The 1929 Kansas-Nebraska Overprints- A Fascinating History!

The Kansas-Nebraska Overprinted stamps of 1929 have an interesting backstory.Reason for Creation:

1. • A series of post office robberies in the Midwest prompted the creation of these overprinted stamps.
   • The United States Post Office Department believed that overprinting stamps with the abbreviated names of individual states would deter thieves. They thought that stolen overprinted state stamps would be difficult to sell outside their respective states.
   • Kansas and Nebraska were chosen as the initial states for this experiment.
2. Overprinting Process:
   • The Bureau overprinted eleven stamps for each state, specifically the 1-cent through 10-cent values of the Fourth Bureau Issue.
   • These stamps were perforated 11x10.5.
   • Only small post offices in Kansas and Nebraska received the overprinted stamps, as security at large city post offices was considered adequate.
   • The overprinted stamps could only be sold within their respective states but were valid for postage throughout the entire United States.
3. Stamp Values and Availability:
   • The overprinted stamps included the 1-cent Franklin, 1 1/2-cent Harding, 2-cent Washington, 3-cent Lincoln, 4-cent Martha Washington, 5-cent Roosevelt, 6-cent Garfield, 7-cent McKinley, 8-cent Grant, and 9-cent Jefferson stamps.
   • Higher values were not included because they were not printed by rotary press and couldn’t easily be overprinted.
   • Shipments of these stamps began on April 15, 1929.
4. Legacy and Rarity:
   • Despite the effort, the plan was not successful in preventing resale or use in other states.
   • The Kansas-Nebraska overprints are now considered scarce and collectible.
   • Notable stamps include the valuable 8¢ Ulysses S. Grant

These stamps serve as a fascinating piece of philatelic history, reflecting the challenges faced by postal services in the 1920s!