History of the Legends of the West Error Sheet

One of the stamps on the Legends of the West sheet honors Bill Pickett, an African-American cowboy credited with the invention of bulldogging, or steer wrestling. To create the portrait, stamp artist Mark Hess used a photograph that bore a clear inscription identifying Pickett. The photograph had been featured in several magazines and countless books about the American West which identified the cowboy as Bill Pickett. Unfortunately, the man in the photograph was not Bill Pickett. In early 1994, the Pickett family informed the Postal Service that the photo depicted not Bill but his brother, Ben.

The Postal Service announced the recall and destruction of the stamp panes that had been shipped. However, some had already been sold. After an outcry from collectors, limited copies of the error sheet were put on sale.

One quick way to tell the difference between the two stamps

The first stamp is the revised stamp. Note that Bill Pickett's arm does not touch the frame. On the error stamp the arm touches the frame.

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