1989 25c Flag Over Yosemite Coil

U.S. #2280
1987 25¢ Flag and Yosemite

Issue Date: May 20, 1988
City: Yosemite, CA
Quantity: 1,291,729,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Engraved
Perforations: 10 vertically
Color: Multicolored

With the issuance of this stamp, the USPS went back to the established pattern of displaying the American flag over a national landmark. This time, instead of picturing a Washington building such as the Capitol or the White House, a natural landmark from the opposite coast was chosen. Half Dome, a granite formation which rises 4,850 feet above the Merced River, is exactly what its name implies: a massive rock dome which appears as though it was split by a colossal cleaver. Visitors frequently ask, "What happened to the other half?" (The answer: "No one knows.") Indian legends say it is a wife who turned to stone as she fled from her husband, and the dark streaks down the face of the rock are her tears.