venue ▁st amps , ▁eng ra ved ▁in ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁style ▁marked ▁by ▁intr icate ▁fine - line ▁fil ig ree ▁meant ▁to ▁combat ▁counter fe iting . ▁Yet ▁Cont inental ' s ▁ess ays ▁were ▁also ▁planned ▁to ▁satisfy ▁two ▁criteria ▁specific ▁to ▁the ▁post age ▁stamp ▁controvers y . ▁First , ▁in ▁a ▁re bu ke ▁to ▁the ▁P ict orial s , ▁each ▁stamp ▁featured ▁a ▁portrait ▁of ▁a ▁states man , ▁as ▁postal ▁tradition ▁had ▁dict ated . ▁In ▁addition , ▁however , ▁Cont inental ▁attempted ▁to ▁provide ▁the ▁sort ▁of ▁national ▁over view ▁that ▁the ▁P ict orial s ' ▁historical ▁table aux ▁had ▁suggested ▁( neg lect ing ▁this ▁aspect ▁might ▁conce iv ably ▁have ▁invited ▁unf avor able ▁comparison ). ▁Thus ▁on ▁the ▁Cont inental ▁ess ays , ▁each ▁image ▁of ▁a ▁president ▁was ▁accompanied ▁by ▁text ▁that ▁c ited ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁significant ▁contributions . ▁The ▁word ▁" Ind ep end ence " ▁and ▁the ▁year ▁" 1 7 7 6 " ▁accordingly ▁appeared ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 ¢ ▁Washington ▁stamp , ▁while ▁" E man cip ation " ▁and ▁" Pro clam ation " ▁surrounded ▁the ▁" 3 " ▁on ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁stamp . ▁In ▁the ▁ 6 ¢ ▁" Mon roe ▁Do ctrine " ▁ess ay , ▁a ▁blank ▁o val — un question ably ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁filled ▁by ▁a ▁b ust ▁of ▁Mon roe — was ▁provided ▁within ▁the ▁numer al . ▁Appar ently , ▁the ▁Post