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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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20c Ponce de Leon single

Object Details

Description
A 20-cent commemorative stamp honoring Juan Ponce de Leon was issued October 12, 1982, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The First Day of Issue ceremony was held at the San Juan Convention Center on the opening day of ESPAMER '82, the major international philatelic exhibition held there from October 12 through October 17.
Ponce de Leon, the famed Spanish explorer and discoverer of Florida, accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the new world in 1493, when Puerto Rico was discovered. Upon hearing the island was rich in gold, Ponce de Leon requested and received permission to explore and colonize Puerto Rico. He landed in Puerto Rico in 1508 and was named governor in 1509. Royal orders to search for new lands and a belief in the legend of a fountain of youth on Bimini Island in the Bahamas led Ponce de Leon to the discovery of Florida at Easter time in 1513.
The stamp was designed by Richard Schlecht of Arlington, Virginia, and modeled by Esther Porter. The stamp was printed in the photogravure process and issued in panes of fifty.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (September 2, 1982).
mint
Credit line
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
October 12, 1982
Object number
1999.2004.275
Depicts
Juan Ponce de Leon, Spanish, 1460 - 1521
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive / photogravure
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Title
Scott Catalogue USA 2024
Topic
Hispanic Heritage
Maps
Ships & Waterways
U.S. Stamps
Record ID
npm_1999.2004.275
Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm852b6c24d-8144-4186-a9e5-57ca9486ad6e
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
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IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Visit »

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

street map of Postal museum

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