U.S. Postage Stamp Centenary of the First Adhesive Stamps in the US - 1947

U.S. POSTAGE STAMP Centenarycommemorative issue, released on 17 May 1947. It was issued to mark the 100th anniversary of the first adhesive postage stamps in the United States. 

It  featured portraits of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, who were pictured on the original 1847 stamps. It also highlighted the evolution of mail transportation over a century, showing a Pony Express rider, a steam locomotive, a diesel locomotive, a modern ocean liner, and a four-engine transport plane.

It was first released in New York City on the opening day of the Centenary International Philatelic Exhibition (CIPEX).

Approximately 127,000,000 of these stamps were printed in a dark blue color using the recess printing method.