U.S. #2178
17¢ Belva Ann Lockwood
Great Americans Series
Issue Date: June 18, 1986
City: Middleport, NY
Quantity: 156,520,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Engraved
Perforations: 11
Color: Dull blue green
Born in 1830, Belva Ann Lockwood was a woman ahead of her time. Widowed at 24, she went to college for three years to earn her law degree. It wasnÕt until she appealed to President Grant that she received her law certificate. Lockwood devoted her career to obtaining equal fights for minorities, fighting to gain equal pay for women, and land rights for the Cherokee Indians. She was the first woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court and the first female presidential candidate. Lockwood is pictured on the 17¢ Great Americans stamp.
Issued between 1980 and 1999, the Great Americans definitive series features 63 designs, making it the largest set of face different Regular Issue stamps issued in the 20th century. One stamp honors a couple (Lila and Dewitt Wallace) while the remaining 62 commemorate individuals.
The series is characterized by a standard definitive size, simple design and monochromatic colors. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produced most of the stamps, but some were printed by private firms. Several stamps saw multiple printings. The result is many different varieties, with tagging being the key to understanding them.