US Postage Stamps

The 3-cent stamp was issued in 1949, the one-hundreth anniversary of Poe’s death. The portrait was based on the engraving by F. T. Stuart. First day issues appeared on an envelope featuring a picture of his home in Philadelphia, reading: “First day of Issue Honoring Edgar Allan Poe, 1849 - 1949. The Rose-covered Cottage. His Philadelphia Home. A Philadelphian. 1838-1844. Where he wrote The Raven, The Gold Bug, The Black Cat, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Etc.” These envelopes were cancelled with a Richmond, Virginia postmark. A great many of these stamps were issued, leaving a surprisingly attractive collectible with a rather meager financial value. Unfortunately, the advent of widely available high-resolution color printers means that many self-styled entrepreneurs have made their own, modern FDCs, making collecting more troublesome. These newer FDCs usually recycle existing images rather than actually designing something original.

The larger, and more colorful 42-cent stamp was issued on the occasion of Poe’s 200 birthday. The official date of issue was January 16, 2009, in Richmond, VA. The stamp was painted by Michael Deas, an artist and expert on Poe’s portraits.