300 dpi jpeg images of the stamps are available for media use only by emailing roy.a.betts@usps.gov
SANTA FE— Continuing its proud tradition of honoring state and territorial flags, the U.S. Postal Service is dedicating the fourth set of the Flags of Our Nation stamp series. The United States Postal Service has partnered with The New Mexico History Museum to unveil the New Mexico State Flag Stamp on Friday, May 21, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. The commemorative stamp second-day ceremony will be held at The New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe located at 113 Lincoln Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The series features the state flags of Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and North Dakota. As an added bonus the Stars and Stripes stamp which depicts the “purple mountain majesties” inspired by the opening lines of “America the Beautiful” by Katharine Lee Bates is also included. The 44-cent First-Class Mail stamps, printed in coils of 50, are available nationwide.
“The flags depicted in nine of these stamps represent contributions these states have made to the development and growth of our nation,” said Eric Martinez, Postmaster of Santa Fe. “Many principles these states exemplify also can be recognized within the Postal Service — diversity, unity, pride and values. As the nation works to recover from the current economic crisis, the employees of the Postal Service work to bring you record-breaking service. I want to assure you, just as these flags wave and this nation holds strong, the Postal Service will continue to deliver for you.”
The Flags of Our Nation stamp series began in 2008. Last year, the third set in the series included the Stars and Stripes stamp and the state and territorial flags of Kentucky through Missouri. Stamps depicting Northern Marianas through Tennessee will be issued in 2011; Texas through Wyoming and the U.S.A. Fruited Plain Flag stamp will conclude the series in 2012.
Artist Tom Engeman of Bethany Beach, DE, working under the direction of stamp designer Howard E. Paine of Delaplane, VA, created the highly detailed flag portraits on the stamps. Past designs created by Engeman include the National World War II Memorial stamp (2004) and the nation’s first Forever stamp (2007) featuring the Liberty Bell.
The Flags of our Nation stamps can be purchased at local Post Offices and at www.usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24.
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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.
