Celebrating Lincoln through Stamps and Postal History

The Emancipation Proclamation

5-centavo Lincoln Freeing The Slaves stamp, Honduras
This airmail stamp was issued by Honduras in 1959, celebrating Abraham Lincoln's 150th birthday. It depicts Lincoln reading the Emancipation Proclamation to members of his cabinet.
.5-franc CFA Centenary of the Emancipation Proclamation stamp, Togo
This stamp was issued by Togo in 1963, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
 

On New Year’s Day 1863, the United States had little to celebrate. Torn apart by civil war, the Battle of Stones River had begun the day before in Tennessee and by its conclusion on January 2, almost 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers had been wounded or killed. While this battle did not change the course of the war, January 1, 1863, became a significant date. On this day, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.