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  • U.S. Postal Service®
    Reveals the Emancipation Proclamation Stamp

    To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Postal Service introduced a limited-edition Forever® Stamp at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., which houses the historic document.

  • The Emancipation
    Proclamation Forever® Stamp

    The U.S. Postal Service® commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all slaves in the rebel states to be free.

    First day of issue: January 1, 2013 Washington D.C.

  • January 1, 1863
    A Year Born in Freedom

    With the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln made the freedom for slaves an explicit goal of the Civil War. The proclamation also authorized the recruitment of black soldiers into the Union Army. Their courage and contributions to the Union's ultimate victory greatly influenced the 13th Amendment to the constitution, outlawing slavery forever.

    View the Emancipation Proclamation at the National Archives website


  • Made From History

    Art Director Antonio Alcalá and Designer Gail Anderson evoked the look of the Civil War era. They chose the phrase "Henceforward Shall Be Free" from the Emancipation Proclamation. Hatch Show Print of Nashville, Tennessee, one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in America recreated the poster style of the time.

  • Commemorate The 150th
    Anniversary with your own
    unique, limited edition poster

    This unique collectible letterpress poster was created using antique wood type and ornamentation set by hand. This poster is limited edition, signed by the artist, and numbered.

2013 Stamps

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Collectors Corner

Stamp collecting can be a lifetime hobby. It's fun and educational for all ages and it's easy to start without a big investment. The study of stamps and postal materials is called philately and collectors are sometimes called philatelists.

For Education

Learn more about how to collect stamps, philatelic terms, and stamp issues* from the United States Postal Service®.

Learn more about stamp collecting