BILLINGS/HELENA, MT — Montana will unveil its own new U.S. postage stamp at the State Capitol on April 16th. Montana Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger will join Montana U.S. Postal Service (USPS) officials and the Helena Post Office in dedicating the new 44-cent Montana State Flag Postage Stamp (pictured) at a State Capitol ceremony that day.
The April 16th State Flag Stamp ceremony will be held at 11:00 a.m., inside the Rotunda at the State Capitol Building, 1301 E. 6th Ave., Helena. The public and press are invited.
USPS Consumer Affairs Mgr. Lisa Blomquist will emcee the state flag stamp ceremony. Lt. Gov. Bohlinger and Helena Postmaster Billy Fetterhoff will unveil the stamps. The Montana Air National Guard color guard will present the flag colors.
The new Montana Flag Stamp will be available at the capitol event and at Post Offices in Montana and nationwide starting April 16th. Also available to the public and to stamp collectors at the event will be a special souvenir Helena pictorial Montana Flag Stamp postmark.
The Montana State Flag Stamp shows a picture of the colorful state flag alongside an image of a mountain lion resting on a snowy vista. Montana’s stamp is part of the fourth set of 60 state and U.S. Flags of our nation (10 flag stamps per set) that have been issued in alphabetical order since 2008, and designed by artist Tom Engeman of Bethany Beach, Delaware. The Flags of Our Nation stamps represent the state flags of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories and the U.S. Flag.
Besides Montana, new flag stamps to be issued on April 16 pay tribute to the flags of Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota and the Stars and Stripes. The flag stamps are being sold in a coil of 50 stamps only with each flag having five 44-cent stamps per coil, and the coil priced at $22.
“Our flag stamp reflects the spirit, independence and beauty of Montana,” says U.S. Postal Service Big Sky District Manager John DiPeri, senior operating manager for all Montana Post Offices. “I think we have one of the most distinctive state flags of all our states.”
Helena will be one of several cities holding state flag stamp ceremonies at their State Capitols on April 16th. Others include Nebraska and North Dakota. Added DiPeri: “The Post Office hopes to have a Montana stamp(ede) come to our event. We think our flag stamp will be one of the most popular.”
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