritime Day — this 3-cent stamp marks the 125th anniversary of the SS Savannah's historic crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. The stamp was issued simultaneously in Savannah, Georgia, and Kings Point, New York, home of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using the rotary press method, the design shows the Savannah under full sail and steam, flying the American flag and the ship's own flag. One small detail worth noting: the stamp design does not include the name of the ship it depicts — an unusual omission that stamp collectors have remarked upon over the years.
The SS Savannah departed Savannah, Georgia, on May 22, 1819, and arrived in Liverpool, England, on June 20, 1819 — a crossing of 29 days. The ship was a hybrid, carrying both sails and a steam engine, and used its steam power for approximately 80 to 105 hours of the journey, relying on sail for the remainder. Built in New York and named after its home port in Georgia, the 300-ton vessel was not a commercial success — the public of 1819 was not yet ready to trust steam power on the open ocean — and it was eventually converted back to a sailing ship and used in the coastal trade. Some historians have debated whether the Savannah truly qualifies as the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, given how little the steam engine was actually used, and this mild controversy followed the stamp as well when it was issued in 1944.
The stamp was modeled after a photograph of a ship model submitted to the Post Office Department through the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
U.S. #923
3¢ Steamship Savannah
Issue Date: May 22, 1944
City: Savannah, GA; Kings Point, NY
Quantity: 61,001,450
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Rotary Press
Perforations: 11 x 10.5
Colors: Violet
Issued on May 22, 1944 — National Maritime Day — this 3-cent stamp marks the 125th anniversary of the SS Savannah's historic crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. The stamp was issued simultaneously in Savannah, Georgia, and Kings Point, New York, home of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using the rotary press method, the design shows the Savannah under full sail and steam, flying the American flag and the ship's own flag. One small detail worth noting: the stamp design does not include the name of the ship it depicts — an unusual omission that stamp collectors have remarked upon over the years.
The SS Savannah departed Savannah, Georgia, on May 22, 1819, and arrived in Liverpool, England, on June 20, 1819 — a crossing of 29 days. The ship was a hybrid, carrying both sails and a steam engine, and used its steam power for approximately 80 to 105 hours of the journey, relying on sail for the remainder. Built in New York and named after its home port in Georgia, the 300-ton vessel was not a commercial success — the public of 1819 was not yet ready to trust steam power on the open ocean — and it was eventually converted back to a sailing ship and used in the coastal trade. Some historians have debated whether the Savannah truly qualifies as the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, given how little the steam engine was actually used, and this mild controversy followed the stamp as well when it was issued in 1944.
The stamp was modeled after a photograph of a ship model submitted to the Post Office Department through the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
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