Apparently....this stamp isn't legitimate

 

I was at Hobby Lobby about 6 months ago when I bought a topical package of stamps. They were all dinosaur stamps and my son loves dinosaurs so I just had to get them. Part of the reason was maybe having dinosaurs on the stamps would spark an interest in my son for stamps. He's a little young yet but it really worked. He sits on my lap as I work on my stamps quite frequently.

So, I was going through them and mounting them in albums and I came across this Ankylosaurus stamp. It had no cancel on it and all the rest in the package did. So I googled "Sahara OCC. R.A.S.D" and the first website that was on the list starting talking about "bogus stamps". 

Stamps marked "Sahara OCC R.A.S.D." relate to Western Sahara which is occupied by Morocco and the post office of Morocco claim that these stamps are illegitimate and, from what I have read, they aren't in Scott Stamp Catalogs. I think they are nice looking stamps though and I'm going to keep them.

1972 Stamp Collecting

 

I was going through my Heritage Collection the other day looking for my next stamp to write about when I came across this 1972 Stamp Collecting commemorative stamp. I knew I just had to write about this. Philately is such a strong passion of mine, and stamp collecting is such a big part of it. 

Over the years I've had hobbies that were really fun and garnered much of my attention. But, they have always paled in comparison to this hobby. This month marks my first-anniversary collecting and I am running out of room in my closet. My collection has grown so much in that time. Everyone that I know keeps their stamps and I go and collect them. I am always begging my wife to stop in the hobby store when we drive by, and honestly, I don't think she minds (it's her favorite store too). Anyway, enough about me. 

This 1972 Stamp Collecting stamp has a denomination of 8 cents and was issued on November 17, 1972, in New York, NY. Over 166 million were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and were engraved and then lithographed. It is multicolored and its perforations are 11.

Stamp collecting isn't philately exactly but most philatilists usually collect stamps. Philately is the study of stamps. It can be any part of the stamp. It can be about anything from the printing processes used, the perforations, the designs on the stamps, etc. Stamp collecting is usually just like the name implies: collecting of the stamps. 

Stamp collecting has been around for a long time. It has been around since at least 1774 when John Bourke started collecting revenue stamps in Ireland. That was over 65 years before the first postage stamp (The Penny Black) was created.

When the Penny Black was issued in Britain in May of 1840, stamp collecting took off. Just 20 years after the issuance of the first postage stamp, there were thousands of collectors all over the world.

Many notable stamp collectors throughout history include: King George V, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Freddie Mercury, and John Lennon. They're collections are all on display in museums across the world.

Stamp collecting is unique in the aspect that there are no rules on how a person collects their stamps. Many people callect stamps on particular topics such as: castles, dinosaurs, landscapes, etc. Others try to collect stamps from particular countries (that is my passion). Some may collect their stamps in albums attached with hinges or mounts and others may use stock books. You will rarely find two collections exactly the same.

There are many ways to acquire stamps. These include: asking friends/relatives to save stamps from their mail, buying bulk or individual stamps from brick-and-motor stores or on-line, buying from dealers, or joining a club and trading stamps with other members. Many countries have their own national organizations that collectors can join to connect with other collectors and dealers. I, personally buy a lot of stamps from MysticStamp.com.

The internet has had a huge impact on stamp collecting. There are so many resources available with just a few clicks. There are thousands of blogs available. Here is a list of top 75 blogs on Feedspot. If you are looking for tips, values of your stamps, or a community to talk with other collectors; the internet is such a valuable tool. 

I have really enjoyed the time that I've spent researching and studying my stamps and I love sharing these stories here with you. I hope that you enjoy reading about the stamps that I come across and hope whether you are already a collector or aren't you enjoy the beauty and the history of the stamps. The truly are all a work of art.

1944 Completion of First Transcontinental Railroad

 

The next stamp on my list of stamps to write about was this beautiful 1944 3¢ "Completion of First Transcontinental Railroad" stamp.

I've noticed that when I research a stamp and write an article on my blog about it that I really develop a deeper appreciation for it. I've learned so many things about the first transcontinental railroad this week that I didn't know. I know I say this all the time, but that is one thing I love about my hobby. 

This stamp was issued on May 10, 1944, in 3 different cities: Omaha, Nebraska, Ogden, Utah, and San Francisco, California. Over 61 million were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using the Rotary Press method. It's perforations are 11 x 10.5 and it is violet in color.

The First Transcontintal Railroad (or originally known as the Pacific Railroad and the Overland Route) is one of America's greatest achievements in my opinion. To think about what was achieved almost 160 years ago by people that didn't have the technological advancements that are available now is just amazing.

The rail road was constructed from 1863 to 1869 but for many years people had been proposing to congress for the construction of a railway system to connect the East and West coasts by rail. Congress agreed and the government spent two years conducting surveys to find the best route. 3 routes were suggested. They were: a northern route, central route, and southern route. Eventually, the central route was chosen. Sacramento, California was chosen as the western terminus and in Council Bluffs, Iowa was connected to an existing rail line.

To allow the creation of the two companies (Union Pacific and Central Pacific) to build the House of Represenatives and the Senate pass the "Pacific Railroad Act of 1862" and was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln soon after. The law also allowed the government to sell bonds to finance the project. The two companies also sold stocks and bonds to help finance the project. 

Land grants were given by both federal and state governments totaling over 180 million acres (an area larger than the state of Texas). Some of that land was then sold to settlers which largely boosted the rapid expansion of people to the "West".

Thousands of workers were employed in the construction of the rail line. Inlcuding former Union and Confederate soldiers of the American Civil War, Chinese and Irish immigrants, and former slaves escaping from the south after the civil war. Work was hard and the days were long through both hot and cold temperatures. The workers also had to worry about attacks from Native American tribes.

Many cities and towns spurng up along the line that are still here to this day. Many tunnels were opened by the use of dynamite and many are still there as well. The Union Pacific dug 4 tunnels and the Central Pacific dug 15. Bridges had to built to cross rivers and streams. 

After six years of hard work the two companies met at Promontory Summit in the Utah Territory and the "last spike" was driven on May 10, 1869. The Union Pacific had laid 1,087 miles and the Central Pacific laid 690 miles.

The Transcontinental Railroad reduced travel to the west coast from over six months to just about one week.

Although the original tracks don't remain, hundreds of miles of the railway are still in use to this day on the original grade that was built almost 160 years ago. 

Back to work

After a break from the blog due to a hectic personal and professional life I am going to try to spend more time researching and writing about my favorite hobby. 

During the break I continued to buy, mount, and identify stamps. It just seemed like the time to blog about it wasn't there. I really missed it. It is a part of my hobby and I could just feel there was something missing. 

I have a few ideas of things to come and I am already researching another stamp to write about. I can't wait to dive back in.

I think that with the state of the world right now hobbies are more important than they have been in a long time. Hobbies bring a sense of happiness and purpose that are extremely beneficial in these times, no matter what they are. I am so glad that my hobby is so multifaceted and can help take my mind off the stresses of the world, even for just a little bit at a time.

1972 Sidney Lanier Stamp

This 1972 Sidney Lanier 8 cent stamp is mounted in my Heritage Collection album and it is a great looking stamp. One of the things I love the most about stamps is it brings topics and people into my world that I would probably never have known about. That is especially true with this stamp. 

I had no idea who Sidney Lanier was and now I do. That is a wonderful aspect of this hobby. I love learning new things and I love researching new things. That is why I love this hobby so much.

The stamp is a work of art, like so many of the stamps I come across. I have never come across a stamp that I didn't appreciate the beauty of. They are all truly works of art in their own right.

It was issued on February 3, 1972 (the birthday of Sidney Lanier) in Macon, GA (his birthplace). Over 137 million stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing by the Giori Press method. Its perforations are 11 and it is black, brown, and light blue in color.

Sidney Lanier was an American poet, musician, and author among many other things. He was born on February 2, 1842, in Macon, Georgia to Robert Sampson Lanier and Mary Jane Anderson who were devoutly religious. At an early age, he learned how to play the flute and it would benefit him later in life. 

In 1860 he graduated from Oglethorpe University at the top of his class. In 1861 the American Civil War started and he fought for the Confederacy in the signal corps. Later he served on a merchant's vessel as a blockade runner and captured and imprisoned in a military prison at Point Lookout, Maryland. While imprisoned in Maryland he contracted tuberculosis and suffered from the disease for the rest of his life (there was no cure at that time). 

After the war, he moved to Alabama where he played the organ for a church in Prattville and also wrote his novel "Tiger Lillies" in 1867.

That same year he also accepted a position at a school in Prattville where he taught and served as a principal. He also married Mary Day and moved back to Macon, Georgia. He had 3 sons. 

While in Macon he worked at his father's law practice. Eventually passing the bar exam in Georgia and practicing law himself for several years. During this time he wrote a number of his poems about the poor farmers in the south and traveled the United States trying to find a cure for the disease that plagued him.

It was during one of these trips in Texas that he rediscovered his love and talent for playing the flute. He accepted a position playing for the Peabody Orchestra in Baltimore, Maryland in 1873 and became quite famous and reached the position of the first flutist. 

 

In order to support his family financially, he started writing poems for different magazines. It was these poems that became his most famous works.

In the later years of his life, he went to work at the English Department at Johns Hopkins Unversity in Baltimore, Maryland where he published lectures and wrote a book. 

On September 7, 1881, he succumbed to complications caused by tuberculosis near Lynn, North Carolina. He was 39 years old. He was buried in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore.

Sidney Lanier is noted as one of Georgia's greatest poets and many entities are named in his honor, from lakes to many schools.

I enjoyed reading about this man and I am thrilled to have this stamp in my collection. I hope you have too. And I urge you to read some of his poems. Many can be found here. 

American Kestrel Gave Me a Headache

I was mounting some stamps tonight and I came across a stamp that took at least an hour of work to figure out exactly what it was. It was a 1996 1 cent American Kestrel stamp from the Flora and Fauna Series.

It really shouldn't have been so difficult. The year is printed on the front and the perfs were in good condition. It should've taken five minutes.But there is one thing that messed it all up. In my album that I was mounting this stamp there are two places for a 1996 American Kestrel. One spot is for a large "1996" and the other is for a small "1996".

Why do they do this to us? I had not idea which one it was! I was baffled. I searched the forums and had a lengthy question typed up and then I just deleted it. I don't have time to wait on someone to respond to this, I needed to figure this out now!

I googled the Scott numbers and I couldn't find any pictures of the 3044 and 3004a. Surely I wasn't the only person to have this trouble. After a while perusing the web and getting distracted half a dozen times by other stamps I was finding information on I hit pay-dirt. I stumbled up a link to this wonderful website that had just enough information for me to solve this conundrum. I couldn't believe I had finally figured it out. All I had to do was measure the size of the "year and I would now know which one I had.

The website is definitely going into my bookmarks bar. It saved me a massive headache for sure. And now my 1 cent American Kestrel with a "large 1996" is in its new home. Now I just have to find the small one....

1945 Texas Statehood Stamp

The 1945 Texas Statehood stamp is one of the most favorite stamps that I have. It's an absolutely beautiful stamp showing the United States flag and the Texas state flag. The United States flag is projecting it's 28th star to Texas' single star on its flag. I have always been extremely fascinated with Texas history and am thrilled that I have a chance to delve further into it and share it with you. Living in Oklahoma, which neighbors Texas to the north, there has always been a rivalry-like feeling between the two states. From the Red River Showdown (rivalry game between The University of Oklahoma and The University of Texas football teams) that was actually spawned by a real conflict between the two states called the Red River Bridge War, to multiple lawsuits over border disputes due to the finding of oil along the Red River, the rivalry continues to this day.

The Texas statehood stamp was issued on December 29, 1945, in Austin, Texas.  Over 170 million were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing by the rotary press method.  Its perforations are 11×10 1/2 and it is dark blue in color. The stamp pictures both the U.S. flag and Texas flag with a beam of light projection on the lone star of Texas (nicknamed the Lone Star State) from the 28th star of the U.S. flag. Texas was the 28th state to join the United States.

There is a slogan that "Everything is bigger in Texas". I'm not sure if that slogan is entirely accurate, but the state its self is huge. It is the second-largest state in Area at over 268 square miles, second only to Alaska. It also has the second-largest population behind California coming in at over 28 million people.

Before the European appearance in 1519, the land that would become Texas was inhabited by Native Americans, who had lived there for over 10,000 years.  Many tribes have called what is now Texas home. In fact, the name Texas is derived from the word táyshaʼ which means "friends" or "allies" in the Caddoan language of the Hasinai which occupied territory in eastern Texas and are now enrolled in the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma.

The first recorded European discovery of Texas was by Spanish Conquistadors in 1519 by explorers, sent by the governor of Jamaica, looking for a route between the Gulf of Mexico to Asia. After that, the area was basically ignored for another 160 years until a colony was founded there due to an accident.  Sieur de La Salle led an expedition for France to find and establish a colony near the Mississippi River and due to a series of mistakes and miscalculations landed in Texas.  Due to many hardships and diseases, the people started to dwindle in numbers. La Salle was killed by his own people in east Texas when out looking for the Mississippi River.  When the Spanish heard of the colony they sent 10 expeditions to find it. Finally, the last found a French deserter of the colony who led them to its location.  Upon arriving they discovered the colony in ruins.  The Karankawa tribe was upset that the French colonists had taken some canoes without payment and attacked, leaving only 4 children alive.

After all the expeditions sent to find the French colony, Spain had learned quite a lot about Texas and started building missions to convert the native people to Christianity.  However, the natives of the area weren't easily converted and had no regard to the religious leaders.  Attacking and stealing the livestock of the mission was common and eventually caused the majority of the priests to leave.  Eventually, the Caddo threatened those that remained because they were angry about the spreading of smallpox, and the rest of the Spanish left.  And once again Spain gave up on Texas, this time for 20 years until they ordered the reoccupation of Texas after concerns of the French planning on helping to reestablish missions causing Spain to establish new missions in East Texas to act as a cushion between the French territories and New Spain.

In 1762 France gave Texas and everything west of the Mississippi River to Spain in the treaty that ended the Seven Years’ War. However, in 1799 Spain gave it back for a promise of a throne in Italy. In 1803 Napoleon sold Louisiana to the United States for 15 million dollars and since there were constant discrepancies in the borders due to frequent changing of hands Texas was lost. The United States claimed the purchase included the western part of Florida and all of Texas since Thomas Jefferson claimed that Louisiana stretched as far as the Rocky Mountains and the southern border was the Rio Grand river. The dispute over the borders of Lousiana was finally agreed upon in 1819 when Spain and the United States signed the Adams-Onís. Spain gave Florida to the United States for all of Texas.

In 1821 Mexico declared independence from Spain after much conflict over the past 20 years. Much of the land that was Texas was absorbed into the newly formed country with Texas having the option to create it’s own state when it so chose to, and that’s exactly what happened.

By 1835 disputes between the settlers and the new government let to the Texas revolution. Mexico had gone from a federalist state to a centralist one and the settlers of Texas wanted more freedoms than the Mexican government allowed. From the banning of slavery by the Mexican government to the banning of American citizens immigrating to Texas, Texans wanted control of the decisions made for Texas. The Texian Army defeated the Mexican troops and the Republic of Texas was created on March 2, 1836, when Texans signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. After this, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (the president of Mexico) led 6000 troops into Texas. Santa Anna split his men and went to the Alamo where after a 13-day siege killed over 200 Texans and one of his generals went up the coast of Texas leading to 300 Texans dying at Goliad’s Massacre. After these crushing blows to the settlers of Texas, most fled to Eastern Texas and many joined the Texas army. They eventually attacked Santa Anna’s troops near what is now the city of Houston (named after General Sam Houston of the Texas army) and captured Santa Anna and made him sign the Treaties of Valasco, which ended the war.

After the war for Texas independence ended, 5 places served as capitals of Texas (Washington-on-the-Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, Columbia and Houston) before finally being moved to Austin, which was named after the “Father of Texas” Stephen F. Austin. Although some factions wanted continued Texas independence, there were others that had wanted Texas to be annexed by the United States along. And that is what happened. Mexico had never really recognized the independence of Texas and claimed that any annexation of Texas by the United States would be considered an act of war. So, in 1845 when Texas joined the United States, diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico ceased and both sides readied for conflict.

The Mexican-American war lasted for about two years with Mexico giving up its northern territories, including California and New Mexico and the United States paying over 15 million dollars to Mexico for damages. After the war settlers immigrated to Texas in droves from all over the United States and the world with Germans being the largest group to move there.

In February of 1861 Texas seceded from the United States and joined the The Confederate States of America and then in April of that same year the American Civil War started. Many people from Texas fought in the war but there were no battles in Texas until what some people claim was the last battle of the war at the Battle of Palmito Ranch. The war ended in 1865 and it took almost 5 years before Texas was restored to the United States by Congress.

The road to statehood for Texas was rough and bloody. To this day Texas and it’s citizens are instrumental in the success of the United States. The history of the United States and possibly the world would have taken a totally different path if any of the countries that controlled Texas would have taken different steps to control it’s holding there. I have really enjoyed reading about Texas and sharing it with you. I hope the next stamp I decide to research is as enjoyable.

1958 Gardening and Horticulture

The 1958 Gardening and Horticulture stamp is such a beautiful stamp.  It was issued on March 15, 1958, in Ithaca, New York on what was the centennial celebration of the birth ( 3 1/2 years after the death) of Liberty Hyde Bailey, who was an American horticulturist and botanist of well renown and also co-founded the American Society for Horticultural Science.  Over 122 million were printed by the rotary press method by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the perforations are 10 1/2 X 11. It is green in color. It was designed by Denver Gillen and features a woman holding a basket that holds an abundant amount of fruits and vegetables and is surrounded by fruits and vegetables on the ground.

Liberty Hyde Bailey was born on March 15, 1858, in South Haven, MI and was the son of farmers. From the years of 1878 through 1882 he attended Michigan Agricultural College  (now Michigan State University) and met his wife Annette Smith, that he had 2 daughters with. After graduating he returned to Michigan Agricultural College, but this time to teach, and established the very first horticulture department in the country. 

In 1888 he moved with his family to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  He was the dean of the New York State College of Agriculture from 1903 until his retirement in 1913.  In 1910 and 1912 some people wanted him to run for governor of the state of New York but was really looking forward to retirement. After retiring he dedicated almost 40 years to the study of palms and travelled the world in his studies until poor health demanded he gave up his passion. He returned home to Ithaca, NY and died at the age of 96 on Christmas Day in 1954. He and his family are buried in Ithaca, NY at Lake View Cemetary in a mausoleum he designed.

1. “1958 3¢ Gardening - Horticulture.” Mystic Stamp Company - America's Leading Stamp Company., www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/1100/USA/?gclid=CjwKCAiA1fnxBRBBEiwAVUouUnm86zMGzdXSi8pzrCcP281y3pgIAqZ-3ilX-USZNXyaQTTnD2ljXBoCn4oQAvD_BwE.

2.“Liberty Hyde Bailey.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Hyde_Bailey.

3.“Read ‘Biographical Memoirs: V.64’ at NAP.edu.” National Academies Press: OpenBook, www.nap.edu/read/4547/chapter/2.

1963 Cordell Hull Stamp

The 1963 Cordell Hull stamp is a 5 cent U.S. prepaid postage stamp. It commemorates Cordell Hull, who was the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State. It is blue-green in color and was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing by the rotary press method. Its perforations are 10 ½ x 11. The stamp was issued on October 5, 1963, in Carthage, Tennessee and there were over 131 million printed.

Cordell Hull was a lifelong statesman who held numerous positions in politics. He was born on October 2, 1871, in a log cabin in Olympus, Tennessee. His father was a farmer and later a lumber merchant. I read an article that stated that his father had allegedly killed a man over a blood feud after he was shot in the head and lost an eye. Cordell had 4 brothers and he seemed to be the only one of the 5 boys who had an interest in learning. After finishing his early education Cordell attended a normal school, which was a school for the training of teachers and later National Normal University. In 1891 he received a law degree from Cumberland University School of Law in Lebanon, Tennessee after only a one year course and began practicing law before he was 20 years old in Celing, Tennessee.

Later, he decided to run for the Tennessee State Legislature and served as a legislator from 1893-97 in the Tennessee House of Representatives. When the Spanish-American war started in 1898 he took a break from politics and was stationed in Cuba with the Tennessee Volunteer Infantry in the 4th regiment as a captain.

After the war, he resumed the practice of law and was appointed as a judge. He served in the Fifth Judicial District from 1903 to 1907 until he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he served for 11 terms for a total of 22 years. The only break in that time was a loss in 1920 during which he served as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. In 1917 he married Rose Frances Whitney and they had 6 children. In 1928 he was a candidate for President at the Democratic National Convention.

During his time in Congress, he authored the Federal Income Tax Bill (1913), the Revised Act (1916) and the Federal and State Inheritance Tax Law (1916). He was elected for the 1931-37 term as a U.S. senator but resigned due to being appointed as secretary of state by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 4, 1933, at the age of 62. He served as secretary of state for almost 12 years before having to resign due to ill health in 1944.

Cordell Hull served as secretary of state during World War 2 and was pivotal in many talks and negotiations. He was also a major architect in the creation of the United Nations which was created in October of 1945. His role in the creation of the United Nations was the reason he was nominated by Franklin D. Roosevelt for the Nobel Prize for Peace for which he subsequently won.

On July 23, 1955 he died in Washington, D.C. at the age of 83 years old after having several strokes and heart attacks and is buried in the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea in Washington D.C.

1.“The Nobel Peace Prize 1945.” NobelPrize.org, www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1945/hull/biographical/.
2.“Cordell Hull.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordell_Hull.
3. “1963 5c Cordell Hull.” Mystic Stamp Company - America's Leading Stamp Company., www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/1235/USA/.

1935 Dedication of Boulder Dam Stamp

The 1935 Dedication of Boulder Dam stamp is a 3 cent prepaid postage stamp. It was issued on September 30, 1935, to commemorate the dedication of the dam by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that same day. The stamp's first city was Boulder City, Nevada, which was a town that was fundamental in the dam's construction. There were over 73 million stamps printed.

Construction of the dam started in 1931 in Black Canyon of the Colorado River and lies on the Arizona/Nevada border. It is a concrete arch-gravity dam, which curves upstream and directs most of the pressure of the water to rock walls which then causes the force to compress the dam.

In 1936 building was completed and Lake Meade was impounded. The cost of the building the Boulder Dam was $49 million ($600 million today). 112 human casualties were reported being linked with the construction of the dam. In 1947 the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution changing the name to Hoover Dam for President Herbert Hoover.

The Hoover Dam (as it has been called for some 73 years) contributes electricity generated for Nevada, Arizona, and California and attracts roughly a million tourists/visitors a year.

 

1.“1935 3c Dedication of Boulder Dam.” Mystic Stamp Company - America's Leading Stamp Company., www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/774/USA/.

2.“Hoover Dam.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam.

1955 Armed Forces Reserve Stamp

The 1955 Armed Forces Reserve stamp is a 3 cent stamp commemorating the Armed Forces Reserve components of the United States military. It is a purple stamp and it's perforations are 110 x 10 1/2. The stamp was printed by Rotary press by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and over 176 million were printed. The stamp was issued on May 21, 1955, in Washington, D.C.

When I searched for information on the history of the reserve components of the United States armed forces, I was happy to find some good material.

The reserve forces are generally the same as their active-duty counterparts with a few differences. They are still military organizations, however, they usually train one weekend a month and two weeks a year to keep their skills fresh so that they can reinforce the active duty (or full-time) military when needed. Sometimes people refer to the Armed Forces Reserve as just "Reserve" and sometimes as "National Guard".

Title 10 of the United States Code defines the role of the armed forces (military). In section 10102 it gives the purpose of reserve components. It says: "The purpose of each component is to provide trained units and qualified persons available for active duty in the armed forces, in time of war or national emergency, and at such other times as the national security may require, to fill the needs of the armed forces whenever more units and persons are needed than are in the regular components".

There are currently seven reserve components of the U. S. military. They are Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve. There are also five different civilian auxiliaries but they are not considered reserve forces. Also as stated in the U. S. Constitution each state may have its own militia. These forces are also not considered reserve forces, traditionally. Most are usually referred to as "state guards".

In one context the term "reserve" applies to all seven reserve components. In another context, it means the five branch reserves but not to the Army National Guard nor the Air Force National Guard. The Army National Guard and the Air Force National Guard are very similar to their reserve counterparts. The main difference is the level of government they fall under. "Reserve" components fall under the subordination of the Federal Government while the "Guards" fall under the subordination of their various state governments. However, they can be called into federal service by the President of the United States.

In short, the "reserve" units and "guard" units of the United States Armed Forces are a fundamental part of the American military and can trace their roots to before the start of the United States. I've enjoyed this and stamp and looking a little more into its meaning. I'm glad to have it and share it with you.

1.“Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.” en.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2020.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_components_of_the_United_States_Armed_Forces>.
2.“1955 3¢ Armed Forces Reserve.” Mystic Stamp Company - America's Leading Stamp Company., www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/1067/USA/?gclid=CjwKCAiA1fnxBRBBEiwAVUouUsl3gCZxnXoJSgPhO5-SPJHqY2GqRpPmx1Gz5YGqa2DA_gLZRVi0ZhoCQLIQAvD_BwE.