The Fourth Bureau Issue, also known as the Series of 1922, was a definitive series of postage stamps issued by the United States between 1922 and 1938. The series comprises 27 different designs with denominations ranging from one-half-cent to 5 dollars. The designs featured past presidents, prominent Americans, architectural landmarks, and icons of American culture.
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The first issue of the series, featuring president Rutherford Hayes, was released on 4 October 1922, the 100th anniversary of Hayes's birth, in his hometown of Fremont, Ohio. This was the first instance of the USPS issuing new stamps on a specific day and in a specific city. Collectors regard the First Day Covers of this stamp as the beginning of modern First Day Cover collecting.
The Fourth Bureau Issue stamps were produced during a period of modernization and rapid change within the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The long production life of the series resulted in stamps that were produced on both the older flat plate printing press as well as the new rotary printing press. The series includes numerous variations of color shades, perforation differences, security overprints, precancels, commemorative overprints, plate errors, and other distinguishing factors of interest to collectors.