The 1907 Jamestown commemorative stamp set honors the 300th anniversary of the settlement’s founding, which was a historic chapter in our nation’s development. Captain John Smith and Pocahontas, two prominent figures in the event, are also honored in the set. 

 

Plans for the series changed a few times, from a set of 10 stamps commemorating several key people in the founding of Jamestown to only two stamps, which would not include Pocahontas. Historical societies petitioned for her inclusion, and she was ultimately pictured on the 5¢ denomination. The decision was wise, as the 5¢ stamp paid the international rate for foreign visitors wishing to send letters home, and was needed to make a complete series.

 

John Smith is pictured on the 1¢ Jamestown commemorative stamp. Smith is the best known of the early settlers of Virginia. As a youngster, he was an indifferent student and eventually chose to follow the call of the sea. At the young age of 26, he began trying to colonize Jamestown. While on an expedition in Virginia, he and his men were attacked by Indians. Smith was tried and sentenced to die but was supposedly saved by Pocahontas. While many of the events in Smith’s life have been debated, he’s credited with making an accurate map of the northeastern coast from Penobscot, Maine, to Cape Cod. And it was Smith who called the area “New England.”