U.S. #3140
1997 60¢ George Washington
PACIFIC ’97 Pane of 12
Issue Date: May 30, 1997
City: San Francisco, CA
Quantity: 592,849
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed and engraved
Perforations: 10.5 x 10.4
Color: Multicolored
Issued in conjunction with the PACIFIC ’97 stamp show, U.S. #3140 features a reproduction of U.S. #2. The 1847 stamp pictures President George Washington. The stamps were sold only at the 11-day show – the shortest sale period in U.S. postal history!
George Washington’s character was eloquently summed up by Thomas Jefferson who once said, “He was indeed, in every sense of the words, a wise, a good and a great man.… On the whole, his character was in its mass perfect…it may be truly said, that never did nature and fortune combine more perfectly to make a man great…”
A successful and affluent Virginia planter, George Washington was elected as a delegate to the first Continental Congress in 1774. The following year he was unanimously appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, a position he accepted reluctantly. Determined and steadfast, Washington soon became a symbol of independence. Despite numerous hardships, he victoriously delivered America from Britain’s rule, granting the freedom we still enjoy today. In 1789 he was inaugurated as the first President of the United States.
As the “Father of our Country,” Washington won a lasting place in American history. Throughout the Postal Service’s 150-year history, he has appeared on dozens of postage stamps, and his familiar portrait can also be found on the $1 bill and the quarter. Our nation’s capital was named for him, as well as numerous cities, towns, bridges, parks, and schools. And the state of Washington is the only state named for a president.. This 50¢ stamp covers the international postcard rate.