Between 1981 and 1985, the United States issued a variety of definitive stamps featuring the American flag or elements of the flag. The denominations ranged from eighteen cents to twenty-two-cents, in each case paying the postage for the first-class mail rate. Unlike many previous definitive issues featuring images of the American flag, many of these stamp issues includes text other than the usual "United States" or "USA." Three of the stamps include select lyrics from Katherine Lee Bates's classic poem and now famous song "America The Beautiful." Another issue, showcasing a broad view of the Capitol building, bears the final lines from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address at the design's right.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produced the stamps of the 1981-1985 Flag issues.
The 18-cent Flag postage stamps in sheet, coil, and book forms were placed on sale on April 24, 1981, in Portland, Maine. Designed by Peter Cocci, each form of the stamp features a design depicting a phrase from "America the Beautiful." The stamps were engraved through the intaglio process. The book was available for vending machines only.
Reference: Postal Bulletin (March 26, 1981)
18-cent Flag over Wheat Field and Harvester
20-cent Flag Over Supreme Court single
A 20-cent regular postage stamp was issued in sheet, coil, and vending machine booklet form on December 17, 1981, in Washington DC. The stamp design depicts the American flag flying over the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. Shown in the foreground was James Earle Fraser's statue, "Contemplation of Justice," to the left of the staircase leading to the Supreme Court building.
Dean Ellis of New York, New York, designed the stamp. It was printed in the intaglio process and issued in panes of 100 and coils of 100, 500, and 3,000. Each booklet had one pane of six stamps.
Reference: Postal Bulletin (November 12, 1981).
22-cent Flag Over Capitol single
Sheet and coil versions of a 22-cent stamp depicting the American flag flying over the United States Capitol were issued March 29, 1985, in Washington, DC. The dedication ceremony was held in the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building.
A 22-cent vending machine booklet stamp featuring a similar design was issued the same day in Waubeka, Wisconsin. The booklet stamp was the width of two ordinary booklet stamps and was contained in the first US booklet pane to offer a single row of five stamps.
The design for both the sheet and coil stamps featured a view of the Capitol from about dome height, with the city of Washington and the Washington Monument in the background. A large US flag the width of the design image was depicted in the foreground, with "USA" and "22" in two lines of black type to the right.
The stamp was designed by Frank Waslick of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; typographer was Bradbury Thompson; art director was Leonard Buckley; modeler was Frank Waslick; engravers were Thomas Hipschen (vignette) and Robert G. Culin, Sr. (lettering and numerals). The intaglio process was used. The stamp was issued in panes of 100; and in coils of 100, 500, and 5,000.
Reference: Postal Bulletin (February 28, 1985).
22-cent Flag over Capitol Dome single
The 22-cent vending machine booklet stamp featuring an image of the American flag flying over the United States Capitol was issued March 29, 1985, in Waubeka, Wisconsin. The dedication ceremony was held in Firemen's Hall there. Sheet and coil versions were issued the same day in Washington, DC.
Flag Day was first observed in 1885 in Waubeka when teacher Bernard Cigrand and his students placed a 10-inch flag in a bottle on his desk, calling the celebration "Flag Birth Day."
The booklet stamp was the width of two ordinary booklet stamps and was featured in the first US booklet pane to offer a single row of five stamps. These booklets were sold at authorized philatelic centers, through Postal Service-owned vending machines, and to private vendors in box lots. Two versions were produced. One had a single pane of five stamps ($1.10), and the other had two panes of five ($2.20).
The horizontally oriented booklet stamp featured a view of the Capitol from about dome height, with the city of Washington and the Washington Monument in the background. A large US flag flying from a flagpole was featured in the foreground, with Abraham Lincoln's phrase "Of the People, By the People, For the People" in three lines of black type to the right and "USA 22" in two lines of black type to the left.
The stamp was designed by Frank Waslick of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; typographer was Bradbury Thompson; art director was Leonard Buckley; modeler was Frank Waslick; engravers were Thomas Hipschen (vignette) and Dennis Brown (lettering and numerals). The intaglio process was used.
