# 2156 FDC - 1985 22c Horses: Morgan
U.S. 2156
1985 22¢ Morgan
Horses
- Pictures Morgan horse, one of the most popular breeds found in America
- From the first block of stamps to feature specific horse breeds as main subject
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Horses
Value: 22¢, first-class rate
First Day of Issue: September 25, 1985
First Day City: Lexington, Kentucky
Quantity Issued: 36,985,000
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 40 in sheets of 160
Perforations: 11
Why the stamp was issued: Horses have appeared on stamps as far back as 1869, when the 2¢ Postrider Pictorial depicted one in an unrealistic pose. Since then, horses have appeared on more than three dozen stamps, often as elements of a larger image commemorating a battle, statehood, the Olympics, and more.
The block of four from which this stamp came was the first to honor specific breeds and depict them accurately. Organizations and individuals had suggested stamps honoring specific breeds for many years.
About the stamp design: Roy Anderson provided the artwork for this and the other stamps in the Horses block of four. The stamps were in part inspired by the popularity of the 1984 Dogs block, which was also created by Anderson. He created his stamp images in oils.
Some of Anderson’s first sketches for the stamps were found unsatisfactory by a horse expert. So, the USPS sent him to Kentucky to meet with equine experts to get their input to ensure the stamps were as accurate as possible.
First Day City: The First Day ceremony for this block was held at the Parade of Breeds Barn at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The USPS had considered several locations where some of the breeds could be found. They ultimately selected this site because all four breeds were there and could be present during the ceremony.
History the stamp represents: First domesticated by nomadic peoples in the third millennium B.C., the horse was brought to the new world by the Spanish in the 1500s.
The Morgan horse was one of the first breeds developed in the US. Early Morgans were used in harness racing, as riding animals, and by the cavalry during the Civil War. In 1907, the US Department of Agriculture created the US Morgan Horse Farm to maintain and improve on the breed, though the farm was later taken over by the University of Vermont. The Morgan is the state horse, mammal, or animal of several states: Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
U.S. 2156
1985 22¢ Morgan
Horses
- Pictures Morgan horse, one of the most popular breeds found in America
- From the first block of stamps to feature specific horse breeds as main subject
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Horses
Value: 22¢, first-class rate
First Day of Issue: September 25, 1985
First Day City: Lexington, Kentucky
Quantity Issued: 36,985,000
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 40 in sheets of 160
Perforations: 11
Why the stamp was issued: Horses have appeared on stamps as far back as 1869, when the 2¢ Postrider Pictorial depicted one in an unrealistic pose. Since then, horses have appeared on more than three dozen stamps, often as elements of a larger image commemorating a battle, statehood, the Olympics, and more.
The block of four from which this stamp came was the first to honor specific breeds and depict them accurately. Organizations and individuals had suggested stamps honoring specific breeds for many years.
About the stamp design: Roy Anderson provided the artwork for this and the other stamps in the Horses block of four. The stamps were in part inspired by the popularity of the 1984 Dogs block, which was also created by Anderson. He created his stamp images in oils.
Some of Anderson’s first sketches for the stamps were found unsatisfactory by a horse expert. So, the USPS sent him to Kentucky to meet with equine experts to get their input to ensure the stamps were as accurate as possible.
First Day City: The First Day ceremony for this block was held at the Parade of Breeds Barn at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The USPS had considered several locations where some of the breeds could be found. They ultimately selected this site because all four breeds were there and could be present during the ceremony.
History the stamp represents: First domesticated by nomadic peoples in the third millennium B.C., the horse was brought to the new world by the Spanish in the 1500s.
The Morgan horse was one of the first breeds developed in the US. Early Morgans were used in harness racing, as riding animals, and by the cavalry during the Civil War. In 1907, the US Department of Agriculture created the US Morgan Horse Farm to maintain and improve on the breed, though the farm was later taken over by the University of Vermont. The Morgan is the state horse, mammal, or animal of several states: Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.