Who Was the First Woman on the U.S. Postage Stamp?

Since the first United States postage stamps were issued in 1847, men's portraits had always been depicted on the stamps. That changed in 1902 when Martha Washington became the first woman to be depicted on a United States postage stamp. The year 1902 was the 100-year anniversary of Martha Washington's death.

Choosing a Subject

When choosing subjects for the new 1902 series of stamps, third Assistant Postmaster General Edwin C. Madden selected Martha Washington to be the first woman on a United States postage stamp.

Design

The stamp features a portrait of Martha Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart. R. Ostrander Smith completed the stamp design by including her dates of birth and death, her name, and other artwork.

Release

The 1902 Martha Washington stamp was released on Dec. 6, 1902.

Value

The 1902 Martha Washington stamp has a postage value of 8 cents.

Uses

The first class postage rate in 1902 was 5 cents, so the Martha Washington 8-cent stamp was not used for domestic first-class mail. It was most commonly used for registry fees on both domestic and foreign mail.

References

• History of US Postage Stamps
• Arago: 8-cent Martha Washington