U.S. Postal Service Celebrates 150th Anniversary of Emancipation Proclamation with Commemorative Sta | News

On January 1,1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This document declared all slaves held by confederate states to be forever free. Today at the National Archives in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service unveiled a limited-edition stamp to commemorate the historical event. The Emancipation Proclamation Forever Stamp is the first in a series of three stamps set to be released this year, which honors moments of courage and equality in the United States civil rights movement.

Designed by Gail Anderson and Antonio Alcalá, the stamp features the Emancipation Proclamation’s famous words “Henceforward Shall Be Free”, alongside President Lincoln’s name and year the document was signed. Anderson utilized one of the oldest working letterpress print shops, Hatch Show Print in Nashville, TN, to produce the stamp with an authentic look.

This year, the Postal Service will release 30 new stamps that tap into an American passion. Customers can view the Emancipation Proclamation stamp and preview other stamps to be issued in 2013 at www.usps.com/stamps and on both the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

The stamp can be ordered online at:

https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?productId=S_470340&categoryId=subcatS_S_Sheets

 You can also purchase the stamp at your local post office beginning January 2, 2013.