About This Stamp
Created for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this prestige booklet brings the past into focus through 10 compelling objects from the era. Inside are 20 First-Class Forever® stamps, arranged in two identical blocks of 10, featuring items ranging from a soldier’s powder horn and the commander in chief’s flag to a patriotic signboard and wampum treaty belt. Together, they tell a story of everyday choices and extraordinary events that helped shape the United States.
To realize this vision, art director Ethel Kessler approached the project with the eye of a curator, selecting artifacts significant in their own right while also contributing to a larger narrative. Some are immediately recognizable, others less familiar, but their juxtaposition speaks to the Revolution’s complexity. “Each object has its own voice,” Kessler explains, “but side by side they begin to speak to one another.”
Because the artifacts vary widely in size and shape, they presented design challenges. Some filled the frame naturally, while others required careful cropping to remain recognizable. To unify the set, Kessler surrounded each block of 10 stamps with a bronze border, a design choice that echoes tones found in some of the objects.
The prestige booklet enriches the experience, pairing the stamps with images and text that make the American Revolution feel immediate and tangible. “We felt a prestige booklet was essential because these objects are evocative on their own, but they need context to reveal their full power,” says Kessler. Historical background explains how a spinning wheel reflects the push for self-reliance and why the Badge of Military Merit — precursor to the Purple Heart — held deep significance for ordinary soldiers. It also explores the stories behind other artifacts, revealing how they illuminate the ideals, struggles, and daily realities of people who lived through the Revolutionary era.
Together, the stamps and booklet offer an immersive encounter with history. They invite us to step into the Revolutionary era, to see beyond dates and battles, and to connect with the stories embedded in each object. In doing so, these stamps honor not only the events of the American Revolution but also the enduring spirit of independence and resilience that continues to guide the nation.
The Treasures of the Revolutionary Era stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. These Forever stamps will always be equal to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Ethel Kessler
Ethel Kessler is an award-winning designer and art director who has worked with corporations, museums, public and private institutions, professional service organizations, and now, the United States Postal Service.
After earning a B.F.A. in visual communications from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Kessler worked as a graphic designer and project manager for the exhibits division of the United States Information Agency. Her work was distributed internationally on subjects such as Immigration, Entrepreneurship, Renovation of American Cities, and the Bicentennial of 1976. She was also responsible for exhibits in Morocco, Botswana, and El Salvador.
In 1981, she established Kessler Design, Inc., for which she is creative director and designer. Clients have included the Clinton Government reorganization, the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Television, the National Park Service, and the American Institute of Architects.
She has been an art director for the U.S. Postal Service’s stamp development program for more than 25 years. As an art director for USPS, Kessler has been responsible for creating more than 500 stamp designs, including the Breast Cancer Research stamp illustrated by Whitney Sherman. Issued in 1998, the stamp is still on sale and has raised more $98 million for breast cancer research. Other Kessler projects include the popular and highly regarded Nature of America 120 stamp series, a collaboration with nationally acclaimed nature illustrator John Dawson, the 12-year Lunar New Year series with Kam Mak, the American Filmmaking: Behind the Scenes 10 stamps issued in 2003, a 2016 pane of stamps celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and the 2023 stamp honoring Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And many, many others.