The design for this stamp, "Columbus Presenting Natives", was modeled after one of the Columbus murals created by Luigi Gregori for the Main Building at the University of Notre Dame after it was rebuilt after an 1879 fire, and was one of five designs engraved by Robert Savage. This denomination was originally intended to pay the fee for registered mail. However, the change in registered mail fees that necessitated the introduction of the 8-cent Columbian also changed the most common purpose of this value; it instead paid the full postage for registered first-class mail, rather than just the additional fee.
