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1994 Legends of the West USPS Incomplete 29 Cent Stamps (Scott #2869) - $10 (Falmouth)
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Grade: Ungraded
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Legends of the West
Value: 29¢, rate for first-class mail
First Day of Issue: October 18, 1994
First Day Cities: Tucson, Arizona; Lawton, Oklahoma; Laramie, Wyoming
Quantity Issued: 385,656,000
Printed by: Stamp Venturers
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 20 in sheets of 120
Perforations: 10.2 x 10.1
The complete set has 20 stamps. I only have 13 stamps.
Home on The Range (#2869a) – This was one of the original sketches Hess made before the stamp set was expanded to a sheet of 20. It was originally titled “Horse Handling/Cattle Herding” and was based on an old West show poster.
Buffalo Bill (#2869b) – Hess worked from multiple photographs to create the photo of the famed showman and placed him before a scene of buttes. Buffalo Bill Cody had previously been honored on a 1988 Great Americans stamp.
Jim Bridger (#2869c) – For the Jim Bridger portrait, Hess studied the best available photograph of the legendary mountain man. However, Bridger was older and gaunt in the photo, and the USPS wanted to honor these people at the time they were most famous. So Hess made changes to make him burlier and look more as he did as a young man. He was pictured in front of a forest scene with sunlight shining between the leaves.
Annie Oakley (#2869d) – The Annie Oakley Foundation in Greenville, Ohio had long campaigned for the sharpshooter to be honored with a postage stamp. Though they had hoped she would be honored in the Great Americans Series, alongside her contemporaries Buffalo Bill Code and Sitting Bull. Hess said that Oakley’s portrait was the easiest and only took four days. He used several photos and posters from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show for inspiration.
Native American Culture (#2869e) – This stamp image was based on an old lithograph by Charles Bodmer depicting the Minnetaree warrior Phriska-Rhupa in the middle of the Dog Dance. The stamp also includes a prairie scene, teepees, peace pipes, and an Indian painting.
Chief Joseph (#2869f) – Chief Joseph’s portrait was based on several different images, though much of it was taken from an 1878 photo.
Wyatt Earp (#2869j) – The portrait of Wyatt Earp was based in part on a photograph taken in the 1870s. The different elements – a volunteer fireman’s blouse, cowboy bandana, Stetson hat, and badge – were taken from other photos. Some criticized the combination, but others said it “provided a remarkable likeness of Marshal Earp, tailored to the role that made him a true legend of the West.”
Geronimo (#2869m) – The Geronimo stamp was based on one of the most well-known photos of the Apache warrior, taken in 1884. He’s pictured in front of a forest and mountain, though some said this was incorrect as he was a “desert Indian,” but Hess believed his background was accurate.
Kit Carson (#2869n) – The Kit Carson stamp pictures the trailblazer and mountain man wearing a fur cap and fur-lined collar, holding a rifle and powder horn. Hess based the background on a photograph of a mountain and waterfall.
Wild Bill Hickock (#2869o) – Wild Bill Hickok’s portrait was based on a photo taken around 1873. While he was originally painted holding a six-shooter, Hess eventually changed it to a handful of cards, depicting his well-known habit of gambling.
Western Wildlife (#2869p) – At the center of this stamp stands a bison. In the corners are four other animals common to the west: a bald eagle, grizzly bear, mountain lion, and bighorn sheep.
Jim Beckwourth (#2869q) – Hess based his portrait of Jim Beckwourth on a photo taken around 1860. He embellished it was a fur-collared coat and red scarf. It’s one of the few Legends of the West stamps with a distinct winter background.
Overland Mail (#2869t) – The Overland Mail stamp pictures a red stagecoach driving through a California mountain pass. A pony express rider is also shown in a small oval, showing how mail transportation to the West changed in the 1800s.
I have stamps from all over the world, some new, some used. Not all are currently posted, so feel free to message me if you’re looking for specific countries, themes, or styles.