# 2336//2421 - 19870-90 Constituion Bicentennial Series

U.S. 2336//2421
1987-90 Constitution Bicentennial Series
Complete Collection of 24 Stamps

• Get the complete collection of 24 Constitution Bicentennial stamps in one convenient order

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Value:  22¢-25¢, first-class rates
Format:  Panes of 50 in sheets of 200, except 2355-59, which was in booklets with four panes of five stamps
Perforations:  11 on all except 2355-59, which has 10 horizontal on 1 or 2 sides

Why the stamps were issued:  To commemorate the 200^th anniversary of the US Constitution and events related to that – states ratifying the Constitution, drafting and signing of the Constitution, the branches of government, and the Bill of Rights.

About the stamp designs: 

Delaware (#2336): Richard Sheaff worked as designer, art director, and typographer for this stamp.  Based on the state seal, the stamp shows a colonial farmer with a scythe in one hand a model of a sailing ship in the other hand.  This is meant to represent the important role farming, shipbuilding, and coastal business played in the state’s early history.  The stamp also pictures a Revolutionary-era militiaman with a rifle, prepared to defend American liberty. Other symbols found in the seal include a sheaf of wheat and an ear of corn, representing agriculture, an ox, as a symbol of animal husbandry, and the blue stripe, representing the Delaware River, which has long been important to transportation and commerce in the state.  Additionally, the motto “Liberty and Independence” was taken from the Order of the Cincinnati.

Pennsylvania (#2337): Richard Sheaff created the design for this stamp based on a National Park Service photograph of Philadelphia’s famed Independence Hall, which had previously been the State House of Pennsylvania.  A tree limb and its shadow were removed from the image for the stamp.  Additionally, the photo was taken in the 1900s, so the building shows a tower that didn’t exist in 1787.  At that time, a spire was on the roof of the small central area.

New Jersey (#2338): First-time stamp designer Jim Lamb mocked up a few other designs for this stamp, including colonial hats in the air celebrating statehood and a political discussion outside of a pub.  The final approved design featured an agrarian scene of a farmer carrying a basket of fresh produce.  Lamb posed for a photo to taken by his wife to serve as the model for his painting.  The stamp also shows a flock of ducks flying overhead, signifying the marshes that provide an important flyway for many waterfowl.  After the stamp was released, there was some criticism that it pictured tomatoes, which many thought were poison before the 1800s.  Lamb said he was aware of that, but knew that the state was famous for its “Jersey tomatoes.”

Georgia (#2339): Several different designs were submitted for this stamp, including a Scarlett O’Hara-inspired Southern belle, agricultural scenes, sea oats of Georgia’s “Golden Isles,” and a Greek revival column.  The final selected image was submitted by first-time stamp designer and Georgia native Greg Harlin.  It features a watercolor image of a live oak, the state tree, covered in Spanish moss.  The faint skyline of modern Atlanta appears in the background.  It was pointed out after the stamp was released that the oak tree pictured on the stamp is only found along the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, so the view of Atlanta in the background was unlikely.

Connecticut (#2340):  Connecticut artist Christopher Calle provided several preliminary designs for this stamp depicting the Charter Oak, the state capitol in Hartford, the state bird (robin) with a nutmeg, a statue of Thomas Hooker, and three different images of Nathan Hale.  The selected design pictures the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan in the port at Mystic, Connecticut.  This ship was previously included in the Historic Preservation issue of 1971 (US #1441).  While the scene is an artist’s concept, the buildings in the background are based on real buildings – the Schaefer Tavern and the Mystic Bank.

Massachusetts (#2341):  This stamp was designed by Massachusetts resident Richard Sheaff, who also designed the first two stamps in the series.  The stamp image is based on a 1793 engraving titled A Southwest View of the State House, in Boston by S. Hill that was printed in Massachusetts Magazine. 

Maryland (#2342): Maryland resident Stephen Hustvedt provided the watercolor painting for this stamp, his first ever stamp design.  The stamp shows Annapolis from across the harbor on the Severn River.  Skipjack sailboat No. 48, the Clarence Crockett glides along the water.  On the shore in the background the dome of the Maryland State House and St. Anne’s Church can be seen.  The state house that is pictured is the third built on that site, constructed in in 1772, and the oldest state capitol still in use by legislators. Some criticized the fact that the skipjack pictured on the stamp had been built in Virginia, not Maryland.  But the USPS said the ship was meant to represent the state’s oyster industry, regardless of where it was built. The 45-foot skipjack was still in use at the time the stamp was issued, but it sank about a month after the stamp was issued.

South Carolina (#2343): Bob Timberlake submitted three watercolor and gouache paintings for the South Carolina stamp.  One pictured the state flower (jasmine), another a live oak tree, and the third, three palmettos (the state tree) surrounded by sea oats.  The palmettos were selected for their instant recognition with South Carolina.  The South Carolina stamp was the first commemorative issued for new 25¢ first-class rate.

New Hampshire (#2344): The USPS considered a few different concepts for this stamp before settling on the final design.  These included a circle of linked states that had appeared on a New Hampshire regimental flag during the American Revolution as well as a view of Mount Chocorua.  However, all involved agreed that the people of New Hampshire considered the Great Stone Face to be their state’s most recognizable symbol.  Thomas Szumowski made an acrylic painting of the famed formation, which had previously appeared on a 1955 stamp (US #1068).

Virginia (#2345): Pierre Mion traveled to Williamsburg to photograph the restored buildings as the basis for his artwork for this stamp. His image of the Governor’s Palace was turned down because it was too “royal,” but the USPS liked the idea of picturing the Capitol building.  They considered picturing a close-up of the tower, but didn’t think it was recognizable enough.  The final design depicts the building from the street, left of center, with a two-horse carriage passing in front.

New York (#2346):  The USPS found the New York stamp perhaps the most challenging of all the stamps in the series.  With its diverse geography, culture, and history, the USPS wasn’t sure which way to go.  They also knew they had to separate New York City from New York State, but not leave it out entirely.  Over the course of the project, four different artists submitted artwork with sketches including Niagara Falls, the NYC skyline, the two superimposed, the Erie Canal, the state seal, a portion of the state seal, a painting of the Hudson River, the “I (heart) New York” slogan and the “Big Apple.” 

Eventually, the USPS selected Federal Hall in New York City for the stamp’s main subject.  Located on Wall Street in lower Manhattan, it had once served as New York’s City Hall and housed the Congress of the Confederation.  It was also there that George Washington took his first oath of office as president in 1789, as depicted on a 1939 stamp (US #854).  Bradbury Thompson found an engraving of the building from an interesting perspective, looking up Wall Street toward Broadway.  The engraving came from an old newspaper, but an extensive search was unable to identify the original artist or source, but it’s suspected it may have been created in the 1930s during the Washington Bicentennial. Thompson also added in Trinity Church, which had burned down in 1776 and hadn’t been rebuilt by the date on the stamp.  In response to complaints over this fact, the USPS said the image was reminiscent of the era.

North Carolina (#2347):  Bob Timberlake, who had also designed the South Carolina Bicentennial stamp, created the artwork for this stamp.  It pictures a branch of dogwood, the state flower.  All or part of nine flowers can been seen on the stamp against the black background.  The dogwood had previously been included on the North Carolina State Bird and Flower stamp of 1982 (US #1985).

Rhode Island (#2348):  The USPS initially hired two artists to create concept sketches for the Rhode Island stamp.  Among their designs were a map of Narragansett Bay, sea shells (representing the nickname “The Ocean State”), a 10-shilling note, and the George Washington, a ship built in Providence. One artist also mocked up several versions of an old-fashioned anchor in various positions and locations.  This was a result of a specific request, because the state seal includes an anchor and the state has a long maritime history.  While many liked the idea, the postmaster general turned it down, saying it wouldn’t carry enough meaning for the people of Rhode Island. 

Robert Brangwynne was then asked to create a sketch of the Slater Mill, which still stands in Pawtucket.  The USPS had received several requests for a stamp honoring the mill over the years, and decided that the Rhode Island statehood stamp could be the perfect place to answer those requests.  The design was approved with few changes, but the words “Slater Mill, 1793” were added, making it the only stamp in the series with identifying information about the image included in the design.

The set of five Drafting the Constitution Bicentennial stamps (#2355-59) was designed by Bradbury Thompson.  They were printed with a light blue background that creates a marbled effect.  Each stamp has a yellow and black stylized eagle on the top right side.  The eagle is based on a photo of an original woodcarving believed to have been created by William Rush, the first successful Native American sculptor.  The first stamp describes what the issue commemorates while the other four contain quotes from the Preamble to the US Constitution.

The first stamp (#2355) reads “The Bicentennial of the Constitution of the United States of America 1787-1987”

The second stamp (#2356) reads “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union…”

The third stamp (#2357) reads “Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare…”

The fourth stamp (#2358) reads “And secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity…”

The fifth stamp (#2359) reads “Do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Signing of the Constitution stamp (#2360): Howard Koslow submitted five different versions of his design for this stamp, in both horizontal and vertical formats.  They all featured variations of the same theme – a hand holding a quill pen, and most included the Constitution in the background.  It was that arrangement the USPS ultimately selected. Although the stamp shows the preamble of the US Constitution and a hand signing, it was actually the fourth page of the document that was signed. Since the preamble is the most recognizable section, the decision was made to include it in the stamp design.

House of Representatives (#2412):  The House of Representatives Bicentennial stamp pictures the “Car of History,” an 1819 marble clock by Italian sculptor Carlo Franzoni.  Also known as the Franzoni clock, it has long had a close association with the House of Representatives.  Today it’s on display above the north entrance to Statuary Hall, which used to be the House chamber in the US Capitol. The clock depicts Clio, the Muse of History, standing in a winged Chariot of Time, documenting history.  The chariot’s wheel is the clock face.  Carlo Franzoni was one of several Italian sculptors who came to the US in 1815 to help decorate the US Capitol after it had been burned by the British in the War of 1812. He reportedly based his depiction of Clio on his niece

United States Senate (#2413): Howard Koslow based his stamp design on a wood and metal statue that sits above the vice president’s chair in the Old Senate Chamber of the US Capitol.  The stamp is a closely cropped image of the gilt eagle with outstretched wings, a ribbon in its beak, and arrows in its talons.  The eagle stands on a shield with the stars and stripes.  It's unknown who created the sculpture or when it was installed, but it was included in Capitol Architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe’s plans for the Senate chamber in 1809.  

Executive Branch (#2414): The Executive Branch stamp pictures a bronze statue of George Washington by John Quincy Adams Ward. Completed in 1883, it stands in the same spot where Washington stood at Federal Hall for his first inauguration.  Washington’s inauguration had been featured on a stamp before (US #854).

Supreme Court (#2415): Selecting a fitting image for the Supreme Court stamp turned out be more difficult than any of the other stamps in the series.  Artist Howard Koslow mocked up several stamps depicting figures from a plaster relief in the original Supreme Court chamber.  He also submitted designs showing busts of early chief justices John Jay and John Marshall, at the suggestion of a sitting Supreme Court justice they’d shown the stamp designs to.  Eventually, it was decided that the stamp would picture John Marshall.  The likeness was based on multiple sources: a seated bronze statue by William Wetmore that sits in the Supreme Court building, an 1828 John B. Martin painting that hangs in the Supreme Court justices’ conference room, an engraving by Charles Schlecht, and a painting by Henry Inman.

Drafting the Bill of Rights (#2421): The Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) briefly considered creating a booklet of 10 stamps, one for each of the 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights.  However, they agreed they didn’t need to make that many new stamps.  Plus, it would be a lot of type on the stamps and they would be difficult to illustrate.  They also knew they didn’t want portraits of the men associated with the Bill of Rights, as that would seem to honor them more than the document.  They decided that something graphic and symbolic might be the best option.  One representative confessed, “It was one of the toughest design assignments we’ve given to anybody.”  The artist who rose to that challenge was Lou Nolan.  He turned in an image of a stylized eagle against a black background holding a quill pen in its beak, spelling out “Bill of Rights.”  In front of part of the eagle’s body stood a shield emblazoned with the red, white, and blue stars and stripes.  CSAC had only minor changes and hired a professional calligrapher to write “Bill of Rights” for the stamp. 

About the Constitution Bicentennial Series:  Between 1987 and 1990, the USPS issued 24 stamps commemorating important events relating to the creation and passage of the US Constitution.  Thirteen stamps commemorate the statehood anniversaries of the first 13 states to approve the Constitution (the first nine of which were required to make the Constitution law).   America’s first commemorative booklet with four panes contained a set of five stamps containing quotes from the Preamble of the Constitution.  Another stamp was issued on the 200^th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution.  Plus, there’s a set of four stamps honoring the three branches of government created by the Constitution (the House of Representatives and Senate each got their own stamp).  The final individual stamp honored the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

History the stamp represents:  On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates from 12 states signed the U.S. Constitution, laying the groundwork of our nation’s government.

In the Spring of 1787, delegates from 12 of the 13 states (Rhode Island didn’t participate, they opposed a national government) met at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention was set to open on May 4, but few of the delegates had arrived by that time. Though, one arrived early and eager – James Madison.

Madison was ready to share and implement his ideas to improve to the U.S. government. He arrived at the convention with a number of resources to share with his fellow delegates. Madison brought a paper on early and modern confederacies, and another explaining what he considered the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. His plan was to create a new central government with stronger powers, an elected chief executive with the power to veto legislation, a federal judiciary branch, and a two-chambered legislature. While each branch would have certain set responsibilities, they would each also have the opportunity to take part in checks and balances of each other’s actions.

Madison’s plan was an overwhelming success. The members of the convention drafted the new constitution based largely on his ideas and signed it on September 17, replacing the Articles of Confederation. In addition, he shared his Virginia Plan, which consisted of a House of Representatives (with the members from each state dependent on population) and a Senate (whose delegates would be elected by the House of Representatives) was utilized as the national hierarchy with one change. In the final plan, the number of Senators from each state would be the same, which differed slightly from Madison’s vision.

In order for the proposed constitution to take effect, at least nine out of 13 states needed to ratify it. Madison lobbied extensively to ensure the constitution’s passage. Along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, Madison published a series of 85 essays called “The Federalist Papers.” They explained in detail how the constitution would work. Madison is credited with writing 26 of these essays. Despite opposing arguments from Patrick Henry, James Monroe, and George Mason, the constitution was ratified by each state by 1790. The U.S. Constitution was now the supreme law of America.