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  • 20c Jim Thorpe single
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20c Jim Thorpe single

Object Details

Description
A 20-cent commemorative stamp honoring American athlete Jim Thorpe was issued May 24, 1984, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The First Day of Issue ceremony was held at Shawnee Junior High School.
The stamp, an addition to the American Sports Series, was based on a photograph of Thorpe taken when he played for the Canton Bulldogs of the American Professional Football Association. It was designed by Richard Gangel and modeled by Esther Porter.
A football, track, and baseball star, JimThorpe is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. He won gold medals for both the pentathlon and the decathlon at the 1912 summer Olympics in Stockholm. He played both professional baseball and football and was named to the halls of fame of college football, pro football, and track and field.
The stamp was printed in the intaglio process, with fifty stamps per pane.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (April 19, 1984).
mint
Credit line
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
May 24, 1984
Object number
1999.2004.353
Depicts
Jim Thorpe, American, 1888 - 1953
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (dark brown); adhesive / engraving
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Title
Scott Catalogue USA 2089
Topic
The Cold War (1945-1990)
Sports
American Indian Heritage
U.S. Stamps
Record ID
npm_1999.2004.353
Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8ca301122-2812-4704-b7bd-6c3102e9c9d6

Related Object Groups

  • On the Gridiron: Football
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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