About This Stamp
On farm fields and town greens, along countryside byways and city lanes, the people of a new nation, some famous, others forever unknown, committed their lives to American independence. As we prepare to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, we honor the battlefields where so many sacrificed to make our celebration possible.
This pane of 15 stamps includes five rows of three stamps each, with one row representing each of five battles. Each row features a photograph of a site associated with one of the battles. Spanning the adjacent two stamps in each row is a watercolor painting of a scene associated with that battle.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord are represented by a modern photograph of the Old North Bridge and an illustration showing American militia members retaking the bridge from the withdrawing British on April 19, 1775.
The Battle of Bunker Hill is represented by an illustration showing the second British assault on Breed’s Hill on June 17, 1775, from the perspective of the defending Americans, alongside a photograph of the Bunker Hill Monument in modern-day Boston.
The Battle of Trenton is represented by a recent photograph showing the Old Barracks Museum, which housed Hessian and British soldiers in Trenton before the December 26, 1776, battle, and an illustration showing George Washington and some of his officers during their daring crossing of the Delaware River prior to the battle.
The Battles of Saratoga are represented by an illustration showing British Gen. John Burgoyne handing his sword as a symbol of surrender to Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates on October 17, 1777, with men from both sides looking on. Alongside the illustration is a modern photograph of a replica of a British howitzer on the lawn of the visitors’ center at Saratoga National Historical Park.
The Battle of Yorktown is represented by a modern photograph of two British defenses taken by Americans and their French allies during the autumn 1781 siege and reconstructed by the National Park Service—Redoubt 9 in the foreground and Redoubt 10 in the background. Alongside the photograph is an illustration depicting the formal surrender of the British on October 18, 1781.
In the top right corner of the selvage are the opening words of the first pamphlet in Thomas Paine’s series The American Crisis, published in 1776.
Many battlefields have been preserved or restored as national, state, or local parks, or as private sites open to the public. Each one offers a profound and highly personal opportunity to retrace the steps of those who fought, hear echoes of hard-won victories and devastating losses, and keep their memory alive. During this time of celebration and reflection, visiting these momentous places can renew our appreciation for the promise of liberty, a powerful idea that connects those who came before us with those yet to come.
Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp pane, with illustrations by Greg Harlin and photographs by Jon Bilous, Richard Lewis, Tom Morris, Greg Parker, and Kevin Stewart.
The Battlefields of the American Revolution stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Derry Noyes
For more than 40 years Derry Noyes has designed and provided art direction for close to 800 United States postage stamps and stamp products. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Hampshire College and a master of fine arts degree from Yale University.
Noyes worked as a graphics designer at Beveridge and Associates, a Washington, D.C., firm, until 1979 when she established her own design firm, Derry Noyes Graphics. Her clients have included museums, corporations, foundations, and architectural and educational institutions. Her work has been honored by American Illustration, the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington, Communication Arts, Critique magazine, Graphis, Creativity International, and the Society of Illustrators.
Before becoming an art director for the U.S. Postal Service, she served as a member of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 1981 to 1983.
Noyes is a resident of Washington, D.C.
Stamp Artist
Greg Harlin
Illustrator Greg Harlin has always called the Washington, D.C. area home. A comic book collector as a child, Harlin got his artistic start by copying the art in his favorite issues. His mother’s affinity for Andrew Wyeth also helped shape his desire for a life in the arts from a young age.
Shortly after receiving his B.F.A. in graphic design from the University of Georgia in 1980, Harlin began working for a large illustration company in Atlanta. In 1981, he switched gears, signing on with a small design firm in Annapolis, Maryland, which he loved so much that he never left.
From his first painting of a colonial minuteman, which still hangs in his childhood home, Harlin has loved capturing historical subjects. This interest opened the door to working with some of his favorite clients, including National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Park Service. Harlin has also illustrated five children’s books covering several topics from American history; among them are We the People, Hanukkah at Valley Forge, and Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride.
Through his historical watercolors, Harlin is able to see “life come into [his] subjects; moving and changing, they become real.” Harlin’s eye for meticulous detail and knack for uncovering stories have won him national acclaim.
When he isn’t painting, Harlin likes to soak up the rich history in the nation’s capital. He currently works and lives in Annapolis with several cats.
Harlin's projects for the U.S. Postal Service include The War of 1812: Fort McHenry (2014), The War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans (2015), Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1766 (2016), Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor (2020), and Battlefields of the American Revolution (2025).