The first of the famous three stamp triptych of the 1920s-the Pilgrim set of 1920-has its centenary in just a few years. These three sets- the Pilgrim set, the Huguenot-Walloon set and the Lexington-Concord set- defined the commemorative issues of the 1920’s and as with most commemoratives displayed the self image that America wished to project at that time. The 1910-1924 period was a time of record immigration to America. But this immigration was politically contentious (just as today’s is) and resulted in severe limitations of non-Western European immigration after 1924. It is odd that with the demographics of the United States changing by the immigration of millions of Eastern and Southern Europeans that the 1920 Pilgrim set would commemorate the few hundreds of early English descent. Political history and cultural anthropology as shown by postal issues is a new field and this early Pilgrim set in the midst of America’s first great immigration fight is certainly interesting. As philatelists though, keep in mind that the set is approaching its hundredth anniversary. Traditionally, sets increase in price and popularity in the few years before their centenaries and, if you don’t have a mint set, or even better a set of First Day Covers, now would be a good time to put some away.
