$5 Conductor’s Lantern Stamp

The $5 Conductor’s Lantern stamp (US #1612) was issued on August 23, 1979, in Boston, Massachusetts at the Stampshow 79. The stamp show was the annual philatelic exhibition hosted by the American Philatelic Society. It is one of four stamps showing light sources from our country’s history. It is a reminder that America is a shining beacon of liberty. In the 1850s, the lantern was used by railroad conductors.

Offset and engraving were used to print this stamp. The four colors used were tan, red-brown, yellow, and orange. All of the colors other than the red-brown were printed using offset. The tan was used for the background and the orange and yellow were used for the flame and lamp chimney. The lamp, “5.00 USA,” and the inscription running across the bottom and side were engraved and printed in red-brown. “America’s Light Leaders Her Generations Onward” is the inscription.

The $5 Lantern is harder to find on a cover than the other dollar-denominated Americana stamps.

Classroom Activities:

• Draw the different types of lanterns used in history.
• What other light sources were used in our country’s history?
• What do the other three stamps look like?
• Find pictures of railroad conductors using this lantern?

References:
https://www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/1612/USA/
https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/2016/october/lantern-top-denomination-americana-series.html