• Florida Lighthouses on the Internet

Photo © Derith Bennet

 

American Shoal, Florida

Harbour Lights Limited Edition #229

In 1744, Captain Ashby Utting, commander of the British frigate HMS Loo, ran aground on a deadly reef off the Florida Keys. 

After repeated denials of funds for the lighthouse, the Lighthouse Board, finally received Congressional approval to proceed in 1878. The lighthouse was constructed at Trenton NJ, disassembled and shipped to Loo Key. 

The massive first order bivalve Fresnel lens shines at 109 feet above the sea below. On July 15, 1880, Keeper William Bates lighted the flashing beacon for the first time. 

American Shoal was the final iron-pile light to be erected on the reefs off the Florida Keys. Approximately the first 3,000 pieces will be accompanied by the 1989 Postage Stamp of American Shoal.

HL229 American Shoal FL was retired a month and a day before it was shipped. The flag and label show a 1999 copyright date because it was first intended to be issued then. * The flag shows an edition of 10,000; when first sculpted, that was to be the edition size, but before production and after sculpting, it was decided to reduce the edition size to 6,500. All pieces have the 10,000 edition size sculpted in the flag.

Click on each image below to view a larger size in a new window.

		The actual edition size is 6,500.

Photograph by Paul L. Brady © Harbour Lights  December 13, 2001
December 13, 2001