United States 1893 Columbian Exposition Issue, Complete Set

United States · 1893 · 1¢ to $5

This complete set of 16 stamps was issued to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas and to promote the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The series features detailed engraved vignettes depicting scenes from Columbus's life and voyages, from his initial pleas for funding to his eventual landing in the New World. The designs were based on famous paintings and were the first U.S. commemorative stamps.

Issued for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, these stamps were a major promotional effort and a significant event in U.S. postal history, setting the precedent for future commemorative issues.