Philately

STAMP ANNOUNCEMENT 02-07

Greetings from America Stamps

The Postal Service will issue the 34-cent Greetings from America (Item 562300) stamps in a self-adhesive pane of 50 individual designs for nationwide sale April 4, 2002. The Postal Service will hold an official ceremony on April 4, 2002, in all 50 states and at the Mega Stamp Show in New York, New York. The stamps, designed by Richard Sheaff, of Scottsdale, Arizona, and illustrated by Lonnie Busch, of Franklin, North Carolina, represent each of the 50 states. The special issue Greetings from America pane may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

The Greetings from America stamps will be the first pane of 50 individually designed stamps issued in 10 years. The artist was inspired by "large letter" postcards used to advertise cities, states, or tourist attractions. The postcards depicted local scenes inside big letters that spelled out the name of the place or attractions during the 1930s and 1940s. The bright colors and creative designs of these stamps hint at the romance of travel and discovery, conveying nostalgia for all aspects of popular American culture. Text on the back of each stamp lists the state's bird, flower, tree, and capital, as well as the date the state entered the Union.