page_title: Territories of the United States on stamps
section_title: Insular territories
hierarchical_section_title: Territories of the United States on stamps / National boundaries / Insular territories
caption_attribution_description: English: The Panama Canal is represented by the Pedro Miguel Locks in the Panama-Pacific Exposition issue.
context_page_description: Territories of the United States on stamps discusses commemorative postal issues devoted to lands that have been ceded to the nation or purchased by treaty in conjunction with both war and peace. Thirteen states have been created from colonial territories, two from independent republics, four from previous states in the Union, and an additional thirty-one from United States territories.
  Many aspects of acquisition, settlement and exploration have been celebrated on postage stamps. These are represented below in issues that appeared prior to 1978.
context_section_description: The U.S. Postal Department issued four 3-cent stamps commemorating Insular Territories: Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands over the three months of October to December 1937. The first was to honor the Territory of Hawaii acquired in 1898. It showed the statue of King Kamehameha I, unifier of the Hawaiian Islands, at the Iolani Palace in Honolulu. The second honored Alaska which was purchased in 1867. The stamp pictured snow-covered Mount McKinley with a farm and a village to symbolize modern development in the territory. Alaska and Hawaii territories were admitted as states in 1959.
  The third stamp honored Puerto Rico featuring 'La Fortaleza', the Spanish Governor's Palace. Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in an 1898 treaty ending the Spanish American War. Though some thought the stamp was limited to Puerto Rico, it was valid throughout the U.S. and its territories. The final stamp was in honor of the U. S. Virgin Islands, which was purchased from Denmark in 1917. The stamp displays a view of Charlotte Amalie, capital city of the territory.
  In the "Flags of our nation series" 2008–2012, five territorial flags were featured. The  42-cent denominations were the American Samoa Flag showing island peaks and trees, issued June 14, 2008, and the Guam Flag was illustrated with fish and tropicbird, issued September 2, 2008. Forever stamps included Northern Marianas Flag picturing a palm tree issued 2011, Puerto Rico Flag illustrated by a bird issued 2011, and Virgin Islands Flag showing a sailfish issued 2012. Images of each flag can be seen at Arago online, National Postal Museum at the Smithsonian Institution on the following links: American Samoa Flag, Guam Flag, Northern Marianas Flag stamp, Puerto Rico Flag, U.S. Virgin Islands Flag.
  The U.S. Postal Department also used general issue stamps with the territorial name overprinted, such as PUERTO RICO, CUBA, GUAM, PHILIPPINES or CANAL ZONE. Cuba and the Philippines were granted independence, and the Canal Zone was returned to Panama.
  Alternatively, the U.S. issued a 1932 'United States of America' stamp for 18 centavos in the Philippines, 1930 stamps for use in Guam only designated 'Guam Guard Mail, or 1952 'Ryukyus' stamp for 100 yen in Okinawa. The Philippines was granted independence, the Ryukyus were returned to Japan. 
  Panama Canal has been featured on several U. S. commemorative stamps, as well as on Panama's own postage. The territory was returned to Panama.
  The Panama Canal is represented by the Pedro Miguel Locks in the Panama–Pacific Exposition issue. An estimated 500 million of these 2-cent stamps were printed and issued to the public in a first release in 1913 with perforations 12, and a second in 1914 in perforations 10.
  The Panama Canal opening was commemorated on its 25th anniversary with a 3-cent stamp issued on August 15, 1939. The stamp shows a steamship passing through the Gaillard Cut, President Theodore Roosevelt on the left promoted the canal and General George W. Goethals on the right was chief engineer and first governor of the Panama Zone.
caption: Pedro Miguel Locks, Panama Canal 
  1913 issue
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