US. 2173. 5c. Luis Munoz Marin. Great Americans. MNH. 1990

U.S. #2173
1990 5¢ Luis Munoz Marin
Great Americans

• First Great Americans stamp with extra information about the honoree in the design and the selvage
• First stamp under 10¢ with a zero in front of the denomination

Stamp Category:  Definitive
Series:  Great Americans
Value:  5¢, used for make-up postage
First Day of Issue:  February 18, 1990
First Day City:  San Juan, Puerto Rico
Quantity Issued:  155,780,000
Printed by:  Bureau of Engraving and printing
Printing Method:  Engraved
Format:  Panes of 100 in sheets of 800
Perforations:  11.2
Color:  Carmine

Why the stamp was issued:  This 5¢ stamp is what the USPS calls “change maker” postage.  These stamps with denominations of 1¢ through 6¢ are produced to make up the wide variety of rates for third-class parcel post, which has many combinations of charges for weight and distance.  These stamps were also useful when first-class rates went up, before the USPS could release stamps at the new rate.

This was also the second US stamp to honor Muñoz.  A 1949 stamp ( commemorated his election as Puerto Rico’s first governor.

About the stamp design:  Puerto Rico native Juan Maldonado, who had already painted several portraits of Muñoz, was selected to design this stamp.  He created his portrait based on two photos of Muñoz as a young man

Special design details:  This stamp marked two firsts for the Great Americans Series.  First, it was the first to include identifying information on the stamp.  When the Great Americans Series was first begun, the USPS didn’t want to clutter the stamps with too much text, so the subjects were only identified by their names.  However, over time, they received complaints that postal customers didn’t know who the people were, or why they deserved to be honored on a stamp.  With this issue, the USPS changed that, and Marin is identified as “Governor, Puerto Rico.”

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