About This Stamp
The U.S. Postal Service® issued this souvenir sheet in celebration of the long history of U.S. postage stamps — and in appreciation of stamp collectors and philatelists everywhere. The elaborately designed sheet features handsome new versions of six stamps first issued in the mid-19th century. The stamps are printed using the intaglio printing method, as were the originals.
From top, left to right, the stamps featured are:
George Washington stamp, first issued in 1851 at 12 cents. Portrait based on a painting by Gilbert Stuart. Stamp originally engraved by Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co.
Benjamin Franklin stamp, first issued in 1851 at one cent. Portrait based on a bust carved by Jean-Jacques Caffiéri. Stamp originally engraved by Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co.
George Washington stamp, first issued in 1860 at 24 cents. Portrait based on a painting by Gilbert Stuart. Stamp originally engraved by Toppan, Carpenter & Co.
George Washington stamp, first issued in 1860 at 90 cents. Portrait based on a painting by John Trumbull. Stamp originally engraved by Toppan, Carpenter & Co.
Abraham Lincoln stamp, first issued in 1866 at 15 cents. Portrait based on a photograph by Christopher Smith German. Stamp originally engraved by National Bank Note Co.
Benjamin Franklin stamp, first issued in 1861 at one cent. Portrait based on a bust carved by Jean-Antoine Houdon. Stamp originally engraved by National Bank Note Co.
The selvage is composed of postal cancellations and script from envelopes contemporaneous with the stamps. These elements are arranged on a buff-colored background with a textured look to evoke stationery of the period. An inner border reminiscent of star-spangled patriotic bunting bears the title “CLASSICS FOREVER” at top and bottom of the sheet and the words “THE CLASSIC ERA” on each side.
Each stamp was issued as a First-Class Mail® Forever® stamp, so they can be easily distinguished from their 19th-century counterparts. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.
Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the issuance. The selvage artwork was created by Eric Madsen.
Stamp Art Director, Designer, and Typographer
Antonio Alcalá
Antonio Alcalá served on the Postmaster General’s Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010 until 2011, when he left to become an art director for the U.S. Postal Service's stamp development program.
He is founder and co-owner of Studio A, a design practice working with museums and arts institutions. His clients include: the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips Collection, and Smithsonian Institution. He also lectures at colleges including the Corcoran College of Art + Design, SVA, Pratt, and MICA.
In 2008, his work and contributions to the field of graphic design were recognized with his selection as an AIGA Fellow. He has judged international competitions for the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, AIGA, and Graphis. Alcalá also serves on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and Poster House Museum’s advisory councils. His designs are represented in the AIGA Design Archives, the National Postal Museum, and the Library of Congress Permanent Collection of Graphic Design.
Alcalá graduated from Yale University with a BA in history and from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in graphic design. He lives with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.