The 1940 Inventors group contains five subjects within the 35-stamp Famous Americans series. Thomas Edison is not one of the five stamps in this group.
Correct group
The Inventors group features Eli Whitney, Samuel F. B. Morse, Cyrus H. McCormick, Elias Howe and Alexander Graham Bell. Use the Smithsonian record to verify denomination and issue date for each.
Avoid title-based substitutions
A famous inventor can appear on other U. S. postage without belonging to this 1940 group. Series membership must come from the issue record, not general fame.
Historical context
The issuer was the U. S. Post Office Department. Keep biographical context tied to what helps identify or interpret the stamps.
Collector check
Confirm exact issue, gum, centering, perforations, faults and completed comparable sales. Do not infer rarity or price from the subject alone.
Sources and update note
Issue facts and current postal rules should be checked against the linked primary sources. Prices, inventory, services and policies can change.
Correct 1940 Inventors group
The title’s inclusion of Thomas Edison is a search-wording error. The five issued subjects are Eli Whitney, Samuel F. B. Morse, Cyrus H. McCormick, Elias Howe and Alexander Graham Bell. Their coordinated engraved design uses a cog wheel, uplifted wings and a lightning bolt to represent power, light and electricity.
| Subject | Denomination | Issue date | First-day location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Whitney | 1¢ | October 7, 1940 | Savannah, Georgia |
| Samuel F. B. Morse | 2¢ | October 7, 1940 | New York, NY |
| Cyrus Hall McCormick | 3¢ | October 14, 1940 | Lexington, Virginia |
| Elias Howe | 5¢ | October 14, 1940 | Spencer, Massachusetts |
| Alexander Graham Bell | 10¢ | October 28, 1940 | Boston, Massachusetts |
The archive identifies individual commemorative stamps and first-day records; it does not support a modern booklet or retail pack claim.